Perth & Kinross Council logo

Placecheck


Advanced Search

 

Browse

 

Placecheck

Background to Placecheck

Placecheck is an award winning community engagement method being used by Perth & Kinross Council. Placecheck was developed in the late 1990?s by the Urban Design Alliance (UDAL). This successful scheme has been implemented in many places across the UK from neighbourhoods wanting to improve their local streets and open spaces to whole settlements getting involved.

Placecheck is a simple way of getting communities to identify what they like and don't like about where they live. Communities identify and work with different partners and also take action themselves, to improve their environment. 

Perth & Kinross Council have adopted Placecheck as an effective method of community engagement. This method fits very well into our  Placemaking Guide which encourages distinctive, attractive, welcoming places with active citizens and civic pride, where people come first and cars second. The method also embraces our Community Engagement Policy where we follow the Government's 10 National Standards For Community Engagement focusing on  inclusion, encourage participation, listen and give feedback. Another useful link is to the Living Streets Charity which promotes making the streets you live, work, shop and play in safe, attractive and enjoyable spaces. The "Recalim Your Streets Toolkit" can be dowloaded from the Downloads section.

The Placecheck method was trialled in Errol and Dunning and was found to be successful in effectively engaging communities on public space issues.  In view of the heavy demand on resources, it was decided to give one community per year the opportunity to participate in the Council run Placecheck process. Communities had to have around 2000 residents. Criteria was developed to ensure suitable settlements are selected in a fair and transparent way. Scoring assisted with prioritisation where several communities demonstrated a need for Placecheck. All submissions were assessed by a working panel. 

Areas that submitted a bid to host a Placecheck event were Aberfeldy, Alyth, Bridge of Earn, Comrie, Coupar Angus,  Invergowrie and Kingoodie, Milnathort, Oakbank and Stanley.   Milnathort and Bridge of Earn were selected for a Council run Placecheck in 2010 and 2011.

Community Process and Training

It is important for communities who want to be involved in Placecheck to be fully committed to the Placecheck process. It is also important that there are community members available to assist with the running of the events. The process although very rewarding and beneficial to the community is also time consuming and the community needs to be committed to taking forward issues that are identified.

Training is available for groups who would like to run a Placecheck in their area. A sample agenda can be downloaded from the downloads section.

The Placecheck process usually takes place as follows:

  • The initial Placecheck event usually takes place in a venue and at a day and time that is suitable for involving the majority of community members
  • Participants include local community members and representatives from organisations who work in the community.
  • The process starts with groups doing a walkabout, with cameras and questionnaires to record their views about the quality of the environment and areas for improvement. 
  • After the walkabout, group discussions take place to agree short, medium and long term priorities for the area.
  • After the initial Placecheck event, further meetings and workshops are held to work through the priorities and consult further on projects identified.
  • Funding is identified and improvement works carried out in the area.

 

 

Last updated | 02/08/2011

 

Downloads


 

External Links


Contact Details

Diane Cassidy
Senior Community Capacity Building Worker
Community Engagement and Planning