Moray Open Space Strategy
The Audit will help to identify gaps in provision, opportunities for improvement/change, public support for particular open space sites or types/uses of open space. This audit will inform the development of an Open Space Strategy, which will guide the prioritisation/targeting of existing resources, guide allocation of future resources and maximise the opportunities to tap into funding for open space by providing a clear basis
Thank you to all who participated in the stakeholder consultation in June/July 2008, regarding the terms of reference/priorities for the Audit and Strategy. A consultation summary has been produced and a document including all individual responses is also available.
In October 2008, a Steering Group was convened to take forward the Open Space Strategy development process, taking on board the feedback from the initial questionnaire in June/July 2008. The detail of the meeting discussion and agreed actions can be found in the Steering Group minutes. 
(16 pages, 121 KB)Briefly the Group agreed that:
- Due to resourcing, the open space audit would focus initially on the five major settlements of Moray - Elgin, Forres, Buckie, Keith and Lossiemouth (to be rolled out to other Moray settlements in future proposed annual audits).
- In the first instance, the open space to undergo 'site assessment' within the towns will be those sites identified as 'open space' (ENV) or 'community facility' (CF) - as relevant eg cemeteries - in the Emerging Local Plan 2008 (ENV=environmental/open space; CF=community facilities). Further sites can be assessed if they emerge as key sites through the public consultation process.
- Greenspace Scotland's 'Greenspace Quality: A Guide to assessment and planning and strategic development' quality criteria would form the basis of the 'site assessments'.
- The consultation process should include a wide array of different public involvement methods including for example questionnaires, public events (interactive exhibitions) in the main towns, competitions, links with schools curriculum.
- The wider consultation process should be opened up to invite comment on open space across the Moray area, to help set the priority for future auditing/strategy revision and identify Moray-wide priorities.
- That two working groups should be established to take forward the two elements of the audit:
Audit Working Group (site assessment) - minutes of meetings: 28/10/08
- Consultation Working Group (consultation process). - minutes of meetings: 11/11/08
The Audit and Consultation Working Groups are currently working on a Pilot audit/consultation in Forres, with the commencement of the public consultation process planned for early 2009 and a publicised, open consultation event planned for March 2009.
For more information please contact: Amanda Howard (Planning Officer and Lead Officer for the Open Space Strategy) Telephone: 01343 563265
