The programme is as follows:

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED
STRATHDEARN COMMUNITY COUNCIL (SCC) AND STRATHDEARN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTS LTD (SCD) INVITE YOUR SUPPORT FOR AN APPLICATION TO THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT’S COMMUNITY RIGHT TO BUY SCHEME FOR HAZELBANK WOOD (SEE MAP).

COMMUNITY BODIES CAN REGISTER AN INTEREST IN LAND BECAUSE THEN, IF IT CHANGES HANDS, A RIGHT TO BUY AT MARKET PRICE BECOMES AVAILABLE. TO REGISTER, COMMUNITIES MUST DEMONSTRATE LOCAL SUPPORT AND PLANS FOR SUSTAINABLE USE TO EVERYONE’S BENEFIT.

HAZELBANK WOOD IS VERY POPULAR AND IS WELL USED. COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP IS A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO REMOVE UNCERTAINTY OVER WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN AND OVER WHICH RESIDENTS WOULD HAVE LITTLE CONTROL.

OUR SUSTAINABLE USES FOR HAZELBANK WOOD INCLUDE:

• ·MAINTAINING VILLAGE SETTING – AMENITY AND SHELTER
• ·SUPPORTING HEALTH AND WELL BEING
• ·ENCOURAGING NATURE AND WILDLIFE
• ·PROMOTING EDUCATIONAL AND FUN ACTVITIES FOR CHILDREN
• ·INFORMAL NATURAL OUTDOOR FEATURES LIKE WOODLAND PATHS FOR DOG WALKING AND EXERCISE
• ·MANAGING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE FACTORS LIKE CARBON STORAGE

FUTURE WOODLAND MANAGEMENT IN FULL DISCUSSION WITH THE COMMUNITY – MOSTLY KEEPING AS MUCH TREE COVER AS POSSIBLE. TO ENABLE REGISTRATION,WE INVITE STRATHDEARN RESIDENTS TO SHOW SUPPORT BY SIGNING THE TEAR OFF STRIP AND RETURNING BY TUESDAY 22ND FEBRUARY 2022 TO THE STRATHDEARN HUB OR ANY MEMBER OF SCC/SCD. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR REGISTRATION WE SHOW COMMUNITY SUPPORT. OWNERSHIP MEANS JOINING COMMUNITY GROUPS IN SCOTLAND MANAGING MUCH LOVED WOODLANDS WHERE THEY LIVE – FOR THE BENEFIT OF RESIDENTS AND FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

You can fill in the form online by clicking HERE.

Flyer can be downloaded HERE, or view image below:

Wills Bros Civil Engineering Ltd (Wills Bros) was awarded the contract for the construction of the Tomatin Distillery Access and Local Road Improvements Project.
The project will include works on the C1121 Tomatin to Kylachy Road in the vicinity of the Tomatin Distillery, and will involve upgrading the access road to Tomatin Distillery, widening of the C1121, provision of a widened footway link, a new bus turning facility and the installation of a new footbridge over the Allt na Frithe.
These works are important to help minimise the disruption for local residents and businesses along the C1121 during the later stages of the A9 Dualling: Tomatin to Moy project.
Wills Bros the Contractor for the project has advised that, weather permitting, it expects to commence work to establish its site on 31 January, with works expected to commence on 07 February which will involve initial survey work and site clearance.

The SCC meeting scheduled  for 8 Feb. has had to be postponed. Liz Cowie from the Highland Council (Ward Manager – Badenoch & Strathspey, Culloden & Ardersier and Inverness South) explained the situation  as follows:

“As Strathdearn Community Council has been going through the Interim Community Council Elections, and with the closing date for nominations being yesterday at noon, the Community Council will now have to reform and to have an interim meeting to elect new office bearers.  At present the Community council is not technically constituted and an initial meeting to set up the Community Council and to appoint office bearers will have to be arranged – this meeting is called by the Highland Council.    

The Notices of Election have just been published and there is a deadline in place of noon on Thursday 3^rd February (tomorrow) for anyone wishing to withdraw their nomination, therefore the meeting scheduled for the 7^th February unfortunately cannot go ahead as the requirement for agendas to be published 7 days in advance cannot be met.  https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/799/elections_and_voting/643/community_councils

We will liaise with the new Community Council to get a date for the set up meeting at the earliest opportunity after the withdrawal period passes tomorrow – and to enable Strathdearn Community Council to schedule their first meeting following the interim election process.”

Please accept the apologies of SCC for any inconvenience. The scheduled agenda (below) will be adapted and rescheduled as circumstances allow.

Community Council Meeting 8^th of February 2022 (cancelled)

Agenda

1. Apologies

2. Declarations of interest

3. Minutes of last meeting held on 11^th of January 2022 (view them HERE)
   

4. Glen Kirk Woodland – Sandy Pringle

5. Scottish Water – Gavin Steel

6. Matters arising

7. Financial report

8. Law and order

9. Road safety

10. Applications to the SCCT

11. Planning matters

12. Windfarms

13. Update from SCD

14. Highland Councillors questions

16. Correspondence
17. AOCB

Date of next meeting: 8^th of March 2022 @ 7:30 pm

MOY MATTERS (17)

The Moy sub-committee (MSC) urgently requires more volunteers to serve on it. If you live in Moy, Lynebeg, Dalmagarry or Ruthven and can spare a couple of hours every couple of months to help the community and to generate ideas to help improve where we live, please contact either Marian Hendy, John Clarke or Linda Armit, or e mail Ed Cameron-Mackintosh at edwardc-m@strathdearn.org for more info.

Did anyone spot the error in Moy Matters in the last newsletter? Below is what should have been written!

MOY MATTERS (16)

1. Nature Walk: a small group enjoyed a walk round Loch Moy with Tara our ranger. Moy is very rich in wildflowers including some rare species. The total number of species identified by Tara is 46! We are hoping to arrange another community event next year with Colin from Forestry Land Scotland (FLS) to explain and show some of the work they are doing to protect some of the rarer species in our area.

2. Ranger:Tara finished at the end of October. Here is an excerpt from her August/September report:

Visitors: Although the weather was still good until mid-September, this was not reflected in visitor numbers. This may have been due to schools going back and a colder spell in late August/early September which discouraged people from visiting. The 14th of August had particularly good weather and 11 cars were parking in the car park and along the road. This was the busiest day from the past 2 months.

Visitors are more often walking now rather than using the loch with the colder weather, but swimmers and paddle boarders are still about. There have been a few instances of large and small groups camping, and they have been good at cleaning up after themselves.

On one occasion in early September a ‘danger- unstable structure’ sign from the island was found on the loch side.

Litter : Litter levels over August and September have been very low. Rubbish is normally small bits of plastic that have been missed but disposable BBQ grills are quite often found. These are easily missed as they quickly rust and blend in very well with leaf litter.

Fishing wire, floats and hooks have been commonly found over the past months. It is understandable that these can be easily lost, caught in bushes, or missed by fishermen, but it is often large amounts of wire and bright floats. There is always the danger of wildlife, pets and small children getting caught in wire or hooks.

Lynebeg has been largely litter free, with only the occasional piece of rubbish found.

Fires: Fires are far rarer with the ‘no fire’ signs but are still occurring. Throughout August charred spots from BBQs appeared in the most commonly used sites by the loch side, despite signs also stating ‘gas BBQs only’. Twice large groupers of campers have had a large fire and there have been remains from two or three fires where no one was seen to be spoken to. The signs are frequently removed. One is attached to a tree with cable ties, which have been cut off twice and the sign has been lost. The larger sign attached to a stake has been hidden in the woods off the path 4/5 times but has always been located. I would be unsurprised if it was used as firewood at some point. When fires have been lit the signs have either been missing or completely ignored.

Wildlife :There is such an abundance of wildlife at loch Moy including roe deer, red squirrels, common lizards and wood ants. As autumn begins, the wildflowers have died back and mushrooms have sprung up all over site. To date I have counted 20+ different species. Some highlights include Angel wings and Cauliflower mushrooms, as well as the classic red and white Fly agaric.

3. Harvesting operations: FLS have informed us that there will be a couple of harvesting coupes starting shortly. Moy Moss should start before Christmas and Lynebeg in the Spring (dependent on A9 dualling work)

As always we would love you to keep your ideas coming to us so please get in touch with any of the MSC members to share your ideas or give any feedback.

Remember…..The MSC has been established by Strathdearn Community Development (SCD) “to identify projects for funding through the Strathdearn share of the Moy Windfarm Communuty Benefit Fund” The members are Marian Hendry (marianhendry@strathdearn.org), John Clarke and Linda Armit.

MOY MATTERS (16)

1. Nature Walk: a small group enjoyed a walk round Loch Moy with Tara our ranger. Moy is very rich in wildflowers including some rare species. The total number of species identified by Tara is 46! We are hoping to arrange another community event with Colin from Forestry Land Scotland (FLS) to explain and show some of the work they are doing to protect some of the rarer species in our area.

2. Ranger:Tara finished at the end of October. Here is an excerpt from her August/September report:

Visitors: Although the weather was still good until mid-September, this was not reflected in visitor numbers. This may have been due to schools going back and a colder spell in late August/early September which discouraged people from visiting. The 14th of August had particularly good weather and 11 cars were parking in the car park and along the road. This was the busiest day from the past 2 months.

Visitors are more often walking now rather than using the loch with the colder weather, but swimmers and paddle boarders are still about. There have been a few instances of large and small groups camping, and they have been good at cleaning up after themselves.

On one occasion in early September a ‘danger- unstable structure’ sign from the island was found on the loch side.

Litter : Litter levels over August and September have been very low. Rubbish is normally small bits of plastic that have been missed but disposable BBQ grills are quite often found. These are easily missed as they quickly rust and blend in very well with leaf litter.

Fishing wire, floats and hooks have been commonly found over the past months. It is understandable that these can be easily lost, caught in bushes, or missed by fishermen, but it is often large amounts of wire and bright floats. There is always the danger of wildlife, pets and small children getting caught in wire or hooks.

Lynebeg has been largely litter free, with only the occasional piece of rubbish found.

Fires: Fires are far rarer with the ‘no fire’ signs but are still occurring. Throughout August charred spots from BBQs appeared in the most commonly used sites by the loch side, despite signs also stating ‘gas BBQs only’. Twice large groupers of campers have had a large fire and there have been remains from two or three fires where no one was seen to be spoken to. The signs are frequently removed. One is attached to a tree with cable ties, which have been cut off twice and the sign has been lost. The larger sign attached to a stake has been hidden in the woods off the path 4/5 times but has always been located. I would be unsurprised if it was used as firewood at some point. When fires have been lit the signs have either been missing or completely ignored.

Wildlife :There is such an abundance of wildlife at loch Moy including roe deer, red squirrels, common lizards and wood ants. As autumn begins, the wildflowers have died back and mushrooms have sprung up all over site. To date I have counted 20+ different species. Some highlights include Angel wings and Cauliflower mushrooms, as well as the classic red and white Fly agaric.

3. Harvesting operations: FLS have informed us that there will be a couple of harvesting coupes starting shortly. Moy Moss should start before Christmas and Lynebeg in the Spring (dependent on A9 dualling work)

As always we would love you to keep your ideas coming to us so please get in touch with any of the MSC members to share your ideas or give any feedback.

Remember…..The MSC has been established by Strathdearn Community Development (SCD) “to identify projects for funding through the Strathdearn share of the Moy Windfarm Communuty Benefit Fund”

The members are Marian Hendry (Chair, marian.hendry@talk21.com), Alastair Fraser (vice chair), Davie Cameron, John Clarke and Linda Armit.