KEY ACTION AREAS

This is most critical and difficult of all five strategic aims.
CCDC seeks to achieve a sustainable environment economy, promoting good governance and using established science responsibly in enabling a strong, healthy just society and living within our environmental limits.

It is clearly evident that CCDC have an important role to perform in the areas of:-

•    charitable,
•    cultural,
•    economic,
•    education,
•    environmental,
•    housing and
•    social development.

CCDC have sympathetically restored Garrison House; acted as a responsible landlord in attracting tenants for the betterment of all the residents and visitors to the Isle of Great Cumbrae (1).

The next stage is to ensure sympathetic development of the grounds and remaining buildings within the Garrison Grounds.

We urgently require an ‘Estates Management Plan’ which optimises the commercial potential to cross-subsidise on-going maintenance of Garrison House.

CCDC is actively seeking partners to fund this critical aspect of our future development. 

 
Furthermore, the maintenance and development of our cultural and heritage assets are governed by laws, policies and programme implemented by the Scottish Government.  CCDC will be guided by all applicable planning regulations; and notwithstanding seeks to promote ethical development principles throughout our projects and programmes. 

    
The Scottish Government supports the five guiding principles of sustainable development set out in the UK shared framework for sustainable development; the five principles are : -

•    Living within environmental limits,
•    Ensuring a strong, healthy and just society,
•    Achieving a sustainable economy,
•    Promoting good governance,
•    Using sound science responsibly.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)    The operating area of CCDC’s jurisdiction is the Island of Great Cumbrae.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scottish Government developmental plans state that:-

‘plans should also support small business development and growth and promote opportunities for low impact industrial, business and service uses can co-exist with housing and other sensitive uses with eroding amenity’. 

   
The Scottish Government planning system is committed to increasing the supply of new homes and should contribute to the rate of new housing by identifying a generous supply of land for the provision of a range of housing in the right places.

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 requires local authorities to prepare a local housing strategy supported by an assessment of housing need and demand.

        
CCDC’s mandate also extends to providing or assisting in the provision of housing for people in necessitous circumstances.

 
The Scottish Government planning system has identified that development plans should identify coastal areas likely to be suitable for development and should be based on a clear understanding of the physical, environmental, economic and social characteristics of the coastal area and the likely effects of climate change.

    
Aquaculture is a nationally important industry, particularly of coastal and island communities, making an important contribution to the rural economy and providing a significant number of jobs.

CCDC seeks on behalf of the community to research and investigate the opportunities within this sector for the Isle of Great Cumbrae.

Scotland’s culture and heritage will provide opportunities for many SMEs and there is a desire that ‘the Estates Management Plan’ accommodate creative micro businesses and cultural practitioners.

CCDC has already received an enquiry to consider a microbrewery operation (similar to Taste of Arran) within the grounds of Garrison House; and the development of an ‘Estates Management Plan’ will assist in determining the suitability of these types of investments to preserve and enhance our cultural heritage.

    
CONSERVATION

The Scottish Government planning system also includes ‘Conservation Area Management 3.16’ which should also be read in conjunction with PAN71.

 
Conservation areas are areas of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance which is desirable to preserve or enhance.  

North Ayrshire Council (NAC) has completed a conservation management plan for Millport, and CCDC will actively work with NAC towards the completion of this plan.

OPEN SPACE AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Access to good quality open spaces can encourage people to be physically active and aid health and wellbeing.

The planning system has a role in helping to create an environment where physical wellbeing is improved and activity made easier. Providing play space and other opportunities for children and young people to play freely, explore, discover and initiate their activities. 

    
Authorities should ensure that there is consistency between the development plan, open space strategy, core paths plan, local transport strategy and outdoor access strategy.

CCDC planned community gardens within the grounds of Garrison House and this project complemented NAC requirement to provide allotments for community use (PAN 65 Planning and Open Space). This project is now completed and is fully operational.

PLAYING FIELDS

Playing fields are an important resource for sport and should be provided in sufficient quantity, quality and accessibility to satisfy current and likely future community demand.

Local authorities are required to develop a ‘playing fields strategy’ with SportScotland as a part of their wider open space strategy and identified within the local development plan. 

   
Through either a local facilities strategy or a playing fields strategy, a need for a new indoor/outdoor sports or recreation facilities in an area, the local development plan should identify sites where they can be located.

CCDC will lobby for the island to be included in North Ayrshire Council local facilities strategy.

Garrison House grounds used to accommodate tennis courts. The 2010 Cumbrae Community Development Plan identified the need to reinstate lost facilities including tennis courts, pitch and putt, and paddling pool.

The 2010 Cumbrae Community Development Plan also identified the need to improve key public toilets and changing facilities at West Bay, Kames Bay and the Pier.        
CCDC in conjunction with Scottish Leader, Highlands and Islands, and North Ayrshire Council initiated and re-developed a new public toilets and changing facilities at West Bay. This project is now completed and is fully operational.

The regeneration and potential re-development of the Pier will provide opportunities for private sector investment and the toilets at the Pier should be included in this opportunity for walk aboard facilities for the yachting/sailing tourism sector.

CCDC have already indicated their interest in supporting North Ayrshire Council in this catalytic project. 

 
COLLABORATION

The Scottish Government’s planning policies are set out in the National Planning Framework, and statutory guidance on sustainable development and planning are detailed under Section 3E of the Planning Scotland Act 2006.

‘The Scottish Government believes strongly in the value of forward looking, visionary and ambitious plans that will guide development. These plans provide guidance to potential developers and investors; provide various interest with the opportunity to participate in shaping the future of their communities; and give public authorities a structure within which decisions can be made with confidence. Development plans should lead and guide change. The statutory requirement to keep development plans up to date will ensure that they reflect and respond to emerging pressures and issues’.  

        
Under planning laws, Council has a duty to protect, preserve and enhance buildings and structures in the conservation areas.

All of the conservation areas, except ‘Greenlaw’ are covered by legal restrictions which remove certain permitted development rights.

CCDC will promote for the public benefit the preservation of (whether wholly or part) of buildings, and other structures of historic and/or architectural significance located within the island of Great Cumbrae. 

 
Historic environment is defined by the SPP (Scottish Planning Policy) as ‘ancient monuments, archeological sites and landscape, historic buildings, townscapes, parks, gardens and designed landscapes, and other features.  It comprises both statutory and non-statutory designations’. 

 
SSP must also be used in conjunction with SHEP (Scottish Historic Environmental Policy).  

CCDC shall also provide and/or assist in partnership in the provision of housing for the people in necessitous circumstances within the operating area (1). 

   
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

As a charitable institution one of our main goals is the sustainable economic growth and sustainable development of the island and its workforce.

CCDC will endeavour to promote and/or provide in partnership training in skills of all kinds, particularly such skills as will assist residents in obtaining paid employment. In addition, we advance education among residents, particularly among young people and the unemployed.

 
CCDC also aims to relieve ill health and promote good health, particularly among our residents and also seeks to promote, establish, operate, and/or support other schemes of a charitable nature for the benefit of the island’s residents.

BUILDING PRODUCT CAPACITY
Product capacity includes all economic, environmental, social and tourism products for the betterment of residents and visitors.   
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) The operating area of CCDC’s jurisdiction is the Island of Great Cumbrae
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CCDC aims to preserve, restore and improve the environment through the protection and/or preservation of the natural environment and the provision, maintenance and/or improvements of public open space and other public amenities and other environmental and townscape regeneration projects.

In addition, and in doing so, CCDC seeks, where appropriate to carry out works of reclamation, remediation, restoration and other operations to facilitate the use of those purposes of land whose use has been prevented or restricted because of previous use. 

        
IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND REVIEW

The key element of implementation will be a programme of supplementary guidance. Where this to form part of the development plan, authorities should ensure the guidance and should include:

a)    Is derived from the plan, and
b)    Has been subject of discussion and engagement,
c)    Monitoring should focus on changes and set the future review, and
d)    Should focus on what has to change, rather on re-opening settled issues.     

These four steps are critical when dealing with community projects and programmes.