Locals are being invited to take part in a community mapping exercise to help protect land and spaces which residents feel are important to them.
My Cowdenbeath are developing a Local Place Plan (LPP) for Cowdenbeath, which will also take in the villages of Lumphinnans and Hill of Beath.
Residents are being asked to attend drop-in events at the Maxwell Centre to help identify the places which should be protected, like play parks, green spaces and woodland and to suggest where new developments might go in the future.
Mapping events are being held on:
- Wednesday 15th November, from 4pm til 7pm
- Saturday 18th November, from 12pm til 3pm
Stuart Duffy, Director of My Cowdenbeath said:
“Developing a Local Place Plan is a good opportunity for people to say what they’d like to see in their local area and how land should be developed. It might be about protecting a playpark for local kids, or a woodland walk which people really appreciate. It also extends to look at what could be permitted with certain areas of vacant land – where would new houses be built, or expansion of industrial land.”
“There is a set procedure for us to develop an LPP for Cowdenbeath, so this mapping exercise, along with the input from the recent resident survey, will help us to produce a Draft Plan, which then goes out to public consultation for 28 days, with a period for local people to have another say. The final plan needs to be with Fife Council by the end of January 2024, so it’s important to have your say early on!”
“We’re also inviting people from Hill of Beath and Lumphinnans to take part, since the villages are so close to Cowdenbeath and we all rely on each other, it just makes sense! So whether you feel strongly about something being done about a bit of vacant land, or you definitely don’t want new housing in your area – we want to hear from you!”
A Local Place Plan is a new form of community consultation, developed by the Scottish Government and being implemented by all local Councils in Scotland. Here in Fife, LPP’s are to be agreed by the end of January 2024.
Once agreed and submitted, the plans will become a material consideration for any new developments or land use in the area for many years to come.
If you’d like to take part, drop-in to the Maxwell Centre on 15th or 18th November and have your say on how land should be used in Cowdenbeath – everyone welcome!
My Cowdenbeath CIC 