Ardentinny Community Trust meeting minutes of 25 July, 2010. A copy has also been posted on the village notice board.
Ardentinny Community Trust EGM
Some 30+ villagers attended the Ardentinny Community Trust EGM today at Glenfinart Hall. Our full report is to follow.
Glenfinart Walled Garden and revival of Ardentinny Community Trust
Given the overwhelming village support for the community purchase of Glenfinart Walled Garden, the Community Council, in conjunction with the Forestry Commission, instructed the District Valuer to value the property. A Valuation of £10.000 was received on the 29th June, 2010.
As the Community Council is not empowered to raise funds, it has been necessary to revive Ardentinny Community Trust in order to access grant funding for the purchase, fund-raising, renovation and future management of this community project. Previous membership has now lapsed but it is hoped that residents might consider becoming members and helping the community take this exciting project forward. The revived Trust is holding an EGM at 2.30pm on Sunday 25th July at Glenfinart Hall, Ardentinny to which all are welcome.
Further information on the Community Survey results are available here.
A fascinating historical map from 1882 showing the walled garden can be viewed here.
Results of Walled Garden Survey
On the instructions of Ardentinny Community Council, the Walled Garden Working Group organised a village survey to ascertain whether or not the majority of the community were in favour of a community purchase of the garden. These are the results.
95 responses were received from residents on the Electoral Roll, of these, 3 were filled in by the ‘surveyor’ when given the verbal response ‘don’t know’. As these may not count, we are going with a working total of 92 responses.
There were also 8 responses from residents who are not on the Electoral Roll.
Of the 92 ‘countable’ responses, 21 are against, with one abstention, and 70 are in favour. Therefore, there is a clear steer from residents that they would like to see the community acquire the Walled Garden.
Of the 70 in favour, 47 said they would be willing to assist in its maintenance.
Suggestions for its use are many and varied but the most popular were allotments (37) and a conservation/communal/formal garden (36), or, a combination of the two.
Other suggestions made were:
Community market garden/nursery (14)
Tennis/badminton court (12)
A park (10)
Play area (9)
Tearoom/eco tearoom (8)
Arts and Crafts workshop/exhibition space (7)
The following are shown as ‘other’ in the pie chart:
Orchard (3)
Wildlife/ conservation garden (3)
Sports facility (3)
Organic garden (3)
Putting green (3)
Cemetery (3)
Seating area (3)
Special needs provision (2)
Purchase as a private garden (2)
Small wind turbine to provide electricity (2)
Boat storage (2)
Commercial garden (2)
Teenagers/Backpackers’ adventure park (2)
Wishing Well (2)
Garden centre (2)
Memorial garden (1)
Victorian garden exhibition (1)
Craft centre (1)
Bowling (1)
Mini golf (1)
Dog training (1)
Nature trail (1)
Swimming/paddling pool (1)
Model boat pond (1)
Bicycle/skateboard park (1)
Community Service hard labour site (1)
Renovation of building by job seekers (1)
Heritage site with historical information (1)
Lease to Actual Reality for garden/biology studies (1)
Holiday adventure activities (1)
Amusement park (1)
Beechgrove Garden community project (1)
New outdoor centre (1)
Backpackers’ chalet accommodation (1)
Tourist/emergency helipcopter pad (1)
Historical preservation (1)
Vocational training (1)
Exhibition area (1)
Farmers’ markets (1)
Renewable energy via existing water aqueduct (1)
Garden of Remembrance (1)
Community project (1)
Football pitch (1)
Animal space (1)
Composting toilets to be incorporated in any development (1)
There is some obvious overlap with the above suggestions and possibly some less obvious. It would be the task of the architect/s of the Community Walled Garden Business Plan, with perhaps further consultation with ‘Friends of the Walled Garden’ once a sketch plan was designed, to try and incorporate the wishes of the community in as beneficial and viable a way possible.
Walled Garden Working Group created at Community Council AGM
Ardentinny Community Council held its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 6th April. Council Convener and Meeting Chair, Val Kennedy, declared this past year as being the busiest she had ever known for the Community Council. In her report, she outlined the main issues that had occupied them over the year, i.e.,
– the National Park’s Local Plan consultations and the Working Group’s efforts on that subject.
– the restoration of Baron MacInturner’s Cairn
– plans to design Coronation Wood as an attractive spot for residents and visitors.
– research in to the possibility of introducing a small hydro power scheme at the back of the village
The committee also reported that it had registered interest in the potential purchase by the
community of the Walled Garden and it was decided that a separate Working Group be set up first, to look in to whether or not the village would support such a purchase and, if so, to take this project forward. Several committee members and attendees volunteered to form this Working Group
The meeting was due to be followed by a presentation by Stuart Chalmers of the Forestry Commission on ‘Forests for People’. However, Mr. Chalmers failed to arrive.
The next Community Council meeting will take place on Tuesday 1 June, in the Village Hall.