Our climate is changing. This is due to emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities. The predicted effects are increases in rainfall, extreme weather events and higher temperatures. We therefore need to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Mitigation means either reducing emissions of greenhouse gases or removing them from the atmosphere. Potential ways of seriously addressing existing emissions locally can be found in the following topics: biodiversity; forestry, woodland and trees; energy; sustainable transport; and heating. As noted in NPF4, any future development or activity will need to reduce, minimise or avoid greenhouse gas emissions.

Adaption relates to reducing the negative effects or managing the expected effects of climate change. The climate risks that face Kilmadock include: localised drought; reduced agricultural or forestry output; road closures, due to extreme weather; species loss; storm damage to buildings or woodland; surface water flooding; utilities failure; and wildfire. Future development of activity should endeavour to not exacerbate these risks. A community emergency plan is required to increase resilience by addressing and planning for the risks Kilmadock faces.

Across a range of indicators, Scotland is experiencing biodiversity loss in our natural environment. The Scottish Government’s biodiversity strategy to 2045 sets out a national policy of actions to protect, conserve, restore and regenerate biodiversity. As with many contemporary challenges, national ambition is only possible with local action. Excellent examples of this are outlined in natural places. There is room to do more, particularly with new greenspace projects. In creating this plan, people have identified a range of potential sites that could have a positive impact on biodiversity.

Whether woodland, agricultural, moorland or green spaces, Kilmadock has an abundance of places where nature can thrive. Some of these are also integral to our built heritage, such as Doune Castle or Old Kilmadock. These natural places are fundamental in forming Kilmadock’s rural character, which is much appreciated by the community. Important natural spaces locally should therefore be carefully managed to protect and improve them.

Some of these natural spaces are designated as protected areas by NatureScot; Loch Mahaick, Westerton Water Meadow, and Loch Watston are all Sites of Special Scientific Interest; the River Teith, Ardoch Burn and Annet Burn form part of a Special Area of Conservation. There are also some locally important natural assets, managed by community volunteers.

In the next decade it is important that these voluntary efforts receive the support they need to continue. New efforts to improve other natural spaces (including community tree planting) should also be encouraged and supported.

Trees are a fundamental part of our environment. With direct benefits to nature, people,  and—through carbon sequestration—the planet. Kilmadock has a significant amount of tree cover, within its settlements and in areas of woodlands & commercial forests. The NFP4 calls for existing tree cover to be protected and expanded. Locally, woodlands and forests are also valuable areas for recreation; it is therefore important that existing access to them is maintained. In November 2021, Storm Arwen caused momentous damage to over 60 hectares of trees which will take decades to recover.

There are at least 150 areas of native woodland in Kilmadock which should be protected and managed to restore biodiversity. There are also areas and individual trees protected by conservation areas and scheduled monument designation. Commercial forestry is regulated by Scottish Forestry, who ensure that forestry management plans are subject to community consultation. Managers of commercial forestry should update Kilmadock Community Council regarding any future major operations or access issues.

In recent years, community tree planting is helping establish new areas of woodland. There is potential to expand this over the next ten years.

Our community is fortunate to have a rich history, a lot of which can still be seen in our built environment. Kilmadock has two conservation areas; twelve scheduled monuments; two designations on the inventory of gardens and design landscapes; and well over a hundred buildings or structures that are listed. These historic assets represent over 1,000 years of human activity in Kilmadock. 

Most of these assets still have a use today. As homes, places of business, tourist attractions, and places for nature. A balance is therefore required to preserve and enhance our built heritage with the needs of life today. Achieving a just transition to net-zero is emblematic of this. If our historic buildings cannot be decarbonised and adapted for increased energy efficiency—due to regulations or costs, for example—this would be unjust and in the long run put their unique heritage at risk. 

In recent years, work by Kilmadock Development Trust and Historic Environment Scotland has improved the interpretation of our heritage online and on the ground. It is important that everyone has the opportunity to learn more of our community’s story. The immediate priority areas to expand outdoor interpretation installations are around Deanston, at Old Kilmadock and the Bridge of Teith.

The villages of Doune and Deanston have steadily grown in the last hundred years, while still retaining a rural character. This growth has largely been in surrounding agricultural or forestry land, with some brownfield land in Doune. The NPF4 calls for the character, landscape and natural setting of settlements to be protected and enhanced. That doesn’t necessarily mean that there isn’t a place for future development. However, there is a risk of suburbanisation of Doune & Deanston. Together with the principles for design, quality and place, allocation of green belts for both villages should be considered. This would ensure that development can be accommodated, while giving reassurance that each village can retain a rural size and setting.

While not an endemic issue, especially in comparison to other areas in Scotland, vacant land and empty buildings do have an impact on our community. 

In recent years, and today, there is not a lot of vacant land in Kilmadock generally. While this makes for compact settlements, it has brought other pressures. Increased tourism has led to greater demand for parking in Doune, particularly by coaches. Yet there is no suitable vacant land in the centre of Doune to accommodate this. Neither are there any central civic spaces in Doune. In the next ten years, any available vacant land in Doune should be assessed for these types of uses ahead of any other development.

There are a number of empty buildings in Kilmadock on the Buildings at Risk Register; not least the former parish church in Doune. Efforts that would make these buildings not at risk should be pursued. Bringing the former church into positive use and reopening Deanston Shop are also key aspects of the restoration of our village centres that would make Kilmadock a significantly better place to live, work and visit. 

For at least a hundred years most of the energy we have used has largely been dependent on fossil fuels. As part of climate mitigation, this is changing. To meet national and international targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we need to find renewable non-carbon sources of energy for our current and future needs. This decarbonisation process is expected to increase demand for electricity 50%. Levels of decentralised energy generation, known as distributed generation, will also increase. 

Every community has a contribution to make in this transition, and Kilmadock has a good foundation for this. Several buildings have microgeneration renewable installations (below 50kW), solar panels or ground source heat pumps for example. There are hydroelectric turbines at Deanston Distillery (400kW capacity) and on the Annat Burn (500kW capacity), and the 36-turbine Braes of Doune windfarm (72MW capacity). The windfarm opened in 2007, and delivers a financial community benefit to Kilmadock Development Trust which is distributed by its Windfarm Trust. The initial operation consent was given for 25 years, therefore in the next ten years the windfarm’s operation will be extended or repowered (when new turbines replace old). The NPF4 expects that, in future, areas identified for wind farms are expected to be suitable for use in perpetuity.

New renewable generation projects may arise in the next decade, and the site specific merits or impacts will need to be considered by the community. For larger projects (over 50kW), it is expected that some level of community benefit is delivered, following the good practice principles advocated by the Scottish Government. We have seen the value that the Windfarm Trust has delivered in areas of life across the community, and it offers an excellent legacy to be expanded.

As well as offering wider community benefit, the transition to renewables can also directly benefit the community through microgeneration. Being able to generate energy (electricity or heat) at your home, business or community building can, in the long term, reduce energy costs. At Deanston Community Centre, heat is provided via a ground source heat pump and electricity is generated from solar panels (9.6kW capacity) which charge battery energy storage for evening use. All buildings in our community, whether contemporary, historic or listed, should be able to benefit from the renewables transition, including the needs for heating.

As a rural community, transport has a profound impact on services that can be accessed, economic development, and the overall quality of life for people. Even in the most connected area—Doune village centre—there is still a need to travel to access vital services; for example a full-size supermarket, hospital services, leisure centres, dentists, opticians or secondary school. Low-income households, those who have to travel for work and young and old people, face greater challenges in terms of transport. 

In comparison to transport provision in other areas of Scotland, Kilmadock has no railway line passing through it, no community transport scheme, no public cycle hire scheme, no public electric vehicle charging points, and no shared car scheme. There is a petrol station and locally available taxi service. There is only one scheduled bus service, serving only some areas. 

The community also faces a number of physical and environmental barriers that affects ours transport provision: limitations of only one crossing over River Teith in a 5-mile radius, that is not accessible for active travel; traffic issues from large vehicles passing through the historic village centre of Doune; volume of traffic on A84 that passes through the community; the largely traffic-free NCN 765 route from Dunblane terminates in Doune, but is disconnected from the wider national cycle network in and around Callander. 

When you factor the above with the task of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the Scottish Government’s target to reduce the amount of kilometres travelled by car, there are some big transport challenges locally that require substantial action. The community has taken the lead on this. In 2022 an action plan to improve walking, cycling and public transport was created, with the support of the PAS Sustaining Choices project. The action plan shows the perception of current provision and outlines thirty-one actions for improvement. Key actions from the action plan are presented in this section alongside issues and proposals for other aspects required to create a sustainable transport system. Many of the proposals in this section will be required to manifest the idea of Kilmadock as a 20 minute neighbourhood.

The River Teith dissects the Kilmadock community in two. Presently there is only one crossing, the Bridge of Teith. Its original construction in 1535—although widened in 1866—makes it the oldest surviving structure on Scotland’s trunk road network. There is no footway provision on the bridge. That means people walking, cycling or wheeling have to cross on the main carriageway or venture along narrow abutments (approximately 50cm wide). This situation means some simply choose not to drive or travel elsewhere. The community has long considered the bridge a safety risk. In the late 1990s the community galvanised around the aim of a new pedestrian bridge. In 2003 the community raised funds to commission a feasibility study that produced designs for a new bridge, however without government support this didn’t progress any further.

Over the past two decades, the necessity has only increased. New business units have been developed on the southern side. Both Doune and Deanston villages have grown in population by over 25%, Deanston distillery’s visitor centre has opened (2012) and, critically, the Deanston Shop and Post Office has closed (2022). All this generates more reasons to travel from one side of the Teith to the other.

Building a footbridge over the Teith is an irrefutable priority for the next ten years. This is going to take coordinated work between the community, Stirling Council and Transport Scotland to make it a reality. The community, again, has taken the initiative by gathering the pros and cons of potential bridge locations.

While there is an appreciation of our existing paths—some of which have been improved in recent years—too many are disconnected from each other. The Sustaining Choices action plan includes works to expand our existing path network by creating connected routes. This will make it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle; for everyday journeys and leisure, whether it is in-and-around the community or to neighbouring places. With the help of a countryside paths expert, we have created a schedule of what can be improved where in the next ten years. To deliver these, technical and funding support will be required. The Sustaining Choices action plan also includes other amenity improvements that are needed to support people to choose active travel.

Whether new or old, a path is only useful if it is adequately maintained. Regular maintenance and vegetation clearance is therefore required. There is also a question of which paths and pavements receive seasonal gritting and if voluntary action could increase this.

As with much of rural Scotland, buses are the only realistic option for public transport. Presently, the offering of buses in Kilmadock does not create enough of an incentive for people not to drive. This can be seen in the last reported census (2011), where 87% of households had access to a vehicle; incidentally 40% of people in employment were travelling between 5km and 20km to work. Car ownership is expected to be higher than urban areas. However lack of good public transport has a significant impact on those with no car access, and compels some households into multiple car ownership and the additional expense that brings. There is a lot of room for improvement, sadly it can’t happen overnight. After over a decade of cuts, if improvements are made it will take time to build community confidence in bus services. Our neighbouring communities have similar challenges and ambitions, so we need to work together where we can.

Starting with where we are today. It is good that we have the (59) bus service between Stirling, Kilmadock and Callander; it could be better though. Reliability has improved since Midland Bluebird took over the service, but needs to be maintained; their fare rezoning makes it clearer but at £10 for a day ticket to Stirling, it is still expensive. For the service pattern, it would be good to see extended operating hours through the evening and eventually more frequent daytime services. 

If you want to get to our nearest town or, in other words, our nearest train station, supermarkets, dentist, butchers you don’t have many options beyond the car. It’s only four or five miles. It should be possible to have a bus connection to Dunblane. 

A timetabled bus service, operating several days a week and at least once every two hours is the minimum service level to aim for; with the distances involved hourly should be possible. Having a bus connection can be good for tourists as well as locals. If visitors have a better option to get here by train and bus it’s an opportunity to reduce pressure on parking and impact on roads and traffic through Doune.

There are also some simpler things that would improve the experience of getting the bus. Real-time update screens at bus stops for example. The route of the 59 through Deanston changed in 2019, yet the bus stop and shelter provision hasn’t caught up, leaving people out in the rain.

Kilmadock has good road connections which benefits the community, but it also brings adverse impacts to daily life. Traffic has to travel through Kilmadock to get elsewhere. There are therefore limits to the options for reducing traffic volume. The effects of traffic can be mitigated however, particularly to reduce the impact of Doune’s through-traffic. Previous measures to mitigate the impact have included the introduction of a 20mph speed limit in the main village, and a signalised crossing at the Wood of Doune. The community would like to see more action in the next ten years.

Greater enforcement of speed limits is needed, particularly in Doune, Deanston & Buchany. Police Scotland have a formal role to play here and they should engage with Kilmadock Community Council to progress this. This can be enforced passively too, with vehicle activated signs displaying actual speeds; as well as reminding people to reduce their speed it helps with wider perception by the community as to how fast vehicles are actually travelling.

A series of speed bumps on Balkerach Street do little to reduce the speed of vehicles and cause untoward noise and vibrations to homes along the street. This is not helped by the fact that some are slowly decaying. In recent years the community council have been pursuing their removal and replacement with more effective ways of reducing speed in a (now) 20mph zone. Along Doune’s main thoroughfare there is only one formalised crossing point, a zebra crossing on Main Street. People have suggested that a second zebra crossing on Balkerach Street will make it easier to cross and also help modulate traffic speed. There has also been a suggestion that the existing zebra crossing be changed to a signalised puffin crossing.

Many of Doune’s traditional streets have narrow widths, compared with modern standards. The adjacent King & Queen streets are busy with parking, both officially two-way and one has reduced visibility on its Main Street junction. Many have suggested that conversion to one-way operation (from west to east) will alleviate these pressures and make it safer.

Doune Castle’s prominence as a filming location for Outlander and Game of Thrones has brought more tourism, which has brought more traffic. Vehicles approaching the castle from the east are faced with a 160º left turn to enter Castle Road. Many can’t do this in one turn, and then reverse back into Main Street for a second attempt; a dangerous situation. The community has ideas of how it could be made safer, but finding an adequate solution will need the support of Stirling Council and Historic Environment Scotland to make it happen.

At the southern end of the Bridge of Teith, four branches of road converge, just after a blind corner. Immediately before this point the speed limit reduces from 60mph to 30mph. There are frequent examples of cars approaching the bridge too fast and then having to suddenly break. If an intermediate speed limit of 40mph was introduced from the B826 junction, it is hoped that cars would be more likely to adhere to the 30mph reduction. It would also make the junctions to Murchison Park business units safer. The restricted width of the Bridge can also cause queuing traffic, blocking access to the B8032 and residential access. Introducing a yellow box junction would help keep traffic flowing at busy times.

Many rural roads in Clackmannanshire and Perth & Kinross have been designated as ‘walking and cycling friendly roads’, with reduced speed limits and other measures to increase safety. These have proved popular and saw a reduction in accidents and observed traffic speeds. Having seen them elsewhere, many have asked if a similar initiative would be possible on rural roads in Kilmadock. The road to Argaty, Hill of Row backroads, and B8032 to Callander have all been suggested. To make walking and cycling safer rurally, Stirling Council should look at the feasibility of implementing these and any others locally.

Across all roads, there is an ongoing concern of their condition. We are aware that financial pressures on Stirling Council has made this challenging of late, but roads need to be kept safe. Better communication with Kilmadock Community Council is needed on what can be done when (whether repairs or resurfacing).

The current UK government policy is for all new cars and vans sold from 2035 to be zero-emitting. There are approximately 1.1 million battery and plug-in hybrid vehicles currently on the road in the UK. At the time of writing, there are 4,023 public charging facilities in Scotland; yet there are no public vehicle charging facilities in Kilmadock right now. In the next ten years we need to catch up and then get ahead of future demand; this is as important for those who live and work here as it is for tourism. The need to park and charge is going to increase demand for off-street parking in Doune. A third of households in Doune and Deanston villages do not have their own driveway, so won’t be able to charge at home.

A public network of electric vehicle chargers will be needed. We have identified locations that, in time, would create this. Many of these are on public land, and Stirling Council should work with the community to identify priorities and determine how chargers are rolled out over time. It is important that accessibility by those with mobility impairments is considered in the installation of any public chargepoints. To best respect our historic environment or to ensure that no off-street parking spaces are lost, post-mounted chargers are proposed for a number of locations.

Whether it is a car club, cycle hire scheme or lift-sharing; the goal of shared transport is to make better use of transport assets. While generally more suited to urban areas with higher population density, there are successful rural shared transport projects in Scotland. With a relatively small population, building up a base of customers will take time. For Kilmadock opportunities with minimal financial risk are probably most suited.

For example, there are providers that blend car-sharing (where private individuals hire out their car) with pool cars that are always available for hire. With the planned extension of the National Cycle Network from Doune to Burn of Cambus, there is an opportunity to introduce a bike hire scheme. Stirling already has a public cycle hire scheme, there is logic in seeing if those could be extended to Kilmadock. This would bring an existing user base, and encourage the community to make use of the scheme in Stirling.

Considered design is fundamental to creating good quality places and spaces that make Kilmadock a good place to live, work and visit. Previous development has sometimes deviated from traditional characteristics of both our villages. That said, the rural village feel much appreciated by the community has managed to be maintained. Any future development should be designed to respect and enhance our rural setting. While each development needs to be judged on its own merits, an example of this would be the importance of including natural green space around development and homes with gardens.

Masterplan

Previous development didn’t always take account of wider community issues or ambitions. For example, development in Doune hasn’t always considered the wider need for parking and where it can be accommodated. In Deanston, the long-held ambition of a Community Centre was finally met in 2019 however the only location suitable at this point was on the periphery of the village.

A way of avoiding this in future would be through a comprehensive masterplanning process. Rather than looking at one specific site for residential or business development, this should consider the future land use of any major developments alongside the rest of Doune and Deanston. Such a process will establish the need for future development, identify any green belts required, and consider the impacts of development. As planning authority, Stirling Council is the most appropriate leader for this process, but this should be done in partnership with the community. A masterplan would also be able to detail any design characteristics that developments should meet.

This approach would allow a balance to be reached between the existing community and future need for rural homes and development.

The intention of 20 minute neighbourhoods is to create places where people can meet the majority of their daily needs within a reasonable distance of their home; preferably by walking, wheeling, cycling or other sustainable transport options. The best way of achieving this will be through enabling measures, as opposed to a punitive approach. Neither is it a one-size-fits-all approach. What one community needs to become a 20 minute neighbourhood will be different to another.

For rural communities, creating a 20 minute neighbourhood can be more complex. It isn’t usually feasible for every settlement in an area to have all facilities and services that it needs. There will also be some essential services that people will need to travel outwith the community to access. The local settlement pattern needs to be set out against an expectation of different travel expectations.

Transport expectations are based on approach of Dr Wei Yang FAcSS, FRTPI, MCIHT

In Kilmadock, Doune and Deanston are villages and Buchany and Argaty are small settlements. Map analysis shows which services and amenities are where in Kilmadock, and the areas that fall within the different travel expectations. From this, a number of key interventions have been identified that (along with retaining existing provision) make the principles of 20 minute neighbourhoods a reality locally.

All the sites identified for housing development in the last Local Development Plan (formally adopted in 2018) have been completed. The NPF4 calls for Stirling Council to allocate land for at least 3,500 new homes across its planning area. It is therefore likely that in the next Local Development Plan, new sites for housing development in Kilmadock will be earmarked. 

Developing a masterplan for our main villages would help identify suitable future sites, the wider impact on the life and character of the community, and what infrastructure is needed to accommodate any future growth.

Providing homes locally isn’t something exclusively confined to greenfield development. Conversion of existing buildings can save them from demolition and make use of embodied carbon. There are many local examples where outdated agricultural buildings have been converted to modern homes.

In creating this Local Place Plan, people shared their views on the type of rural homes they’d like to see in the future. Homes that:

• retain the area’s rural character;
• are designed to have low energy demands;
• bring a balance of tenure (primarily housing association, council rental or owner-occupied);
• meet the needs of a variety of households (e.g. sheltered accommodation, bungalows, families of different sizes); and,
• ensures there are genuinely affordable options (particularly for younger residents or first time buyers).

All the sites identified for housing development in the last Local Development Plan (formally adopted in 2018) have been completed. The NPF4 calls for Stirling Council to allocate land for at least 3,500 new homes across its planning area. It is therefore likely that in the next Local Development Plan, new sites for housing development in Kilmadock will be earmarked. 

Developing a masterplan for our main villages would help identify suitable future sites, the wider impact on the life and character of the community, and what infrastructure is needed to accommodate any future growth.

Providing homes locally isn’t something exclusively confined to greenfield development. Conversion of existing buildings can save them from demolition and make use of embodied carbon. There are many local examples where outdated agricultural buildings have been converted to modern homes.

In creating this Local Place Plan, people shared their views on the type of rural homes they’d like to see in the future. Homes that:

• retain the area’s rural character;
• are designed to have low energy demands;
• bring a balance of tenure (primarily housing association, council rental or owner-occupied);
• meet the needs of a variety of households (e.g. sheltered accommodation, bungalows, families of different sizes); and,
• ensures there are genuinely affordable options (particularly for younger residents or first time buyers).

The NPF4 calls for infrastructure considerations to be at the heart of placemaking and land use planning. Through creating a Local Place Plan the community has identified many future infrastructure investments. Projects like a Teith footbridge or re-opening Deanston shop will make a significant improvement on the quality of life locally. Outlined below are other key projects that need to be considered alongside future development.

We need heat, primarily to keep our buildings warm but also in the production of some goods and services. Scotland’s climate, lagging energy efficiency and variable access to fuel options can make heating expensive for households and businesses alike. Heating and cooling our homes and businesses accounts for approximately half of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions. Collectively, Kilmadock has an estimated heat demand of almost 46 million kilowatt-hours per year.

To meet national and international targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increasing energy efficiency needs to improve and how heat is produced will change. While some change is already happening, scaling up the pace in the next ten years is seen as a critical climate mitigation. 

Everyone is all too aware of the effect that the sudden rise in energy costs has had. Affecting every home and business. The price we pay for energy is, for the most part, outwith our control. But the amount of actual energy used depends on the fabric of the building. The more energy efficient, the less energy is required in the first place. 

Looking at local data from Energy Performance Certificates (generally produced when homes or businesses are placed on the market for sale or rent), there are several areas where buildings are predominately rated in the lower categories for energy performance (D–G). Properties lying in the more efficient categories (A–C), will still have improvements that can be made. 

All this adds up, on bills and greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving a good standard of energy efficiency, reducing energy demand, is the first step towards net-zero emissions in heating and cooling buildings. Therefore, people should be supported to majorly improve the energy efficiency of our buildings (residential and business). This will not only benefit individuals but contribute to national efforts to meet reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

To meet net-zero emissions virtually all heat in buildings will need to be decarbonised. Data from the last published census (in 2011) showed that over 70% of homes in Kilmadock were heated by fossil fuels (a combination of mains natural gas, oil, coal and LPG). In 2019 the Committee on Climate Change produced a technical report on how heat can be decarbonised in different contexts, this is summarised in the flowchart below and applies equally to new and existing buildings. 

Note: Low carbon emission systems include green sources of hydrogen and bioenergy

Their report recognises the greater challenge that heritage buildings or those in conservation areas face in decarbonising. It also notes that properties with space constraints, and where a district or communal heat network is not feasible, represent a significant challenge. At the current time, the only suitable technology in those circumstances—that has zero direct emissions—is direct electric heating (e.g. storage heaters, infrared panels or electric boilers). The ability to generate renewable energy on-site also helps decarbonise heat, and in the long-run can reduce energy costs.

Many of the net-zero options can be technically complex, or expensive to install. Existing financial support will be required for years to come, but technical support is important too. To effectively deliver a transition to zero-emission heat, a level of local planning is required. Individual households or businesses alone won’t be able to determine if a network is possible. This would identify the opportunities for communal and district heat networks and properties that face greater challenges to adapt.

Heat networks distribute thermal energy from one or more sources to consumers, either in one building (communal heat network) or more than one building (district heat network). Depending on their design, they can distribute heating and cooling. More commonplace in northern Europe, Scotland has approximately 1,080 heat networks in operation. Traditionally providing heat from natural gas, developments in technology mean that zero-emission heat networks are now being developed. A key benefit of heat networks comes from the ability to centralise energy production, bringing greater efficiency for all and the potential to purchase energy in bulk. 

To be feasible, heat networks require a density in heat demand. For district systems, higher demand density makes any system more cost-effective. In communal systems, the focus is being able to provide all heat within one building. The Scottish Parliament has set a target that by 2030 six terawatt hours of heat supply will come from heat networks. This is five times existing levels, and represents a major scaling up. 

The first wave of expansion will therefore focus on areas with the greatest potential for heat networks, due to density of heat demand, anchor loads with consistent demand of heat, or sources of heat that are currently wasted. Deanston village, with its distillery, was identified as a potential heat network by the Scottish Government in 2022. The feasibility of how this could deliver heat across the village should be looked into at the earliest opportunity.

As the technology develops, it can be expected that the densities required to create feasible district networks will decrease and the options for communal systems will increase, meaning more areas beyond the first wave can benefit.

Whatever your age, having places for play, recreation, and sport is vital for promoting  health, social interactions, and the community’s overall wellbeing. In line with the 20 minute neighbourhoods principles, it is important that people are able to access places for play, recreation and sport as close to home as possible.

Most of the above locations are long-standing parts of the community, but they will only continue with regular investment, and in the case of the third sector the drive and dedication of volunteers. Through creating this Community Plan, improvement suggestions raised are outlined below. In the next ten years, other improvements or issues needing addressed may arise that will need similar support.

The role of transport cannot be overlooked, as many recreational and sporting pursuits can only be accessed in other communities. For example many play rugby in Callander, or go to junior football clubs in Dunblane, the nearest rink for curling is in Stirling, and there are no golf clubs in Kilmadock. While car-sharing already happens informally, developing sustainable transport options can increase access to recreational opportunities and in particular independence of our young people.

Play areas

Young people of all ages need modern and safe places to play with their family and friends in the community. While not the only place for outdoor play, playparks offer children a recognised safe and engaging environment for physical activity, creativity, and socialising. It is important that these are close to where people live. The 20 minute neighbourhood approach suggests within a 5-minute walk from home. For playparks to be usable, they need to be accessible and fit for purpose. This is not the case today, creating a need for new and improved playparks.

Doune’s Moray Park playpark is in good condition, having been fully renovated in 2018. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for Deanston. Some improvements have been made at Teith Road in recent years, but more are needed. At the playpark behind Leny Road, a full refurbishment is needed. Back in Doune, Pistolmaker’s Row play equipment is no longer usable, and the residents association has plans to convert it to a wildflower meadow. Some sort of provision is therefore needed in the west of Doune. Across the community there is also an opportunity to cater for older children or more adventurous types of play.

The Scottish Government’s strategy for play recognises the importance of play in schools and nurseries. Playgrounds can be the springboard for this. Pupils of both our primary schools have made suggestions of changes they’d like to see in their playgrounds. The school’s communities should be supported in any efforts to realise these.

Sport

For centuries, sport has been part of community life. Curling is our oldest recorded sport (1732), but lawn bowls, football and cricket and angling have all followed, and continue today.  Our sports clubs help the physical health and mental wellbeing of our community, and offer places for social interaction. They also support development of skills at the grassroots, including transferable skills like teamwork, leadership, and discipline. In the future, the need for an all weather training pitch for sports should be researched.

Flooding can have harmful effects to people and the environment alike. Climate change will likely see rain falling in more heavy downpours, increasing the risk of localised flooding. In Kilmadock the greatest risk of flooding in areas where people live and work comes from surface water flooding. Areas that are most susceptible are shown in the flood prediction maps produced by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. 

For new developments, Scottish Water already has a presumption that surface water drainage will not connect to the main sewer network. While sometimes complicated to achieve, existing buildings can take steps to reduce the amount of water entering the wastewater system. An example of this would be rainwater harvesting. This has the potential to reduce the risk of localised flooding. For flood risk, the importance of drain maintenance cannot be underestimated. Many of the areas subject to flooding after heavy rain are as a result of blocked drains. Any proposed initiatives to reduce flood risk generally or in specific areas or to change how water is managed should be shared with Kilmadock Community Council for consideration and consultation with those affected.

The general health and safety of our community relies on a variety of public services. While a rural community, there are a number of public services based in our community. It is important that these continue, negating the need for people to travel elsewhere to access public services. Particularly as the facilities that we do have often help direct people to services based elsewhere.

While all of the below are vital, the importance of Doune Community Fire Station—the only emergency service based in the community— should be highlighted. Being based in the community has been invaluable when winter storms have blocked roads in multiple directions, and their ability to respond quickly to emergencies has saved lives.

It is important for all of our public bodies to actively engage with us at a local level. Good, two-way, communication can help ensure that their policies and services are responsive, inclusive, and truly meet the needs of the community.

We live in an ever-changing world, and our public services aren’t exempt from this. From time-to-time changes in policy that make sense on a macro-level don’t translate on a local level. When this happens, it is important that public bodies adequately engage with the community’s concerns and investigate the possibility of proposed changes or actions. Similarly, there is sometimes no substitute for local knowledge, and when properly involved the community can identify different ways of doing things better.

One recent example of this was a new regional seasonal vaccinations policy across the Forth Valley. This policy change saw vaccines delivered by centralised teams as opposed to being local GP practice-led. The outcome of this is that hundreds of people in the community are each making (at minimum) 20 mile return journeys for vaccination appointments. Some of these journeys are very difficult to complete by public transport. Less travel miles (and therefore less carbon emissions) would be achieved by vaccinators travelling to Kilmadock to conduct mass vaccination clinics locally.  

The majority of homes and businesses either already have superfast broadband (at least 30Mbps) or will be getting it through the Scottish Government’s R100 programme. Some isolated properties are not included in this, and they should be assisted to upgrade their connections with the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme. As a matter of course, new developments should include full fibre broadband as a minimum standard.

Community Wealth Building is an international approach—endorsed by the Scottish Government—that seeks to put people at the heart of local economic development. It does this by advocating for local ownership of assets, fair employment, sustainable development of land, and direct investment in communities. The intended outcome is that wealth is kept within communities, which in turn promotes economic equity.

In 2022, Stirling Council adopted a Community Wealth Building charter for the purposes of procurement. The purpose is to encourage community benefits to be delivered and support local SMEs and social enterprises to maximise on the opportunities of the local authority’s spending power. 

As noted in the Kilmadock today section, there is a significant amount of local community action and volunteering locally. Through this, Kilmadock has many examples that show community wealth building in action at a local level. 

Without volunteers who are prepared to give back to our community, life in the community would be much diminished. While there are a lot of volunteers, there is always room for more. Any efforts to encourage or support new volunteers to get involved with the community should be encouraged.

The track record of our community organisations and volunteers have shown that they have a good ability to adapt and respond to changing circumstances or new opportunities. Our local response to the COVID-19 pandemic is testament to that. This plan contains details of many existing proposals for improvement. We can’t however accurately predict the future; therefore when new community project ideas or opportunities arise, and they have the backing of the community, they should receive the support they need.

The NPF4 recognises the important role that city, town and local centres have in the viability and vibrance of communities. In Kilmadock we have two local centres (in Doune and Deanston), on very different scales and accordingly need. There is one thing in common between both, the call to restore our village centres, as highlighted in the historic assets and places section.

Central Doune

The centre of Doune (parts of Main Street, Castlehill, The Cross and Balkerach Street) are the main local centre in Kilmadock, and for some people who live in Thornhill and Blairdrummond too. As well as being the commercial centre, it also forms the historic core of the village. Most units are therefore in buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, although with modern adaptations. 

In turn the need for retail premises has reduced, and many previous shops in the centre of Doune have been converted to homes. Today, central Doune has a very low, almost non-existent vacancy rate. Anecdotally, when new buildings become available there are usually high levels of interest. Therefore, any premises in the centre of Doune classed for business and retail uses should be retained.

Parking in the centre of Doune is an issue for residents and businesses. As a rural community, some people right now have no choice but to drive to access services and amenities. Businesses also benefit from the passing trade from people en route to elsewhere. A third of residential and most business addresses in Doune don’t have a driveway or off-street parking. This puts a pressure for parking, both on-street and in the limited spaces of off-street car parks. 

Both the demand and supply needs converted action. Demand could be reduced by improving bus services. A footbridge over the Teith and the proposed Sustrans path to Burn of Cambus will allow more people to choose walking or cycling for local journeys into Doune. In terms of increasing supply, there are no easy options. The future need for electric vehicle charging has the potential to exacerbate this issue. Our community plan workshops collected pros and cons of converting a number of sites in central Doune, with each of them receiving finely balanced arguments. As per Community Plan Policy 27, Stirling Council should work with the community to find a solution to provide adequate off-street parking in the centre of Doune.

Deanston

There has never been, what one might think of as, a stereotypical high street in Deanston. But as a planned mill village, retail units have been part of Teith Road since at least the 19th century. Today there is only a single retail premises in Deanston, although a conversion of two previously adjacent units. With the exception of the distillery, it is the only business premises in the village. Along with the green opposite it forms the traditional local centre for Deanston.

The unit is presently vacant, after the village shop and Post Office closed in 2022; an early casualty of the spike in energy prices before government support was available. Its closure brings profound effects for the community, especially people who are older, disabled or lower income households. People now have to travel outwith the village for daily groceries, banking or postal services and for prescriptions; the shop had a free prescription collection service arrangement with Woodside Pharmacy. This situation is exacerbated by limited buses and lack of a safe Teith footbridge. The shop was also a place of daily social connection to the community; its closure is as much a social issue to address as an economic and environmental one.

Having access to a local shop for groceries is a basic community need. This is backed by the 20 minute neighbourhood approach, which recommends that a local groceries shop should be within a 10-minute walk of where people live. While everyone understands the specific circumstances of the shop closing last year, its location is the only option for any shop provision. Therefore any means possible should be used to find a sustaining business model that allows Deanston’s shop to reopen.

Maintaining economic activity is essential to creating vibrant rural communities with sustainable populations. It is important that as changes come and go elsewhere, the viability, sustainability and diversity of Kilmadock as a rural community is maintained. Achieving the ten main goals, outlined above, is crucial to doing so.

The Scottish Government Urban Rural Classification provides a consistent way of defining urban and rural areas, based upon population and accessibility. Most areas where people live in Kilmadock fall in the ‘accessible rural’ classification; defined as being within a 30-minute drive of a settlement with a population of 10,000 or more. Being an accessible distance from larger centres of population is a benefit for Kilmadock (one recognised in the Community Views surveys). It also represents a challenge, of ensuring that we don’t rely on other areas for economic activity. 

In terms of rural development, Kilmadock faces a number of pressures. There is a need to ensure that a local jobs market can be maintained. Recent job density figures of 48.5% (the amount of jobs available locally for the working age population) shows there is a lot of room for improvement. Transport is also a pressure; the time and expense involved with driving or using public transport makes some specialised jobs in Kilmadock less attractive to those outwith the community. Low vacancy rates in our local centres is a sign of high demand for business premises; how to address this is something which the proposed masterplan exercise could explore. Identifying places suitable for retail, hospitality and industrial development and seeking community endorsement.

An important part of our local economy, and of benefit to many local people, is tourism. We have a varied offering of high quality attractions for a range of local, national and international visitors. As well as specific attractions, there are many hospitality businesses offering visitors somewhere to stay, eat and drink. Doune has a number of retail businesses who benefit from the passing trade of visitors. 

While there is no central count of visitors, we know from some of our popular attractions that it is in the hundreds of thousands per year. This is welcome, but also brings challenges locally. Presently, these mainly centre around transport:

• increased levels of traffic passing through the community en route to Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park and the west Highlands;
• increased levels of parking in Doune from those who visit by car;
• lack of drop-off facilities and parking for coaches visiting Doune Castle; and,
• encouraging more visitors to provide footfall to local businesses.

Recent efforts, led by Historic Environment Scotland, to promote Doune Castle as a responsible tourism destination have seen improvements that will hopefully encourage visitors to stay in the area longer, and increase footfall in the local centre of Doune. These include the re-opening of public toilets in Moray Park, a new crossing over the Ardoch Burn, heritage interpretation & wayfinding in Doune and works to create a park & stride on the western edge of Doune.

In the next ten years, action is needed to address the challenges tourism brings, and to extend the efforts to make spend longer amounts of time in Kilmadock. If we can make progress on the proposed actions outlined below, it will be of benefit to visitors and local residents alike.

The toilets in Moray Park are managed by volunteers of Kilmadock Community Council and are free of charge to users. They are not free to run however, and need support to reduce their operational costs and encourage users to make donations to make them financially sustainable.

Contemporary interpretation boards telling the story of our heritage needs to extend beyond Doune. Initial priorities would be around Deanston village and at Old Kilmadock graveyard. The Heritage Centre, run by Kilmadock Development Trust, needs a redesign to make the best use of its now permanent location on Balkerach Street, and encourage more visits.

As highlighted in the sustainable transport section, action is needed to give people the choice of not having to drive to, from and around Kilmadock. In terms of tourism the priorities should be for a footbridge over the Teith, bus to Dunblane, and resolving off-street parking in Doune (particularly for coaches).

There is also scope for the community to develop a destination marketing, building on the DouneAndDeanston.com website, and promote this to potential visitor audiences.