Minutes of Caerlaverock Community Association held on 31 August 2022, 1930, Barbour Hall Glencaple

Present: David Gilbert (DG, Chair), Chris Jackson (Treasurer), Ian Brown (Committee Member), Helen Clark (Committee Member), Ronnie Clark (Committee Member), Ian Barr (Principal Events Officer, D&G Council), Cllr David Slater, Cllr Keith Walters, Chris Woodness (Nith Ward Officer), Mark Fogden (Savill’s) and 23 Caerlaverock residents.

Apologies: Malcolm Laurie, Jane Baxter, Wayne McDonald, Malcolm Johnstone (Nith Councillor), Gordon Tennant (Caerlaverock School), Suzanne McIntyre (NatureScot), Dave Pickett (WWT).

Welcome: David Gilbert welcomed everyone especially David Slater and Keith Walters, our two new Councillors.

Minutes of last meeting

Minutes of the previous (25 May 2022) meeting were accepted.

Financial Position

Since the May 2022 meeting, non-allotment income was £4,535.07 (all from motor home donations) with an additional £375.50 still to come from PayPal.  Expenditure £1,818.59: emptying the Castle Corner septic tank four times, mower fuel, a dog waste bin for the Wardlaw, IT costs for the last 12 months, more motor home donation envelopes and a donation to Steve Jackson’s Lymphoma walk (Steve previously donated to the community by kindly providing a lot of stone for the war memorial with no charge).  The balance is a healthy £20,314, of which £10,000 will go towards refurbishing the children’s play park in Glencaple to supplement the £33,000 Dumfries & Galloway Council (DGC) contribution.

Allotment income was £252.75 and expenditure 12p.  Grateful thanks to Mr Jamieson of Firth Farms for maintaining the site rent at 12p.  Balance £1,329.11.  Allotment money is held by CCA on behalf of the allotments.

General Reports

Community Police

Again, no representative present as operational requirements take precedence.  The sergeant in charge will put future meetings in the diary and they hope to send someone in future.

[UPDATE FROM COMMUNITY POLICING AVAILABLE HERE]

D&G Council

Cllr Keith Walters: the new councillors elected in May are catching up with current issues.  Keith is on the Planning Committee and is involved with town centre regeneration.

Cllr David Slater: 2-3 weeks after being elected he caught bad Covid and still has symptoms but is familiarising himself with the job.

Nith Ward Officer Chris Woodness : DGC have a new Chief Executive, Dawn Robertson, who is getting out and about across DGC organisations and is keen to meet communities.  DG said she would be very welcome to attend one of our meetings.

NatureScot

A minority of visitors are leaving litter and other waste on the National Nature Reserve.  The twice weekly bin collection from Castle Corner has worked well this year.  Access from Hollands may be restricted for a few days in September to allow reedbed rejuvenation work to take place but this will be advertised on notices and online.  The reserve team will be monitoring overwintering birds for avian flu.  Any access changes will be decided nationally.

WWT

The team is now complete for the first time in 14 months, with all posts filled.  It has been a good end of summer for migrating birds, dragonflies and plants (details of these and all the latest news is posted on social media).  We await the arrival of the geese and Whooper Swans, tinged with concern as to what effect avian flu may have had on their numbers.  WWT are taking part in the D&G Wild Goose Festival at the end of October (details on the website).

Caerlaverock Estate

DG wishes to record our formal thanks to Mark Fogden and the Estate for maintaining the site and letting motorhome money come to CCA.  Comments written by motorhomers on their donation envelopes are almost all highly positive about the Castle Corner aire.

Caerlaverock School

The school roll is 30, including a Ukrainian pupil who is one of six in P1 and has settled in well.  Teaching staff has remained at two teachers.  The school is back to normal after Covid with parents and outside personnel now allowed in the building.

Barbour Hall

A video will be (now available here) posted on the CCA and Barbour Hall websites next week giving a more detailed report on progress so far, so only brief details here.  A community consultation was held and got a high response rate.  Things are happening behind the scenes but it is important to say that no community money has been spent yet: all spending has been funds we have successfully applied for (eg for a condition survey of the hall and employing the Creetown Initiative to help with the business plan).  We were also successful in our application to engage an architect to suggest a future layout for the hall.

It is good to see the hall being well used.  A second traditional music event is happening this coming Sunday 1400-1700.  Caerlaverock Film Club is getting underway.  Various community clubs are using the hall.  The Barbour Hall AGM is on 27 September so do please come along and ask questions.  There will be a public event in January 2023 to explain our plans for the future and how we hope it will once again become the centre of community life.

Allotments

Rob Wells reported a phenomenally successful growing year.  It was good to see the Queen’s jubilee lunch being held on the “allotment lawn”, the wide grassy space between the Barbour Hall and the allotments.  Rob emphasised that the allotments are a community space and everyone is welcome to pop over and have a look any time.  The allotment stall has been operating again (1300 on a Sunday for 24 hours) so come and get your organically-grown veggies in exchange for a donation to the allotments.  We will shortly be allocating plots for 2023; available plots or half-plots will be advertised on the CCA facebook page and website.

Nith Inshore Rescue

No report received.  DG has been trying to get First Aid training for youngsters aged 12-18, the training to be delivered by Nith Inshore Rescue and funded by CCA.  It is likely to take place this winter.

Caerlaverock Kirk

Our Presbytery held its last meeting on 28 June and the new South West Presbytery starts on 30 September.  The link with St Mary’s Greyfriars Church is ending as St Mary’s is closing.  Caerlaverock Parish Church will then go into “Guardianship”: we will have the services of a Minister one day a week plus Sunday, subject to 5-yearly reviews.  This year’s Harvest Thanksgiving Service will be on Sunday 2 October.

Hutton Hall

No report received.

Motor Homes

Mixed bag.  Castle Corner is used a lot but Mark Fogden feels donations do not match use.  Almost all feedback has been highly positive, with frequent comments on our enlightened attitude.  Gill Crosbie commented that visitors stay at the Quay End in Transit vans and other vehicles without toilets.  As the Quay End toilets are not open 24/7, where do they go?  Senga Clark believes there are far too many motor homes at the Quay End.  DG explained that the Quay End is not owned by CCA so we cannot stop them; all we can do is try to influence their behaviour, hence the rules we have put in place and the honesty box.  We cannot legally charge them or put up a barrier.  They’re all over Scotland; it is a modern phenomenon not limited to Caerlaverock, and the Quay End has been in Brit Stops for several years.  If we hadn’t put in place the rules and honesty box the situation would be a great deal worse.

Other matters

Grass Cutting and community projects

Keeping the grass cut is difficult.  We were hoping to get another ride-on mower (for discussion at the AGM).  Volunteers required to help with grass cutting and other community tasks.  At the moment, too few people are doing too much. Action: anyone able to lend a hand please contact David Gilbert.

War Memorial

It has been cleaned but need to keep on top of the weeding.  DG asked anyone passing to stop and do a bit of weeding.  Jan Thom commented on how the hedges have grown up and now obliterate the memorial when approached from both Dumfries and Bankend directions.  DG said hedge cutting resumes on 1 September.  Action: Mark Fogden and DG to meet and discuss.

Remembrance Sunday

Volunteer required to organise the event.  This involves liaising with the Kirk about the service at the memorial; organising the lighting of the Quay End beacon (obtaining gas –  DG has all the equipment needed to light it); recruiting a piper; recruiting someone to read the names of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice; recruiting someone to do a reading.  In response to a query from Ronnie Clark, DG confirmed that CCA are now in charge of the event and that we always approach local ex-military personnel to lay the wreath.   Action: anyone willing to organise this even please contact David Gilbert

Speed Limits and Road

Neither CCA nor Chris Woodness has heard any more about the 20 mph speed limit through Glencaple.  Action: Chris Woodness to chase it up.

[UPDATE FROM ANTHONY TOPPING  – Team Leader Network Strategy and Road Safety D&G Council, RECEIVED AFTER THE MEETING]
I have been asked to provide you with a programme update for the above proposed 20mph speed limit scheme.The 20mph Speed Limit at Schools Programme is progressing and we have been employing the services of local contractors to undertake the implementation works, using workpackages of 2 or more schools/ communities.Glencaple is included in Workpackage No. 3 with two other locations and is currently with the Council’s Procurement Team who are responsible for the tender process and appointment of an appropriate contractor, therefore we are unable to provide an exact implementation date for the Glencaple 20mph scheme.Providing a suitable contractor can be appointed in Sept for Workpackage No.3, we would envisage the scheme being in place sometime in October 2022.  

 

Rona Carson said speeding at Kelton Bank is getting worse, quoting verges encroaching on the road, fast tractors, a large pot hole and ever bigger motorhomes that cannot fit in one lane. John Carson commented that the electronic “Slow Down” sign coming from Glencaple is overgrown with foliage.  Action: Chris Woodness to take up both issues – speeding and verges – with Highways.

Helen Clark complained about the large potholes in Wardlaw Drive.  DG and Chris Woodness said these can be reported direct via the DGC web page.  In response to a query from Senga Clark, DG and Chris Woodness confirmed that the 20 mph limit will extend beyond the new houses (there is a map on the CCA website).  Discussion ensued about getting an electronic sign for Glencaple similar to the one at Bankend but unclear whether CCA or the DGC would pay (CCA bought the sign at Bankend).  It was decided to leave it till the 20 mph limit is in place.

Fibre connections

No feedback from Openreach about burying new fibreoptic cables down the Blackshaw to preserve the scenic beauty of the area.

Coastal Trail

DG has signed a letter of support on behalf of the community. No news on reinstating the broken bridge south of Kelton.

Ladyfield Development

The Council’s original Local Development Plan 2010 was for 480 houses.  It was decided CCA should concentrate on how any development would affect our own community rather than formally join the “Save Ladyfield” pressure group.  The road into town from the junction of Bankend Road, Glencaple Road and Kingholm Road is in effect single lane due to the number of parked cars, and adding cars from such a large number of homes, plus delivery vehicles etc, will turn it into a nightmare.  Existing traffic data concerns junctions (firstly this junction of the three roads and secondly the Kingholm Quay roundabout on the Glencaple Road) and there have been no data collected about the road further on with the parked vehicles.  Rob Wells attended the recent meeting at the Easterbrook Hall and said the Council are aware of concerns over traffic.  Chris Woodness’s view is that, although discussions have taken place with the road engineers, things are at a very early stage, there are no firm proposals and any development is likely to be a long way off.  It was decided CCA will monitor this and make representations on traffic and perhaps flooding.

Time Trials

DGC have written to CCA thanking us for our assistance with the cycling time trails that took place earlier this year.

Views from those present: the lack of consultation and short notice were the main problems. The Nith Hotel, The Boathouse, WWT and Vintage on the Nith all had to close for the day as staff could not get in or out. DG himself lost half a day’s work as a result of transport disruption getting to and from a simple hospital appointment.

With more consultation it could have been such a positive experience but because of the way it was handled it was hard to see any benefits. Lynda Anderson commend D&GC on the community meeting prior to the event and for its assistance whilst it took place.

Ian Barr of DGC said he was here to listen.  He totally accepts the points made.  There was disquiet within DGC when they realised the negative impact this was going to have and it is unfortunate that British Cycling were unable to meet with DGC to discuss; DGC wanted the meeting long before it actually took place.  British Cycling chose and insisted on the route; DGC agreed – but then the council elections came along and there was an embargo on anything being done.  When the problems became apparent DGC worked with NFU and managed to resolve any potential problems.   Chris Woodness sat in the emergency control room and they only took three calls all day from residents needing to get in our out, all of which were dealt with.   A para-cycling event, along a shorter route, is planned for our area on 9 and 10 August 2023 but only if the community are happy to host it.  Ian Barr is starting the public engagement on this event NOW.  DG concluded by saying that consultation was lacking for this year’s event, but he appreciates why.  He suggested 4 or 5 people now need to get together to work with the community to discuss the 2023 event.  It would be good to get the positives this time, not just the negatives.  Ian Barr said as soon as DGC learns more they will work with any sub-group that is set up.

Any Other Business

  • Post Office: Lynda Anderson reported that the Post Office in the Barbour Hall is finally up and running again, Tuesday and Thursday 1430-1630.
  • Japanese Knotweed: Gail Stewart reported it growing in various places. Mark Fogden said the estate and NatureScot are working on it.
  • Sue Gilbert is holding a McMillan coffee morning on 30 September at 10.30 in the Barbour Hall. Please come along and support.
  • Terry Harrop complained about a DGC Community Safety Team event at the Quay End. Hardly any publicity.  They need to publicise it better.  Action: Chris Woodness to report back to the team. 
  • Terry Harrop noted that some of the new houses are now occupied. He suggested the new residents be made aware of the community facebook page and website, and future CCA meetings.  Something through their doors?
  • Date of next meeting: Wednesday 30 November, 1930, Barbour Hall.

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UPDATE from David Gilbert re Glencaple Playpark

“D&G are continuing to work on procurement of the new Playpark. They have to use a Government list of contractors which is being updated and is due later this month. On this basis the procurement process, it is hoped, will be underway in October 2022.”