MASTERPLAN PROGRESSING FOR 21^ST CENTURY VILLAGE PROJECT

• The local community have until Sunday 4^th September to submit their feedback on the draft plans that will form the strategic masterplan for the Ladyfield site in Dumfries.
• Collective Architecture, with RaeburnFarquharBowen, Buro Happold and nbm Construction Consultants, are leading the strategic masterplan project on behalf of The Crichton Trust.
• A fourth Community Engagement event is scheduled to take place at Easterbrook Hall on 14^th October from 1pm – 7pm, where the final ideas for the draft masterplan will be shared with the stakeholders and the local community.
• The strategic masterplan will provide a framework for a vibrant, sustainable exemplar new place that celebrates the rich heritage and landscape setting of Ladyfield and The Crichton.
• This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.

Local partners have been developing ambitious plans to reconnect Ladyfield with The Crichton and to create a multi-generational housing community on the land, now referred to as The Crichton 21^st Century Village.  The Ladyfield site, currently in the ownership of Dumfries and Galloway Council, sits adjacent to The Crichton.

The Crichton is an 85-acre parkland estate located on the outskirts of Dumfries. It has a thriving business, leisure and academic community and is managed by The Crichton Trust, a charity and social enterprise with a role to protect, preserve, maintain, promote and sensitively develop the estate and its heritage.

To progress these ambitious plans, The Crichton Trust appointed a multi-disciplinary team led by Collective Architecture to develop a robust masterplan to consider options for the future development of the site. 

Since June, the partners have hosted three community engagement events to encourage members of the local community and key stakeholders to engage in the project and to help shape the masterplan. The first event, Developing Ladyfield, took place at Easterbrook Hall on 6^th June. Based on feedback received at that event, an additional event was organised for the 16^th July and took the form of a bike tour to enable the project team to meet more of the residents who live near the Ladyfield site.  Both events were well attended and, as to be expected, resulted in a mixed reaction from the community with lots of genuine interest, questions, ideas, insight, concern and enthusiasm for the development.   

More recently, on the 24 August, around 120 local residents and stakeholders attended the Evolving Ladyfield event at Easterbrook Hall to view draft plans. Most of those present made the most of the opportunity to provide further feedback about the project ahead of the final community engagement event planned for 14 October.  The project team were delighted with the level of engagement at the event, and while they understand some local residents have concerns about the proposed development, they were encouraged by the enthusiasm of others and the general willingness of the community to positively influence plans for the future of site.

For anyone who missed the recent event or who wants to revisit the information, the display panels are available to view at Crichton Central and can be downloaded online at https://www.ladyfield.info   Feedback can still be submitted until Sunday 4^th September using the feedback forms provided or by emailing crichtonquarter@crichton.co.uk