Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2022-27 - Other - Page 84
C4. Village and town centres
Numerous opportunities and challenges have faced the town and village centres of the National Park as
shopping habits have changed. New businesses and activities will need to be supported to ensure these
spaces continue to provide services and value to communities. In general, commercial properties should remain
so and should only be converted to residential as a last resort.
The concept of 20-minute neighbourhoods is one way of to ensure that services are accessible, help tackle
societal causes of inequality, and reduce social isolation and loneliness. 20-minute neighbourhoods are places
that are designed so that residents can meet their day-to-day needs within a 20-minute walk or cycle of their
home; however, this concept will clearly require some translation in a rural context, where services and people
are more dispersed.
OBJECTIVE
Ensure villages and town centres in the National Park are thriving
places where people live, shop and meet.
TARGET
•
An increasing number of 20-minute neighbourhoods
(or rural equivalent).
INDICATOR
•
The percentage of vacant commercial properties on high streets of
the National Park reduces.
ACTIONS
BY 2027
•
Review mechanisms available to the public sector to encourage
regeneration of our town and village centres.
•
Promote business and community-led collaborative projects to encourage
local expenditure and supply chains.
•
Develop a rural approach to the 20-minute neighbourhood concept
in the National Park.
•
PARTNERS
(alongside the
Park Authority)
Heritage Horizons: Cairngorms 2030 programme (see page 12).
Local authorities, Scottish Government, Federation of Small Businesses,
Cairngorms Business Partnership, Growbiz, Sustrans
86
