OVER 100 Clackmannan residents took the opportunity to have a major say in how the area is likely to develop over the next five years when they attended a Coalfields Community Futures Open Day in the town hall last week.

The Coalfields Regeneration Trust, which is the driving force behind the Futures programme, helped the local Steering Group organise in-depth surveys which will be used to help draw up a five-year Community Action Plan for the area.

The CRT also provides a £20,000 participatory budget to get priority projects off the ground.

Key themes which emerged from the survey’s results included parking, roads and transport; town environment and appearance; as well as community facilities and amenities.

Recreation and heritage and community activities and events were two other popular themes with people keen to see uniformed and sporting groups supported to continue and develop in the short term while aiming for better play-parks and community activities – especially for teenagers – into the future.

There were strong views that the area’s local heritage could be celebrated more both within the town and in terms of tourist potential.

Clackmannan Primary School gained lots of support for their proposal to explore this heritage through digital media.

Steering Group member Robert Horne said: “We were really pleased with the turnout and how keen people were to become fully engaged with the process.

“Now we move onto the next stage of collating all the survey findings and people’s reactions, and drawing up the 5-Year Community Action plan.” Part of the process will be allocating the Coalfields Regeneration Trust’s £20,000 funding package.

Bob Young, Scottish Trustee of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, said: “It is really encouraging that Clackmannan has been so enthusiastic about becoming involved in our Coalfields Community Futures programme.

“I am sure the Community Action Plan will be all the more relevant thanks to their contributions and feedback.”