People in Orkney will shortly be asked for their views on the further growth and development of three of the county's largest villages.

Finstown, Dounby and St Margaret's Hope are to be the subject of individual masterplan studies, similar to the work carried out in Kirkwall and Stromness last year.

A series of three separate community planning events are due to take place in March and residents in the area will shortly receive an invite to come along to hear about the work that has been carried out so far and share their ideas and views on how the villages should develop over the next 10 to 20 years.


The community planning event in Dounby is on the 10th March at the Dounby Community School, 11th March at the Cromarty Hall in St Margaret's Hope and 12th March at Firth Community School.

The studies will again be carried out by Willie Miller Urban Design in partnership with the Council's planners.

Key areas to be discussed include the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities within each village, consideration of the role each village plays within Orkney, the future options for growth and development, the coordination of future development proposals and potential environmental improvements.

Further details of the community events will be advertised in the press and locally within the next few weeks.

For further information please call James Green from the Council's Policy and Projects team on 01856 873535.

(GK/JM)