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Colintraive Environment Forestry Glendaruel Ideas News Opportunities Resilience Working Groups

Forestry Working Group Call for Volunteers!

CGDT Working Group are planning to carry out work over 2 or 3 weekends, starting on Saturday 28 & 29th November, the 5th & 6th December & 12th & 13th December.

Dates and times will be confirmed once interest is known. Work includes:

  • Small tree cutting & Limbing
  • Drainage work / digging
  • Sculpture varnishing / maintenance
  • Brush cutting
  • Signage checking

All the work will be getting carried out in the Stronafian area and you can do as much or as little as you are able, so if you fancy a bit of varnishing, Strimming, or walking the Route to check the Signage etc, that would be helpful

If you would like to get involved, and are available for any of the 3 weekends that have been highlighted, please call Charlie 07821914021 or email charlie@cgdt.org.

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Environment Forestry Glendaruel News Stronafian Woodland Crofts

Stronafian Forest Woodland Crofting Event!

On Saturday 9th November between 10.30am-2pm at the Colintraive Village Hall, the Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust will be holding an event that will enable potential woodland crofters the opportunity to register an interest for a woodland croft in the Stronafian Community Forest.

This event will consist of discussions and expert advice, followed by site visits to potential woodland croft areas. There will be a light lunch provided and attendees will need to dress accordingly to suit the weather conditions.

The information you provide on the woodland croft form below will be shared with the Woodland Crofts Partnership. Analysis of information you submit on the form will provide the starting point for discussions.

We would welcome any other information that is not covered in the form and please include your suggestions for topics or issues you would like to discuss on the day.

Please complete and return the form no later than 31st October by email to: mark@cgdt.org

Or by post to:

Mark Chambers, Community Forest Development Officer, Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust,  The Village Hall, Colintraive, Argyll, PA22 3AS

Stronafian Community Forest Registration Form

Categories
Environment Forestry Glendaruel Housing News Opportunities Press & Publicity Projects Recruitment Renewables Stronafian

Afforestations of Delight

Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust (CGDT) have purchased Stronafian Forest and are now recruiting for a dynamic Community Forest Development Officer. 

CGDT are delighted to confirm that they have now purchased Stronafian Forest on the Cowal Peninsula, Argyll. The forest, purchased for £1.55M from the Forestry Commission under the National Forest Land Scheme, will provide the community of Colintraive and Glendaruel with opportunities to create sustainable housing, woodland crofts, renewable energy sources and wonderful amenity spaces.

The Trust has been working since early 2010 on the acquisition of the 600ha+ woodland, developing a thorough-going business plan, as well as working on the funding package which includes £1.3M from a commercial tenant for the rights to the commercial forestry over 99 years. Alongside this tranche of money, raised from the private sector, the trust has also raised over £300,000, both for the balance of the purchase price, but also the legal fees and a two year Community Forest Project Officer post. The trust believe this is the first purchase of its kind to combine private and public sectors in a community woodland acquisition.

Come Work With Us
The Trust are still recruiting for the post which offers an exciting blend of community engagement, project management and business development in a forest context. The Community Forest Project Officer will be tasked with taking forward a community wind turbine, developing 4-6ha woodland crofts and preparing building plots for self-build and affordable homes, as well as making the forest accessible to the local community and its visitors. This is an opportunity to work with one of the West Coast’s most innovative trusts, in an environment of outstanding natural beauty, with a community whose Hogmanays are reputed to be the best in Argyll. To apply download our application form here.

CGDT’s chair, Charles Dixon-Spain said, “We are thrilled with this acquisition which is confirmation of the momentum our community has been building over the last five years. Colintraive and Glendaruel is a community that has been in decline for many years, and the Trust feels this purchase signals the renewing of our community, of bringing people in and services back and of ensuring the future of those services that we have held onto. Thanks to everyone who has helped us get to this stage!”

CGDT wish to thank Forestry Commission Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Argyll and the Islands LEADER, the Scottish Land Fund, the Big Fund, Aitchesse Ltd. and our tenant for all their help, financial support and encouragement over the last three years.

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Forestry News Projects Stronafian

Proposed Land Use Areas



The board met on Monday 22nd August to populate a map of Stronafian with initial proposals for where certain activities could be located in the forest.  This will be passed onto our forest consultant for his comments.

Proposed land use areas

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You can view a Google Map of the above areas here

The board felt the amenity area should be close to the Clachan since this would form a base for people to go into the forest from. The Forest School would also be located in this area.  It was decided some investigation would be required to provide access directly from the hotel to the forest.  Paths to an area higher up where there is little forest cover would provide an area for views, picnic sites and possibly an area for stargazing.

The areas for silviculture were chosen based on selecting areas close to existing access routes and with relatively level topography.  Activities here might involve commercial wood fuel production as well as the possibility of forest smallholdings for low impact silviculture.

It was felt the only suitable location for affordable housing on forest land was in Stronafian since this was relatively level ground, on a road and near existing housing.

We welcome your feedback on proposals below!

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Clachan Glendaruel News Stronafian

St. Modan

One of the privileges of working on some of the projects that the Development Trust have in view, is that sometimes you come across really unexpected slices of information or history. Once such happened today as we examined deed maps pertaining to Stronafian Forest.

We knew there were archaeological remains in the woodland, but what I certainly hadn’t realised was that those remains have a direct correlation to the establishment of our church, and the name given to it and the school.

Here’s a grab of the area:

Categories
Forestry News Stronafian

Wider Consultation on Stronafian Forest has begun!

Our application to acquire the right to buy on Stronafian Forest is presently receiving a wider public consultation via the Forestry Commission website here as a ‘Sponsored Sale of Surplus Land’. To view all the pertinent documents, click on the link above.

The deadline for this consultation is 1st December (or around 28 days from now).

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Forestry News Projects

Our Application to the NFLS is Eligible

Another small step towards achieving the right to buy, and eventually the forest itself, was made today. We had confirmation that our application is eligible for the scheme.

Our application and our supporting documents (also published here) will be placed on the Forestry Commission website and a press release will be issued. We’ll also shortly have a formal visit from a member of the NFLS panel along with the Forest District Manager.

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Forestry News Projects Stronafian

Full Business Plan Submitted for Stronafian Forest

Written by Munro Gauld, the business plan has now been submitted as part of our application to the National Forestry Land Scheme.

Our thanks to Munro for all his hard work.

To read the document, please download it from our publications page.

Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust was supported in the production of this Business Plan by Highlands & Islands Enterprise.

Categories
Forestry News Press & Publicity Stronafian

ForArgyll.com covers the ballot result

We’re delighted the vote has been covered here.

Categories
Forestry News Press & Publicity Projects Stronafian

Michael Russell MSP welcomes our successful ballot

SNP Parliamentary Candidate for Argyll & Bute, Michael Russell MSP – who lives in Glendaruel –  has given a warm welcome to the vote by local residents which will start the process of community purchase for the Stronafian Forest by the Colintraive and Glendaruel Community Trust.

Mr Russell said:

“As a former Environment Minister as well as a Member of the Trust  I am a strong supporter of community land purchase and particularly the purchase of forests and woodlands by communities.     The ambitious plan by Colintraive and Glendaruel Community Trust to seek to acquire Stronafian Forest and use it as a community resource shows a positive belief by that community in a better and more secure and sustainable  future for the community.   I am therefore delighted that the local ballot of residents has resulted in two thirds backing the plan.

“The community now have 18 months to raise the necessary finance and put in place a sustainable business plan for the forest.   There are a lot of good ideas around and some very positive models elsewhere in Argyll to look at, including the North Mull Forest and the newly purchased woodlands at Kilfinan and on Bute.

“There will be much hard work ahead, but this vote is a vital and very commendable next step in the process.   I am sure the community will get every help and encouragement from the Forestry Commission and from other public bodies as the plans  develop as well as from local business and from local elected representatives.”