Thursday 31 December 2015

Happy New Year 2016

Wishing you all a Happy New Year

Storm Frank 30th Dec 2015 and the Big Flood

The Dunkirk Spirit was alive and well in Kirkton last night when the village and surrounding fields, rivers and burns were overwhelmed with flood water.

Please send in your photos of this historical event to kirkmahoe@gmail.com



These photos were taken at the start of the flood. Waters came right up the road, and fields around Kirkton were like an ocean.

Barrasgate succumbed early as the Barrasburn burst its banks, with all the little pensioner cottages on the side away from Dumfries, being flooded and elderly residents had to be evacuated. Billy McRobert and Gary Smith  along with some other young men helped carry out some of these folks before the fire brigade arrived with a sled boat. It will be many months before these people will be able to return to their homes, which will have to be gutted and redecorated. 

At one stage when the flood was at its zenith, the fire brigade was completely marooned in Kirkton, however the ladies enjoyed the terrible chore of taking out cuppas to the firemen LOL.

People were evacuated to the Village Hall where mountains of wonderful food miraculously appeared thanks to young Callum Tweedie whose birthday party food was evacuated to the Hall and to John Young who had made some lovely hot chicken noodle soup to help heat up the wet souls who had waded through the flood waters.There was quite a party atmosphere in the Hall which helped to alleviate the shock of the situation.

Trevor and Hugh were patrolling the village for hours making sure everyone and their properties were safe.  

Terri provided dry clothes and shoes for wet folks and as news got round of the emergency, those who lived neaby came into the Hall with offers of beds for the night for the refugees who had been evacuated. Medicines had to be taken from pensioners homes which were flooded, something which one does not consider when looking at a flood.

People were making calls to Social Services for help with some disabled pensioners and arrange appropriate transport for them to be taken to relatives.

Everyone made the best of the situation, with phone lines buzzing with concerned neighbours offering help to each other. Farmers coming out with tractors and farm vehicles to see how they could move folks through the waters.

Kirkmahoe Residents, Give yourself a big pat on the back for all your efforts to overcome Storm Frank's deluge, when the going gets tough, the tough get going - along with the Community Spirit.

Do not travel tonight for Hogmanay Celebrations unless you absolutely have to, as the rain is on again and with saturated ground we could have another flood at high tide again today. Be safe, stay at home.

And Lastly please send us your photos of this event to 
kirkmahoe@gmail.com



Tuesday 29 December 2015

Flooding information

With Storm Frank poised to hit us and cause havoc Jean Muir has kindly sent us a useful Guide to Flooding  click on the link
 how to deal with flooding



Thursday 24 December 2015

Track Santa from here, Merry Christmas and Thank you Carol Singers

Track Santa

Click here for Merry Christmas


‘Thanks very much to all the carol singers and collectors who braved a blustery cold night, the members of the Hall Committee who put on such a warm welcome and lovely food and drink and to the people of Kirkton who generously donated £125 which will be divided equally between The Erskine Hospital and CRUSE Bereavement Charity’  

From Jean Muir


Rubbish Collection over the Festive period



Collections over the festive period


The household waste collection service will be operating as normal with the exception to those households whose waste is uplifted on a Friday.
Normal collection dayCollection day altered to
Friday 25 DecemberSunday 27 December
Monday 28 DecemberNo change
Friday 1 JanuarySunday 3 January
Monday 4 JanuaryNo change

Tuesday 22 December 2015

Beauly to Denny what SPEN has done to our Beautiful Scotland

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-35146301

Radio link re Beauly to Denny desecration by SPEN

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06s2b03#play

After seeing this you should have an idea of what lies in store for us, unless we do our best to prevent it. 

It is beyond comprehension how anyone can inflict these pylons on unspoiled and beautiful counrtyside.These are dinosaurs of the past, and it is unthinkable that this technology is even considered to being used in the 21st century. There are better ways of transporting power, that do not impinge on the countryside, and the people living there.

If they were erected in front of SPEN's directors home - wonder how they would feel then.

They just do not care, it seems all they are interested in is the cheapest way of getting power from A to B then charging the highest possible price for it. It beggars belief.

Keep writing to your elected representatives, and signing our petition.


Sunday 20 December 2015

Carol Singing 23rd Dec 6.30pm meet at pump

Come Carol Singing
On Wednesday, 23rd December
Meet at the village pump at 6:30pm
All welcome – young and older
Words provided

Bring a torch
Refreshments after in Kirkton Hall

Friday 18 December 2015

BBC article on pylons


BBC pylons report

Look at this carefully and see if you think that SPEN is not thinking about changing the plan about erecting pylons. Comments welcome below.

Thursday 17 December 2015

Pylons from Community Relations Team Read this carefully please.

SP Energy Networks received more than 1,600 responses to the first round of consultation on the Dumfries and Galloway Strategic Reinforcement Project.
 
Given the extension to the consultation period and the number of responses received, we want to ensure we have fully considered all the issues raised before reaching a decision on which corridors and siting areas will be taken forward to the next stage. As a result of this, we are now planning to publish the report on the first round of consultation in January 2016.  Prior to extending the consultation period by 5 weeks, we had planned to publish the report before the end of 2015.
 
The report will be published on our project website http://www.spendgsr.co.uk/ and hard copies will be made available at local libraries and information points. We will also send a leaflet summarising the consultation report and next steps to every address within a kilometre of the preferred route corridor and substation siting areas.
 
If you would like to be taken off the email distribution list at any point, please just email the word “unsubscribe” to dgsr@communityrelations.co.uk.
 
Kind Regards,
 
Community Relations Team
Dumfries & Galloway Strategic Reinforcement

T: 0800 157 7353

Wednesday 16 December 2015

Pylons Update from Planning Applications Committee

Dear Kirkmahoe resident,

I’m pleased to confirm that at the Planning Applicatons Committee meeting last week the decision was made to submit some comments to SPEN at this stage. The 7 comments are shown below.

1.   The present statement of why the project is needed is inadequate and relies too heavily on the fact that it is included in NPF3. The Council would expect SPEN to publish the Need Case for the project as soon as possible and certainly in advance of the 2nd public consultation.
2.   The Council would expect SPEN to take into account the views of local communities likely to be impacted by the route/options and to include residential amenity in their assessment.
3.   The Council would expect SPEN to more fully detail the economic impact, both positive and negative, of their proposals, with reference to the Council’s Regional Economic Strategy. Information on future maintenance (including health and safety issues) should be addressed.
4.   The Council would expect SPEN to take full account of the importance of the regional landscape quality of Dumfries and Galloway, and to give cognisance to the Council’s Landscape Character Assessment (plus associated guidance within the Dumfries and Galloway Wind Farm Landscape Capacity Study) as the Council considers that it is insufficient to refer only to national and European designated areas as key landscape constraints.
5.   With regard to the above, the Council expect SPEN to adopt all possible mitigation to avoid any adverse impact on the region’s sensitive landscape areas, including undergrounding and other routeing options, such as undersea routeing.
6.   At this stage, the Council expects SPEN to have an open mind on alternatives other than just the route corridor options shown in their consultation, and to fully assess and appraise options at this early stage rather than ruling them out. There is insufficient justification at this early stage for SPEN’s preferred corridor and the Council would urge them at this stage to undertake a fully open and transparent options appraisal.
7.   The Council requests that SPEN allow sufficient periods of time for the submission of comments during the second and third phases of public consultation and that the consultations should be undertaken in accordance with the National Standards for Community Engagement.
I need not tell you that this decision by the committee is a good step forward in the campaign against pylons. In addition to MPs and MSPs, the planning officers and councillors have also now recognised the concerns of local residents and will formally present the above comments to SPEN. As you would expect, SPEN had observers at the meeting and will be aware  already of the position now taken by the council.

A reprint of the "Dumfries and Galloway Unspoiled" 2016 calendar has been ordered as all current stocks are exhausted. If you still wish to order calendars please email Barbara Webb on webb473@btinternet.com or call her on 01848 332554 or email no2pylons@gmail.com. Please give your name, address, email address, and the quantity required.

Christmas cards from Kirkmahoe Against Pylons are being delivered to each household in the parish, and hopefully you’ll find them both seasonal and amusing. They have also been sent to each MP, MSP, local councillors, SPEN CEO, etc.

Thank you to everyone for your efforts, and for your suggestions and words of support over the past six months. It is of course still early days, but I believe the various communities and groups opposing pylons end the year having made a good deal of progress. Remember to also follow the Dumgalagainstpylons site where you’ll find lots of information and updates. http://dumgalagainstpylons.org/news/

Merry Christmas everyone - and lets hope for another good push forward in 2016.

Carol



Friday 4 December 2015

Monday 30 November 2015

Police Survey

Good afternoon,
 
Last week HMICS sent you a Local Policing Survey. We have now created a Local Policing Public Survey for Dumfries and Galloway. We would appreciate it if you would kindly pass the below link onto members of the public living or working in Dumfries and Galloway. We would like to hear their views and experiences of policing in the local area, including what is working well and what could be improved. Their responses will be used to inform our inspection.
 
 
Many thanks
 
Joanna Drapper
Research and Inspection Support
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS)
1st Floor West Room 04 (1W04)
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
Tel: 0131 244 3362
 

  

Friday 20 November 2015

The Dumfries and Galloway Unspoiled Calendar

Dear Kirkmahoe resident

The Dumfries and Galloway Unspoiled calendar is ready and available for purchase. A small sample of the content can can be seen here  http://dumgalagainstpylons.org/news/   under the News heading.

To order calendars please email Barbara Webb on webb473@btinternet.com or call her on 01848 332554 or email no2pylons@gmail.com. Please give your name, address, email address, and the quantity required.Cost is £3.00 plus postage if required

The audio recording of the Economy, Environment and Infrastructure committee meeting on 10th November is now available on the D&G Council website under Committees. A link is attached here, and item 11 starts at 1.05.38. 




Carol

Monday 9 November 2015

Looking for 100 LIKES

Please like KAP our Facebook page devoted to pylons.

KAP stands for Kirkmahoe Against Pylons.

We need 100 LIKES to push us up the internet ratings.

If you do not want 50m tall pylons in our valley please help us to stop them by liking this page

https://www.facebook.com/KAP-1652166841736188/timeline

Sunday 8 November 2015

Please like our Page KAP

https://www.facebook.com/KAP-1652166841736188/

I do not know how many of you have seen our Facebook page which is totally devoted to the Pylons issue. 

The link is above and we need you to LIKE our page please so that it improves our ratings and status on the internet. Our overseas readers can help with this too please.

Time marches on with this threat hanging over us, and we need to do everything possible to find another way for SPEN to create these lines to export all this energy we have here in Scotland. There are other ways to do this namely underground the cables, or undersea them.

SPEN tells us that they are upgrading the lines, but in reality the new cables are being installed so that power can be exported to other parts of the UK.The line of cables is also a new line where no line currently exists.

If anyone knows someone famous who could be our champion please contact them and let us know via kirkmahoe@gmail.com  if they would do this for our communities 

Wednesday 4 November 2015

Be alert


































Kirkmahoe News has discovered that someone in Kirkton Village had been away for a week and had returned to find that burglars had forced open a door and gained entry to their property during their absence.

Make sure that you lock everything up and keep everything safe if you go away. It is always a good idea to phone the police to let them know you are going to be away, and they will keep an eye on your property during your holiday.You could also invest in a timer switch which puts the lights on and off, so the house appears to have someone living there.

Wednesday 28 October 2015

Flood alert take care


A FLOOD ALERT has been issued for Dumfries and Galloway


Message issued at 28-10-2015 13:15
An updated FLOOD ALERT has been issued for Dumfries and Galloway. 

There is a risk of flooding for coastal areas at High Water, which occurs around midnight on Wednesday into Thursday . High tides, combined with southeasterly winds, will give a risk of flooding in some exposed areas. There is a possibility of small scale overtopping of defences by wave action, causing minor disruption, such as road flooding. There may also be similar impacts at High Water at midday on Thursday.

Remain vigilant and remember, it is your responsibility to take actions which help protect yourself and your property.  Advice and information is also available through Floodline on 0345 9881188.  This FLOOD ALERT UPDATE is now in force until further notice.  If you haven't already signed up to receive free flood messages, please call Floodline or register online at sepa.org.uk/floodingsignup.

Your Floodline quick dial number for this area is 24300

Bingo Kirkton Hall Fri 6th Nov

















Family prize bingo
Friday 6th November 2015


Doors open 7pm, eyes down 7.30pm

Tuesday 6 October 2015

Wednesday 23 September 2015

KCC 16 Sept Minutes : Useful Gadgets : Gala BBQ & Events

KCC 16 Sept Minutes

Useful Gadgets


Saturday 26th 
4.30pm-9.30pm Kirkton village Hall 

Installation of shepherd 4.30pm -Hayden Clark
Kids entertainment with magician
Bottle stall
Guess sweets in jar
Raffle
Tea coffee cake 
Barbecue, bar and disco!!!! 

Pass the word!!! 
Thanks Vicki 


Anyone wishing to donate a Raffle Prize can drop it off at Vicki's or contact kirkmahoe@gmail.com to find out where you can leave it.

Tuesday 22 September 2015

EU Energy Union



European Commission proposals for an Energy Union include a target for 10% interconnection of electricity grids across borders. The EU executive estimates that about €105 billion are required to upgrade Europe’s ageing electricity infrastructure, with €35 billion needed for cross-border interconnections alone.
Interconnectivity – of both gas and electricity grids – is seen as a key for EU member states to wean off their dependence on Russian gas and manage higher shares of variable renewable energy sources.
But the objective, initially decided in 2002, has remained elusive because of entrenched national interests. Twelve EU countries, mainly located on the EU’s periphery, remain below the 10% target. These are:
  • Ireland (9%)
  • Italy, Romania, Portugal (7%)
  • Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia (4%)
  • The United Kingdom (6%)
  • Spain (3%)
  • Poland (2%)
  • Cyprus and Malta (0%)
Special priority will be given to projects that will “significantly increase the current interconnection capacity where it is well below the established 10% objective,” the Commission said, citing Spain and Cyprus as countries where “efforts need to be stepped up”. An existing list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) will be updated in Autumn 2015.
If everything goes according to plan, some 75% of PCIs are expected to be completed by 2020.
Links
http://ec.europa.eu/priorities/energy-union/docs/energyunion-annex_en.pdf

http://ec.europa.eu/energy/infrastructure/transparency_platform/map-viewer/

Saturday 19 September 2015

We are the poor relations here. We get pylons

It is amazing what can happen in Europe. We appear to be the poor relations.Read about it here 

French power grid operator RTE has started work on a new 190 km power interconnection across the Alps to Italy, in an effort to ease congestion on the existing lines to the largest importer of French electricity.
EURACTIV.COM

Friday 18 September 2015

5 Quarries planned by SPEN

5 Quarries Planned by SPEN

Further desecration of our beautiful unspoiled area by SPEN




Thursday 17 September 2015

Sunday 13 September 2015

The Long View by local poet Donald Adamson


THE LONG VIEW

by award winning poet Donald Adamson

Necessary. Of it they are certain –
the economists, the experts
sent from Edinburgh, London, God-Knows-Where,
the ones who judge a view
by how to make it pay, be cost effective.



They’ve had their say. Let others have it now:
people who know of things
that must not be exchanged
for silvery incentives, Judas coins –
not sold at any price –


who know by seeing, being,
and having lived their days
in an unhurrying land, that beauty
changed into something ugly, ruined, defaced,
makes all else worthless –


know this most of all
by wisdom gained from glens and hills and moors,
coastlines and skies
and landscapes that invite
to stay, and think, and gaze on far horizons.


copyright reserved.

Saturday 12 September 2015

Get the wine out to attract giant moths to your garden

Invasion of the giant MOTHS: Palm-sized insects are flocking to the UK - and you can attract them to your garden with tobacco and wine

This sounds interesting. We came across an article about this Here is the link
Unusual Moths seen in UK

Pictures below come from Daily Mail article




Thursday 3 September 2015

Kirkton Hall Bingo Friday 4th Sept
















Family prize bingo - Friday 4th September 2016

Doors open 7pm, eyes down 7.30pm

Border TV News, thoughts BBC links, Meetings

Yesterday we saw the protesters in Dunscore on TV. They showed the countryside, had an interview with Alan Jones, A Dunscore CC member and another interview with a SPEN rep. The main gist of this was still taking the SPEN mantra that they need to upgrade the lines.When the energy they are going to carry is all for export to the rest of UK and of no benefit other than being eyesores health hazards, and killers of migrating birds,to people in the areas affected, was not apparent in the interview.

Link to Border News  Unfortunately we do not have the actual clip to show you if you missed it.

A much more favourable article from the BBC can be seen on this link. They have got the idea.


SPEN and Stakeholders Group


It seems that SPEN has formed a Stakeholders Group. Not one representative from any of the areas to be affected, is a member of this group. Nice one SPEN


The Stakeholder Liaison Group is chaired by the Scottish Government and membership of the group includes:

SPEN
South Ayrshire Council
Dumfries & Galloway Council
Cumbria County Council
Carlisle City Council
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)
Natural England
Historic Scotland
English Heritage
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
Environment Agency


It is envisaged that throughout the lifecycle  of the project other relevant stakeholder organisations will join the group as required. The Stakeholder Group has met on three occasions to date. The last meeting took place 29th April 2015.

Neither Kirkmahoe CC, nor any other, appears to have been informed about these meetings, nor given any advanced warning of SPEN's plans.   

Get mad folks, get really mad. We need to do everything we can to stop this being decided above our heads, by people who think they know what is best for us. Sign our petition if you have not already done so the more signatures we have the better. Ask your friends to sign it as well

Wednesday 2 September 2015

ITV Border Coverage of our Campaign against Pylons 6pm this evening Watch



Dear Kirkmahoe resident

ITV Border News interviewed some Dunscore residents this morning and the interview is expected to be broadcast an Border News at 6pm this evening. There were also some photographers from the Standard, so there may also be an article there later this week.


The 38 degrees online petition now has over 2,000 signatures, with names being added most days, so please keep levels of awareness high among your family and friends to ensure we keep this petition alive and growing. There is of course no time limit to this online petition and we expect to keep it going for the duration of the campaign against pylons. I’ve attached the link again below. 



If you have already written to our local representatives such as MPs, MSPs and Councillors you will no doubt have started to receive their replies. Some are obviously more positive than others. We are a small population in this area of SW Scotland likely to be affected by the pylons, and we will obviously need to be punching well above our weight in this battle. Achieving maximum possible  support from our local representatives would be invaluable to us, so if you have not yet managed to get a letter or email away to MPs, MSPs and Councillors, please try to find a little time to lodge your objections with them as soon as you can. There is no time limit for contacting local representatives, but obviously it will be helpful if they have as many comments from local residents as possible during this first stage of the campaign.

The replies from some local councillors and MSPs have been encouraging, and if we can maintain a flow of objections and comments to them that should keep the matter high on their agenda. All the relevant email addresses are on the link below. Click on “contacting local representatives" at the top and just cut and paste the addresses onto your email. 



Carol

Tuesday 1 September 2015

Stakeholder Liaison Group

As my earlier letter states the process is at the earliest stages and there will be no live application for Scottish Ministers to consider until 2019 at the earliest.  The Stakeholder Liaison Group is chaired by the Scottish Government and membership of the group includes:

SPEN
South Ayrshire Council
Dumfries & Galloway Council
Cumbria County Council
Carlisle City Council
Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)
Natural England
Historic Scotland
English Heritage
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
Environment Agency

It is envisaged that throughout the lifecycle of the project other relevant stakeholder organisations will join the group as required. The Stakeholder Group has met on three occasions to date. The last meeting took place 29th April 2015.



Marian McSeveney 

Comment plenty of Councils and groups here. Where are local residents' representatives?