Kirknewton, West Lothian Introduction Why produce a Community Development Plan? Kirknewton is not one of the readily identifiable and dramatic places. It is the kind of place all too easy to travel past without noticing its existence, but for 2000 people it is their chosen home. Kirknewton is a defined community, which was once vibrant, but has had its sense of coherence diluted. It is long settled, in the lee of two ancient hill forts, with the land held for centuries as part of large estates. The village has seen things come and go: it has experienced rural decline, the shale mining industry, then the military who built a WW2 airfield, then married quarters, and then left (but is speculating about returning in greater numbers). The community has a mix of young families, commuters, longer established families and older folk, and is somewhat fragmented. This lack of community cohesion has been exacerbated by being cut-off from its historically close relationships to East Calder and Mid Calder by the A71 By-Pass. As one villager described it during the community consultation, “Kirknewton is a forgotten village”. In 2008 the Kirknewton Community Development Trust (KCDT) applied to the Big Lottery fund for £1,000,000 to help provide funds for a community asset project. The lottery recommended Kirknewton produce a Community Development Plan to determine the needs of the village and what the profits from a community asset (or any other funding streams) would go towards. To do this, they provided the Development Trust with a technical assistance grant of £87,000 to help put that plan together. The outcome of that work can be found within this document. The local community strongly supports becoming more able to take control of their future. Kirknewton is investigating opportunities to invest in renewable energy projects. These projects could provide financial resources that can enable sustainable community-led local initiatives to regenerate the area for the long term future. Kirknewton is a village fighting to maintain the beginnings of a positive community spirit. It is a village in transition and is painfully aware it has no defined plan, infrastructure or facilities that other communities take for granted. Kirknewton is deprived of everyday community resources and this Development Plan will provide a road map for the community to follow to help change that. No longer do the community wish to be part of a forgotten village. They wish to be a vibrant community that provides an improved quality of life for everyone that lives and works in Kirknewton. Tony Foster Development Officer, September 2011 Thanks go to the following for their support in the production of this Plan The residents and businesses of Kirknewton for their participation and all the community groups who gave us time at their meetings Vikki Hilton, Hilton Associates, Tony Foster, Development Officer, Members of the Kirknewton Development Trust, Lisa Morton and the Powerdown Team and related projects, Konect and the West Lothian Courier, West Lothian Council, particularly the Communications team, Carl John, Dave King and Angela Constance MSP, Jean Fleming, Rory Mackenzie, Andre Groenewald and all at the church
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