CERT has been working with partners to develop a plan to:
- increase the benefits of the Dam and Country Park to Clackmannanshire residents, to encourage use
- improve the attraction of the site for day visitors to the Dam and surrounding areas; and
- improve employment opportunities.
The site has substantial biodiversity and environmental integrity and any work will be undertaken to maintain and enhance these factors. The plan builds on the existing Council Management Plan.
This work was financed by the Scottish Government and the Forth Valley and Lomond CLLD Programme 2024-25.
The Dam and Country Park are of great interest to the community as well as a wide range of partners and stakeholders. These have been fully engaged including community consultation and a steering group has led this work which includes the Ranger Service of Clackmannanshire Council who have responsibility for maintaining the site as well as Economic Development and Community Learning and Development of the Council; Scottish Water who own the Dam site; the Gartmorn Dam and Country Park Development Trust who undertake a range of activities on the site including managing the Sunken Garden and community engagement; NatureScot who are responsible for ensuring that the environmental aspects of the site are maintained and enhanced; local landowners; The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) who work actively with volunteers to improve the country park; University of Stirling’s International Environmental Centre who are undertaking research into water quality at the site; Forth Environment Link who are a Climate Action Hub and strongly involved in active travel; and Clackmannanshire Outdoor Access Forum who have a remit to help resolve a range of access issues both in the park and throughout Clackmannanshire.
In addition a survey was undertaken with local community members and two workshops were held to help identify residents’ priorities.
From this work a detailed development plan has been produced which has a whole range of actions identified – reflecting the complexity of the challenges in supporting the development of the Dam and Country Park, these are wide ranging and cover:
- Connectivity and Core Infrastructure including improving vehicular, public transport and other access to the site; improving the path networks; improving visitor centre/facilities; and improved signage
- Health and Wellbeing including measures to encourage greater physical activity on the site; improved signage within the park; improved accessibility for all; and outdoor play facilities
- Heritage including a landscape of memories to highlight the rich heritage of the site and the re-purposing of unused buildings
- Nature Rich including the development and implementation of a woodland plan, a range of measures to support individual species including bird boxes, improved facilities for habitats; improving grassland diversity and pollinators; establishing a new bird hide/viewing site
- Communities and Learning including a Digital Gartmorn resource which will draw together a range of information and resources about the site; a full programme of activities and events at the dam; ongoing regular volunteering sessions with a mix of activities; the delivery of learning opportunities on the site for schools and the wider community
- Tourism and Economic Development including expanding visitor facilities; linking the site to wider cycling and other networks; explore the potential for tourism/visitor businesses such as outdoor facilities, bike trails and activities; outdoor activities including water based sports; self catering accommodation such as camping, yurts and lodges and the potential to generate hydro electricity from the site; and
- Management and Governance setting out how we can ensure that these recommendations and others are implemented asap
The full Development Plan is available here.
Our next step is to work to implement this development plan, alongside the existing Dam Management Plan. Some actions are easier than others; some will happen faster than others; some are more affordable than others, but we’d hope to see the first signs of improvement and developments within the year.
If you have any further thoughts on the development of the Gartmorn Dam and Country Park and how you would like to see it further developed, please contact Jean Hamilton at jean.hamilton@clacksregen.org.uk
