KGV 2000
KGV 2000 was formed in 1998 by the Banchory Ternan Rotary Club in partnership with a variety of groups who utilise the King George V Park and its associated pavilion. Their initial aim was to refurbish the derelict pavilion and the children's play area. A temporary portacabin was erected in 2002 with changing rooms and the Play Area was constructed in 2005. A permanent pavilion is proposed which will provide eight changing rooms, a social area and a kitchen. The KGV field could accommodate two full pitches suitable for football, hockey, rugby and these could be subdivided into smaller pitches to suit youth teams.
Committee members:
Technical Advisor - Matthew Merchant
KGV Community Project
An Outline Planning Permission for Erection of 5 Dwellinghouses and Garages and the Formation of New Community Playing Field (M/APP/2008/4366/MAJ) was submitted in January 2008 by The Gray Family & The KGV Community Project.
The details of the planning application can be found here:http://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/planning/apps/detail.asp?ref_no=APP/2008/4366
APPLICANT STATEMENT - KING GEORGE V COMMUNITY PROJECT
The King George V Community Project ( KGV Project ) is the product of determined efforts over a number of years to provide a community social and recreational facility based in Banchory.
The Constitution, formally adopted on 2nd October 2008, further details among others the following purposes:
a) To advance participation in sport and the active arts through the provision of appropriate and varied changing areas, sporting facilities and studios
b) To advance education through the provision of purpose built areas for children, young people, people with learning and physical disabilities and general facilities for community education activity.
c) To promote equality and diversity through the creation of an inclusive environment to encourage social integration and equal opportunity across the community.To better understand the development of the KGV project it is necessary to go back in time to 1947 when the KGV park land was transferred from the Banchory Lodge Estate to the citizens of the Burgh of Banchory to be held in trust by the then Provost and Town Councillors or their eventual successors with allowance built in by appropriate clauses to erect sports-related buildings and furthermore to allow usage not just by the citizens of the then Burgh but by the wider public.
Over the decades since 1947 sports and recreational activity took place across three parks – KGV, Bellfield and Burnett.
By the late 1970s, however, the Bellfield had been landscaped and a new pavilion established at the Burnett to serve a variety of sports excluding football which concentrated its activity both at KGV and a new playing area at Crathes.
KGV2000 was established in the run up to the Millenium for the purpose of liaising with the Council and part-funding pavilion refurbishment and is still in existence.
By the late 90s the concept of a joint Sport and Youth facility was born which brought together enthusiasts from both camps – KGV2000 and BY2K ( Banchory Youth 2000 ) - on to one committee which applied for Millennium funding without success.
By 2006 the establishment of Banchory and District Initiative ( BDI ) facilitated much improved dialogue with Aberdeenshire Council, and BDI were party to discussions which identified the Local Authority priorities in terms both of general development of the town and more particularly those relating to the provision of sports and leisure facilities.
Of particular relevance was an acceptance by the Local Authority of the findings of the Planning for Real exercise which recorded community support for sports facility development centrally, a position which was further supported by SportScotland in another series of meetings.
The third element of the Project in addition to Sport and Youth is Special Needs with inclusion within the accommodation of a new enhanced home for Scolty Centre.
Scolty Centre currently operates in a building deemed not fit for purpose. Early hopes of refurbishment to plans worked up over 2005 to 2007 by a Development Group to include a base for Voluntary Sector were dashed by funding shortfall.
Initially, the idea was to establish a café as a training outlet for the Centre but from that beginning came agreement that the Project would offer a new enhanced home for the Scolty Centre such as to provide quality accommodation for staff and up to thirty clients, a capability of catering for forty lunches and a sensory environment and garden area.
It was of critical importance to have formal Aberdeenshire Council support and this was forthcoming at a meeting with Colin McKenzie, Director of Housing and Social Work in June 2008.
A Project Manager will be appointed and Business Plan drawn up early in 2009 by which time Charitable Status will have been applied for.
Details of the Project are being worked up with a key to containing costs being the multi-use of several administration and studio areas within the building and flexibility in usage of the general sports hall.
In addition to central building construction there will be outlay on the playing areas to generally improve the overall facility.
Dr George H Mennie
Chairman
King George V Community Project
2 December 2008Proposed Development of Playing Field By King George V Community Project
In the event of the Application being approved by the Marr Area Planning Committee, it would be the intention of the King George V Community Project to take ownership of the land and accompanying financial package as identified in the documentation and plans submitted, and to carry out such works as are necessary to establish a playing field to SportScotland standards.
Such an additional playing field would in part address the findings by Aberdeenshire Council that there is currently a relative shortfall in provision of sports-related playing areas in Banchory.
Acquisition of the land to this end would be in keeping with the Community wishes as expressed in both Planning for Real and Making it Real exercises which support appropriate development in the KGV/Bellfield/Paddock areas as part of and consistent with Aberdeenshire Council policy of upgrading and/or extending central parkland sporting and leisure facilities..
To increase both amenity value and general safety it would be the intention of the KGV Project to facilitate extension of the existing Deeside Way westwards to provide pedestrian linkage to the shelters and children’s play areas along the south border of the Bellfield Park and further linkage to the existing Pathway immediately East of the Bellfield Car Park and Guide Lodge. This extension would encourage a separation of pedestrian and vehicular traffic which currently share the roadway.
The shelters and children’s play areas were funded by Aberdeenshire Council and KGV2000 in an earlier successful joint exercise.
To increase further the amenity value and general safety of both playing field and the adjoining path/road network it would be the intention of the KGV Project to supply and erect Amenity Lighting to both new and existing paths following due discussion with all interested parties including the Paths Association thereby offering significant Community Benefit to the area as a whole.
In summary, establishment of the Playing Field along with the improvement in pathways and lighting would both complement and link in with the proposed community facility building planned for the KGV Park and the related improvements planned for the KGV Park itself, all in keeping with Aberdeenshire Council policy of upgrading and developing sports and leisure facilities in line with a community vision.
Dr George H Mennie
Chairman
King George V Community Project
2 December 2008.