Issue 33 December 2014-January 2015

Post date: 03-Dec-2014 23:53:56

flemmingulf.wordpress.com

STEELEND MOSS - BRINGING THE BOG BACK TO LIFE

Lying just to the east of the communities of Saline and Steelend, Steelend Moss represents an important part of Fife’s natural history. The area is a peatland bog, a rare and declining commodity and an area able to act as a carbon sink in this time of increased carbon emissions.

Unfortunately, an absence of management has left the bog in poor condition, with the area now overgrown with small birch and willow trees. In one sense they themselves represent a nice woodland habitat, but in this case, the value of an open peat bog is far greater. In consequence, Mr Baxter, the landowner, has entered into an agreement to restore the bog back into good condition.

The precise nature of the work is straight forward, up to a point. Clear felling of the trees will be undertaken, and water levels will be raised within the bog (by blocking up of ditches within the area), to leave a clear area of moss and open water. By recreating this habitat, it is hoped that plants associated with this landscape will re-appear across the site. Additionally, some animals are anticipated to re-occupy the habitat, including rare and declining species, such as the small pearl bordered fritillary butterfly.

The project is being co-ordinated by a small ecological consultancy – The Farm Environment Ltd. As part of this landscape restoration project, we are particularly keen to get local people interested and involved in the project.

Fancy a bit of free wood? Well we’ll have around 100 tonnes of lumber to dispose of, and once we get it off the bog we would be delighted if you wanted some for your fire, or whatever. We are also hoping that some of you might want to get involved in the practical management of the bog – from help clearing the brash, to monitoring the plant and animal life that is seen there.

To this extent, early in 2015 we shall hold a couple of practical work days/familiarisation sessions at the bog, and it would be great to have your involvement if you are interested.

There will be information on this produced locally nearer the time, but if you want to get in touch and register your interest now, please contact me at the email address shown below.

Duncan Priddle, Project Manager, The Farm Environment Ltd, duncantfe@gmail.com

BIG CHANGES COMING TO SALINE..?

Residents of Saline, it seems we are under siege! The Blair House opencast at Cowstrandburn remains derelict, Comrie opencast is in full flow, and the promised cycle path remains a distant dream. If that was not enough, we could get a huge wind turbine, literally on our doorstep, as well a massive new housing development. Fife Council seem intent on ruining our beautiful environment, and it seems that we are pretty powerless to prevent it. How has it come to this..?

Well, just a few weeks ago, Fife Council published their planning blueprint for the next ten years. It is called FIFEplan (Oct 2014). This plan includes a proposal (SAL003), to allocate at least 130 new homes on West Road. This is on top of at least 130 new homes already allocated (SAL001/2/4). With a current village size of around 500 homes, this increase is around 50%. Although not directly published in FIFEplan, there is also a proposal (14/03542/FULL) to build a 77m (250ft in old money) wind turbine less than 1km to the south-west of the village. Our opencast saga may also not be over with Fife Council currently consulting on changes to their minerals and renewables policies.

Now, all of these developments (opencast, greenfield housing and wind turbines close to homes) are contrary to the current planning guidelines. Yet somehow, Fife Council still feel they are justified. I think we have every right to ask a simple question. Why?

Let's start with the big picture. Six regions of South East Scotland (SES), consisting of Edinburgh, East/West/Midlothian, Borders and Fife published an overall Strategic Plan (SESplan). It is based to a large extent on the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the Scottish Planning Policy (SPP). SESplan shows expected population growth and the infrastructure development strategy to support it. So what does it say?

Well, it says we can expect the SES population to grow from 1.2m to 1.4m over the next 20 years. Households will get smaller, so the number of houses is expected to increase from 544,000 to 712,000. This 30% increase will consist of 20% over the first ten years, with the remainder during the next ten. To support the increase, development will be focussed on strategic development areas (SDAs), to complement the existing infrastructure and minimise the need for additional investment. The strategic areas for Fife are North Dunfermline (Dunfermline out to M90), and the Ore/Upper Leven Valleys (Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly-Glenrothes corridor).

SESplan categorically states "Greenfield strategic-scale development will only be considered and defined through the Local Development Plan in settlements within these SDAs". Saline is not in any of these areas and a 50% increase in size might just be 'strategic'. So, Fife Council have chosen to ignore this requirement and double the existing allocation.

Our existing allocation (130 houses, 100 of which are social/affordable) more than meets SESplan requirements of around 100. So the additional allocation is way more than the 20% requirement (including existing), that SESplan needs in the next ten years. In fact, it's way more than is needed in the next 20 years, and our local plan is only for the next ten.

SESplan goes into some detail on how the region is to become a Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy. Opencast mining cannot be classed as Renewable. Even so, the SESplan allows for surface coal extraction so long as it is "environmentally and socially acceptable". I think you will agree that the Blair House site is neither environmentally nor socially 'acceptable'.

The Scottish Government sets out its planning requirements in the Scottish Planning Policy (SPP). This policy is then reflected in the regional and local development plans (FIFEplan). Both the SPP and FIFEplan specifically state that there should be a 2km buffer zone around cities, towns and villages where wind turbines shall not be built. The buffer zone for Saline, shown in FIFEplan, extends to the Forestmill fork in the B913. The 77m wind turbine proposal (14/03542/FULL) looks to be around 700m from the homes on West Road. This is not just a 'wee bit' inside the 2km zone, it makes a complete mockery of it.

These changes will completely alter the character of the village, and I think the consultation has been very poor. Such large changes should be communicated more effectively to the community. I only found out about SAL003 from a well informed neighbour. Not only that, but when a neighbour and I attended a very poorly advertised consultation in Dunfermline City Chambers, we were told "There have been no objections to SAL003". It turns out that the reason there were no objections is that the proposal name had changed. Previously, it was called LDP-SAL001, and there were several objections (including from the Community Council). I don't know about you, but I find it pretty misleading that changing the name of a proposal does not automatically pull the previous objections along with it. It's too easy to change a proposal and then claim no objections to justify approval. It also makes it virtually impossible for us mere mortals to follow the whole confusing mess.

Fife Council will tell you they have consulted. They will tell you they have the best interests of your community at heart. They may even tell you, as in the recent Community Council meeting, that this new housing development "...will not happen in my lifetime!" Then why allocate it? I guess we were told good things about Blair House and objections were dismissed. We were made lots of promises about community improvement. Do we see it? Will we fall for it again?

You might think I am opposed to any development. On the contrary. I love my village, it's why I moved here. I understand the need for more social housing, for coal, for wind power. However, there are good ways and bad ways of providing these things. Just look around. There are lots of brownfield sites nearby for housing development. SESplan actively encourages this, yet Fife Council ignore it. Look at the coal sites at Halbeath and Alva; both were reinstated so that it's impossible to tell they were ever opencast. Look at the wind farms on the Ochils and the Campsies - high up where there is a lot more wind, and miles away from any villages. Last, but not least, look at our own village and the lack of infrastructure (careful the residents of West Fife don't call us NIMBYs). Try being a youngster in Saline. With all this development pressure on the village and our surrounding environment, where is the investment? Will a much larger village need shops, a doctor, bigger school, more leisure and business? Will the developers provide it?

As long as we are silent about these plans, we will only be lumbered with more. I hope that the village will make itself heard and call Fife Council to account. Please comment...

If you want to view/comment on FIFEplan or SAL003, go to www.tinyurl.com/fifeplan

If you want to view/comment on the wind turbine, go to: www.tinyurl.com/14-03542-FULL

If you need any help with comments, email me (Steve McDonald) at the_stevemac@hotm ail.com

116TH FIFE SCOUT GROUP

The Scout Christmas Post is now well under way for this year. Anyone wishing to take advantage of this service remember the last day for posting is Tuesday 9 December at 5pm.

All Sections have now organised their Christmas outings, the Beavers and Cubs are going to see the pantomime Sleeping Beauty and the Scouts and Explorers are going 10 Pin Bowling.

All sections will break up on 18/19 December for the Christmas holidays and will restart on 8/9 January in the new year.

May I take this opportunity to wish all our friends and supporters a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Peter Philp

Group Scout Leader

116th Fife Scout Group

Registered Charity Number SC031132

Editor's Notice

The Editor reserves the right to refuse, edit or factually correct all items submitted for publication. All views expressed in this Bulletin are purely those of the author of the item concerned and are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Communications Group as a whole.

AGM SALINE & STEELEND COMMUNICATIONS GROUP

8 January 2015, 6.30pm @ Cherry Tree Lodge, Saline

The purpose of the group is to ensure that the residents of the Saline and Steelend district are able to exchange relevant, appropriate and timely information, in the most accessible way.

We produce the village website www.salinesteelend.org and the monthly bulletin which is delivered to your door by a faithful band of dedicated distributors. Would you like to get involved in running the group? You will be made very welcome. If you would like to attend the AGM please call Mark Baugh (Chair) T: 851059.

SALINE GOLF CLUB

Catering

Angela has added a few extra days to our normal opening times, ie Monday 15 December and Monday 22 December. Booking is essential for our Christmas Fare menu 12-8pm.

Functions

Whist: Wednesday 10 December, 7.30pm.

Xmas Quiz: Thursday 18 December, 8.30pm.

Xmas Bingo: Tuesday 23 December, 7.30pm.

Tommy Doherty Memorial Pool & Darts: Sunday 28 December, 2 pm start.

Hogmanay: entertainment from Hash Tag. Tickets £10, 8pm till late. (Limited tickets available.)

THE WEST FIFE VILLAGES 2015 EXHIBITION OF ART, PHOTOGRAPHY & CRAFT

A second meeting of the Art Exhibition Committee was held on 25 November in Saline Community Centre, John Crane taking the chair.

It was agreed that the 2015 should be held over the weekend of 9 and 10 May and that the opening times for the public should remain at 10am till 4.30pm on each day.

Marylla Ferguson, who has taken over the task of Exhibition Manager, agreed to visit all of the West Fife villages primary schools together with Jim Hensman in order to discuss their entries. It was agreed that we should endeavour to persuade the schools to encourage the children to produce individual works of art.

Publicity was discussed and a draft press release was being considered by Marylla. Dorella Brodie said that she would put the final press release on Facebook. Derek Fudge kindly agreed to produce our normal "certificates of Merit" for all the children's exhibits and John Crane agreed to produce posters.

Fiona Aitken confirmed that the Church Guild would provide light refreshments.

It was agreed that the next meeting will be at 7pm on 27 January in Saline Community Centre.

SALINE AND DISTRICT HERITAGE SOCIETY

There will be no speaker's evening in December but we are having a fun, food, wine and quiz night which people have already signed up for. Normal service resumes in January when we meet again on Wednesday 28 January to hear Jane Roxburgh tell us about what it was like to live in the Outer Hebrides on the Isle of Lewis.

Tea and coffee is served from 7pm with the speaker starting at 7.30pm. Hope to see you there!

COMMUNITY COUNCIL MATTERS

Saline Community Centre was packed for this month’s Community Council AGM and business meeting. Key topics were the Fife Plan proposal for more housing and the latest wind turbine application. Nevertheless, it was possible to cram in other important issues

AGM

Cllr Clelland chaired the election of office bearers with David Chisholm (chair), Marie Crane (treasurer) and Donald Murdoch (secretary) accepted nominations. Out of the ten community council posts allocated to our area, only seven had been taken up, leaving three vacancies. It is hoped that these vacancies will shortly be filled and those present were asked to consider putting their names forward.

Introductory Remarks

David Chisholm reminded the new Community Council of their responsibilities to each other and the community. He thanked retiring Community Councillors for their work on behalf of our community and hoped that they would continue to participate. He drew particular attention to the recent sad news of the passing of Isobel Menzies’ son and Dave Quinney’s wife. He asked for The Community Council’s sympathy to be passed on to them and their families. He reminded everyone of the importance of advising on the arrival of new neighbours.

Fife Plan

Donald Murdoch advised of the Plan’s response to the Community Council’s concerns over the proposals for a major housing development off West Road and support for development in Steelend. Fife Council has reacted by including a larger site in Saline and deleting the Steelend proposal.

Some present saw new development protecting school rolls. This was agreed to be important but most were concerned about the current inadequate facilities and the impact of further developments without the need for adequate facilities being addressed.

Some participants felt that the Plan was confusing with site numbers and boundaries being changed. The notice given of the consultation meetings was inadequate and it was felt that many people were unaware of the proposals. Consequently, it was agreed that an objection should be submitted but that Fife Council be asked to extend the time allowed for comment

Ongoing Matters

Steelend Moss: The Farm Environment Ltd has been appointed to work on this important site of special scientific interest and is hoping to encourage local volunteers to participate. It was felt that this was appropriate for Saline Environmental Group and the request has been passed to them

Former Hotel Site: David Chisholm contacted the owner who confirmed that he still wanted to sell the site but that this might take three years. Continuation of the current dereliction caused concern and it was felt that thought should be given to a solution. One suggestion was for community self-build although costs would be a problem. Another would be to incorporate temporary artwork through the current Saline and Steelend Community Development Trust’s Information project currently seeking funding

Bus Services: This continues to be a cause of local discontent and, as mentioned in previous Bulletins, a view that Saline is being treated poorly compared with other communities. This is probably due to Fife Council subsidies that will likely be cut back. It was agreed that David Chisholm should seek a meeting with Stagecoach to examine alternative provision.

School Parking: Despite efforts by the head teacher and police, some parents continue to be inconsiderate and create safety problems. Perhaps the only solution is a few parking tickets for the worst offenders? Many at the meeting queried why children needed to be ferried to school in a community of our size.

Post Office: It was noted that some improvements have been made that address some of previous issues. It is still not possible for prescriptions to be collected and the Community Council will continue to look for a solution

Wind Turbines

An application has been submitted for a 77m turbine at West Craighouse Farm. It was noted that the proposed location is significantly closer to Saline than the test mast. This was a worry for residents in west Saline while others felt that the turbine would ruin important views towards Stirling and the Ochils. It was noted that the proposal was under a Scottish Government scheme to stimulate community engagement. The conclusion of those present was that the Community Council should submit an objection but to ask Fife Council for an extension to permit more discussion within the community. Assuming that the request is granted, the Community Council will organise a special meeting that the applicants will be invited to attend.

Councillor’s Report

Cllr Clelland advised that Fife Council needs to cut its budget by £77m. This has obvious consequences for service levels and the council wants to involve people in how to minimise the impact of these drastic cuts. A consultation exercise is taking place and is covered elsewhere in this Bulletin.

Blair House Opencast Site Restoration

Cllr Clelland explained that the Scottish Mines Restoration Trust was moving forward with proposals that would restore the site. There are various options ranging from a basic restoration to the additional coal extraction referred to in previous issues. SMRT will be consulting further when draft proposals are available.

Next Community Council Meeting

7.30pm in Saline Community Centre on Tuesday 27 January 2015. Please continue to attend meetings. Your views ARE important.

Editor's Notice

All contributions for inclusion in the Bulletin are welcome and should be submitted to Jacquie Clapperton on salineandsteelend@btinternet.com

or by telephoning 852367.

SALINE AND BLAIRINGONE PARISH CHURCH

Open Church

December can be a busy time or a difficult time for many people. With this in mind, it is planned to have the church open several times during the two weeks prior to Christmas to provide a quiet, calm space to welcome anyone who wishes to come and relax, read, pray or just think. The opening times will be Wednesdays and Thursdays 11, 12, 17 and 18 December, 2-4pm and 6 - 8 pm each day.

Church Family Party Sunday 21 December 2 -4 pm in the Church Hall

Saline Primary School End Of Term Christmas Service Thursday 18 December at 9.30 am.

Christmas Eve Services Wednesday 24 December, 6.30pm (mainly for children but all welcome) and 11.30 pm ( offering for the Bethany Christian Trust work with homeless people).

Christmas Day Service Thursday 25 December, 10.00am.

Sunday Morning Services 10.30am every week . (Children meet for Sunday School during the service.)

Church Guild Members and friends look forward to the Christmas Dinner at Saline Golf Club on Monday 15th December. Regular Branch meetings will resume on Monday 12 January 2015 at 7.30pm in the Church Hall when Stewart Miller will tax our minds with a Quiz Night.

Walking Group Two walks are planned for January 2015, on Saturday 10 January to Birnie and Gladon Lochs and Carron Glen from Dunipace on 24 January. Both are classed as easy and further details can be had from Peter Philp ( 852612).

Carnock and Oakley Parish Church Concert by Queen Anne Singers, Friday 5 December, 7.30pm.

All welcome at any of these events

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

The Handcraft section subjects for 2015 are:

Photograph - "Celebration"

Photograph - Flower(s)

Painting - any medium

Stitched Picture

Handmade Greetings Card

Knitted or Crocheted Item

Gift Wrapped Parcel

Decorated Egg

Christmas Decoration - any craft

OPEN STUDIO

Liz Harvey will be holding an Open Studio on Saturday and Sunday 6 and 7 December at Grange Cottage, 2 West Road, Saline. Studio will be open from 11am to 6pm both days. Paintings and cards for sale, mince pies free!

MURDER IN THE PARISH

Our local author, John Crane, has written a play based on a real-life tragedy that took place a short distance from where the Steelend Community Centre now stands. These events, however, occurred over a century ago in the year 1908.

The play opens with a couple of neighbours from Steelend discussing the incident:

Mary: Did you hear what happened this morning?

Janet: No, I've just got back from the service at the Abbey. What happened then?

Mary: Murder; that’s what happened.

Janet: I don't believe it; who? where?

Mary: It was at Collyford Steading. The two room cottage that Mr & Mrs Christie rent. One of their lodgers was murdered.

Janet: My God. I was there yesterday to see Mrs Christie. She said she had five lodgers at the moment - three miners and a married couple. Who was murdered?

...

A major part of the play concerns the murder trial where witnesses give their testimonies. The witnesses’ words accurately reflect those spoken at the trial as they are taken directly from a transcript of the trial that is held in the Central Records Office in Edinburgh.

The object of this recreation is not to gloat on this horrendous episode in Steelend's history; rather it offers a small insight into the hard economic realities and social conditions that existed at the time. That these conditions would gradually improve over the following years is testament to the activities of trade unions, the labour movement and other social reformers.

After the trial, the play takes us to Perth Prison where we wait to see if the stay of execution that so many pleaded for is forthcoming.

Even during those hard times, the pleas for leniency and the tone of the newspaper articles reflect and herald a compassionate and humanitarian view that would, half a century later, see the abolition of capital punishment in our country.

Visit the area behind Steelend Community Centre where the steading stood. Little remains. A ruined garden wall and a silent scene that looks out over a lonely Saline hill. And maybe, when that cruel east wind ripples the long grass, you will get an eerie feeling that reflects the spirit of that time when the men and women of our parish lived a desperately hard life and passions could run high.

We would very much like to get this short play onto a local stage and would ask anyone who would wish to become involved in any aspect of the project, either as players or production, could they please contact me (Ian Holmes-Lewis - 851855 /

) for further information.

Merry Christmas everybody!

The Editor, contributors and distributors

of the Saline & Steelend Bulletin, together

with all members of the Communications

Group, would like to wish all members

of the community a very merry festive

season and a happy new year.

This Community Bulletin is produced by Saline and Steelend Communications Group