DEVELOPMENT MANAGER'S AND PROJECT OFFICER'S MONTHLY REPORTS

Development Manager's Report August 07

Development Manager’s Report

Prepared for AF Board Meeting on 15th August 2007

Finances
To follow shortly – I hope.
Housing
We recently received notification that the EH Vestey Trust wish to transfer an area of land extending to some 35 acres at Inveruplan including the dwelling house, that we have a registered interest in. 3 directors and I briefly met with Neil Gerrard of CLU to see if it was feasible for us to purchase this on behalf of the Community under the Land Reform legislation. Neil took us through various options and emphasised that we should send a declaration of intent to Scottish Ministers before the deadline as we could always back out later. We met with Ruairidh MacLennon of CKD Galbraith at Inveruplan. We were agreed that we have three options: (in order of preference)
1. Buy the lot under Land Reform Act
2. Buy just the land (no house) with access to our land at significantly reduced price as Vesteys can sell house at market price.
3. Negotiate for good access rights to our land in exchange for de-registering our interest in this land plus perhaps some payment.
Vesteys are interested in talking to us about the above and also about other registered interests we have on other parcels of the Trusts land.
Douglas Graham has sent in our declaration and we await further information
from CKD Galbraith.
We can still investigate potential uses for the land that will complement our other aspirations.
Highland Small Communities Housing Trust (HSCHT)
Di Alexander and Ronnie Macrae have been appraised of our interest in Inveruplan. Their support would be most beneficial in making a case for any Community Purchase bid that we may make.
Ronnie has been acting as go-between and has brokered a meeting with Highland Council (HC) planning Dept. officers over our plans for affordable housing adjacent to the Glencanisp lodge drive. This will hopefully take place on 23rd August (office hours) in Inverness. To get the planners to Lochinver would mean waiting until Sept or Oct, which would delay our steady progress on this.
Housing Sub-committee
See HSCHT ref above regarding HC planners.
Peter has inspected Ledbeg House with a surveyor (whose fees will be paid courtesy of the ACC grant recently negotiated by Peter). Initial feedback suggests that there may be a (structural) problem in the roof of the rear elevation that may be the cause of the apparent significant damp in the bathroom. Peter may have more information on this.

Rural Properties renovation grant – Peter to report current position.

Sub- committee needs to be directed by AF Board to produce a draft of criteria by which prospective tenants (initially for Ledbeg) are selected. This draft could be taken to and discussed with HC on 23rd August.
Renewables
See separate e-mail invite to HICEC's 2nd North Highland Event 2007- ' Planning & Community Renewables' to be held in Durness Village Hall on Saturday 1st September – We must send response about who will attend by Fri 17th Aug.

AEDG met recently to agree to discuss the best options to take forward the ACRES project (Assynt Community Renewable Energy Scheme). My understanding is that AEDG will put a notice in Assynt News advertising the first Public Open (Early September?) meeting to discuss structure and process for the group and to get nominations for those wanting to take an active role. Jon Priddy will be invited to attend.
Lodge Hire
See Adam’s PO report. Going well but with occasional frenzied negotiations to fill late availability bookings
Lodge
Some minor ongoing niggles with water leaks. Stuart B solved the worst ones but recent heavy rains showed up a new one. We also have a number of leaking taps – I suspect the valve seats need regrinding, a time consuming but easy task (if you can get the tap apart) but needs to be done when the Lodge is empty. We may be able to hold off until refurb. just by replacing tap washers. Washing machine for use by Trainee stalkers and Boathouse guests, waiting to be plumbed-in. The old industrial machine has been removed to the garages to be mended then used for stalkers’ and similar very dirty washing.
Boathouse
Awaiting 3 rim sashlocks to make bedrooms secure and a few other minor repairs renovations. One room ready and waiting for first trainee deerstalker.
Stalking/Venison/DMP
72 stags booked and deposits taken. Our total stag cull is planned at 120 and we feel we can sell a maximum of 85 to clients, with a resident from Achiltibuie taking up to a further 10. We have already shot some 10 beasts. This means that the stalkers will have to take more clients to Drumrunie even though this is less convenient for them.
We have sold 43 person days of hind stalking so far, covering 22 days of actual stalking.
These figures are above those of last year and in our budget forecasts.

We now have a document that provides guidance and details the terms under which guests stalk on the Foundation estates. This is now sent to all prospective stalking guests. (Available from ML on request)

We have appointed Alasdair “Jock” Mackay as Trainee Deerstalker. He will start on Monday 13 August and will take up residence in the Boathouse then or soon after. Robbie and I are due to take part in the interviews of 5 or 6 potential candidates for the NC Gamekeeping course on Wednesday 15th August in Alness. If we identify a suitable candidate they will (with the Board’s approval) join Jock in the Boathouse and start their training together on the Estate. Both Trainees will be in receipt of a bursary, which leaves the Foundation to provide accommodation and “pocket money”.

See Adam’s PO report for more.
SNH
Nothing to report. We await news on fence funding.
Forestry Commission
Willie Beattie is coming on [date??] to inspect the area of S Loch Assynt woodland where we have some pigs and 3 existing grant schemes.
JMT
Nothing to report – We await the outcome of the Trustees meeting at which the wording of our agreement with JMT should have been ratified.
SERPID (Scottish Executive Rural Payments Investigation Department) Son of SEERAD
A map of our c.1800m of footpath maintained under our Land Management (Menu Scheme) agreement has been sent and accepted. The French Scouts helped clear a section of path, including the suspension bridge, and this walk will be signposted.
Land Management
We are continuing to investigate the most appropriate way to bring cattle onto the Estate. Access via Inveruplan will make this much easier. Various people have been providing us with good sound advice.
A “Stock Club” that would involve AF members and give them access to their own locally produced meat without the daily responsibility of stockmanship is our preferred route and we are in the process of producing a draft for discussion of how membership might work.

A local grazier has asked for security of tenure for the cattle grazing that he has from the Foundation near Ledbeg. I think we could reasonably give him a two or three year agreement to enable him to plan his stocking and grazing. If the AF Board agree, I will investigate the most appropriate (Short to Medium term) tenancy to offer in conjunction with our solicitor.
Elphin School
No news
Vesteys / CKD Galbraith
AF has a Registered Interest over various land that the Vesteys own. They would like us to relinquish our Registered Interest. We are due to arrange a meeting with Iain Russell to discuss this further. Although current discussions will centre on Inveruplan our other “Interests” will no doubt be a useful bargaining tool, though the land may be of rather limited potential value to the Foundation.

See HOUSING above for more details.
Conferences and Courses Etc
• HICEC Community Renewables 1st Sept at Durness – Closing date 17th August
• SEPA West Highland Water Plan 11th Sept at Ullapool – Need to book
• SOITN Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1 Training and Assessment course (DSC1), in Lochaber, from 13th-16th September 2007.
• Twenty-Twenty Summer School: for Scotland's Social Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow 20-23 September – Closing Date 13 August
• International Heritage Interpretation Conference in the Highlands of Scotland at the Aviemore Highland Resort from Sunday 30 September to Wednesday 3 October 2007.
• Young Person Scotland – Seminar / Training

I have been granted a visiting RELU Fellowship with the Macaulay Institute under the umbrella heading of Collaborative Deer Management. This will involve me initially spending a week (Nov 12th to 18th) at the Institute and at Aberdeen University.



Mark Lazzeri
12th August 2007