Wigtown & bladnoch community initiative

 

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Stage one funding from the Scottish Land Fund

The Scottish Government’s Scottish Land Fund has awarded Wigtown & Bladnoch Community Initiative stage one funding from the Scottish Land Fund.  The money is for developing detailed proposals for the community to buy the former Bank of Scotland building in Wigtown. It adds to a grant from the Rural Housing Fund to look into needs for housing in Wigtown and Bladnoch, and to consider how the former bank could provide affordable housing options.

The building is now for sale, and we have a registered community interest which gives us until December to complete plans and put funding in place.  Local architect, Hazel Smith, and two consultancy companies – Community Enterprise, and Dumfries & Galloway Small Communities’ Housing Trust – have been brought in to provide design expertise, and support with community engagement and business planning.

We will be arranging meetings in the new few weeks to hear what local organisations, groups and residents think, what people would like to see, and what they are worried about.

All residents within the area of Wigtown and Bladnoch will have the opportunity to vote to determine whether the former Bank becomes a community owned asset in July and we will be encouraging everyone to have their say.  Posters, flyers and other information will be displayed and posted around Wigtown and Bladnoch over the coming few weeks.

NEW Planning Application Submitted by 3b

3b have submitted a new planning application of the Old Showfield, which is for the same number of houses as the previous application, and looks to be exactly the same.

Full details of the application can be found on the Council’s planning website at: https://www.dumgal.gov.uk/planning Click on the option to SEARCH PLANNING APPLICATIONS and after confirming acceptance of the terms and conditions use the following application code to find the full details: 18/0149/FUL

3b Construction proposes to build 43 houses with associated roads, parking, landscaping, etc. Their earlier application was refused due to lack of submission of some supplementary information. They have now re-submitted, the same proposal, but with a little more detail on elevations and large vehicle access; there is still very little information on the affordable housing element.

The Library should have a copy of the application as well. D&G Council will make a decision about this application in the next few months.
Anyone is entitled to have their say about this.

Speak to your D&GC Councillors.
Write to the Planning Department by March 14th at planning@dumgal.gov.uk or
Planning Dept., D&G Council, Kirkbank, English Street, Dumfries DG1 2HS.

Register of Community Interest Confirmed for Old Bank of Scotland

Just before Christmas we received official notification from the Scottish Ministers that they had decided that the community’s interest in the former Bank of Scotland branch in Wigtown should be entered into the Register of Community Interests in Land. The Bank of Scotland had been given the opportunity to submit views on our application but, as they had chosen not to, the Scottish Ministers considered that this meant that they had no objections to it.

Nothing more can happen until the Bank of Scotland formally notifies the Scottish Government that they want to sell the building, at which time the community’s right to buy will be triggered and W&BCI will be given first refusal. W&BCI will then have at least six months in which to work up detailed proposals for the building to satisfy both the Scottish Ministers on the sustainability of the plans and the Scottish Land Fund who could provide up to 95% of an independent valuation of the Bank building and land.

3b Showfield Application Update

The Royal Burgh of Wigtown Community Council decided to make no submission in regard to 3b planning
application at their meeting on Monday 8th Jan 2018.

The deadline for public submissions has now passed. 16 individual objections have been lodge via the comments and formal documents process.

Other statutory opinions still coming in to the Planning Authority. D&G Council Planning Applications Committee will consider application in
due course.

3b were requested to supply additional information on four areas by D&G Planning:

  1. The detail of the site sections provided:
  2. Details of Cut and Fill on the site:
  3. Vehicle tracking for the site for refuse vehicles:
  4. Affordable Housing proposal and provision thereof.

3b Showfield Application Submitted

3b Construction have submitted a formal application for planning permission at the Old Showfield.

3b Construction proposes to build 43 houses with associated roads, parking,
landscaping, etc.

Details of the application can be found on line www.dumgal.gov.uk/planning
use the “search planning applications” link, and enter reference: 17/1984/FUL.
The Library should have a copy of the application as well. D&G Council will
make a decision about this application in the next few months.
Anyone is entitled to have their say about this.
Speak to your D&GC Councillors.

Write to the Planning Department by December 7th planning@dumgal.gov.uk or
Planning Dept., D&G Council, Kirkbank, English Street, Dumfries DG1 2HS.

Signatures of support required

If you live in Wigtown & Bladnoch and support us, please sign the petition at the following venues:

  • The Post Office,
  • Scads,
  • Machars Action,
  • Beltie Books.

The petition DOES NOT make a commitment to buy; it only seeks to establish the right to buy. If the property was made available for sale, a full community consultation and ballot would be required for WBCI to proceed with an actual purchase.

Please note this is a statement of your support, and NO financial commitment is required.

Wigtown & Bladnoch Community Initiative is a community led company limited by guarantee that is proposing to apply to register a community interest in 21 North Main Street Wigtown. This would give the community first option to purchase the property if it was put on the market.

Bank of Scotland feedback from the public meeting

Following the successful public meeting where future uses for the bank building were discussed, we are now developing a strategy to take forward the ideas and deliver the best resource we can for the community.

Themes from the public meeting included:

  • desire for community facilities such as bank, click & collect depot, ATM;
  • affordable housing;
  • cheaper accommodation for visitors;
  • book museum,
  • indoor market place (year round version of Kist).
  • bank building to support and promote local businesses, like a co-operative;
  • workshop space;
  • renewable energy sources incorporated;
  • community use of the garden.

Galloway Gazette reports….

Thank you to the Galloway Gazette for reporting the initial meeting to consider our community purchase of the soon to be defunct Bank of Scotland Building in Wigtown.

Galloway Gazette Friday 1st September 2017

Community Interest Application Accepted

The Scottish Government has accepted the community interest in the Old Showfield.   This does not mean that we can go ahead with our plans for the site, only that if the current owners, 3B decide to sell the site then the community has the first refusal to purchase it at current market value.
Our interest in the land will be registered for 5 years. Watch this space…

 

 

Current Projects

As part of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland’s Radical Action Plan, it has been decided by Presbytery that Wigtown Church Hall has to be sold/disposed by the end of Dec 2023.

Wigtown and Bladnoch Community Initiative along with individual members of the Church congregation are keen to see the building retained for the benefit of the community of Wigtown and to develop its place as a central resource for residents and visitors alike. There have been several ideas already put forward for how the building could be used, and this project aims to acquire the building for the community and develop it into a sustainable community asset.

The Church Hall comprises a one storey purpose built church hall premises of brick and blockwork construction situated on the northside of Lochancroft Lane, near to the town centre. Internally, the premises comprises a traditional church hall and accommodates a large main hall, kitchen, private offices/rooms, storage areas and a series of toilet facilities. The flooring throughout is solid and overlaid in a combination of carpet, vinyl and wooden flooring dependent upon the location within the premises.
It is currently used by various church and community groups for meetings, recreational activities (such as table tennis and badminton), a toddlers play group, local flower and produce festival and occasional performances.

The Hall was originally build with funds raised from the community and there is therefore a strong connection and strength of feeling towards its continued use and benefit to the people of Wigtown.

The initiative own and manage the former Bank of Scotland building in Wigtown.

After public meetings, and work with a range of groups and organisations in the area, run by W&BCI with expertise from Community Enterprise, the building was successfully converted into:

Affordable flats – upstairs into a family size affordable flat; and the back part of the ground floor into a fully accessible one bedroom affordable flat.  These tenancies are for people with local connection;

Bunkhouse – convert the main “retail” area of the bank that opens off the square into a bunkhouse for visitors with an internet hub.  Similar to the bunkhouse idea at the Barholm Arms in Creetown, affordable holiday accommodation for pilgrimage, walkers, cyclists and so on is lacking in Wigtown. And at busy times, there is just not enough holiday accommodation in the area.  Offering maybe 6 bunkhouse beds means that more people can stay in the town, and shop and eat and drink at local businesses as they appreciate our wonderful town and the surrounding Machars countryside.

Please help us Let Wigtown Flourish.  Can Wigtown bank on your support?

The Old Showfield on Southfield Lane has stood empty and neglected for fifteen years. Wigtown & Bladnoch Community Initiative has been formed to regain community ownership of the Showfield. We feel that it would greatly enhance Wigtown.

Initial ideas for the future use of the Showfield have included affordable housing and business units, an area for outdoor events with space for a marquee and parking, a community orchard and various projects.

Using Community Right to Buy legislation, the Scottish Government has given us the right to buy the land if the current owners put it on the market.  If that happens, we would apply to the Scottish Land Fund for a grant towards the cost.  Unfortunately the owners, 3b construction, have a planning application for 43 houses (of various sizes) for the old showfield.  For the present, therefore, we are waiting to see what the Council decides about their application.