2020-Present
From the inception of the Planning for Real community consultation project in early 2020, GALE took on the responsibility of guiding the process, leading the community through various stages, and ensuring the publication of the Community Action Plan (CAP) in September 2023. This comprehensive document represents the collective voice of our community and serves as a valuable resource for anyone within the community or any organisation seeking evidence of consultation for funding applications.
Initially, the Planning for Real consultation, a trademarked technique aimed at empowering communities by giving them a democratic voice and control over matters that are important to them, had to be adapted due to the unforeseen disruption caused by the Covid pandemic. Despite the challenges, we swiftly transitioned to using the online platform Vocaleyes, allowing us to continue gathering opinions and ideas from our community during this period.
In 2022, with the appointment of a new project coordinator and the rebranding of the project as “Our People, Our Place, Our Future,” the consultation regained momentum. Throughout 2022 workshops were held across our operating area where community ideas and feedback were collected. By collating and categorising the ideas generated by our community, we identified five key themes: Housing, Local Economy and Employment, Community Facilities, Environment, and Transport and Safety.
While GALE serves as the custodian of the CAP, it is essential to emphasise that the plan belongs to our entire community. It is a resource that can be accessed and utilised by anyone within the community or any organisation. For instance, it can be used as compelling evidence in funding applications that require proof of consultation and community engagement.
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 other local development trust activities. We have included a list of local organisations in the Community Action Plan.
We encourage everyone to explore the plan and actively participate in its implementation, as it represents our collective vision for the future of Gairloch and Loch Ewe.
