Month: March 2018

Strathdearn Community Developments Co. has begun the ‘Small Wins’ programme which we announced some time ago. The idea is to tackle smaller jobs which will have an immediate benefit for our community but don’t require all the planning and permissions of a bigger project.

In response to comments from several people about the state of signage in the area we employed local window cleaner Myles Evans & Co. Ltd to clean 12 signs in the Strathdearn area (see below) and all of the windows at the Millennium hall at a cost of £165. This was completed on the 16^th March 2018.

Most of the signs came up well however, some had a surface that was disintegrating – the three signs marked with an asterisk in the list below were notified as being the worst. These have been reported to the Highland Council and a response is expected by the 05/04/2018, the community council have also been notified of this action.

Tomatin Signs

1. Large sign at the main entrance to Tomatin from the A9 (southbound)
2. Small sign on the left at the main entrance to Tomatin from the A9 (southbound)*
3. Small sign on the right coming in to the village before the Glen Road (northbound)
4. Welcome to Tomatin coming in to the village after the Glen Road (northbound)
5. Small sign on the way to Raigbeg, just past the wooden bridge and at the sign to Balvraid.

Glen Road Sign

1. Garbole/Coignafearn*

Raigbeg/Balvraid

1. Small Raigbeg & Balvraid signs on the right hand junction coming in to the village before the Glen Road (northbound)*
2. Small Balvraid sign on the right just next to Old Mill Road in the village (southbound)
3. Raigbeg & Balvraid road sign on the left just before the shop and Old Mill Road in the village (southbound)?
4. Small Balvraid sign just past Raigbeg.

Moy

1. Northbound
2. Southbound

Strathdearn Hall

Steve Culeen has removed the wooden sign outside the hall so that it can be dried out, cleaned up and re-varnished.

Other Small Gains projects in the pipeline

Station Road pot-holes

We are very grateful to SSEN (Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks) for offering us a ‘volunteering day,’ whereby personnel from the company provide a day’s labour to help the community in some way. SCD suggested that the potholes on Station Road could be filled in as this was highlighted as a problem at the community council meetings.

Neil Macdonald, Site Construction Manager at the Tomatin substation, and the Construction Manager of Amey are happy to help for 8 hours with manpower and the use of equipment (which they don’t normally offer) and they hope to provide a motorised roller and possibly a mini digger.

Due to the weather they won’t be able to commence until April 2018. On Monday 19^th March they visited the site and plan to meet with SCD Director Jimmy Duncan to discuss any further requirements.

Once a date has been agreed then SCD will purchase 20 tonnes of 20mm stone & dust scaplings (as recommended by the quarry) at a cost of £17.31 a tonne + VAT = £415 including delivery from Daviot quarry. The company can turn around a delivery in a day.

Flower Planters

SCD will buy 4 timber planters and 1 hanging column planter which will be sited at the shop and hall. Carol James, Chair of the Strathdearn gardening club, has agreed to look after these floral arrangements. Moy sub-committee is investigating purchasing similar installations for the Moy area. Once the total number is settled, the planters will be ordered and hopefully be in place six weeks later.

Future projects

If you have any ideas for future ‘Small Wins’ projects, please let us know.

We’ve had some excellent news this week – the Scottish government will give us half a million pounds towards our new community hub building. The grant was won in the face of fierce competition, largely due to the persuasive skills of SCD development officer Charles Morgan. Well done and thank you, Charles. The details are contained within the following press release :

Hub funding a welcome boost for Strathdearn

Strathdearn residents are celebrating an injection of £500,000 to help build their new community Hub in Tomatin. Strathdearn Community Developments, the local community company, is one of several bodies in the Highlands to get support from the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund. Further funding for the Hub will come from community benefit associated with local wind farms.  

The funding secured by the Highland Council on behalf Strathdearn Community Developments will help develop a 21st century community hub that will include the community run village shop and café alongside new community space and the covered sports pitch.

This forward-looking building will be highly insulated with renewable energy features, digital technology and charging points for electric vehicles and cycles. The Hub will showcase local food and drink, arts and crafts and traditional music events.  Interpretation at the Hub will be centred on the unique culture and heritage of the upper River Findhorn, enhancing the visitor experience and promoting economic opportunities.

This exciting new project will strengthen the community in Strathdearn create a better place for people to live and visit and help ensure a sustainable future. The Hub is a key stone in a range of projects being delivered by the community company including ultra-fast fibre broadband to 50 households in Moy, a carer scheme to support elderly and ill people in their own homes and an improved path network. Further broadband and affordable housing projects are in the pipeline.

Richard Cooling, chair of Strathdearn Community Developments, said “We are delighted to get this support through the Highland Council and Scottish Government. We hope to start on the site in the early summer and open in 2019”. He added “with a thriving primary school and young families moving into the area, healthy visitor numbers at Tomatin Distillery and improvements to the A9 – the Hub project will really make Strathdearn one to watch!”

Leader of The Highland Council, Cllr Margaret Davidson wishes Richard and his team the very best with their plans. She said: “It is terrific news to get the confirmation that this funding is in place and credit must go to everyone involved for their hard work and efforts to secure this money. I look forward to seeing work on this exciting project get underway as it’s going to play an important role in breathing new life into the community.”

Your ideas matter ~ Big or small we want them all!

Children and young people – access to services & activities and where young people play key role in decision-making

• Improved transport – within and out with Strathdearn
• Activities on Loch Moy, coaching or fun days, canoeing etc

Carbon reduction – helping to tackle climate change

• Log burners
• Recycling bins/recycling area
• Opportunity for residents to install solar panels
• Electric car charging points
• Insulation for homes for all interested residents
• Other micro renewables
• Double glazing schemes
• Ground source heat pumps
• Energy efficiency checks/reviews on all properties & recommendations

Vulnerable/elderly people – increasing access to services & facilities

• Improved transport – within and out with Strathdearn

Community regeneration – improving health & education, reducing crime, regenerating employment, housing & physical environment

• Maintenance of existing paths around loch and creation of new
• Car parking for access to Moy Loch
• Neighbourhood enhancement – help people paint their houses etc
• Community benches
• Solar lights in bus shelters
• Outdoor curling rink

Community buildings – maintaining and developing widely used buildings

• BBQ hut/meeting area
• Purchasing/obtaining community land

Self-help groups – community based groups delivering basic services

• Old fallen trees to be cut up into logs and shared out
• Clean up around Loch Moy to protect area and wildlife. Possibly employ person for community maintenance, walks. Local Ranger?
• Septic tank community cleaning out