Any Day Now

Interesting times as I prepare for a woodland open day for local folks and have started my article for the small woodlands owners group. Still writing walks for Midlothian Advertiser as well. Now completed walk article No 5.

Gerry has been shortlisted again - sorry the house has been shortlisted again - for a design award with Homebuilding and Renovating along with the Telegraph newspaper. Just to be shortlisted is quite an achievment for a National award. Should know the result any day now. Fingers crossed.

Appeals Reporter also due any day now and thankfully no delays after the planning officer submitted a most bizarre e mail that was wide of the scope for the appeal. We did respond - briefly - and then the officer submitted even more e mail comments. Digging a deeper hole where none was required really. In the end common sense ruled from the Reporters office, although the initial bizarre e mail is still on their e site which I think is dis-proportionate. What a complex matter an appeal is. What an experience though.

I should have some updated photos soon because I have really worked hard on the woodland landscape these last few weeks. Finding all sorts of materials in the woodland and bringing them into areas to create some quirky planting schemes. A mini Springfield Mill for example. Created to look like a mini version of the woodland works at Springfiled with things such as old post and wire fencing that has been rotting away for years laid out in a small patch with a red and green ivy planted through it. A pile of moss covered pieces of brick - again similar to Springfield where industrial waste has been kept and allowed to become moss covered and then planted with ferns. A mini grass meadow edge, 1st year foxglove plants and a few small birch trees complete the scheme. Some cornflower seed and lets see how it develops. It can't last for ever and in the end I'll probably just plant a tree in the patch but for now it is a bit of fun.

In the centre of the wood chip area - now dug up after the soil has been conditioned with nitrogen fixing green manure plants - I have placed a large old dead tree trunk that Gerry and I lugged round from the very back of our woodland at 7am this morning! Being awake early and thinking about how to plant out woodland areas is becoming all to regular. Lots of ferns and woodland primrose to be planted. The tree trunk is well rotted and has holes and decaying matter that will hold some plants. With pole wood edging and paths it is all looking very magical.

Here is the Reporters office correspondance today.

Our ref: PPA-290-2014

30 August 2011

To: Susan & Gerry Goldwyre Kingsley Drinkwater Midlothian Council

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (SCOTLAND) ACT 1997

PLANNING PERMISSION APPEAL: RP9, THE WATER TOWER, CEMETERY ROAD, DALKEITH, MIDLOTHIAN, EH22 3DL

The Reporter has asked me to let you know that although there have been several recent email exchanges in relation to the above appeal, he has all the information he requires. These additional emails have not been forwarded to the Reporter.

Yours sincerely

JANE ROBERTSON on behalf of Christopher Kennedy

Case Officer