‘Local Place Plans’ provide communities with an opportunity to feed into the planning system with their own ideas and proposals for the development and use of land.

These community-led plans will set out the aspirations of people for the place they live in and suggest solutions, including those to the big challenges like the global climate emergency and tackling inequalities.

By setting out priorities for future development in an area, Local Place Plans can also help communities to develop and deliver their own projects and bring about community-based change.

And Cumbrae has become the latest area in North Ayrshire to introduce their local Place Plan. It was approved by North Ayrshire Council’s Planning Committee.

The Community Council sought the views of the local community through online surveys, consultation and emails to their 300 subscribers. A stakeholder consultation with various groups including Police Scotland, HM Coastguard, Field Studies Council, Millport Bowling Club also took place to gauge the opinion and views of local partners.

The Local Place Plan has now been registered by the Council and will be considered in the preparation of the Local Development Plan - the strategy that defines and shapes where future development of land and property will take place.

It can be viewed on the North Ayrshire Council website.

Councillor Alan Hill, cabinet member for Islands and Communities, said: “We are currently working on our third Local Development Plan and it’s important that we get as much support and input from our communities as possible.

“The Local Place Plans are a new concept but will be invaluable and feed into our Local Development Plans. I would like to pay tribute to the work done by Cumbrae Community Council in preparing their Place Plan. The high level of community engagement and feedback both in person and online was absolutely incredible and confirms the Cumbrae Place Plan as an exemplar for other communities to follow.

“The new Cumbrae Place Plan will be invaluable when we produce our new Local Development Plan.”