Alva Pathfinder toolkit

I live in Alva with my partner Jenny. After suffering from cancer several years ago, my health has never properly recovered, and I now have to live with some long-term conditions that limit my mobility and have meant that I have had to shield over the course of the past year.

We don’t have any children and our friends are spread over quite a large area. As she can drive, I rely on Jenny for transport. The public transport connections are difficult for me to navigate. It would take a long time and multiple changes to see those we most frequently visit, who have settled in more rural areas, in the north.   

We used to have a very full social calendar but even before the pandemic, my health challenges were starting to make me feel a bit more restricted and disconnected. 

We live close to the centre of Alva, which has been a real blessing since my health issues started, as local facilities have been close to hand, and I’ve still been able to get in and out of town.  

I’ve really struggled with not being able to do that over the past year and feel that my mental health has suffered as a consequence, which has been difficult for Jenny, too.  

After becoming ill, we managed to move into a bungalow, to provide me with a fully accessible home, of a manageable size, so I am lucky in that respect. 

We are both very adept at IT, as have used it extensively in our respective careers. However, I used to be very much a people person and don’t feel that video calls substitute that. As a consequence, I have found that I don’t tend to call people very often, anymore. 

I worry about being an increasing burden for Jenny and, similarly, am concerned about what may happen to me if she was to become unwell.  

I’ve been able to travel readily in the past, now I don’t feel that I’ve really been able to become part of a community in Alva. As shielding eases I’d really like to make an effort to do this and gain some more social interaction in my immediate locality. 

• I’d like to see the external environment improved to aid accessibility.  
• A greater mix of facilities and activities across all age groups. Despite my conditions, I don’t really identify as being elderly and so would like a more diverse array of things to be able to get involved with.  
• Some local support services to help me to build up my confidence, following the pandemic and to help me get out and about again and to give Jenny a bit of a break, too. 

Improve bus service attractiveness and sustainable transport modes, including improved coverage such as more direct/affordable travel to Alloa, Tullibody Health Centre and evening and weekend options to Stirling University. 

Providing well maintained bus stops with up-to-date travel information encourages people to use public transport. The physical condition of the bus stop often indicates its usage and popularity with the local community. The analysis did highlight the needs for bus stops to be better maintained.  

Bus stops are also now becoming features of the high street that provide advertising or local information as well as being a structure that can help address climate change with green roofs and solar lighting.  

The following ideas are recommended as part of delivering the objectives on movement and cycling. 

Project Ideas:  

• Improve the visual appearance of the bus stops to encourage more people to take sustainable travel options.  
• Explore opportunities for bus stops to provide up to date information potentially with a live feed potential.  
• Explore opportunities to undertake community clean ups with the support of community safety services such as community pay back where applicable.  
• Explore the opportunity to install relevant CCTV cameras to assist in reducing speeding on main roads.  
• Explore opportunities to develop interactive screens at bus stop to link to phone apps to provide local information and links to events or services.  
• Explore opportunities to help mitigate against climate change by introducing where possible plant-topped living roof bus shelter which help support local biodiversity and help with absorbing rainwater. 

Provide more street greening and gardens incorporating elements such as street trees, hedges and bedding plants, community gardens and allotments. 

Improving the quality of our urban and rural environments is vital if we are to deliver on our ambition to make Scotland a greener, wealthier and fairer, smarter, healthier and stronger, country.  

When green infrastructure components are linked together to form a series of green networks, further combined benefits can be achieved at a strategic level. Green infrastructure can also play a role in making streets more walkable and people friendly.  

The following ideas are recommended as part of delivering the objectives on improving open space.  

Project ideas:  

• Community gardens  
• Street trees and planters  
• Sustainable drainage systems 

Build on quality of recent housing so far to meet local housing demand. This includes more affordable family housing for families with disabled needs, multi-generational housing, and 'carbon neutral' housing/flats with better access to green space. 

The following ideas are recommended as part of delivering the objectives on improving housing options for the local community.  

Project ideas:  

• Encourage new housing to be adaptable and affordable and meet changing needs of the community.  
• Explore age friendly housing and downsizing opportunities.  
• Cochrane Foundation as a model for older people’s homes.  
• Explore affordable housing options for larger families.  
• Ensure communities are involved in decision making.  
• Intergenerational opportunities.  
• Explore different affordable housing typologies to increase choices for people.  
• Explore retrofitting and insulation to create more energy efficient housing from existing non-residential properties. A survey of potential properties would be recommended. 

Improve safety along key active travel routes: better lighting in parks, along cycle paths. 

These ideas are additional recommendations as part of delivering the objectives on improving safety.  

Project ideas:  

• Explore how to create good lighting to help reduce anti-social behaviour/perceived problem areas by enhancing their use i.e., making more of the local park for evening use if it currently experiences antisocial behaviour at dark.  
• Explore how to improve overall street lighting and park/open space lighting.  
• Explore locations for speed cameras. 

Create an interactive hub linked to local service providers with information such as activities, events, access to advice (e.g., mental health) and communication of issues (e.g., touch screen, online, social media).  

Integrating services and information in one location that is easily accessible by foot or bike will minimise the need to travel further by car. When considering service provision, look to incorporate as many complementary services as possible into the same building/space.  

Project ideas:  

• Consider opportunities to integrate a hub into the regenerated Glentana Mill building as part of a suite of community services provision.  
• Explore potential to relocate the Alva Community Access Point to a more central location.  
• Expand the role of the portal to include information on local clubs, societies, groups and events to increase awareness of what Alva has on offer and to revitalise interaction amongst groups.