2011 - Review of the year The Annual General Meeting of the Kirknewton Community Development Trust will take place on Thursday 1st March in the Village Hall at 8.30pm. There will be short presentations on the work of the Trust, the Kirknewton Development Plan and the results of the Kirknewton Community Council consultation on the proposed Fauch Hill Wind Farm, that falls within the Kirknewton Community Council boundary. The Community Council consultation will be taking place as you read this and you should or will get a survey delivered direct to your door or can get it online at www.kirknewton.org. Representatives from an independent research company may also ask your opinion at your home. Prior to the Development Trust AGM we thought it would be useful to give you a review of achievements in Kirknewton during 2011. If you have any questions for the Development Trust for the AGM based on this review please e mail them by 28th February to infokirknewton@gmail.com – we will try and answer as many as we can on the night.
January
In January the Kirknewton Community Development Trust employed Tony Foster as a Development Officer on the Anaerobic Digestor project. Funded by a technical assistance grant provided by the Big Lottery, the role was to consult the community on what they would like to see in Kirknewton if funds were made available from a community asset, such as an AD Plant. The role was also to support the development of the AD Plant project. A year after the Kirknewton facebook group begins (currently standing at 230 members) the Kirknewton twitter feed is launched at http://twitter.com/#!/ KirknewtonEH27 The Kirknewton blog is also launched to keep you fully informed of all developments in the village over the year!
February
The I Love Kirknewton community consultation takes place, funded by the Big Lottery. You are asked what
you like about Kirknewton, what you don't like and what you would like to see happen. Over 500 people participate in the consultation and the work is regarded by the lottery as an example of good practice. The Development Trust continue to work on investing in an anaerobic digestor, with potential bids for food waste collection and the building of an AD plant for Edinburgh City Council being considered. Discussions are also ongoing with Fauch Hill Wind Farm developers EFRG as they begin to consult with the local community their proposals. All turbines are proposed to be within the Kirknewton community council boundary.
March
The Development Trust organise a talk on Wood Burning stoves and using wood for winter fuel at the Village Hall. 40 people attend the event. They also begin feedback on the community consultation and present the 'Big Ideas' from the village at another drop in event.
The Development Trust begin the 6 month Food Waste Trial to prevent food waste going to landfill and to provide data for the proposed AD plant. There are 15 bin champions appointed and over 260 homes take part.
The Park Action Group begin consultation on potential new outdoor gym equipment for the playpark (for kids and adults 15+)
The new Kirknewton website is launched at www.kirknewton.org
The Kirknewton Gala happens. Like most of the Gala's in West Lothian during the 'summer' it rains. And rains. And rains. But the residents of Kirknewton stay and enjoy the event until the bitter end.
April
July
The Fauch Hill windfarm develops with some turbines moved into the West Calder and Harburn Community boundary. Kirknewton insist West Calder and Harburn join any discussions about community benefit or potential investment in the wind. A large road and an underpass are agreed to replace the level crossing at the train station. Village opinion is largely not in favour of the proposals and Network Rail later announce they hope to put in a double barrier instead. The new playpark is opened, just in time for the 'summer' that was April. It is well used! A Park Action Group begins to help West Lothian Council develop the park throughout the year. Kirknewton Powerdown funding ends and, after two years in the village, we say good bye and thanks to Lisa Morton and her team. They end with a fantastic 'Meals and Wheels' event at which over 300+ people attend. The Clan cycling team make an appearance, cycle use is promoted by groups such as West Lothian Clarion and local food and drink are consumed and enjoyed!
May
The Community Consultation paper is published online at http://issuu.com/kirknewton/docs/ kirknewton_final_report2011.1 We begin consulting about where to put the proposed recycling bins from West Lothian Council (at time of writing this is not yet resolved). A copy of the 'I Love Kirknewton' community consultation is sent to the local history library in Linlithgow. The snow finally ends!
June
The draft Kirknewton Development Plan is launched for consultation.
Kirknewton come 33rd out of nearly 1000 community groups on energyshare for our proposed hydro scheme at Harperrig Reservoir. We are in the last 100 but don't make the final cut but help support the Portobello and Leith Community turbine project, and they win ÂŁ80,000 by only 30 votes! MP Liam Fox announces a proposed new super barracks to be based at Kirknewton airfield. Kirknewton representatives attend a meeting in October but there is no new information scheduled until Spring 2012 at the earliest.
August
The Park Action Group announce a potential new path around the park - it is completed by the end of September, to be reviewed after the winter months. The first Police Drop In takes place at the Development Trust office. The Police Drop In event takes place monthly thereafter.
September
Angela Constance MSP has her first surgery in the Development Trust office. The Development Trust take on the lease of the 24 Main Street office for another twelve months and extend the Development Officer contract til at least April 2012. The food waste trial ends after a successful and well received six months. Work begins on convincing West Lothian Council they should consider funding the project until their own food waste scheme begins. Work begins on the new path around the park and the new Outdoor Gym is installed.
The Cycle Path Development Group, inspired by the Meals and Wheels event, kicks off looking at potential cycle/multi use paths at Selm Muir wood and cycle/multi use paths to it from the village centre. By December discussions begin with the Forestry Commission and initial plans are drawn up for potential routes from Kirknewton in and around Selm Muir wood for further consultation. We bid for RBS Community Force money for the initial paths but 100 supporters unfortunately does not take us to the top 3 groups. Currie Playgroup get a £6000 award with over 400 supporters. A series of cycle reports about routes to and from Balerno and Livingston as well as recommendations for improvement are published online by the Development Trust and Transport Initiatives and sent to the appropriate planning offices at West Lothian and Edinburgh City Council. The Post Office launch an initiative to buy and sell second hand books (£1 softback, £2 hardback bargain)! The PO also provide a facility to take out cash with any cash card during opening hours.
October
The Allotment Association have their first Kirknewton Apple Day event. Local MSP Angela Constance and Councillor Dave King choose their favourite village Apple Pies and Halloween lanterns. Over 200 people attend the event and £300 is raised for the Allotment Association.
Consultation begins on replacing the roundabout in the playpark with a revolving climbing/rope frame. Kirknewton Development Trust are awarded £110,000 Leader funding (pending planning application and building warrant) for the new Resource Centre on the old Gospel Hall Site. The fully sustainable building using renewable energy for power/heat will provide meeting space that will free the village hall for more activity based clubs as well as provide a new office for the Development Trust and space for volunteers/businesses in the village
November
The Kirknewton Community Development Plan for 2012-2015 is made available online http:// www.issuu.com/kirknewton/docs/community_
development_plan_nov_11 - this plan was developed from the community consultation is February 2011 and is based around five themes. The themes are Community Development and Volunteering, Community Facilities and Services, Local Environment and Green Space, Planning and Strategic Development and Local Economy & Training. The Kirknewton Community Skills and Volunteer survey is launched for 11 days from 11.11.11 to 22.11.11. Bulb planting takes place in the park by a willing group of volunteers. It is hoped that a new park youth art project will take place in the spring, a potential skate/bike area will be made available and that the basket swing will survive (as it will not be replaced again)! Cars speed are monitored at Hillhouse Wynd following a meeting with Edinburgh police, local road planning and the local councillor. At the time of writing we are still waiting on the results due to software issues at Lothian and Borders Police. Network Rail inform us over 1000 more cars a day go over the level crossing since 2010. The snow comes back! But it is wind that will close the school!
December
The results of the Kirknewton Community Skills and Volunteer survey are published online at http:// www.issuu.com/kirknewton/docs/skills_and_ volunteer_survey_dec_2011 - over 60 people in the village responded. The first Kirknewton Christmas Festival is announced. The second year of the lighting of the Christmas Tree is followed by free refreshements in the Village Hall and, for the first time, the Village Inn.
The new Christmas Craft and Food Fair has 200+ visitors to Potter Around with a BBQ, home baking, mulled wine, several community and business
groups, Santa and Christmas Songs in the Potter Around barn. Initial feedback conducted in January is very positive with 100% support of running the Festival again and 80% of attendees thinking the Christmas Craft and Food Fair was excellent. Christmas comes but once a year - but the food waste scheme will continue to March 2013 thanks to a grant from West Lothian Council. If you want to take part in the scheme caddies are still available from the Development Trust Office. And in early 2012... ● We hope an agreement with EFRG/Fauch Hill wind farm and the West Lothian Development Trust will be reached soon on community benefit and the proposed investment opportunity. ● That planning permission and building warrant will be granted for the new Resource Centre. ● That we will be able to match volunteers/skills to the five themes of the Development Plan and help faciliate more youth groups in the village.
● That we can update you shortly on traffic calming in the village, the provision of recycle units, the level crossing and continue work on the park and cycle/ multi use paths. ● And by spring we hope to have more of an idea about the impacts of the proposed Kirknewton super barracks. And finally... So - another busy year ahead! I hope you enjoyed the whistle stop tour over the last 12 months. Thanks to everyone who contributed in any way to the work of all the community groups and events. Apologies if we missed anything out. From all at the Development Trust have a great 2012 and we hope to see you at the Annual General Meeting. Kirknewton Community Development Trust 24 Main Street, Kirknewton, EH27 8AH 01506 883988 infokirknewton@gmail.com
Members of the Kirknewton Community Development Trust and anyone who lives in Kirknewton are invited to
The Kirknewton Community Development Trust Annual General Meeting Thursday 1st March, 8.30pm in the Village Hall
The meeting will include short presentations on : ● The work of the Development Trust ● The Kirknewton Community Development Plan 2012-2015 ● The findings of the community consultation on the Fauch Hill wind farm. If you have any questions to the Development Trust for the AGM please e mail them by 28th February to infokirknewton@gmail.com we will try and answer as many as we can on the night. Come early – space is limited!