Applecross peninsula faces local problems associated with the housing crisis, tourism pressures and the sustainability of existing amenities and services in a very specific rural context.
We teamed up with Planning Aid Scotland to provide architectural support on the series of map-based community workshops and presentations. The workshops attracted an impressive number of people, constituting approximately 25% of the Applecross peninsula residents. The team have focused on listening to the community and key stakeholders such as landowners and local organisations. The collaborative mapping process was then carried out to help address issues associated with new and existing housing, community amenities, play, connectivity, safety, local economy, and tourism.
Together with the local residents we have identified a number of sites for potential development. These have been discussed and analysed in depth. Sketch proposals have been developed for the key locations to convey the architectural potential within this rural setting.
The charrette led to the production of a Community Land Use Plan that in November 2019 was approved as a material planning consideration by Highland Council.