Update from Wester Loch Ewe Trust - a lot going on!
It’s been a couple of months since we updated everyone about our progress towards acquiring land in Poolewe for the community, and progress with planning for Phase 2 of the Inverasdale School redevelopment. To recap what we reported last time, we are aiming to acquire a substantial area of land which we can then use for a number of community benefit projects:
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Affordable housing in Poolewe Village on land close to the swimming pool;
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Helicopter emergency landing pad in the field between Cliff House and the Bac
Dubh road (we have had funding for this already confirmed); -
A small camper van overnight stop (an ‘aire’) with waste disposal
facilities in the area adjacent to the Bac Dubh road; -
Retention of the arable part of the field which is currently used for
grazing as a benefit for our crofters; -
A community woodland with trail/bike trail on the rough ground outwith the grazing land and helipad.
Our next step is to develop these ideas in more detail and include them in our bids for funding to buy the land. Our main bids will be to the Scottish Land Fund and Highland Council’s Community Regeneration Fund.
Since our June update we have engaged Communities Housing Trust as our main partners for the land purchase funding applications work and have also engaged Olli Blair Architects to do the detailed technical work. The architects are moving ahead with a site survey which will provide data for the feasibility report and business plans. All the work at this stage is being funded by our successful Scottish Land Fund Stage 1 application so there is no impact on WLET’s finances as we continue to plan for our Phase 2 redevelopment of Inverasdale School.
Our Phase 2 planning is moving ahead and we expect to have the new design finalised and presented to the community shortly (see below for public drop-ins).
We welcome the secondment of two members of Wester Loch Ewe Community Council, Ally Wright and John Nicholson, to our board of trustees for the duration of the land acquisition project. Their help will minimise the impact of the project on our Phase 2 planning.
Talking of help, we need YOUR HELP! These are community benefit projects and we need to get the community’s views and ideas. So we are going to tempt you with tea and biscuits to come along to either of two drop-in sessions we are arranging:
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14 October (5-8pm) in Poolewe Village Hall, and
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16 October (3-7pm) in Inverasdale Old School.
We will have displays showing our ideas for the land in Poolewe and our plans for Phase 2 of the Inverasdale School redevelopment. You will be able to give your opinion and make suggestions for improvements – we don’t claim to have got everything right! It is very important for our funding applications to have evidence of broad community support so if you can spare half an hour on either of these days please come along. And of course, you can always contact us directly by email or phone for information or to give your opinion.
Liz Nicholson
07967 115317
