New five-year plan to boost Bridge of Allan unveiled after community effort

Consultation events were held within the town to influence the new five-year plan
-Credit: (Image: DISCOVER BRIDGE OF ALLAN)


A new five-year Community Action Plan has been launched to help provide a positive boost to community life in Bridge of Allan, near Stirling.

Discover Bridge of Allan and Bridge of Allan Community Council have been working in partnership over the past year to develop the new Community Action Plan (CAP) for the town.

Connecting with the people who live and work in Bridge of Allan, as well as those who visit the town, local community groups are working hard to understand key priorities and build a community-led plan that will have a positive impact on the future of the town.

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The key themes identified and being further developed by Discover Bridge of Allan and Bridge of Allan Community Council with the public and private sector, are; ‘Community-owned and connected’; ‘Active and inclusive’; ‘Riveting and visitor-friendly’; ‘Environmentally sustainable and scenic’ and ‘Safe and liveable’.

The two organisations are now looking forward to working with their partners in driving the project forward.

The steering group behind the plan
The steering group behind the plan -Credit:DISCOVER BRIDGE OF ALLAN

Isabel Walter, chair of the CAP Working Group, said: “This has been an amazing process to go through. As someone who’s still fairly new to Bridge of Allan, I have been overwhelmed by the support of the local community. Thank you to everyone that took the time to fill out a survey or to stop and talk to us at an event or in the street.

“I’m excited about the next stage but right now I think we can celebrate this – it’s a huge achievement for everyone involved.”

Amanda Coulthard, chair of Bridge of Allan Community Council, enjoyed being part of the team that pulled this document together. She said: “This is such a significant milestone for Bridge of Allan as a community. Discover Bridge of Allan coming together with the community council has been such a powerful partnership and I’m looking forward to working together to deliver more for our community.

“I’d like to thank every person and organisation that took part in the consultation and helped guide this action plan. The next stage for us is to use this plan, and all the feedback you gave us, to help inform the development of a Local Place Plan.”

Euan Bain, chair of Discover Bridge of Allan, is proud of the work that has been achieved. He said: “I’d like to thank the team that worked tirelessly to pull this Community Action Plan together. The collaborative effort between Discover Bridge of Allan and our Community Council goes to show what can be achieved if we work together.”

Discover Bridge of Allan and Bridge of Allan Community Council have also been grateful for the support of Community Enterprise, a social enterprise based in West Lothian, for their support in connecting with our community and developing this plan.

For more information on the launch of the action plan and how to contribute to its delivery to benefit the local community, email: athello@discoverbridgeofallan.org and go to https://www.discoverbridgeofallan.org/our-bridge-of-allan.