Woodburn Planning for Real
Project summary
In October 2007, the CVP began the process of a Planning for Real project for Woodburn.
The aim of this project was to ask local people what they liked about the local area, what they felt could be improved and what issues need to be tackled.
Although it is impossible to guarantee the suggestions provided during the consultation can be carried out (this depends on funding, resources and timescales); it has enabled us to develop a local action plan that outlines the key priorities for local people, and suggestions for how to take these priorities forward. This information will be shared with Council Departments and key services and organisations in the area.
Planning for Real is a fun and different way of engaging with people. It enables people to focus on specific areas, to identify the issues key to them and make suggestions about improvements.
It uses a giant 3D model of a town, specific area or building to help people identify what issues exist and where. People engage in the process by placing ‘suggestion cards’ onto the model that outlines a specific problem or suggestion. The model enables people to pinpoint where an issue exists or where they would like to see their suggestion carried out.
An initial meeting was held in October 2007 with people from Woodburn, including the Neighbourhood Watch, local organisations, youth workers and residents. The group felt that the project could be positive for the local area and suggested other people and groups who should also be involved.
The first thing that needed to happen was the creation of the Woodburn model. The CVP linked up with WWHAM (Woodburn Women’s Health and Motivation Group), Woodburn Girls Group and the P6 and 7 Youth Group to make the model from polystyrene and card.
Once the model was created, it was taken to the Woodburn Primary School’s Christmas Fayre, the Dalkeith School Campus and the Dalkeith Community Centre, so people could place down their suggestion and problem cards. In total, over 950 different comments were recorded.
These comments were then collated and themed. An Action Planning event was held on 25th June 2008, which brought together members of the community, Council Representative and the Police. Their job was to look over the results of the consultations, to priorities these and to come up with suggestions of how to take the priorities forward.
The results of the Action Planning workshops have been collated into a newsletter. If you would like to receive a copy of this newsletter, please contact the Regeneration Development Team on tel. 0131 271 3199 or email Dorothy.Wright@midlothian.gov.uk.
Duration : 28 July 2008 - 27 December 2008
