W&BCI
Wigtown & bladnoch community initiative

 

admin

1 2

3b Showfield Application Update

Published 10th January 2018 | By admin

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.
Posted in Projects, Showfield

3b Showfield Application Submitted

Published 6th December 2017 | By admin

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.

Posted in Projects, Showfield

Signatures of support required

Published 11th September 2017 | By admin

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.

Posted in 21 North Main Street

Bank of Scotland feedback from the public meeting

Published 11th September 2017 | By admin

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.
Posted in 21 North Main Street

Galloway Gazette reports….

Published 11th September 2017 | By admin

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

Posted in 21 North Main Street

Community Interest Application Accepted

Published 13th August 2017 | By admin
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…
Posted in Showfield
1 2

 

 

Current Projects

Wigtown & Bladnoch Community Initiative has a registered Community interest in 21 North Main Street, Wigtown – the former Bank of Scotland building.

What is proposed for the building?

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 favoured proposals for the building are:

Affordable flats – convert upstairs into a family size affordable flat; and convert the back part of the ground floor into a fully accessible one bedroom affordable pensioner flat.  These tenancies would be for people with local connection; our research has shown that there are lots of people struggling to find good affordable accommodation in the town, so this would help.

Bunkhouse and community space – 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 8 bunkhouse beds would mean that more people can stay in the town, and they’d shop and eat and drink at local businesses as they appreciate our wonderful town and the surrounding Machars countryside.  Also, we hope we might be able to get some community banking into the internet hub part time, because a lot of people have told us that some sort of banking would be a real bonus for the town, as well as being a link back to what the building has been used for, for decades.

These ideas come from the local community.  The bunkhouse idea is different from what other businesses and organisations do in Wigtown and Bladnoch.  There would need to be work done on the building whatever is decided, but for these proposals it looks like there could be several sources of funding to get the work done.  And once it’s up and running, there will be some income which means we should be able to create some employment such as helping to manage and clean the bunkhouse.

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

The Old Showfield on Southfield Lane has stood empty and neglected for nine 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.