Midlothian Advertiser

Oh my goodness, once again Gerry appears in the local newspaper which has re published an article from 15 years ago in its look-back section this week. It reports on an article at the time when an application was made for a 26 seater restaurant and a new house. The article ran with the objection of the then Dalkeith and District Community Council, that this application was "taste-less" being right next door to a cemetery. The wonders of the press. We have the original article and it has been correctly quoted some 15 years later. But what was applied for 15 years previously? well the press article is economical with the detail.

An application was lodged for the inclusion of dining facilites in the cemetery lodge cottage showing a potential layout and a proposed change of use. The number of seats could be as many as 26 if all rooms could be utilised to their full potential. To make a change of use would mean that the cottage would no longer be residential and that was never the desire and therefore this application was withdrawn almost as quickly as it was proposed. Permission was very soon after given to operate the cottage as a dining facility on an limited basis; 1 table for 12 people operating 3 days per week with no change of use. This is what was implemented and it is still running today. I wonder how many other small businesses are in operation some 15 years later. Well done G.

But what about the house? wasn't that going to be a new house for a 26 seater restaurant I hear you ask?

Well  in 1995/96 we applied in outline only, for a house in the garden ground opposite the cottage and tower. This was an application for a possible home for my mother since we were keen to have her live close by. She died 6 years ago now and her final years were in a house in Ironmills Road that was just perfect for her. I think she didn't really want to be too close to Gerry and I for fear that she would invade our privacy. However, being so close by in Ironmills, she was a regular visitor to our house and was pretty adept at peeling tatties and concasse of tomato. She loved the tower and all the activity and nonsense (mainly from Gerry - why does that not surprise you?)

Just to prove I am not making up this up to distract from the newspaper story, I blogged something last year when I had no reason to know that a local newspaper would re run a story that might send the current batch of complainers to say "I told you so". Since some are convinced that our new house is in fact a restaurant in disguise. Actually - what a good idea, maybe we should re apply now and that would save Gerry teetering across the road with armfuls of crockery; one of the many bizarre statements on the planning system regarding objections to a fence, a store/sitting out area, steps and path widening.

Extract From Last Year

A wooden house in a woodland. The Planning Story.
When we bought a water tower my mum was living on her own in Moredun. What about living next door to us in the cottage? we asked, but she declined. Maybe it was just as well. But as time progressed we thought about building on the site of the cottage drying green and submitted a tentative outline application in 1996 as a possible home for my mum. Not enough detail and insufficient space to build, came back the reply along with the usual host of policy references.

Small Woods Association

I used to be a member of the small woods association but my membership has lapsed. I might re join. I checked out their web site and found some interesting snippets of information for anyone considering buying a woodland. I am wondering if we over paid for the woodland we purchased since the price per acre quoted for woods for sale now seems a lot less than we originally paid. Probably a bit late to get a refund but who knows, if you don’t ask you don’t get.

The Small Woods Association. from the small woods assoc web site

Studies show that managed woodlands (those that are not allowed to decay) are better for wildlife and biodiversity, as well as for the timber and woodland products they 'grow'.

The future of woodlands relies on effective management, just as a garden needs constant maintenance and care to thrive. Trees must be thinned to grow well and invasive species like bramble have to be managed so that they don't dominate other plants.

Woodlands that have a reason to be managed, perhaps for timber, firewood, access or green woodworking, are more likely to be receive love and attention long into the future, and indeed those woodlands that we have today have survived precisely because they have had an economic value to the local community-

 Planning permission from the small woods assoc web site

Quite rightly, the authorities regulate activities and the building of structures in woodlands quite strictly (if they didn't every woodland would hold a mansion and woodland prices would shoot through the roof!), and the chances of you getting permission to build a house in your woodland are remote.  Occasionally individual woodland workers (such as Ben Law) have succeeded but only after a long battle.

As the law stands you are entitled to erect a small shed in your woodland (permitted development) as long as it is used exclusively for forestry purposes (tool storage etc) and not for regular overnight stays, recreation equipment storage or barbeques.

Water Tower Wood and the EAS

It is clear to Gerry and I, that the local amenity society (EAS) have concerns about our planning application at water tower wood. The application is for the erection of a replacement wood store/ sitting out area, a replacement fence with bin store, the broadening of a small area of path plus some steps cut into the bank to gain access to plant trees. Because these “structures” are in the conservation area they require planning permission and cannot be sanctioned under permitted development. If you live in a conservation area – the same applies to you. The concerns being raised by the EAS appear to us to be totally out of proportion with what is being applied for and the society appears to have lost sight of the planning issues. The notices of protection are part of the feu conditions and these are not planning conditions. The feu conditions are however being complied with and really, the spread of bark chips after a building project and in an area of woodland destined for planting, is really clutching at straws as an example of woodland destruction or was that being quoted as an example of "formal landscaping"? Should anyone like to discuss this topic please get in touch. We invite anyone with any concern at all to come along to water tower wood to see it for yourself. The Green Party did this recently and it was very helpful. Here is an extract from their correspondence.

...... visited the eco house and land at the invitation of the Goldwyres yesterday. I am satisfied that the work carried out was done sensitively, with sustainability in mind and with all the correct permissions - apart from some residual work requiring retrospective planning permission.

I asked them about the trees, and I've been shown evidence that this work was done with permission from Midlothian Council, and it was done with advice from specialists in that field, designed to allow light through to allow undergrowth to thrive. The planting of new trees and various plants is in keeping with the terrain and designed to reduce erosion on the bank, and I saw no reason to object to how they had gone about it. The woodwork of the eco house and some fencing is a bit brighter than the surrounding natural shades, but I was told that will darken with weathering (I was shown an example of the eventual shade, which will be much more in keeping with the surrounding).
In the light of this, and having withdrawn our objection, I am inclined to take no further action. If anyone disagrees, I suggest they go along and take a look for themselves - the Goldwyres have intimated that they would welcome anyone from the party who wants to visit.

Call on 660 4865 to arrange a date/time if you would like to do the same as the Green Party.

 

Tree Removal Permission

I just came across this photograph of a letter from the results of a Freedom of Information request made by us last year. Not only does it document the approval of tree removals, the last paragraph states that the new building location complied with the approved plans. For all the people who have been told otherwise, this may help.
The FOI revealed many interesting communications to Midlothian Council from e mails and letters regarding the woodland. it was easier and cheaper to photograph them rather than have them copied.

Statistics

I thought I might check some statistics, or “Dam Lies and Statistics” if you have read the book. Here are the top 5 articles from this blog as measured by page views. No 1 on the list is "Current Planning Application Status" closely followed by the first page published, the water tower wood welcome. Now I reckon the introductory page is an outlier in the data set because this will be the page view that most people will get from an initial search to find the blog. Once found, people can go to their article of choice or use a search word to find a particular page. 

Article Title
Ladybirds Galore

Support Statement 1st March

Big Society or Community Spirit

Something Lighthearted But Lovely

May The Best House Win 

Dalhousie Crescent

First Letter of Support

Susan Goes On the Offensive   No 3 - 108 page views

Esk Valley Trust

Sex and £1,000

Current Planning Application Status    No 1  - 134 page views

Biophilia

 Snow Line in the Park

 More Photos

 Photos Galore

Water Tower Appreciation Society

New Planning Application   No 5 - 66 page views

Why Is The River Esk Red?

The Snow

Midlothian Cuts and More Hamlet!

Kevock Garden

Call Kaye Radio Programme

Something Is Rotten In The State Of Denmark

Vogrie and Bridge Building

Jacqueline McDonnell

Friends Of Ironmills Park

Set Square - Scotland on Sunday Article  No 4 - 72 page views

Autumn Colours

Proof That Land Was Advertised For Sale

10 years to plan, 10 months to build

Matin Khan Wins Award

Event to Celebrate 100 years of Ironmills Park

Purchases Today

Water Tower Wood Management Plan

Black and White Photograph

How Come We Bought A Woodland?

Water Tower Wood Welcome  No 2 - 128 page views

So what do the results tell me - that the planning stuff is the most popular along with an interest in the Scotland on Sunday article. The SOS article was the first that I linked to facebook. I guess that might show the power of facebook.

February was the month with the largest number of page views in any single month, reaching a peak of 790 page views from a total so far of 2,650 page views.

February was the month when our latest planning application was submitted and this does seem to be creating a great deal of interest. So much so that one very recent objector wrote about trees rather than the planning application items per se and called for a chat after removing this objection. We had a lovely follow-up chat today about planning issues, eco issues and sustainability as we walked around the woodland. Also today in the Telegraph our beloved Prince Charles is writing about Eco Bling; this being the eco stuff that is not so practical but gets people excited. In his opinion, and I concur, the best Eco thing to do for buildings is to go for the very best in insulation before even thinking about solar panels and ground source heat pumps. Interesting.

So this is a bit of a boring article today but I have something much more interesting next week. I have the photos from the Red Cross Ball and a breakdown of the monies raised from our restaurant and painting donation. Thanks to Arlene Stewart of Radio Forth fame who talked about her 30^th birthday dinner at the restaurant, I think we got a really good result for the Red Cross. Oh and Arlene, if you are reading, we did the Fit or Fuddly app on the I Phone. G got 9/10 – it can’t be right.

From I Google today
62.15% of all statistics are meaningless.

Anonymous

Ladybirds Galore

Sorry some of the pictures are a bit blurry. Every recess of the wooden posts on our decking has become a ladybird nest this year. It is just such a lovely site. The Sumach plants in front of the deck are also covered in ladybirds. I guess we won't have a greenfly problem this year.

Spring has indeed arrived. What's new at the woodland? well the snow drops are out in profusion on the slope and can be seen at quite a distance away. The clumps are dense and robust probably due to the enrichment of the soil with leaf mould over the years. I know that snowdrops can be divided "in the green" so I may do that and spread them around the slope.

In my garden area the first of the azaleas has flowered and lots of crocus are showing through the winter debris. I hate clearing it up because I usually break a few flowers in the process but the small loss is worth it in the long run.

Works to the strip at cemetery road continue with tons of waste blaze being removed to make ready for planting. This job is taking longer than originally thought. Pictures to follow.

Support Statement 1st March

A number of people have written support statements regarding our planning application. I like this one - it echoes my thoughts on the issue

mr alan symon (Supports)

Like David Paton I find the furore around this matter and objections raised from far and near well out of context for the supposed issues involved. Walking through Ironmills park a day or so ago I looked up to see the Goldwyres house. I could only just spot the decking and the path down the hillside but most of all could see the fence round the tennis court. How are distant neighbours so concerned about the decking yet unconcerned about that fencing which is way more visible. The fencing at the top of the steps affords the Goldwyres some privacy and security, I am quite sure animals will get around it. In these days of cutbacks and tightening of pursestrings, has anyone considered what all these objections are costing the residents of Midlothian. surely such process and objections need to be proportionate to the issues, risks and alleged harming of the environment which is involved. I need to consider asking the council what level of cost has been expended by Midlothian Council, across the years on the Goldwyres development and call upon the Council and its officers to limit further and protracted effort being spent on this case. Objections should be rejected and further discussion discouraged, democracy has gone on long enough. Our Council has more constructive and deserving matters on which to utilise its resources in these austere times.

Alan Symon makes a pertinent point about the fencing round the tennis court. I also find this fencing harsh on the eye in the winter months. I was always aware of it perhaps more than anyone else and had tried many ways to disguise the corrugated metal fence over the years (painted green, then dark red, then stuck broken twigs between the folds – nothing worked). Clad it with timber 3 years ago now and full planning permission was obtained for this. I have ivy planted and ivy will naturally take in this area in the years to come. The timbers will eventually fade and weather and in another couple of years it will look much less harsh. No one wants this more than me, I live beside it. It is very much better than rusting corrugated metal, painted or not, and to which ivy cannot so easily take good hold as it will on timber.