Have a Say in Your Town’s Future

An MHK has brought together a community group to discuss potential future improvements for one of the island’s major towns.

Kate Lord-Brennan, MHK for Glenfaba and Peel, will be asking for potential ideas for the future of Peel.

Using the online mapping platform Create Communities, Ms Lord-Brennan wants people to engage with the system to help capture what people need and want for their town.

She said: ‘Peel is a very special place with wonderful character and people, and a large population. There is a huge amount to be positive about but many aspects that could be improved, and might be planned for, for the future.

‘To me, widespread public engagement, which captures what people want, in terms of the look of the town, use of space, improvements, and amenities, even demand for the sorts of businesses and services people would like, will serve to improve the beauty, overall look and prosperity of the town, and influence any authority, government department or even entrepreneurs with a role to play in the town.

‘It is possible to do this whilst valuing Peel’s traditional characteristics, and we might even find inspiration from places elsewhere to give Peel a boost.  There is actually much in the past too, to draw inspiration from.’

Direct in person engagement is also planned by the group, with the initiative set to go live in the coming days.

The outcomes of Create Communities and work of Create Streets has been used to inform or co-create a variety of interesting projects elsewhere .

Ms Lord-Brennan added: ‘Its’s clear that people want to see a leadership and focus on improvements in the town and whilst this cannot be down to one person, there is a role I can play as a community MHK in an area which I feel very passionate about and also to help bring visibility to represented views to get changes.

‘I really feel we can and should have a better vision for the town and better placemaking for people.  This is about communities creating great places. It’s exciting to be able to organise with others for the first use of this approach on the Isle of Man.’