Group set to deliver regeneration plan

Stirling Council is proposing to commit £500,000 to a new regeneration strategy aimed at tackling poverty and promoting growth across the area.

The council’s community planning and regeneration committee agreed on Thursday to recommend the establishment of a group that will oversee the delivery of the proposals.

The group will also draw together work already in place to tackle deprivation and promote growth.

These include work already underway to boost the priority areas of Cultenhove, Fallin, Raploch, Cornton, Cowie, Top of the Town, Hillpark and Plean and rural development elements of Stirling’s £200 million City Development Framework.

In Cornton, the council, community and local businesses worked together to plan and deliver lighting and other improvements to rejuvenate the local shopping precinct and community centre.

Pilot projects taking place in a number of communities are also looking at ways of building the capacity of these areas to lead their own regeneration.

Stirling Council’s director of communities and partnerships, Stacey Burlet, said: “The range of regeneration work already taking place within the council to support our communities means there’s a unique and exciting opportunity to promote social justice and economic growth, building on current developments and sharing learning from them.

“The emphasis is very much about working with communities to identify the priorities that are important to them and the short-life working group, if approved by council, will be looking at ways of further supporting community leadership and building knowledge and expertise to promote growth at that local level.”

The committee also approved plans to progress the use of more than £500,000 approved as part of this year’s council budget to tackle poverty and promote growth across the Stirling area.

Funds include £100,000 each in support for community events and apprenticeship opportunities plus £105,000 to tackle child poverty in particular.

The committee agreed to delegate responsibility for progressing use of the community events money to Ms Burlet, with more detailed plans for the other funds to be developed.