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.

North Ayrshire Council said these community-led plans will set out the aspirations of people for the place they live in and suggest solutions, including 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. Stevenston has become the second area after West Kilbride introduced their local Place Plan last year.

Councillor Alan Hill, cabinet member for islands and communities, said: “We are 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. It is great that we now have our second Local Place Plan and it will be highly invaluable when we produce our Local Development Plan.”

A series of surveys and consultations were carried out with over 200 responses collected.

The proposals and key themes are summarised below:

• restructuring the town centre core to create more retail infrastructure and civic space
• community green space behind New Street and Boglemart Street, including
• former gas works
• a meeting place, museum and/or community facilities
• social housing
• protection of former Kerelaw School grounds, Ardeer Peninsula and surrounding farmland

Once registered by the council, a Local Place Plan 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.