Eyemouth Place Plan

Eyemouth Place Plan

Eyemouth Place Plan outlines a ten-year growth vision shaped by local priorities and developed through local community engagement and in-depth dialogues with stakeholders across local, regional and national government

Eyemouth is a small fishing town and civil parish on the east of Berwickshire in the Scottish Borders. Located 9 miles north of Berwick Upon Tweed, 51 miles from Edinburgh and 73 miles from Newcastle, Eyemouth remains an active port. Recently, Eyemouth has also benefited from a growing tourism industry drawn to its unspoiled seaside charm and scenic Berwickshire coastline. The community plays a central role in maintaining the town’s vibrant character and ultimately, it is the people of Eyemouth who make the town truly special. Their hospitality and strong sense of community spirit ensure that Eyemouth continues to develop as both a working port and a cherished coastal destination.

Eyemouth was selected as one of four towns in the Scottish Borders to benefit from the Borderlands Place Programme. This initiative, backed by government funding, aims to invest in town development and renewal. To access the funding available, each town was required to create a community-led Local Place Plan to identify regeneration priorities and projects, whilst also outlining steps to secure funding and drive progress. 

In 2024, Eyemouth Town Team started a community engagement process to identify local priorities. The engagement was then continued by New Practice later in the year when appointed by the Town Team to assist with delivering the Place Plan. 

The first phase of community engagement was led by the Town Team, who conducted surveys, focus groups, and dedicated sessions with young people to explore their aspirations for Eyemouth’s future. This process provided a wealth of insights, which was then analysed by New Practice to identify key themes, trends, and emerging needs. Phase 1 outcomes were instrumental in shaping the ambitions and initial longlist of potential projects, forming the foundation for the next stages of the Place Plan’s development. Building on the insights gathered in Phase 1, the second phase of community engagement focused on narrowing down the longlist of 32 potential projects. With clearly defined ambitions and proposals emerging from the initial engagement, this phase aimed to understand which projects were the highest priorities for the community. Residents and stakeholders were invited to provide feedback, helping to shape the shortlist of projects that would form the foundation of the final Place Plan. 

The combination of community-driven insights from Phase 1 and Phase 2, along with statistical data on Eyemouth, provided a clear foundation for shaping the town’s investment objectives and final projects to include in the Place Plan. These objectives - Vibrant Local Life, Town Centre & Beachfront Regeneration, Sustainable Growth, and Future Legacy - reflect the priorities identified through engagement and data analysis. Together, they form a cohesive vision for Eyemouth’s future, ensuring that proposed projects align with the needs and aspirations of the community. Each project within the Place Plan is rooted in these objectives, working collectively to create a thriving, resilient, and well connected Town.

The Place Plan also aligns with further national, regional and local development frameworks such as the Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), the Scottish Borders Council’s Local Development Plan 2 (LDP2), the Berwickshire Locality Plan, and others. These frameworks focus on sustainable development, community wellbeing, and environmental growth, shaping Eyemouth’s future in a socially and environmentally responsible way. By aligning local priorities with broader strategic goals, the plan ensures Eyemouth continues to meet the needs of its residents.

The Place Plan offers a unique opportunity to identify and group community priorities in one vision document which can be used to apply for further funding streams as well as to make sure community voices are heard in decision making and planning processes.