Our Place Plan Largo Area

Our Local Place Plan and Community Action Plan will be finished this year. Over the next three months we are looking at the key areas and themes that have emerged.

The priorities will be decided by our community after June.

Then the most important projects will be worked on in the years to come.

Get involved and find out more !

Throughout this Storymap you will find an overview of all the information we have gathered through our engagements and an explanation of what Local Place Plans are. At this point in our process, we are about to embark on a new cycle. With the help of this next phase, we are aiming to clarify and transform the information we have. We want to create something that can be used by the community now and into the future.

There is a high level of pride in the local area that is evident from what we have learned in the past few months. There are many reasons for this, including the fact that people hold the unique natural spaces, culture and heritage very dear to their hearts.

It has been a pleasure to see the pride and support that has been shown for local initiatives such as the Pier Restoration project and Largo Arts Week. As well as this, there is a strong sense of friendliness and cooperation among the villages. Based on the findings of the Community Life Survey (2015), belonging ranks extremely high when compared to national averages. Our open views survey revealed that this was the case. As well as that, there are an abundance of people with spare time, skills and resources that are willing to get involved with projects in a variety of ways. In the Largo Area, there are many community halls, groups, and volunteer-led hubs and initiatives that reflect this. Among them are the New Gilston Hall, the LACRT, the Largo Links magazine, the Hatti group, the Largo Library, and the recent Warm Welcome project. In addition to that, there are many activities that are fun and provide a lot of variety. There is also a recognition that the Largo Area has many high quality venues, shops, cafes and hotels that add value and resource.

It is a region that offers a unique and picturesque natural landscape. In addition, it has a sense of peace that adds such value to the lives of the people who live here.

Of course, there are also things that challenge people. The increase in holiday lets is a potentially contentious issue with many pointing to it as a threat to long-term residents. It comes up that we need more affordable housing and land protection. (We did a very specific consultation with the community council that is not included in this overview but is available on our website. This was an objection to a specific development at the corner of the A917 and Durham Wynd.) However there has also been an acknowledgement that more accessible, affordable housing is a need for the area and would support a thriving community and economy. We're also worried about litter and sewage pollution, which threaten the natural environment and the future of our oceans. Daily annoyances like traffic, parking, and speeding were rated extremely high. As we deal with issues, we need to think about how we can increase and protect the positive as well as troubleshoot.

An interest in increasing accessibility exists. This would make it easier to walk, cycle, and use a wheelchair or mobility scooter. Our younger generation has also raised these issues. The issue is certainly relevant in an area with a higher than average number of people with disabilities. This also makes it easier to visit. It is universally recognized that there is a need for a pathway between New Gilston and Woodside. Currently, the road is extremely unsafe and cannot support walkers or families. It was also mentioned that the road between Lower Largo and Upper Largo is an unsafe pathway. The development of a more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly infrastructure may be able to reduce the impact of traffic on the local area, which numerous people mentioned. Additionally, it would serve as a means of protecting and preserving the peace and tranquillity so highly valued. There is also a need for a safe pathway between Drumeldrie & Newburn to Upper Largo, as cars frequently speed down this road.

Some areas also have a lack of resources and amenities which in some cases are balanced out by community led facilities but it is worth looking at how to preserve, value and protect what we have.

These of course are not all of the possible issues and topics, and conclusions have not yet been drawn. We are asking you to review the data set below using your knowledge and experience and come along to help shape the next steps. A series of deeper dives will help us develop a plan that is inclusive and representative.

You can navigate through the subjects by clicking on the headings from the top.

Thank you!

• Be informed by the community
• Be led by the community
• Aim to maximise quality of life for people in the community
• Reduce inequality
• Inform local development plans
• Work with local and national organisations and agendas

The Largo Area Community Council and Largo Communities Together began the process of developing our LPP at the beginning of 2022. We wanted to know what projects and issues were of most importance to the community.

We formed an initial steering group and at our first meeting in January 2022, we discussed the guiding principles we wanted to follow when engaging people.

Our goals for the LPP were for it to be:

During the planning of our LPP, the steering committee spent a lot of time researching and:

• Looking at other local place plans
• Learning about the current Fife Development Plan
• Seeking guidance on local place plans
• Meeting with several experienced organisations - such as  CLEAR  in Methil and Buckhaven and  East Neuk Community Action Planning 
• Finding out about others successes and potential pitfalls
• Examining sources of demographic information including Understanding Scottish Places and the Scottish Index of Deprivation

In addition to sorting and coding the open views survey results, Planning Aid Scotland has analyzed them using the Place Standard Tool. Going forward, themes and priorities will be outlined using the Place Standard categories. These are pictured below.

We are working on our LPP, which will be formally submitted to Fife Council. A community action plan is also being developed that will allow us to work together on projects as a community.

Supporting and developing sustainable community is our vision. The diagram below illustrates the overlap between areas of interest that combine to form our vision.

 (What is noted below is in comparison to national averages)

There are estimated to be 3,614 people living in the Largo Area, which sits inside Levenmouth.

• There are a large numbers of retirees
• There is another majority of 45-64 year olds in the population 
• Home ownership is high
• The Scottish index of multiple deprivations indicates a few moderate deprivations, but not many severe deprivations   
• Most commuting workers travel to Leven, with a few travelling to Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, and St Andrews
• The population has a high level of educational attainment
• The density of holiday homes is high 
• Green space is generally less abundant than in similar towns, though coastal access and the beach help balance that out
• As well as health care and secondary education, Largo and Lundin Links rely on neighbouring towns for a lot of things, which means a lot of commuting  
• There are primary schools in Upper Largo and Lundin Links  

It is critical to note that these are general points - there will be variations within the Largo Area.

We have many more data points that give us insight into demographic information.

We needed our Local Place Plan to be accessible to as many people as possible. We delivered a postcard survey in March 2022 using Largo Communities Together's publication, The Largo Links Magazine, which is delivered to every household in Largo. An online option was also available.

There were around 1800 postcards distributed with the Largo Links and at several other collection points. Additionally, a survey was conducted on the website and shared on Facebook through Survey Legend.

There were 110 responses through Survey Legend and 148 through postcards replies initially.

The steering group read through everything we got back and then Planning Aid Scotland analysed and coded it.

Below are the results of this analysis.

( The number ranking corresponds to the amount of times people mentioned something that fits into the particular Place Standard Category )

Place Standard Themes that were mentioned when people were asked what they loved about the Largo Area

Ranking corresponds to number of times mentioned

Place Standard Subthemes ( more specific than the general themes ) that were mentioned when people were asked what they loved about the Largo Area

Access to all the data is here:  Postcard Survey Findings 

People often described where they lived as friendly when they discussed what they loved. The following responses were received for instance:

“Kindly neighbours; always ready for a chat.”

“The people. The feeling of being part of a community"

The natural environment and proximity to many scenic walking and exploring spots were also mentioned often. The responses showed how much people value beaches and coastlines. Also mentioned were Keil's Den and the Serpentine. Many people also valued the sense of tranquility.

“Sea and views countryside & village life.”

“Peace and quiet. Access to Coastal Path.”

It was evident that the villages had a sense of creativity, character, and cultural resources. It is highly valued that there are a variety of restaurants, pubs, community events, festivals, and community groups in the area. Largo Area residents are proud of their community and are interested in its future.

Many people valued the links to the past and the visible heritage in the buildings and names as well as the area's rich history and unique character.

“The people, the history & my history with the village, the sea & sand, the walks”

In the Largo Area, there are a variety of shops, cafes, pubs, and restaurants on the whole. The sense of community is enhanced by being able to get what you need without having to travel far. In some areas, it is more prevalent than in others, and in some of the villages the opposite is true with facilities being scarce.

" The character of the village. Reasonable range of activities. Peaceful and its great to gave a local shop, pub and now a hotel."

Place Standard Themes that were mentioned when people were asked what they disliked about the Largo Area

( The number ranking corresponds to the amount of times people mentioned something that fits into the particular Place Standard Category )

Place Standard Themes that were mentioned when people were asked what they changes they wanted to see in the Largo Area in the below chart

Ranking corresponds to how many times the themes were mentioned

This was a large theme, with many aspects of Traffic being referred to including safety, noise and frequency.

Lack of parking (eg at Lundin Links shops/the Orry), esp in the summer for residents, but also for visitors (Parking in Main Street, Orry & Temple car park can be very challenging. No marked Bays in Street, temple, Station. We need more visitor parking,  would be good to have another car park on the outskirts of the village that kept traffic away from Main Street

“The huge increase in heavy trucks and general traffic going through the village. Properties on main street are being damaged."

The recently introduced speed bumps also merit their own heading as they were brought up a lot.

“Speed bumps ! Traffic at certain times. Local residents being grumpy about “incomers” and “visitors”

Many responses mentioned derelict buildings or shared equipment as being cause for concern.

“Don’t like the way the Lundin Links Hotel has been allowed to deteriorate.”

There was concern about the balance between permanent residents, affordable housing, holiday homes, and those who would stay and invest in villages. It was frequently mentioned that people did not want holiday homes and air BNBs to dominate the local communities. There are some people who want more housing, and there are others who feel that there are already too many homes being built. Several people expressed a desire for accessible and affordable housing.

“I really don’t like the increasing no. of holiday/second homes which lie empty for most of the year. For folk who visit regularly, fair enough, but most lie empty for 90% of time. These holiday homes have pushed up prices so regular folk can no longer afford to buy here. I realise of course that this is not confined only to Fife.”

There was a large proportion of replies that brought up litter, plastic pollution and dog poo. Some of the examples of this are below.

“Some people who live here and visit don’t care in terms of the environment and behaviour - litter, dog poo and cars/transport/parking”

The spread of shops is not equal throughout  the villages and recent closures of resources such as the post office are missed. There were also a few mentions of WIFI and broadband connections.

“No village shops. No post office - the van comes twice a week and this is excellent service. But a PO is a social hub. Any government worth its salt would see the demise of the village P.O’s as a loss of service amenity.”

As the future of the area, we have been committed to getting the voice of young people into our LPP. Under 25-year-olds are less likely to use social media and local newspapers than other age groups. Because of this, we have worked with the local schools and sought the opinions of young people who live in Largo. We would like to do more work investigating what groups of people may be missing from our engagements. This includes children attending other schools or those who have left education.

We also did a mapping activity where the Primary School Children drew where was important to them.

Below is a link to all the data we gathered on the mapping activity day as well as on other general engagements.

November 2022 we completed a month of extensive research into businesses in our area, including those operated by self-employed residents, local farmers, and landowners. Next, we held an evening business engagement to determine what local businesses' needs and offers were.

A community open day was held at Durham Hall in December 2022. The purpose was to facilitate networking between groups. We also wanted to know their needs and visions. The event coincided with Largo Arts Weekend, so we asked questions to the groups and those in attendance.

During our community groups open day and throughout the year, we reached out to many groups in the Largo Area. We got insight into their offerings and needs. The main needs were:

More detailed data gathered at public engagements can be found on the personalised google map below.

Many projects are already happening within the area that are well supported, some of which are closely related to our LPP.

We will take these into account when we review and incorporate them into our plans and visions moving forward.

As well as thinking about the future of these projects, we want to see how they can tie together and be supported by national and local agendas.

This review will allow us to determine our main themes, priorities, and possible actions going forward with your help. We plan to submit and finalise this plan by June 2023 then work on what's right for our community over the coming, weeks, months and years.

Before that, we want decide on the themes that need further examination and connect with as many members of our community as possible.

This will make our actions and plans relevant, realistic and realisable.