Tag: glendaruel
With 500 copies distributed to the community and local businesses, we’ve now generated a downloadable version.
Included in this issue is news from the community council, the development trust, the church, our wildswimmers and the ColGlen chorus, to name but a few.
We are looking to update the map for the Summer issue, including more businesses and useful information, as well as adverts. We have 5 takers for the ad spaces so far and only another 4 are available – get yours by contacting the newsletter group through cgdt@cgdt.org
Colintraive & Glendaruel Development Trust (CGDT) is seeking tenders for the provision of a feasibility assessment for potential micro hydro schemes. The consultant will provide technical advice and assistance to help CGDT utilise their local hydro resource, with the aim
of creating income for the local community, increasing employment opportunities at CGDT and supporting the Scottish Government renewables targets.
CGDT is seeking a consultant who can provide expertise, knowledge and resources not otherwise available in the community. Knowledge of small scale hydro feasibility assessment, hydro development work and extensive practical knowledge in the field will be essential along with demonstrable experience of assistance with similar projects.
Closing date for tenders is Monday 1st September and all inquiries to eamon@cgdt.org
Thank you to those who completed the Broadband Survey with Anne Lamb. 100 completed forms were received, an excellent return rate, which shows just how important fast Broadband connectivity is to the Communities of Colintraive and Glendaruel.
The Trust’s Scoping Document was submitted last month to Community Broadband Scotland (CBS) and as soon as we hear that this has been approved we shall post it on the Trust’s website for your perusal.
The next step is to meet again with Campbell Cameron of CBS and he is joining us at 6pm Thursday 15th May in the Colintraive Village Hall along with his Operations Manager Alaistair Nicolson.
Campbell and Alaistair will brief the meeting on the planned Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) roll out issues and how CBS can help the community fill the gaps left.
Following this meeting a Technical Options Study will need to be undertaken (if funding can be confirmed). This study will hopefully produce a plan to ensure that the project, when complete, will be viable, robust and sustainable.
We do hope that you can attend the meeting on the 15th and we look forward to a fruitful discussion.
… over 50 folks made it to Colintraive to hear about and feedback on and plan for Stronafian Forest. Here are a couple of snaps of the evening.
As you can see, not only did we have all sorts of plans and presentations, but we also had soup and cake made by Danuta. Delicious!
Last weekend an intrepid pair of Glendaruels ventured up to the chambered cairn – we thought you might like to see the photos:
A new community initiative funded by the Climate Challenge Fund, aims to help householders in Colintraive and Glendaruel adopt energy efficiency measures and advice to help make their homes warmer, cheaper to heat and reduce their carbon footprints.
Project Coordinator, Sara Maclean and the Board of Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust, are gearing up to create opportunities for the communities to gain access to advice, help and practical installation of insulation in their predominantly hard to treat, traditional housing and also offer training to community volunteers. Particular help will be offered to those requiring solid wall insulation and advice on renewable forms of heating.
A range of awareness raising events and home visits will be implemented to ensure that both communities get maximum advantage from this project, which also has plans to insulate the community owned and run village halls and lower the carbon footprint and energy costs for all.
Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust is looking to recruit two community energy champions to receive training to embed skills in the community and give advice to householders to help save money and achieve a Warmer Colglen.
At the last meeting of the working group we spent two hours poring over the decision matrix we had developed in the previous session. With Donald’s ongoing and able help we were able to develop some ideas about the types of solutions we would need to look at for various initiatives.
Over the next week the remainder of the group will revisit several of the most important themes, score them and send those back to Donald for collation and summary. That summary will be then submitted to the DT board for consideration.
Its been a long process, but very well worth it, and has developed some decision points for the community which will be presented at our next appropriate public meeting.
Here is the present working document for download.
The Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust is delighted to announce it has been granted a community right to buy on the Glendaruel Hotel under the terms of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. The hotel which stands at the centre of the clachan of Glendaruel has been closed for 18 months depriving the community of an essential social hub and local accommodation providers of a venue for their guests to find food and drink locally.
In June 2009 when it first considered applying for the right to buy on the property the trust undertook to give the present owners of the hotel breathing space to get their business up and running. Twelve months later the Trust recognised that this was becoming more and more unlikely to happen, and that the community needed the opportunity to take charge of the building and provide for its own future. At a public meeting on 3rd August last year a working group was formed to look at the options for running the building as a social enterprise and to work toward the Community Right to Buy.
The right to buy, which gives the community first refusal when and if the hotel comes on to the market, also requires that a ballot be held to ascertain the community’s opinion of such a course of action. As Charles Dixon-Spain, chair of the Development Trust says, “With the help of the working group who have put substantial time into this project, and our HIE-funded consultant Tom Sillar, we have secured the community the opportunity to decide whether it wants the trust to run the building as a social enterprise.”
Full details of the application for the right to buy are available on the Register of Community Interests in Land.
Here is a summary of the pertinent facts relating to Community Rights to Buy:
- A community right to buy gives the community the time to decide whether to purchase an asset at market value.
- The community right to buy does not force the sale, but only comes into play when an owner decides to sell his or her property.
- A right to buy petition does not commit the community to the purchase: it only seeks to establish the right to buy. 10% of the community must support the application for it to be valid.
- The property is valued by a government appointed surveyor, who is entirely independent, and values property at market rates. This guarantees the owner gets a fair price.
- If the community body decides to activate its right to buy it must carry out a ballot of the community to establish whether the majority of the community wish to go ahead with the purchase.
- Like the Stronafian Forest vote, only those on the electoral roll are eligible to vote, and 50% of the eligible voters must vote to make the ballot valid. Of that 50% over 50% have to vote in favour for the purchase to go ahead.
- Even if the ministers grant the community a right to buy on a property the community may decide it is not in its interest to activate that right, and can simply allow the sale of the property to go ahead normally with another party.
- Often, once a right to buy is established the community and the property owner arrange the sale between themselves without resort to the legislation. This can make the process much shorter.
- The Community Right to Buy itself lasts for 5 years. If after that period the property hasn’t been put on the market, the community can reapply to have the right extended for a further 5 years. The trust might also decide to let the right lapse and not reapply.
At present the Development Trust is awaiting the minister’s determination on our application to acquire the right to buy on the Glendaruel Hotel. If we are granted a right to buy, and if we decide to move onto the next stage, there will be a thorough and transparent consultation process.
If you have any questions, or are unclear on any points, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we’ll be delighted to hear from you.