Category: Projects

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Forestry News Projects Stronafian

Development Trust visit to Mull

This was a great success apparently. All enjoyed what seems to have been a really great day out. I wasn’t able to make it, and therefore asked Susan Gaffney to report back on what she saw. The overall impression was of a task well in hand, with some really extraordinary challenges overcome, but others on the horizon.

More than that I will not say as we’re having a talk from the representatives of the Northwest Mull Forest on Sunday 12th at the Glendaruel Village Hall… All-in-all the dozen or so who went found it an interesting and informative day, not least on the Development Officer’s ability to persuade CalMac that their ferry ticketing policy was unfair – well done Rhona!

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Forestry News Projects Stronafian

Announcing the Stronafian Sunday Sandwich …

… I think the poster below says it all doesn’t it?

Stronafian Sunday Sandwich
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Forestry News Projects Stronafian

Stronafian Forest District Valuer’s Inspection

As part of the progress toward our application to the NFLS, today the District valuer David Herriott came to look over the forest, and myself and Michael Kaufmann accompanied him for the morning. It was an overcast day, but the views were as impressive as ever.

The view to the Kyles from Stronafian Forest

We also looked at the piece of deciduous woodland above the clachan. Unlike earlier in the year when we visited this piece of woodland with GorDon Gray Stephens of the Woodland Association, it wasn’t the sylvan paradise we’ve come to expect, but it was lovely nevertheless.

The valuer will report by the 10th of September in time for our big public consultation day, the Stronafian Sunday Sandwich — more of which later!

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Forestry News Projects Stronafian

Our Animateurs Start Today!

Anne Lamb and Joan Robertson are our animateurs and they will be going around Glendaruel and Colintraive respectively taking the views of everyone they can find. Not only residents, but holiday home owners and visitors. The idea is to get as full a picture as possible of what everyone thinks of the project, what we’d like to do with it, and how we might create best value out of it. Exciting stuff.

The animateurs are funded by the Community Land Unit, whom we’re very grateful to!

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Clachan News Projects Working Groups

The Working Groups are off!

Just a quick note to report that two working groups were formed on the 4th in Glendaruel, one to look specifically at the Hotel, and the other at a community hub or Pavilion.

As I write the Hotel group have begun collecting signatures for a petition under the Community Right to Buy legislation in order to acquire the right to buy the property. Members of the working group and the development trust board will be visiting as many folk as they can to offer the opportunity to sign the petition.

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News Projects Working Groups

Colintraive Working Group

Tonight in the Colintraive Village Hall members of the community are invited to attend an initial meeting to investigate the possibility of creating a working group to look at the future of the village, and in particular its role as a community centre.

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Forestry News Projects Stronafian

A Red Letter Day!

Today we have confirmed that we would like to proceed with our application to acquire the right to purchase Stronafian Forest under the National Forest Land Scheme. This means, we think, that we have to get everything done and dusted, and the application in by 4th October. The clock is ticking!

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Forestry News Projects Stronafian

Sign up for the Visit to Mull!

Here’s are poster which says it all really!

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Forestry News Projects Stronafian

Stronafian Consultation Framework

At the board meeting today we decided to move forward with Gordon Gray Stephen’s advice on community consultation. To this end we’re going to pursue three main threads:

  1. A visit to a community forest of a similar type to ours — we looked at forests in Inverness and Mull and decided on the latter for its relative proximity to us as well as being of a scale. We decided on the 4th September as the date. Signup lists will be posted locally locally, and emails etc. will be sent out.
  2. The employment of two animateurs to go into the community and ask what the community wants out of such a project (if at all). More on this later.
  3. A public information and informal consultation day. Again more on this later but we are looking at the 12th September as the date for this.

All three will be critical to the formation of the business plan / extended options appraisal that we will need to complete for our application under the NFLS.

For Gordon’s full option appraisal have a look at our publications page.

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Broadband Leader News Projects

The Rush to Broadband

Rhona and I are presently preparing the draft of an application to LEADER for a broadband project to take advantage of a 1M euros fund the government have just announced. Luckily we have the Cadispa report to evidence much of what we say, and we also have some template documents to help with the technical side of things, but it is a bit of a rush. The draft will be presented to the board at our next meeting (25th July) and we’ll report thereafter.