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news updated: 15 Mar 2009
March 2009 Minutes
Minute of meeting of Lochmaben & District Initiative on Monday 2 March 2009
Present: Jack Wade, Derek Whiterod, Ross Gemmell, Sandy Grant, Tom Russell, Paul Gow.
Kathleen Ward, Maurice Green, David Mair, Isabelle Gow,
Apologies: Chris Brown, Alistair Brown, Sue Coulthard, Cllr Michael Dickie, David Rose
Minutes of meeting of 07/01/09, AGM on 04/02/09 & the amended Constitution were approved.
Matters Arising: None
Core Paths--consultation re maps in Lochmaben Library until 23 March 2009. Members were encouraged to go and consult the maps.
Finance: The current balance is £8064 but most of this is ring-fenced. We are hopeful that our application for funding for next year (£1000) will be successful .
Countryside Ranger for A & E---Ross reported that a private group of 35 people from many parts of the UK had enjoyed a guided walk recently.
The pre-Christmas CLVG meeting had been cancelled because of the water level of the loch was too high and the weather in January was so dreadful, noone sensibly turned up. In February 9 turned up for the coppicing exercise. In the near future the Ranger programme of Guided Walks and Activities in 2009 will be published.
On Sunday 2 August 2009 between 10 am and 3 pm there is to be an event celebrating the Castle Loch as an LNR. This a one off event. Many cultural and historical activities will be on hand in the Lochmaben Castle area such as coppicing, laithe work, leather, felting and pendant making. Short guided walks will be given. Ross is happy to receive ideas for further activities and would welcome help on the day. Please contact him as soon as possible.
He agreed to look into the possibility of getting marker posts in place around Castlemains farm to indicate clearly routes to the castle and Hightae. The new right-of-way track between Vendaceburn and Castlehill Farm was welcomed.
Ross was warmly commended for his Wildlife Report and the committee wished him all the best in applying for the permanent Ranger post.
CLD Worker: The consultation with young people in Lochmaben is moving forward slowly but surely and the detached youth workers should be out on the streets working with young people by late March.
Paths Report and Update
Annandale Way: Jack reported that the contracts for the gates etc are out and Johnstone of Corrie is the most competitive. There are still places on the route which are indistinct eg felled woodland and these will have to be cleared before the Way is operational. Boundaries of responsibility between the Initiatives along the route still have to be agreed and volunteer regular walkers will be required to assess the condition of the path. If you have any requests for a diversion from the route to a place of interest nearby, please let Jack know before his meeting with Vanessa Morris at 2 pm on 24 March at Lochmaben Town Hall. She is interested in some of the points of interest and stories that you feel should be incorporated into the interpretation and guide.
Castle Loch Developments: Progress on the picnic benches, bin stands, interpretation boards and leaflets, chainsaw sculptures and fishing platforms would be indicated at the Castle Lochs Advisory Meeting on Friday.
Mill Loch drainage---completed, thanks to David Robson for an excellent job
Working Groups:
Castle Loch Volunteers---see Ranger report above. Lockerbie Scouts are to be helping to plant the gaps in the hedge in the near future with a mixture of bushes such as hawthorn, blackthorn etc. What they are unable to do will be a task for the CLVG.
Fringe Lily Sandy explained that the Dichlobenil was ready to be applied at the Mill Loch but negotiations are still in progress re getting the use of the wheelie boat. Don Paterson has agreed to let the boat be launched from his garden but details of the operation still have to be agreed. It is hoped that a meeting will take place this week. If the wheelie boat arrangement is not possible, the spreading would be done from our own boat. A March spreading of the granules would mean that an accurate last order of it could be made for 2010.
Anyone who would like to help in the spreading should contact Sandy ASAP.
Ross would be agreeable to go on a spraying course at the Barony if suitable arrangements can be made. This would be helpful re spraying of Japanese Knotweed on the Castle Loch.
Paddling Pool: Nicola Johnston has asked for the damaged part of the back fence to be repaired and also for a board to be instated at the bottom of this fence to prevent balls going through it. Any monies left out of the original £1750 following these works will be carried over into the new financial year.
Jack will re-convene the Paddling Pool Working Group to discuss what, if any, further developments might be considered - eg - barriers, re-surfacing - which would obviously require us to research grant funding available.
Publications—Town Trail---the draft copy was not available as there had been a problem with the photographs. It would be circulated when it was printed and comments would be welcomed. Paul is at present doing the remaining sketches.
Newsletter David Mair circulated a draft A3 copy and it received favourable comment. The cost for 1000 was £500. It was suggested that it be marketed outwith Lochmaben--Lockerbie, Moffat and Annan as well as relevant libraries in the Dumfries & Galloway by the Library Service in Dumfries. Funding has still to be finalised with application to the George Hunter Trust, the Common Good Fund and the Area Committee among the possibilities.
Website---The last statistics from KGB Internet in Regina were circulated. Unfortunately a hiccup in the new system prevented the February figures from being available.
Kathleen mentioned that there were now 44 businesses on the website directory. Some updating was still requiring to be done.
Tourist Potential---After some discussion, it was agreed to keep the possibility of creating a Museum in Lochmaben on the Initiative agenda of future projects.
David, Derek and Maurice are to bring forward proposals to the meeting on 29 April re the possibility of marketing Paul Roxburgh's superb sketches as limited edition prints, Christmas cards or a calendar. Possible sales outlets could be Gracefield Arts Centre shop and the School Bazaar in November as well as local shops.
Council Report---No Report
Funding Roadshow on 24 February in Lockerbie:
Tom indicated that there would be no big projects being funded by the Big Lottery Fund as the money has been diverted to the London Olympics. Funds are still available from Investing in Ideas, Awards for All, 2014 Communities and People's Millions.
Awards for All is to be relaunched in April 2009 with a new, simpler form. It will indicate early if an application is likely to succeed. Grants up to £10,000. 65% of applications are successful.
2014 Communities is aimed at getting people to take part in sport/physical activity, especially the under 25s, over 50s and the disabled. Grants £300 to £1000. Community Councils and schools can apply.
Derek reported on the Energy Workshop run by CAfE (Community Action for Energy ). The group offers up to a day and a half of free onsite expertise and advice to CAfE members on energy saving and power generation. It was agreed that it would be beneficial to invite Bob Bailey of ESSAC to talk about this subject. The meeting would be arranged by the Initiative and the Community Council and would be open to members of the public.
Any Other Business:
Milestone Society of Scotland meeting was noted
Concern was raised over the removal of the bench at the Mill Loch Park---Cllr Dickie to be informed.
Regular walkers had noted an increase in litter around the Mill Loch and other popular areas. There is no easy solution to the problem and it was agreed to monitor the situation.
The safety of the bridge to the wood at the "Bogs" was raised re the wire netting being torn. It was disappointing to witness the mess made by bikers to the paths in the wood.
Members chose a district to cover for the distribution of the Town Trail and the Newsletter.
Date of Next Meeting: 2 pm Wednesday 29 April 2009, Lochmaben Town Hall
Present: Jack Wade, Derek Whiterod, Ross Gemmell, Sandy Grant, Tom Russell, Paul Gow.
Kathleen Ward, Maurice Green, David Mair, Isabelle Gow,
Apologies: Chris Brown, Alistair Brown, Sue Coulthard, Cllr Michael Dickie, David Rose
Minutes of meeting of 07/01/09, AGM on 04/02/09 & the amended Constitution were approved.
Matters Arising: None
Core Paths--consultation re maps in Lochmaben Library until 23 March 2009. Members were encouraged to go and consult the maps.
Finance: The current balance is £8064 but most of this is ring-fenced. We are hopeful that our application for funding for next year (£1000) will be successful .
Countryside Ranger for A & E---Ross reported that a private group of 35 people from many parts of the UK had enjoyed a guided walk recently.
The pre-Christmas CLVG meeting had been cancelled because of the water level of the loch was too high and the weather in January was so dreadful, noone sensibly turned up. In February 9 turned up for the coppicing exercise. In the near future the Ranger programme of Guided Walks and Activities in 2009 will be published.
On Sunday 2 August 2009 between 10 am and 3 pm there is to be an event celebrating the Castle Loch as an LNR. This a one off event. Many cultural and historical activities will be on hand in the Lochmaben Castle area such as coppicing, laithe work, leather, felting and pendant making. Short guided walks will be given. Ross is happy to receive ideas for further activities and would welcome help on the day. Please contact him as soon as possible.
He agreed to look into the possibility of getting marker posts in place around Castlemains farm to indicate clearly routes to the castle and Hightae. The new right-of-way track between Vendaceburn and Castlehill Farm was welcomed.
Ross was warmly commended for his Wildlife Report and the committee wished him all the best in applying for the permanent Ranger post.
CLD Worker: The consultation with young people in Lochmaben is moving forward slowly but surely and the detached youth workers should be out on the streets working with young people by late March.
Paths Report and Update
Annandale Way: Jack reported that the contracts for the gates etc are out and Johnstone of Corrie is the most competitive. There are still places on the route which are indistinct eg felled woodland and these will have to be cleared before the Way is operational. Boundaries of responsibility between the Initiatives along the route still have to be agreed and volunteer regular walkers will be required to assess the condition of the path. If you have any requests for a diversion from the route to a place of interest nearby, please let Jack know before his meeting with Vanessa Morris at 2 pm on 24 March at Lochmaben Town Hall. She is interested in some of the points of interest and stories that you feel should be incorporated into the interpretation and guide.
Castle Loch Developments: Progress on the picnic benches, bin stands, interpretation boards and leaflets, chainsaw sculptures and fishing platforms would be indicated at the Castle Lochs Advisory Meeting on Friday.
Mill Loch drainage---completed, thanks to David Robson for an excellent job
Working Groups:
Castle Loch Volunteers---see Ranger report above. Lockerbie Scouts are to be helping to plant the gaps in the hedge in the near future with a mixture of bushes such as hawthorn, blackthorn etc. What they are unable to do will be a task for the CLVG.
Fringe Lily Sandy explained that the Dichlobenil was ready to be applied at the Mill Loch but negotiations are still in progress re getting the use of the wheelie boat. Don Paterson has agreed to let the boat be launched from his garden but details of the operation still have to be agreed. It is hoped that a meeting will take place this week. If the wheelie boat arrangement is not possible, the spreading would be done from our own boat. A March spreading of the granules would mean that an accurate last order of it could be made for 2010.
Anyone who would like to help in the spreading should contact Sandy ASAP.
Ross would be agreeable to go on a spraying course at the Barony if suitable arrangements can be made. This would be helpful re spraying of Japanese Knotweed on the Castle Loch.
Paddling Pool: Nicola Johnston has asked for the damaged part of the back fence to be repaired and also for a board to be instated at the bottom of this fence to prevent balls going through it. Any monies left out of the original £1750 following these works will be carried over into the new financial year.
Jack will re-convene the Paddling Pool Working Group to discuss what, if any, further developments might be considered - eg - barriers, re-surfacing - which would obviously require us to research grant funding available.
Publications—Town Trail---the draft copy was not available as there had been a problem with the photographs. It would be circulated when it was printed and comments would be welcomed. Paul is at present doing the remaining sketches.
Newsletter David Mair circulated a draft A3 copy and it received favourable comment. The cost for 1000 was £500. It was suggested that it be marketed outwith Lochmaben--Lockerbie, Moffat and Annan as well as relevant libraries in the Dumfries & Galloway by the Library Service in Dumfries. Funding has still to be finalised with application to the George Hunter Trust, the Common Good Fund and the Area Committee among the possibilities.
Website---The last statistics from KGB Internet in Regina were circulated. Unfortunately a hiccup in the new system prevented the February figures from being available.
Kathleen mentioned that there were now 44 businesses on the website directory. Some updating was still requiring to be done.
Tourist Potential---After some discussion, it was agreed to keep the possibility of creating a Museum in Lochmaben on the Initiative agenda of future projects.
David, Derek and Maurice are to bring forward proposals to the meeting on 29 April re the possibility of marketing Paul Roxburgh's superb sketches as limited edition prints, Christmas cards or a calendar. Possible sales outlets could be Gracefield Arts Centre shop and the School Bazaar in November as well as local shops.
Council Report---No Report
Funding Roadshow on 24 February in Lockerbie:
Tom indicated that there would be no big projects being funded by the Big Lottery Fund as the money has been diverted to the London Olympics. Funds are still available from Investing in Ideas, Awards for All, 2014 Communities and People's Millions.
Awards for All is to be relaunched in April 2009 with a new, simpler form. It will indicate early if an application is likely to succeed. Grants up to £10,000. 65% of applications are successful.
2014 Communities is aimed at getting people to take part in sport/physical activity, especially the under 25s, over 50s and the disabled. Grants £300 to £1000. Community Councils and schools can apply.
Derek reported on the Energy Workshop run by CAfE (Community Action for Energy ). The group offers up to a day and a half of free onsite expertise and advice to CAfE members on energy saving and power generation. It was agreed that it would be beneficial to invite Bob Bailey of ESSAC to talk about this subject. The meeting would be arranged by the Initiative and the Community Council and would be open to members of the public.
Any Other Business:
Milestone Society of Scotland meeting was noted
Concern was raised over the removal of the bench at the Mill Loch Park---Cllr Dickie to be informed.
Regular walkers had noted an increase in litter around the Mill Loch and other popular areas. There is no easy solution to the problem and it was agreed to monitor the situation.
The safety of the bridge to the wood at the "Bogs" was raised re the wire netting being torn. It was disappointing to witness the mess made by bikers to the paths in the wood.
Members chose a district to cover for the distribution of the Town Trail and the Newsletter.
Date of Next Meeting: 2 pm Wednesday 29 April 2009, Lochmaben Town Hall
Local Information
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