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Accessible Aden project

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  • February 12 2022
  • Aden Country Park

Accessible Aden project gets underway thanks to Rural Tourism Infrastructure funding

Work has started at Aden Country Park, following Aberdeenshire Council’s successful £375,000 funding application to the VisitScotland Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF).

In response to community consultation and increased visitor numbers, the Accessible Aden Project focuseson improvements which both enhance and improve the quality and accessibility of the park’stoilet and parking provisions.

The Aden project -which is due to be completed in July -will also see the introduction of bicycle stands and eightnew electric vehicle charging pointsaimed at promotingand encouraginglow-carbon sustainable transport options.

Managed by VisitScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, the RTIF was created to improve the quality of the visitor experience in rural parts of Scotland whichhave faced pressure due to increasedvisitor numbers.

It aims to reduce the impact of visitor numbers on local communities and facilities and create a more collaborative and sustainable approach to infrastructure provision and long-term maintenanceof local facilities for the benefit of communities.

Pressure on Aden’s existing facilitieshas been mounting overthe last few yearswhich wasexacerbated throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. With visitor numbers increasing rapidly, the existing park and toilet facilities are now showing the strain ofadditional use.

Aden Country Park is a haven for individuals and families to socially-distance themselves, a place for play or exercise, a venue for respite, or simply a resource which allows people to easily engage with heritage, natureand wildlife.

Consultation with visitors and the wider Buchan community helped identify that the toilet and parking facilities do not match visitor expectations and there is aneedfor improvement. Further engagementwith a local parent and careers accessibility group also helped to inform the need for fully accessible Changing Places toilet provisionsalong with improved disabled parking.

Changing Places toilet facilitiesare essential for more than240,000 disabled people in the UK and their familiesincludingpeople with profound and multiple learning disabilities, muscle-wasting conditions, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy, as well as those who have suffered major physical trauma,who have had a head injury or stroke, as well as some older people.
Standard accessible toilets meet the needs of some disabled people but not alland the number of people who need access to Changing Places accessible toilets is increasing rapidly. Some families and carers are often unable to go out and do the things many of us take for granted because they rely on Changing Places toiletswhich are often unavailable.
Cllr Norman Smith, chair of the Buchan Area Committee, said: “Once againwe are delighted to receive such significant funding to further improve the facilities at Aden Country Park which remains a real jewel in the north-east crown. The team at Aden have listened carefully to what visitors have said and the provision of Changes Places facilitieswill not only increase the standard toilet and baby changing provision, but willpromote equality of accesswhich far exceeds the minimum accessibility standards.”
Cllr Peter Argyle, chair of the Infrastructure Services Committee, added: “I would liketo congratulate Aden Country Park on its successful funding bid and thank VisitScotland for supporting such a worthwhile scheme of improvements. In addition to the vastly-improved toilets facilities, the addition of cycling amenitiesand newelectric vehicle charging points very much dovetail with Aberdeenshire Council’s wider commitment tosustainable transport and active travel options.”
Jo Robinson, VisitScotland regional director for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, commented: “It is great to see this work getting underway and once completed, I am sure the new facilities will be a very welcome addition to Aden Country Park.The project demonstrates how the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund can make a real difference to destinations that have experienced alarge volume of visitors and the impact that can have on facilities and infrastructure. These improvements will not only match the visitor experience but also improve the local environment.Tourism is a force for good and sustains communities in every corner of Scotland, creates jobs, tackles depopulation and improves the wellbeing of everyone who experiences it.”
In total the Accessible Aden RTIF Project will cost £671,779, with RTIF money covering £375,000. The remaining match funding contributions is from developer obligations, the Buchan Area Committee Grants Scheme,and investment from the Aberdeenshire Council Landscape, Property & Facilities, and Transportation Services.
To-date, the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fundhas awarded £9 million of grant funding to 45 projects across rural Scotland, since the start of the Fund in 2018.
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