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Post by Kath on Oct 21, 2024 9:29:27 GMT
I don't have a spare £70k to buy them or I would. I am concerned that even though this is green belt, it hasn't stopped developers in the past and we will lose our woods.  241019-Duchess Woods-042 by Kath Polley, on Flickr  241019-Duchess Woods-044 by Kath Polley, on Flickr  241019-Duchess Woods-071 by Kath Polley, on Flickr  241019-Duchess Woods-059 by Kath Polley, on Flickr  241019-Duchess Woods-015 by Kath Polley, on Flickr The thought of not having this place to tramp round actually makes me want to weep. There is talk of a community buy out but estimates of 60K annual running costs make that look somewhat unlikely I think. I wonder if this figure has been plucked out of thin air or if that's actually what it costs? The current 'Friends of' have said they don't have the capacity to run it. They're all quite elderly and nobody has any money. The council washed their hands of it about three years back. For the first time in my life I may have to get off my butt and do some actual real protesting and work. Can't see it go to another housing estate. |
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Post by zx9 on Oct 21, 2024 9:44:05 GMT
It does look beautiful and you would all miss if it were to be removed but as you point out the management costs make it not just a £70K purchase but I really don't see it as £60K per annum up keep.
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Post by MJB on Oct 21, 2024 10:37:43 GMT
Find something really rare growing/living there.
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Post by andy on Oct 21, 2024 10:46:47 GMT
Got a similar problem here although hopefully the council have no intention of giving anyone planning permission to do anything with the land and the current owner is just trying to punt the maintenance liability on.
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Post by steveandthedogs on Oct 21, 2024 11:16:26 GMT
How big is it?
60k sounds like a ridiculous amount, ask for a breakdown of their estimate. Get the Woodland Trust involved. I suspect their estimate for running the place wood be less than a tenth.
Can't help thinking that some collaboration is going on between seller and a developer to ensure no-one else gets a look-in.
Who's the agent?
S
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Post by Chester PB on Oct 21, 2024 11:45:00 GMT
Find something really rare growing/living there. Resident newts and bats have proved useful before. |
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Post by peterob on Oct 21, 2024 13:19:50 GMT
It does look beautiful and you would all miss if it were to be removed but as you point out the management costs make it not just a £70K purchase but I really don't see it as £60K per annum up keep. Depends how it is costed. If someone has to be employed full time to do the management, basic maintenance etc., insure against public suffering injury, against fire loss, vandalism etc. plus bring in and organise contractors for a small number of larger jobs, that would chew through £60k pa for a company pretty quickly. |
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Post by Kath on Oct 21, 2024 16:11:43 GMT
How big is it? 60k sounds like a ridiculous amount, ask for a breakdown of their estimate. Get the Woodland Trust involved. I suspect their estimate for running the place wood be less than a tenth. Can't help thinking that some collaboration is going on between seller and a developer to ensure no-one else gets a look-in. Who's the agent? S About fifty acres. I'm not convinced by the 60k pa figure but I can see that there would be running costs - maintaining paths and bridges, felling dangerous trees, insurance and the rest of it would add up. I just don't believe it would necessarily add up to that much! There's a meeting at the end of this month which I'll attend and see if I can learn more. May be a lottery ticket too. |
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Post by Kath on Oct 21, 2024 16:13:20 GMT
Find something really rare growing/living there. If only! I have heard some discussion that it sits on the highland fault line and could prove to be a useful resource for geologists but I suspect we'll need more than that. |
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Post by Fenris on Oct 22, 2024 9:06:19 GMT
Can the local community get together to purchase it?
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Post by Kath on Oct 22, 2024 14:03:03 GMT
Can the local community get together to purchase it? Well that is one option that is being looked at, and it's the reason why we want more information on the running costs estimate that has been put out. This is not a stand alone issue though. The landowners, (Luss Estates) are selling off at least one other piece of land which also deserves to be saved. Add to that the fact that Argyll & Bute council has not included repair and maintenance of our pier so that we can no longer have the Waverley docking in Helensburgh in any of their budgets, and that they have reneged on their promise to include greenspace and leisure in the waterfront development (and have instead selected a Tin Box developer to chuck up a supermarket) there are only so many places the community can put their money and efforts. I really, really want to win the Euromillions and swoop in with cold hard cash to sort them all out but sadly I never remember to buy lottery tickets so it isn't going to happen. |
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Post by nimbus on Oct 22, 2024 17:18:17 GMT
Find something really rare growing/living there. Resident newts and bats have proved useful before. I'm sure some newts could be arranged. |
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