What’s this about?

In 2021, the local community prepared a Community Action Plan to guide the future of Stratherrick and Foyers, including how we could best use “community benefit” money from renewable power generation. 

The Community Action Plan was intended to be reviewed after five years.  That means now!

Some of the proposals in the 2021 Plan have been implemented, others haven’t - scroll down for more detail. This five yearly review - reCAP - is an opportunity for the community to take stock of what we planned to do five years ago, and ask ourselves:

• Which parts of the Plan have we implemented?
• What has not been done?  Why not?
• What do we need to change or add for the next five years?

Like the original plan, the whole community needs to answer those questions - especially the last one, about changes to the Plan.  That’s because the new Plan needs to work for the whole community.

Don’t forget, the refreshed Plan will be really important for the community, because it will guide how we spend community benefit money and what we ask others to do.

How can I shape the new Plan?

Please complete the short survey that has been posted through every letterbox - and encourage your friends, family and neighbours to do it too. 

[insert graphic “win £50!”]

[insert image of survey]

Do it online here: [insert button to online survey]

Everybody who completes the survey can enter a £50 cash prize draw - no strings attached!

Over the summer, we’ll publish the responses and arrange discussions to decide the priorities that the refreshed Community Action Plan - reCAP - should focus on.  Anybody who’s interested will be welcome.

Then later in the year, a draft of the refreshed Community Action Plan will be published for everyone to check, before finalising it to take account of feedback.

What’s happened in the last five years?

Much has been achieved in the five years since the original Community Action Plan was produced:

• Access to Loch Ness and storage created at Foyers Bay
• New family homes built in Inverfarigaig
• More pupils in school
• Scottish Land Fund application to purchase Foyers Stores for the community
• Inverfarigaig forest classroom and toilets opened
• Greater engagement from residents in Torness
• Paths and recreation space in the grounds of the Wildside Centre
• Walk the Walk campaign, including an online guide to 22 local walks
• Maintenance work on key sections of the South Loch Ness Trail
• New community minibus on order
• Updated community grant system, including new grants for driving lessons
• Local Place Plan prepared in 2023, the first to be registered in the Highlands, to influence the Council’s planning policy and decisions

Some other elements of the Community Action Plan have not been implemented as envisaged, despite much effort. For example, childcare, community transport, new homes in other villages outwith Inverfarigaig, more jobs, new leisure facilities and a network of community hubs have all proved challenging in different ways.

This five-year reCAP is an opportunity to reflect on why those elements haven’t worked out as planned - and decide whether to keep or change them, and what else might be needed.

The small print

This work has been commissioned by the Community Trust and the Community Council, and funded by DTAS (Development Trusts Association Scotland). The funding has enabled us to bring in the same independent facilitator/planner who helped to prepare the 2021 Community Action Plan and 2023 Local Place Plan, Nick Wright.

If you’d like to find out more about the work, please don’t hesitate to contact Nick: nick@nickwrightplanning.co.uk, 07900 334110.