Minutes of Caerlaverock Community Association meeting held on 31 May 2023, 1930, Barbour Hall Glencaple

Present: David Gilbert (DG, Chair), Chris Jackson (Treasurer), Ian Brown (Committee Member), Helen Clark (Committee Member), PC Alistair Hope (Police Scotland), Cllr David Slater (D&G Council), Cllr John Campbell (D&G Council), Cllr Keith Walters (D&G Council), Chris Woodness (Nith Ward Officer, D&G Council), Anna Austin (Estate Manager, Caerlaverock Estate), Alice Cochrane (current Head Teacher, Caerlaverock Primary School), Karen Scriven (new Head Teacher, Caerlaverock Primary School) and 7 Caerlaverock residents.

Apologies: David Pickett (WWT), Suzanne McIntyre (NatureScot), Cllr Malcolm Johnstone, Douglas Anderson, Ronnie Clark, Rob Wells, Sue Greig.

  1. Minutes of last meeting

Minutes of the 22 February 2023 meeting were accepted.                                                                    

  1. Financial Position

Non-allotment income since the last CCA meeting: £3,281.35, all from motorhome donations.  Non-allotment expenditure £12,791.18.  Main items were Glencaple Play Park £9,617.23 (nb under the £10k budget), new ride-on mower £1,471.95, shed to house the mower £994.94 and two Castle Corner tank emptyings £260.  £500 of the mower-and-shed costs will be paid for by the allotments.  Balance £13,001.99.  With the Play Park money spent, we can start thinking about new projects. 

Allotment money is held by CCA on behalf of the allotments.  There was no allotment income.  Expenditure was £653.45 comprising £500 towards mower and shed, £50 strimmer purchase, £55.80 black plastic to cover vacant plots, and mower fuel.  Allotments balance is £653.45.    

  1. General Reports
  • Community Police

PC Alistair Hope reported no crimes of note in the area in the last few weeks.  All officers now carry Naloxone (it reverses an opioid overdose).  Speed checks were carried out (admittedly during the day) in Glencaple and nearly all vehicles were doing less than 22 mph.  DG reported two oil thefts in the last few months (Bankend Community Centre and Conheath Lodge), two attempted break-ins to the honesty boxes at the Quay End and Castle Corner and two incidents of strangers peering through people’s windows.  Noisy behaviour in the Quay End and Castle Corner car parks is an issue.  PC Hope said to be sure to phone these incidents – and any others – in at the time they happen.  Terry Harrop complained about vehicles along the front exceeding the 20mph limit and queried the location of the 20mph repeater sign. He raised the possibility of either speed-bumps or a sign that lights up if you are within the limit.  DG said the village had specified no speed-bumps or chicanes because of agricultural vehicles.  Later in the meeting, Cllr John Campbell said that installing illuminated signs is not in the gift of the council’s roads team.  Torthorwald installed one at a cost to the local community of £9k.  Finally, the question of littering from vehicles was raised.  Littering, like dog-fouling, should be reported initially to D&G Council Community Safety Team.

  • D&G Council

UCI Cycling World Championships: all households should have received a leaflet (some have not).  Money has been committed to repairing the roads for the event.  More on the cycling in Any Other Business, below.

Ladyfield planned development: this will be discussed at the Thursday 8 June Economy & Resources Committee meeting.  DG repeated that CCA’s only concerns are a) additional traffic, not only from 398 proposed new households but from associated delivery vehicles etc, b) discharge of additional surface water upstream from our community and c) proposals regarding speed restrictions on the Glencaple road from chicanes, speed bumps etc which would be unacceptable because of contractors’ vehicles. Chris Woodness said there will be an opportunity to raise traffic queries once a planning application has been received.  Cllr Keith Walters is holding a surgery at Kingholm Quay Community Centre 1000-1100 on Saturday 17 June and invited anyone to drop in and air their views about anything council-related.

The Brow Well bridge project will take 20 weeks to complete but a Bailey bridge will enable traffic will be able to get through at all times.

  • NatureScot

The Castle Corner car parking barrier has been hit by a car with a large roof-rack.  A couple of signs have been vandalised; two lots of garden waste have been dumped; there is graffiti in one of the hides; and more human waste has been found at Phyllis’s.  NatureScot are expecting budget confirmation shortly to enable a revamp of the information area at Castle Corner (small stone pavilion is proposed).

  • WWT

WWT have been awarded a 3-year grant from NatureScot to improve grazing for conservation management and to create more pools and scrapes, slowing the drainage of water off some fields and improving the site for natterjack toads.  Two hides are being extensively repaired and should re-open soon.  There are plenty of volunteering opportunities for all ages and abilities so please get in touch if interested.  See WWT’s social media for summer events.

  • Caerlaverock Estate

Anna Austin reported that Japanese Knotweed has been sprayed.  Bowhouse Farm is being converted into offices.  The Estate has put in a funding application to NatureScot for more wetland scrapes and natterjack toad habitat.  They will know in July whether they are successful.

The Estate and CCA (Malc Laurie) will be working together on improving signage at Castle Corner campsite: dos and don’ts; a donations plea including a QR code taking the user to the payment site; signs at the castle pointing out that Caerlaverock Castle is not the campsite.

The bins at the Castle Corner car park have been overflowing again; DG suspects a weekly collection was missed.  Last year’s extra collections stopped in November and the Council have no capacity to reinstate them.  If the current weekly collection is inadequate, we will need to buy a large waste bin ourselves for the campsite (approx. £230 for the biggest) and will have to pay for a weekly collection.  DG asked the Councillors to lobby to get us treated as a charity in that case, since we are not a commercial site (all CCA income goes into the local community).  This approach to the waste problem was endorsed by the meeting, with concerns also expressed about the Big Rock bin.  Councillor Slater mentioned the possibility of a bin for free as at one time D&G Council had bins to spare.  He will find out for us.  Action: Cllr Slater

Finally, if anyone has photos of items the Estate have been spending money on (eg new signs, mower, shed, play park) could they please send them to Anna or Malcolm Laurie.

Gail Stewart mentioned to Anna about the Japanese Knotweed beside the B725 opposite the Howmains junction.  Anna will ask Robbie Cowan to spray it.  Action: Anna

  • Caerlaverock School

Alice Cochrane, the outgoing Head Teacher, announced that the school has gained a Digital Schools award and a bronze award for putting into practice the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.  The school roll is 28.  DG asked if the new housing at the end of the village might increase pupil numbers.  Karen Scriven, the incoming Head Teacher (currently at Ae and Amisfield Primaries) hopes so, when the children are old enough.

  • Barbour Hall

No report received.

  • Allotments

Rob Wells (who would normally supply the report) returned from holiday with Covid.  All the plots are taken.

  • Nith Inshore Rescue

No report received

  • Caerlaverock Kirk

No report sent.

  • Hutton Hall

No report received.  Theft of fuel has already been mentioned.

  1. Any Other Business
  • Cycling event

Chris Woodness stated that roads used for the UCI Paracycling Road Race on 11 & 12 August will only be closed 45 minutes before the first race, ie closure starts 0845.  When roads are closed, vehicles and cycles are banned but people can still walk.  As soon as the closures are in place, the UCI race marshal, with Police escort, will sanitise the route (checking farm gates closed etc etc) and give the event the official thumbs up.  D&G Council are working with vets to ensure that any animal welfare issues, such as the need to move cows back to pasture after milking, will be addressed.  Holiday home changeovers: incoming visitors may be given access at the end of a race, subject to UCI agreement.  Engagement sessions (all involving the same small group of council officials including Chris Woodness) are taking place in affected communities (see leaflet).  D&G Council are working with the Police, Nith Inshore Rescue, social workers, NHS D&G and GPs’ surgeries.  An Incident Management Group run by the Police, UCI, Pennine Events (running the event on behalf of UCI) and Chris Woodness will be at the “Bunker” in Dumfries during the race and will take decisions in case of emergency eg someone needing to get to hospital by ambulance.  Additional points: if it is rainy and there is eg wet silage on the road, council road sweepers will be called upon.  Any riders on the roads outwith race times will be aware that the roads are not closed.  Any queries contact the Council’s Engagement Team.

  • Play Park

The official opening by the Lady Provost is 4pm on 6 June.  All are encouraged to attend, ideally with children.  DG thanked Caerlaverock Estate for their role in allowing motorhome money to be spent on the project.  Helen Clark asked why there is no soft landing under the fire engine.  DG said the funding was for specific items of equipment only and there was insufficient money to put soft areas under everything (this would have increased the cost by £12,000).  In response to a query from Cllr Slater, DG said the whole of the Play Park is tarmac so Wet Pour would not be suitable.  DG will raise it with the Council.

  • Grass-cutting

Dick McKune is doing all the grass cutting and we desperately need someone to share the job.  If you can volunteer, please contact DG.

Community projects

  • Quay End benches: DG suggests scrapping the old concrete bench and getting a new one. Douglas Anderson thinks the wooden benches are starting to rot. 
  • Quay End Beacon: the beacon has been there 23 years and the sleepers are all rotting. DG’s suggestion for a replacement is a galvanised RSJ (rolled steel joist) set in concrete and commented that we need expert advice.  He asked Cllr John Campbell if Common Good money could be used.  Action: John Campbell DG suggests a group of local people be formed to discuss.  Names to DG please.
  • Bankend Play Park: money is available to purchase new chips.
  • The issue was raised of cyclists cycling side-by-side on our narrow, rural roads which puts both them and drivers at risk during overtaking. There is nothing CCA can do as this is written in the Highway Code.
  • Hutton Trust: this local charity exists to help young people on apprenticeships buy tools or books. If it is not used for this purpose the money will be appropriated elsewhere so people are encouraged to apply.
  • Dog mess: Terry Harrop complained about the amount of dog mess on the paths leading from the Quay End and opposite Criffel, and said signs need erected. Cllr Slater has signs and will send them to DG, who will put them on Correx.  Action: Cllr Slater

 

DG will be unable to conduct CCA business from the end of June to mid-August.

Date of next meeting: Wednesday 30 August 2023, 1930, Barbour Hall.