Community vision – the future
Theme 2. Green and active
The deterioration of the Meadows has provoked considerable concern. Once a popular and attractive space offering picnic and play facilities, it has become overgrown, litter strewn and, to many residents, an eyesore.
Despite signs forbidding overnight residency in the Meadows car park, visitors in camper vans stay there anyway. Their proliferation and waste adds to the general sense of a lack of care.
Regenerating the Meadows will be a major project, requiring significant investment. However, there are funding streams available for large projects like this and the economic, environmental, and social benefits would potentially be greater than the cost of transformation.
The Callander Charrette produced a vision of a connected town with a sustainable level of new housing development, a continuous green corridor along the south bank of the Teith, and ample provision of green spaces for recreation and community events.
The Charrette report was published in 2012 and was the result of an intense period of community consultation. And yet, its findings have largely been overlooked in subsequent development or strategic plans.
In our consultations, residents made it clear that they wanted the Charrette to be revisited and that readers of our Place Plan should be reminded of some of its proposals.
While Callander’s landscape is open and beautiful, in or near the town centre there is very little suitable land available for play, team sports, recreation or large community gatherings. Where such land does remain unused, it has either been: purchased for development; designated in a manner that does not reflect the Charrette; or it is undesignated.
This Local Place Plan proposes the creation of the following:
- an environmentally sustainable visitor attraction and and a play space in the centre of town;
- a community-owned sports field; and
- a community-owned events space.
Solutions
i. Meadows masterplan
The community supports the commissioning of a design masterplan for the Meadows to create a sustainable and safe recreational space for residents and visitors. The masterplan should consider provision of all-weather viewpoint(s) and shelters, new public lavatories, a play park, recreational field, natural ponds, an outdoor gym, and upgraded footpaths and picnic areas. Importantly, natural flood mitigation measures should take priority over car parking.
ii. Green active spaces
a) Callander Thistle FC and Callander Cricket Club are in negotiations to purchase the field adjacent to the Camp Place playing field. The process is being hindered by LLTTNP having designated the field for economic development (ED1) in their Local Development Plan 2017-2024. Our community proposes that LLTTNP should redesignate it as a playing field.
In relation to this proposal, the football and cricket clubs have confirmed that if they succeed in buying the land then they will be happy for the end of the field to be used as a site for the pedestrian bridge (1.i.a, above).
b) The Primary School playing field was gifted to the community by the McLaren Educational Trust on condition that it remained as a ‘play field’ in perpetuity. As well as being the school’s playing field, it is widely used by residents for recreation.
However, the current LLTTNP Local Development Plan does not afford the site any designation or protection. The community supports the proposal that the land should be classified as Amenity Green Space and be protected from development.
c) The Charrette indicated that the playing field should form part of the green riverside park running along the south bank of the Teith.
iii.A community field
Land should be allocated near to the McLaren Campus for outdoor community events, such as the Highland Games and live performances. McLaren Leisure Centre is committed to funding this initiative.
Figure 4. Green and active – proposal locations
