Ar Talamh – Ar Coimhearsnachd – Ar n-Àm©
Our Land - Our Communities – Our Time©
Scottish Community Land Newsletter – May 2007
The independent Scottish Community Land Network (SCLN) aims to encourage, support and inspire the community land sector in Scotland through shared experience, networking and promotion of Scottish community land initiatives. - Current circulation - 1706
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News - Woodland & Forestry - Renewable Energy – Funding & Support – Events –- Training - Bits & Pieces – A View from the Hills – Featured Community – Jobs - Community Websites - etc.
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Hi All,
We seem to be celebrating nothing but anniversary of successful community-owned initiatives lately. We’ve had Gigha’s 5th recently, Eigg’s 10th next week and Wooplaw’s 20th later this summer. Congratulations to them all.
In the last newsletter a few misunderstandings were caused by some careless editing. My sincerest apologies to those affected. A fuller explanation and apology is written in Errata in the etc. section.
Good luck with all your communities’ projects.
Cheers,
Steve
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***Stop press *** We’ve just had word that the extremely ambitious Kinghorn Community Land Association (KCLA) has finally received word on acceptance of their 18 registrations in the Register of Community Interests in Land (RCIL) under Part 2 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 (LRA). This represents over 25% of all registrations currently on the RCIL. While one application was registered in April 2005, the remaining 18 have been pending a decision on the register since 1st/2nd November 2006. Any community group who has attempted to register the community right to buy under LRA will know the laborious efforts required for the application process. To complete 19 successful applications requires a Herculean effort. Congratulations to the whole community but especially to the committee!
!!! Can your community help Kinghorn Community Land Association (KCLA) ?
KCLA is shortly to go out to tender for a major feasibility study for 19 plots of land subject to RCIL. Notwithstanding the delay by SEERAD, they want to press on with feasibility work so they can be prepared for Right to Buy opportunities when they arise. They envisage a 2-stage process with an initial scoping study followed by a more detailed feasibility study(s). They invite suggestions from Community land initiatives that have had experience of this to build up a tender list and also expressions of interest from potential consultants. Please email the KCLA Chair at chairperson@kcla.org.uk.
Congratulations to Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust (Urras Dualchais Eilean Eige) which is celebrating it’s the 10th Anniversary of community ownership on the 12th June. Watch for the full party celebration later in the month!
The DTAS Annual Conference is being held in Crichton, Dumfries with the theme, Communities in Control - Here to Stay on the 10th/11th June. Keynote Speakers are Willy Roe, Chair of HIE, Peter McGurn, CEO of Goodwin Development Trust and Mark Edwards, author of Hard Rain - our headlong collision with nature. Click here for a programme and booking details. A limited number of bursaries are available to help meet the costs of attending this event.
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The North Sutherland Community Forest Trust (NSCFT) recently opened a new community-owned sawmill with high hopes to creating sustainable employment. The sawmill will initially employ one full time employee. The sawmill will sell fence posts, gate rails and most sizes of sawn timber, produce woodchips for heating systems or for spreading on cattle corrals, pony paddocks, logs or firewood. All the timber used at the sawmill is grown locally and sourced from the Forestry Commission or from trees felled from the surrounding peat bogs under the RSPB’s Peatlands Restoration Project. The project aims to show that you can supply a local market with good quality product at market value using local resources – not only helping the local economy but helping to reduce carbon emissions. The sawmill has been part-funded by the Lottery Fresh Futures programme and Communities Scotland.
Congratulations to the Burn O’Fochabers Woodlands Community Trust who have been gifted 5.35 hectares mature woodland by the Crown Estates. This land runs through the centre of the village and includes mature woodland, part of the burn and a network of pathways regularly used by local people.
The Trust plans to manage and restore the woodland in the coming months by undertaking community clean-ups, surveys of the areas to record current flora and fauna and involving local school children in planting new trees. In the longer term they are preparing a business plan for the management and restoration of the woods.
Congratulations to Dunbar Community Woodland Group in finally gaining ownership of Lochend Woods. They are celebrating with a ceilidh. See SCLN Events for details.
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Download the Highland & Island Community Energy Company’s (HICEC) June Newsletter for all the latest regional community renewable energy news.
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The Institute of Fundraising Scotland nominations for this year's annual fundraising awards are now open. The awards recognise excellence in fundraising practice. Nominations can be made through the conference website and winners will be announced at the Annual Fundraising Awards dinner. This year's categories include a Community Fundraising Award Fundraiser of the Year, and Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year.
Congratulations to the Arrochar and Tarbet Community Development Trust (ATCDT) who recently received assistance of £622,089 from Growing Community Assets (GCA) to the building costs of the Three Villages Hall. This will provide a central meeting point for the community consisting of the villages of Tarbert, Arrochar & Succoth. It has been ten years since local people had a central meeting point so their new facility will provide a key one stop shop for community activity. The multi-purpose facility will be built on the former Pier Car Park site in Arrochar beside the ATCDT owned Pit Stop Diner. It will provide the people of Arrochar, Tarbet and Succouth with much-needed facilities including a main hall for community activities, a reception area, computer suite, crèche and a number of smaller rooms which will be used as meeting areas. The hall will have a ground source heat pump and solar panels which will generate renewable energy and will also include a ‘Green exhibition’ area and learning zone. It will also enable ATCDT to employ a Campus Manager for five years who will be responsible for the day to day operational management of the project.
Congratulations to the Ford Community Project who have has been awarded by Growing Community Assets £139,128 to help realise the community’s ambitions for a multi-purpose community facility. The grant will be used to purchase land in the centre of the village on which the new facility will be built. Plans for the facility include a shop and post office, café and sports pitch. The shop would act as a distribution point for existing local food suppliers thereby reducing transportation costs and would also provide an outlet for other local businesses. Plans are also afoot to include recycling facilities and a small-scale wind turbine. Peter Creech, Chair, Ford Community Project Ltd, said: “We’re just about to stand on some ground that is truly ours and for us that is a huge achievement.” The village of Ford is known for its poor transport links so a new community facility will help to bring key services and activities to their doorstep
The Scottish Biomass Support Scheme is aimed at promoting the biomass (primarily wood-fuel) sector in Scotland. Money is given for installations – including eligible kit/pipe work and boiler plant and infrastructure directly related to developing the woodfuel/biomass supply chain. A total of £7.5milllion is available until March 2008. There is a maximum grant of £400k. For installation, 40% of additional costs (50% for SMEs) compared with conventional systems are eligible. For the supply side, up to 40% of additional costs of entering the biomass supply chain may be paid. Public and private formally constituted organisations based in Scotland are eligible. Private householders are ineligible. For further details contact: SBSS Administration or Tel 01349 860 919
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Touchwood Festival - Scottish Woodfair
1st & 2nd June - Highland Football Academy, Dingwall
Communities in Control - Here To Stay - DTAS Annual Conference
10th/11th June - Crichton, Dumfries
10th Anniversary of Community Ownership - Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust
12th June – Isle of Eigg (of Course!)
Interposed Leases Hearing – Scottish Land Court
12th June - Edinburgh
Dingwall Viking Festival – Dingwall Initiative
15th June – County Buildings, Dingwall
The Big Tent, Festival of Stewardship - Minding the Future – Falkland Centre of Stewardship – 15th – 17th June – Falkland, Fife
Lochend Woods Celebration Ceilidh - Dunbar Community Woodland Group
Friday 22 June - Healthy Living Centre, Dunbar
Assynt Funday 2nd Anniversary Event – Assynt Foundation
23rd – Slipway, Lochinver
Workshops – Assynt Foundation
(Wine-making, digital photography skills, natural dyes or painting)
25th & 26th June – Assynt – Contact Adam @ Tel: 01571 844 100
Inspiring Ambition – The Institute of Fundraising
29 October - 31 October - Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow
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Global Climate Change and the Sustainable Revolution – UNITAR and CIFAL Findhorn
19th – 21st June Findhorn Ecovillage, Forres
Project Development and Funding – CWA Share Knowledge
4th and 5th July – Milton Community Woodland, Tain
Ignite Woodfuel Training - Rural Development Initiatives
12-14 June - Community Centre, Lairg
17 - 19 July – Creebridge House Hotel, Newton Stewart
Environment Awareness - Evolve Training
5 July - Inverness
Legacy Fundraising Made Easy with Richard Radcliffe - Institute of Fundraising Scotland 18th September – Glasgow
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The Scottish Islands Network is undergoing important changes in order become a more representative body, similar to other European islands organisations. To mark these changes, it is changing its name to the Scottish Islands Federation (SIF). To help SIF make these changes, and to ensure that the organisation is representative, we would like your feedback through a questionnaire.
The National Playing Fields Association (NPFA), the charity that safeguards and improves the United Kingdom’s playing fields, outdoor recreation areas and playgrounds, has changed its working name to Fields in Trust (FIT).
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We are looking forward to a resolution of the forthcoming test case in the Scottish Land Court over interposed leases on crofting estates. This will specifically affect the Pairc community application under the Crofting Community Right-to-Buy, Part 3 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003(LRA). In the case of Pairc, the landowner, Pairc Crofters Limited (PCL), has leased the land to a third party Pairc Renewables Limited (PRL), and these companies have directors in common. PRL has entered into a sub-lease with SSE Generation Limited (SSEGL). This was basically done to asset strip the estate before it could come under community ownership. A positive decision would make the leases null and void and the community would have the right to buy all the assets. if it fails it will underline the almost total failure of the LRA to make a difference to community ownership. In three years of the LRA we have only seen 5 communities use Part 2 of the LRA to gain ownership and none at all for Part 3. Here’s hoping for a good decision and some justice for communities.
Agree, disagree or have another opinion you like aired, contact steve@communityland.org.uk
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Featured Community – Kinghorn Community Land Association (KCLA)
The Kinghorn Community Land Association, located in Kinghorn, Fife, was formed over 3 years ago to explore the application of the powers of community right to buy in the new Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 in helping achieve their aspirations for the community land ownership for Kinghorn Loch and its environs. They have a clearer vision as to the potential use of the Land Reform Act than any other community I have seen. The have not only succeeded in getting their first successful registration under the Act but have systematically lodged a further 18 applications for a very long term, holistic and aspirational future for their community. Of course this is only a means to an end, they hope not just to conserve the fine environment of Kinghorn Loch but to allow greater access to the local population and the general public to an improved and diverse environment. I can tell their story no better than they can through their excellent website. Visit the Kinghorn Community Land Website.
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Dunbar Community Woodland Group – Dunbar,
Isle of Eigg Heritage Trust – Isle of Eigg, Small Isles
Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust - Gigha, Argyll
Arrochar and Tarbet Community Development Trust – Tarbet, Argyll
Kinghorn Community Land Association – Kinghorn, Fife
Assynt Foundation – Assynt, Northwest Sutherland
Horshader Community Development – Horshader, West Lewis
Falkland Centre of Stewardship – Falkland, Fife
North Harris Trust – North Harris, Western Isles
For relative links, resources or community groups see the respective links at SCLN Links, SCLN Resources or SCLN Community Groups
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Errata
A few corrections on the introductory paragraphs of the last newsletter. It brought together three separate strands of a common subject. It was the role of Development/Project Officers and Directors in community groups. Unfortunately in my stream-of-consciousness writing style this followed the well wishing of Assynt Foundation staff change. The implication was that I was referring to Assynt Foundation. This was never my intention nor does it have any basis, it was purely a careless bit of editing. My sincerest apologies to the Assynt Foundation for any misunderstanding caused by the article. The bit about directors’ efforts was of course a bit of tongue-in-cheek.
Secondly, to my embarrassment as a North Harris Trust Director, I reported the latest buyout in Harris as the second buyout on the island. Of course North Harris Trust (NHT) has that honour when the Seaforth Estate buyout brought together the two areas of North Harris under one community organisation, the NHT. The Machair Villages of the west side of Harris will be the third potential community buyout.
Current circulation - 1706
Thanks to contributions from Chris Mitchell, Caran Werfel, Julie MacDonald, Clare Belshaw, Agnes Dickson, Anne-Michelle Ketteridge, Margaret Kane, Camille Dressler, Neil Gerrard, Diane Campbell,
This newsletter has been generously funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Lomond & Rural Stirling Leader+ and North Highland Leader+
For a free monthly subscription to the newsletter: join@communityland.org.uk
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The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are for general information and do not represent those of the Community Land Unit, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Lomond & Rural Stirling Leader+ or North Highland Leader+
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