News

Access to Cargenbridge MUGA

The following item is based on an email sent to Abbey Ward Councillors, 17th September 2011.

At our Community Council meeting on Wednesday 14 September 2011, there was discussion about the under use of the Multi Use Games Area[MUGA] in Cargenbridge.

We note that Council Leader Ivor Hyslop has been recently supporting significant expenditure in North West Dumfries, intended to encourage more sporting activity amongst the residents of that area. TLCC Councillors feel that lack of sporting opportunity outwith school hours for young people and adults in Cargenbridge, is also a serious problem.

A number of TLCC Councillors currently facilitate access to the Cargenbridge MUGA whilst problems with and access to the new football pitch are sorted out. [We received a report at our meeting from Elaine Watson, the primary school Head Teacher on the protracted process for addressing serious drainage problems with the new football pitch, and were advised that the pitch is not currently "in any way ready to be used."]

Facilitating use of the MUGA makes a heavy demand on the Community Councillors who are providing this service, given that they must both open and close the facility. Despite this work, it is perceived that the Cargenbridge MUGA is very under used.

In the case of Cargenbridge, access is complicated by the need to first gain entry to the school grounds, as there is currently no direct gate to the MUGA from outwith this precinct. Where Community Councillors are not available to facilitate opening of the MUGA- most of the time in fact - it is a requirement for a member of Council staff to come out to open and close the facility, which adds considerable expense to the inconvenience of booking.

It has come to our attention that a token based system of entry has been established in relation to the MUGA in Thornhill, adjacent to Wallace Hall Academy. We have made some enquiries as to the cost of establishing such a system, and a figure of £300 has been suggested; however we foresee additional problems in relation to managing the sale of tokens, keeping a booking record for the facility and ensuring that the immediate community are given first access to the facility, which could easily become booked up by organisations from outwith Cargenbridge. We believe community based solutions to these problems could be developed.

It is our belief that similar facilities, developed at considerable expense elsewhere in Dumfries and Galloway, may often - and perhaps always - be under used by the communities in which they are situated. We request the support of our Councillors in developing a workable system which would increase use of these valuable resources and achieve for people in Cargenbridge and across Dumfries and Galloway the important objective which Councillor Hyslop has identified for North West Dumfries.

Cargenbridge Pet Owners Come Clean

Dumfries and Galloway Standard 8 June 2011

My Pod Comes to Cargenbridge

Wednesday 9th March 7.00pm to 9.00pm amd Wednesday 18th April, 7.00pm to 9.00pm

August 2010

Access to the New School football pitch.

TLCC Councillors continue to fight for open access to the new school football pitch. The community have always had access to the grass football pitch in the past, but the Education Authority have indicated that they wish to restrict access in future. TLCC Councillors have consistently argued against this.

At present, the new pitch is not ready for use. In the mean time, Community Councillor Tommy Johnstone has negotiated an agreement with Dumfries and Galloway Council to permit monitored access to the Multi Use Games Area, the MUGA. Over the summer months, Tommy, Stuart Dalton and Murray Wallace [chair and treasurer of the Community Council] have taken turns to provide the agreed monitoring on Tuesday from 6 to 8 and Saturday morning from 10 to 12. This has been a great success with local young people.

As the darker nights come on, the evening session will not be possible without a payment for lighting and janitorial services. Tommy hopes however, that the Saturday morning session will continue through the winter.

What about the long term? The Community Council continues to argue strongly that when the new grass pitch is ready, the only restriction on access should be to dogs. We strongly agree with D&G Council that dog mess is a serious health hazard for children using the pitch.

If you have views on this subject please let Tommy, Stuart or Murray know how you feel.

July 2009

Core Path Plan - Interactive Map and Formal Objections

31st July 2009

TLCC was involved in the Core Path consultation process and if you contributed your suggestions to this you may be interested that the Core path plan has now entered its 3rd stage (statutory Consultation) and during this stage you can view the draft core path plan at the following website. www.dumgal.gov.uk/corepaths

There was some dissapointment that some interesting suggestions which were put forward via the TLCC consultation with people in the Troqueer Landward Area were not included in the consultation. It is understood that this is because to go forward, paths suggested had to demonstrate a significant level of support from those consulted. In other words, an excellent suggestion from a single person would have been disregarded, because nobody else had indicated support for it. Consequently, only existing paths, generally known to those consulted, achieved sufficient support to be included in the Draft Core Plan. These were: walks in Mabie Forest and one other path - that crossing from Curruchan Beeches to St Queran's Well via the Moss Road.

If this methodology had been clear from the outset, greater attention would have been focused in the consultation to ask residents of this area to prioritise their choices and perhaps to consider some of the interesting suggestions which had been put forward. These included, for example, a path in parallel to the St Queran's well path which would have permitted a circular walk along Curruchan Beeches, across to the Moss Road, with a return to Curruchan Beeches close to the Dalbeattie Road end of the Moss Road avoiding the need to walk along the busy Dalbeattie Road.

Formal representations or objections to the Draft Plan can be made to Dumfries and Galloway Council during the statutory consultation period from 13th July to 2nd October 2009. Forms are available through the Core Paths Viewer, accessed through the above mentioned website, or you can download a form directly from the site. If you return a form electronically through the Core Paths Viewer it will automatically attach a map of the path you are commenting on and send a copy of the form and the map to you. Please note that all comments must be received in the correct format and within this time period. Because this is a legal process, there is an obligation to publish the name and address of all those making objections. Any objections received without this information will not be recognised. All representations and objections will be acknowledged.

The aim is to resolve any objections by the end of February 2010.

For further details please contact David Gall, Economic Regeneration Assistant, Tel: 01387 260125, room 205, Militia House, Dumfries and Galloway council, English Street, Dumfries or email david.gall@dumgal.gov.uk

New Local Development Plan - Call for Sites and Comments Stage

In April 2009 the Department of Strategic Planning advised that Dumfries and Galloway Council had begun preparing its new Local Development Plan which will replace the current Structure Plan and four Local Plans.

On 25 June 2009 the Council launched the "Call for Sites and Comments" stage which provides the first opportunity to submit details of sites to be considered for inclusion in the Local DevelopmentPlan. It can also be used to suggest important issues to be considered during the preparation of the Plan and to comment on existing policies and proposals. Sites and comments submitted under the "Call for Sites and Comments" will help to inform the Main Issues Report. A copy of the Call for Sites and comments form can be obtained from www.dumgal.gov.uk/ldp.

TLCC Proposals Regarding Access to the New Football Pitch

The Community Council has been unhappy about the poor response to its proposals on the fence around the new football pitch. TLCC were not happy that the football pitch was to be closed off out side school hour, leaving nowhere for young people to play.

TLCC made a proposal which would ensure there was a gate in the fence which would allow use of the pitch out out of school hours. TLCC suggested the gate should have a "No Dogs Allowed" sign, and that dogs should be strictly forbidden from the football pitch. Dog fouling was the reason given by School Services for closing off the pitch outside school hours. TLCC agree that dog fouling is a serious health threat to children using the pitch.

Following the last meeting of TLCC on 4th July, it was agreed that Community Councillors from Cargenbridge should meet the project architect, Peter Nelson to try and reach an agreement.

March 2009

New Tracksuits for the Cargenbridge Youth Team

With thanks to Bill for being an obedient model.

The Smartest Team in the League!

Moira Bell, Chair of Troqueer Landward Community Council with Davie Bell the Cargenbridge Team Coach and some of the team members wearing the new rain jackets presented by TLCC.

Access to School for Community Groups

There is still no response to the TLCC proposal to the project architect, requesting that there should be free access for young people to play football on the new pitch out of school hours.

TLCC has received no response to their letter of 17th January setting out their proposal and requesting information about school zones.

TLCC continues to ask questions about charges for community groups for use of the school. All the signs are that use of the school will be a lot more expensive than before. Cargenbridge Brownies are worried the cost of the hall will increase so much, they will not be able to carry on. This would be a real loss for Cargenbridge.

Safety for Children going to School

The old pedestrian access to the school from the back end will be closed off during the demolition of the old school. A plan has been put in place to ensure children will have safe routes to walk to school. Three monitors are to be employed to keep an eye on things. A safe route has been recommended which avoids Cargen road, because there is a stretch of the road which has no footpath. Community Councillor Tommy Johnstone says that pupils will not go the long way round and will go by Cargen Road.

There is a plan to put barriers in place with a 20MPH speed limit to make a safe pathway for pupils while the usual pedestrian route is blocked off.

Councillor Ian Blake has called for a site meeting to discuss this plan.

February 2009

TLCC is continuing to discuss issues of access to the new primary school. A suggestion has been made to the project architect by email for a fencing configuration that will allow community access to the football pitch whilst addressing the concerns of parents and Mrs McLean, the Head Teacher, that dog fouling on the playing area is an unacceptable risk. No response to the TLCC proposals had been recieved in time for the February meeting.

TLCC has also asked for information about the way the school can be zoned. This offers a potential for different parts of the school to be opened whilst others are secured. This could offer a range of options to the community, depending on the space and facilities required.

The main cost for the use of the school will be payment for a janitor. The present Community Centre, which is scheduled for demolition, is opened and closed by Murray Wallace, who of course lives locally and is good enough to offer this service to community groups. It seems this will not be an option in the future.

Brownie Leaders attended the TLCC meeting on Wednesday 4th February to express their concerns that it may be too expensive to use the school in future. All Community Councillors present were concerned that the Brownies might have to move away from Cargenbridge. Cllr Thomson has suggested the Area Committee may be able to assist community groups with the the cost of using the school, but this is not certain. The Brownie Leaders are to research the cost and to provide this information to TLCC.

Meeting with Colin Grant to Discuss School Access October 2008

Stephen Shellard, Secretary of TLCC met Colin Grant, Service Director of Education on the 30th October at Woodbank.

Colin Grant has asked that we provide him with a list of the organisations who use the Community Centre at present and what their needs would be. Options will be explored.

In the longer term, there is an emerging consensus that schools should be genuinely opened for the use of the community. Colin Grant is confident that this thinking will increasingly inform new developments and in years to come will create conditions in which Commnunity access to Cargenbridge Primary can be reviewed and Community Access extended to meet the emerging standard. The current climate of financial stringency will inevitably slow this process.

Tommy Johnstone says it is currently a policy to open Council properties for Community use and gave the example of the firestation. A member of the public may be approved to take on the responsibilities of opening and closing premises.

A decision was taken for a sub group to meet to discuss the offer made by Colin Grant and to compose an appropriate response. Secretary to convene sub-committee meeting.