Villagers' views sought on Portgordon community hub plans
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PORTGORDON residents are to have their say on bold plans to create a community hub in the village.
A virtual meeting via Zoom on Thursday, March 18 will extend an open invitation to all to discuss plans to create a space where local organisations and services can operate under one roof.
Behind the scheme is Portgordon Community Harbour Group Ltd (PCHG), who have engaged Community Enterprise to support them craft a business plan.
Alice Firebrace, from Community Enterprise, said: "The need for the hub has been identified through discussion with local people and partners and through a Planning for Real process and other pieces of community consultation that involved tsiMoray and its Four Pillars of Sustainability work shop within the village.
"[There was also a] further community consultation through Stewart Parsons a Crown Estate Scotland retained consultant engaged to explore potential uses of the harbour estate.
"These consultations have been in going since 2017 and the objective in part, is to solidify the final vision of the hub in more detail.
"This hub would serve local needs, enhancing the quality of life in Portgordon and the surrounding area. Our consultation at this stage is taking the form of a survey and an open zoom meeting, in which people will be encouraged to expand upon what they’d like to see out of a new community hub.
"A site has not been absolutely confirmed yet and we are looking at options.
"[Who will run the hub will] be part of the research but it is likely that a community controlled body will be responsible.
"Community Enterprise is currently putting together a business plan for the proposal, we will include recommendations for funding sources once complete."
Ms Firebrace added that the three local local councillors, as well as the community council, had been invited to the virtual public meeting. Moray MSP Richard Lochhead has also meet with PCHG, local councillors and other potential stakeholders and all are aware of and supporting the potential of developing community centred approaches that meet the goals as expressed by residents of the village.
Also looking forward to the meeting is PCHG chairman Colin Hanover.
He commented: "This is all part of the wider process of applying for funding at a future date for the hub.
"Both the survey and the meeting will provide vital evidence to potential funders that the community are behind these plans to bring groups and organisations together under the one roof.
"The Crown Estate, with whom we've been in negotiations with for some time, have bought what used to be the Richmond Arms and we hope to lease this from them for three years to develop the hub."
Mr Hanover added that at the end of this three-year period the community would not only assume ownership of the building but also the village harbour, which is currently owned by Crown Estates.
The virtual meeting is due to get under way at 7pm. To register, visit bit.ly/3uJRRn1 and to take part in the survey go to www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Portgordon
Hard copies are available from the local shop.
Community Enterprise provide support for communities and social enterprises to turn their ideas into reality. For more information on what they do, visit their website at https://communityenterprise.co.uk/
