Report on Open Meeting on Thursday 4th July at 7.00 in Braeport Centre
On Friday and Saturday 28 and 29 June, local residents became aware of chainsaws being operated on Holmehill. On closer examination it became clear that the owner of Holmehill, Ian Stirling, was personally clearing trees from the site of the old house - a location well used by St Mary's Primary School for outdoor lessons. When he was asked whether he had Council permission to fell trees in a conservation area, it became clear that he did not.
The Council's Land Services staff, the Police and the Council's Tree officer all visited the site on Saturday morning. Eventually, it was the Council's Tree Officer, Ingrid Withington, who managed to persuade him to stop. David Stirling MD of Allan Water Developments made clear that his father intended to continue this activity across the site. The Council's Enforcement Officer will be looking into the issue early next week. If you wish to make your views known, contact your local councillors.
The area of ground being cleared by Ian & David Stirling of Allan Water Developments is the very area of ground on which Allan Water Developments were recently refused planning permission to build an office block. 97 local people and organisations opposed the application.
For more detail see http://www.holmehillblog.org/wordpress/?p=1111
The planning application can be seen at http://pabs.stirling.gov.uk/online-applications/search.do?action=simple&searchType=Application put 12/00544/PPP in to the application search.
Read the Press coverage
The Courier on Monday 1st July
The Herald on Tuesday 2nd July
The Stirling Observer on Wednesday 3rd July
The Stirling News/ Allanwater Herald on Thursday 4 July
The Courier on Friday 5th July
The Herald on Friday 5th July
The Courier on Saturday 6th July
The Stirling Observer on Wednesday 10th July
The Courier on Saturday 20th July
Here are a few photographs of the dramatic events.on the hill
The owner of Holmehill, Ian Stirling, feeds branches into a chipper
The Council Tree Officer and Councillor Mark Ruskell asking David Stirling, MD of Allan Water Developments, to cease operations
The devastation left behind.
NB It is clear that trees in a Conservation Area are protected as though they have tree preservation orders on them.