Community Consultation Event -Tuesday 3rd November
Comrie Development Trust held a community consultation evening on Tuesday 3rd November in the
White Church. The event was a successful one with a very positive response from community members who attended. Thank you to those of you who did. It is almost 10 years since the CDT was first established so the purpose of a community consultation was to gather feedback on what the community of Comrie wants from the next 10 years of the Trust & Cultybraggan Camp. The speakers, Dr. Ann Petrie & Andrew Reid both produced fantastic presentations on visions for the Camp and Bill Thow, CDT Chair, lead the evening. Following on from presentations, community members spent time discussing and writing comments on what they would like to see for the future of Cultybraggan Camp & each table individually delivered these to everyone present afterwards. We heard some fantastic and very valuable ideas and will be reviewing all comments over the next week. The detail of the group comments, as they recorded them, can be viewed here.
Presentations from the consultation can be viewed below:
- Cultybraggan, Its Historical Importance & Potential as a Heritage Site – by Dr. Ann Petrie
- Visions and options for the camp and the CDT 10 year plan – by Andrew Reid
We would like to thank Comrie Cinema & Events Club for allowing us to use their very professional sound kit.
Comments by the consultation groups at the event on 3 November, along with summaries from the individual questionnaires received so far can be viewed below:
- Comments From 3 November Consultation Event Discussion Groups
- Summary of Comments From Consultation Questionnaires
There will be a second consultation night following on from the AGM on Tuesday 8th December and we hope to see you there.
Why have a community consultation?
Cultybraggan Camp – a major tourist attraction, bringing national and international visitors – that is the vision of the Comrie Developme
nt Trust Board. That is the vision to be put to CDT’s 590 local members and its 125 associate members. Do you think that
theTrust should pursue its feasibility?
With 30 of its 80 huts listed for special protection, heritage would be at the centre of the proposals. That would mean museum spaces, hands-on interactive displays for people of all ages, walk through history huts, and equipment for remembering and recording. To make a ‘great day out’ the Camp could include play areas for young children, an activity and sports zone for younger adults and others, walks through the woodland areas owned by the Trust, and the potential for climbing structures and zip wires there.
The Trust board sees the camp having a cafe-restaurant and tourist shops supporting its activities. Self-catering accommodation is already being developed. Educational and conference huts would provide facilities not only for heritage teaching, but also for environmental interests, for woodland/craft learning, and for people using the Camp as a base for a wide range of events. A big increase in visitor numbers would d
eliver customers to the door of local businesses at the Camp, and the village shops just up the road. New small businesses, perhaps arts and crafts workshops, could set up to cater for them.
The Camp would still have huts for community groups, such as the Brownies, and local businesses, with the extra income from visitors funding hut improvements. Our national heritage site would be preserved, and within 10 years our village would potentially have profits of up to £87,000 per year (not including the self catering profits) to invest in community facilities, such as playgrounds, sports at Laggan Park, and funds for existing groups for people of all ages.
In 2016, it will be ten years since the Trust was established. It is time to review progress
made and be imaginative and ambitious for the next ten year period. The Trust
set out with the aims of delivering community benefits, local economic activity, and reducing environmental impact through sustainable development. The Trust board believes heritage should now be added to the aims, and that its vision for the Camp is worth researching and evaluating.
Read the full consultation plan newsletter here
The future direction of the Comrie Development Trust must be set by its members. What do you think of the Board’s ideas for the future?
Do you agree with the proposals, and, if so, how do you think they should be improved and taken forward? Or, do you think the Trust should look for different kinds of developments at Cultybraggan Camp and in the village and local area?
Fill in the questionnaire here & return to CDT Office.
Alternatively you can e-mail it to cdt@comriedevelopmenttrust.org.uk
The Trust needs its members to participate in the consultation, so that it can develop a CDT Plan. We need that to manage change locally and for funding bodies. So, please:
- Come to the consultation event at the White Church on Tuesday 3rd November 7.30pm
- Return the questionnaire before or after the first consultation event
- Join the discussion after the Trust AGM in the White Church on Tuesday 8th December
Remember, Trust members own Cultybraggan and we want you to have the final say about the future of the camp and about the future work of the Trust locally.
If you would like a paper copy of the consultation plan document or questionnaire, feel free to pick one up in the CDT Office.
