Introduction
The GALE team are pleased to announce that we have completed the Community Action Plan (CAP) for the Gairloch and Loch Ewe area. This CAP is a presentation of the ideas from the community which has come from a series of consultations in Gairloch and the surrounding areas over the last couple of years. The next step is for these projects and ideas to be taken forward by local individuals and any organisations who are keen to see them implemented. The ideas presented were suggested by the community, as were the potential partners. This document is a presentation of those ideas.
The Development of the Plan
GALE produced this CAP as it is a document every community should have and there wasn’t one for our area. CAPs are an important part of the development process. Without one public bodies, who would normally refer to a Community Action plan to influence their decisions, are left to draw their own conclusions on the needs of the area. The ideas generated by our community have been split into five key themes – Housing; Local Economy and Employment; Community Facilities; Environment; Transport and Safety.
Whilst GALE is the custodian of the CAP, it belongs to our whole community and can be can be picked up and used by anyone in the community, or any organisation. For example it may be used as evidence for a funding application that requires proof of consultation.
The Next Steps
The next step would be the creation of a Local Place Plan using the CAP as a basis for this. Collaboration with a variety of local organisations would be key. Once a local place plan is accepted by the Highland Council there would be a legal obligation for the government to take this into account for all future planning applications and development proposals. There are currently no registered local place plans in the Highland Council.
We hope to review the CAP in the winter of 2024/2025. Members of the community are welcome to participate in the future development of the CAP and the Local Place Plan through their community council, GALE consultations and events or through another local development trust activities. We have included a list of local organisations in the Community Action Plan.
Conclusion
We feel that the community action plan is a good/fair representation of the views of the community while keeping in line with the guiding principles of GALE. If you have any feedback, you can contact the team using the email address cap@galeteam.co.uk or make use of the ASK GALE session if you’d rather have a face to face conversation.
If you would like to see other examples of community action plans, both Kyle of Lochalsh and Torridon and Kinlochewe have written their own CAPs.