The body drafting a blueprint for how Arbroath’s £20m windfall will be spent says it’s delighted locals have come forward in numbers with their ideas.
But there is one group Our Arbroath town board feels has been surprisingly shy so far.
So board chairman Peter Stirling is preparing to lead his volunteer team on a mission to make sure the voices of local young people are heard loud and clear.
Mr Stirling was speaking in the wake of a series of design workshops seeking views on where the massive UK Government investment should go.
The events were the latest step in the project which is rapidly gathering pace – and feedback.
Design workshop discussions
Nine key areas were identified for discussion at the Old and Abbey Church sessions.
Those emerged from earlier engagement in what the town board is determined will be a ‘people’s process’.
Ideas were sought on:
- Mixed-use community hub
- Regenerate the town centre and High Street
- Victoria Park and cliffs
- Harbour area
- Parks, food production and wellbeing
- Connections between town assets and tourist trail
- Charities Hub/Old & Abbey
- West Links Park
- Overnight facilities, hotels, campervans and campsites
Mr Stirling said: “All the feedback was very positive.
“We had well over 1,000 written responses.
“The one thing we were a little disappointed with is that we didn’t get many young people.”
Our Arbroath aims to remedy that by going out into schools to listen to young people’s hopes for what the money might bring.
‘Biggest engagement’ yet in Arbroath
“This will be the biggest engagement Arbroath has ever had,” he added.
“We’re not just going into schools, there are plans for pop-ups and to go into old folks’ homes. It’s really important we listen to the needs and views of everyone.”
And another round of workshops is already scheduled for the end of June.
Those will be followed up by further engagement in August.
Mr Stirling hopes by then the vision for Arbroath’s future will be clearly emerging.
He added: “Our job is to submit a 10-year plan to the UK Government.
“In an ideal world, we’d like to do that at the end of this year or early in 2026.
“The Government will be in a position to issue that first year of funding.
“We hope to be in a position to receive that by turning community ideas into fundable and deliverable things.
“This funding initiative is really to see if the government can improve the way it invests in local towns.
“Our job is to take the ideas, evaluate them, build a business case and test them for deliverability.
“I think they’re going to get a far bigger return on their investment.
“And I’d like to hope Arbroath can become a model for how this can work.”
Conversation