News

A new survey, has been launched by the council on a range of budget savings proposal.

No decision have been taken on any of the savings proposals and the survey aims to find out from residents affected by savings what the impact would be on them and on the community.

Please help us to inform the budget process by completing the survey.

The full list of savings is on the survey itself, but they include:

  • Close or reduce council-managed community centres.
  • Stop the annual mowing of rural road verges, reduce grass cutting or increase space for pollinator spaces.
  • Closure of some libraries.
  • Reduction in budget for events and festivals.
  • Removal of the ‘road-end’ waste collection policy.
  • Stop the greenspace ranger service.
  • Reduce spending on maintenance at buildings and facilities.
  • Removal of the community grant scheme.
  • Reduce free, confidential and impartial accredited money, debt and benefit advice to residents.
  • Change the operating models (opening times and capacity) at some nurseries.
  • Increase non statutory childcare fees.
  • Reduce or stop the play, creche, play and out of school care service.
  • Reduce teachers in the additional support needs outreach team.
  • Removal of the P5 swimming programme.
  • Reduce the primary school week for pupils.
  • Close some or all public toilets.

There are also some Big Conversation drop-in events throughout November to which you are welcome to attend and meet directly with officers of the council.

The remaining dates are:

  • Stirling High School - Monday 13 November, 6pm to 7.30pm
  • Balfron High School - Wednesday 15 November, 6pm to 7.30pm
  • Wallace High School - Monday 20 November, 6pm to 7.30pm
  • Bannockburn High School - Wednesday 22 November, 6pm to 7.30pm
  • Dunblane High School - Monday 27 November, 6pm to 7.30pm.

For more information on the councils budget position, please visit stirling.gov.uk/bigconversation

Look out for updates on our social media using the hashtag #BigConversation2425

Dandara (Housing Developer) has proposed a "Vision for Dunblane".  This incorporates housing across its entire land bank to the south and west of Dunblane - this is owned by an associated company, Arnbathie Developments.  The masterplan includes benefits to the community such as active travel routes, but clearly the overall plan will be of great interest to the community.

Dunblane Community Council has thus decided to pivot its forthcoming "Big Dunblane Survey" to accomodate feedback on this.  Questions will be reworked to allow specific feedback on this plan.  The survey will now be issued in early 2024.

Here are some of the key topics under discussion this month.  Our full list of intiatives is on our home page

 

Transport Transport

Dunblane Community Council (DCC) has asked Stirling Council (SC) to consider installing a pedestrian crossing on the dual carriageway across from the Dunblane Centre to improve road safety for people accessing the centre.  SC have said they will carry out an assessment,.

DCC has submitted a review to TACTRAN (Tayside & Central Transport) to consider improving the slip roads to the A9 at the Queen Victoria school junction.  These are very short and therefore dangerous for road users.  We also mentioned the need for a road bypassing the Keir roundabout between Dunblane and Bridge of Allan.

 SC have rejected a request for a 40mph limit on the road to Kinbuck - that will go to petition.

 £ Town Centre & Economy

 DCC has secured the sponsorship of a Stirling Councillor to verify that Dunblane will be elligible for a portion of the windfall funding should the Windburn wind farm development behind Dumyat be allowed to proceed.  Dates of the meetings have now been advertised.

Heritage Heritage

The Old Bank building initiative has DCC's support and has now managed to secure 600 members supporting its vision to become an Arts and Heritage centre with a music / cinema room and a cafe. 

 Events Community

3 have decided not to proceed with the build of a mast by Dunblane Primary.  Following DCC's raising of concerns, a number of councillors and Scottish ministers wrote to 3 (Hutchison) to reconsider the build of a 5G Telecoms Mast at Murdoch Terrace close to Dunblane Primary school.  The letter details the legal precendent and scientific evidence that is starting to point towards 5G masts being a potential health hazard.  Legislation permits utility companies to override such concerns, but it is hoped that level of pressure may cause 3 to reconsider.

 Housing Housing

 Dandara have submitted a vision for a major development across the South and West of Dunblane

 DCC will respond with a Local Plan document. The Big Survey will be tailored to the vision with targeted questions around possibilities such as improvements funded by planning gain.

 Environment Green Spaces  Stirling Council has confirmed that work to repair the Memorial Bridge (opposite the War Memorial) will be completed by Remembrance Sunday.

The Windburn 2 windfarm proposal is for land behind Dumyat.  Parts of the turbines will potentially be seen from walks around Sherrifmuir and even from certain locations in Dunblane.  On the other hand, onshore Wind is the most sustainable form of electricity generation there is and in addition, Dunblane would benefit from windfall funding.  It is up to the community of Dunblane to decide.  But how much would this windfall funding be?  Please see the article below from the BBC :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-67280163

 

Windburn Wind Farm: Public Exhibitions

Wind2 invites you to attend Public Exhibition events at which the latest draft proposals for the Windburn Wind Farm will be presented. The proposed Windburn Wind Farm is located on land within the Ochil Hills. The nearest proposed turbine is approximately 3.3km to the north of the settlement of Alva, 5.2km south of Blackford and approximately 5.6km south-east of the settlement of Greenloaning.Our current proposalsfor the site are for 14 wind turbines, each with a blade tip height of up to 149.9m, and ancillary infrastructure including battery storage. The Public Exhibitions will be held as follows:

Tuesday 14th November 2023 3.00pm to 7.00pm

The Dunblane Centre Stirling Road Dunblane Stirling FK15 9EY

The Public Exhibitions will provide an opportunity to gain information about the proposals and how they have progressed following the previous Public Exhibitions held in June, as well asto see visualisationsof how the wind farm may look if constructed. You will be invited to provide comments and feedback on the proposals as part of the consultation process. Members of the Wind2 team will be in attendance to field any questions that you may have whilst visiting the exhibitions.

Windburn Wind Farm: Public Exhibitions

Wind2 invites you to attend Public Exhibition events at which the latest draft proposals for the Windburn Wind Farm will be presented. The proposed Windburn Wind Farm is located on land within the Ochil Hills. The nearest proposed turbine is approximately 3.3km to the north of the settlement of Alva, 5.2km south of Blackford and approximately 5.6km south-east of the settlement of Greenloaning.Our current proposalsfor the site are for 14 wind turbines, each with a blade tip height of up to 149.9m, and ancillary infrastructure including battery storage. The Public Exhibitions will be held as follows:

Tuesday 14th November 2023 3.00pm to 7.00pm

The Dunblane Centre Stirling Road Dunblane Stirling FK15 9EY

The Public Exhibitions will provide an opportunity to gain information about the proposals and how they have progressed following the previous Public Exhibitions held in June, as well asto see visualisationsof how the wind farm may look if constructed. You will be invited to provide comments and feedback on the proposals as part of the consultation process. Members of the Wind2 team will be in attendance to field any questions that you may have whilst visiting the exhibitions.

For full details, please see the Scottish Gas Networks site :

https://sgn.co.uk/our-gas-works/major-planned-projects/dunblane-perth-road-area

 The text is also available as an attachment below.

A spokesperson for 3 made the following statement :

Having reviewed the site, we have decided not to proceed with the build.

A number of Stirling Councillors and Scottish Ministers had previously appealed to 3 to consider alternative locations following requests by Dunblane Community Council.

The mast had been allowed to proceed going forward following an admin error at Stirling Council.

By Alastair McNeill 24Oct23 at the Stirling Observer

 

An ‘eleventh-hour’ appeal to a mobile phone giant was made this week to stop building a controversial 50ft mast in a residential area of Dunblane.

Clackmannanshire and Dunblane MSP Keith Brown and three Dunblane councillors – Alasdair Tollemache, Robin Kleinman and Douglas Dodds – are urging Three not to proceed with the project.

It emerged last month that the 5G mast – turned down by Stirling Council – was to go ahead due to an administrative blunder.

Yesterday (Tuesday) Three said it is currently “evaluating” the site near Dunblane Primary School, opposite Murdoch Terrace, and that no final decision on whether to build or not had been made.

Following the error, Stirling Council pointed out they had made “sustained” appeals to the applicant to discuss an alternative, but had not had any success. The applicant had previously said the installation would be safe and improve network coverage, but objectors had cited concerns over its appearance and alleged potential health risks.

Dunblane Primary School is around 500ft from the mast

In recent days, workers have been spotted at the site opposite Murdoch Terrace near the town’s primary school.

This week three Dunblane councillors – Alasdair Tollemache, Robin Kleinman and Douglas Dodds – issued a last minute appeal to Three. Two MSPs had objected to the proposal along with 12 residents from Dunblane.

The blunder came about after a crucial deadline was missed, allowing the mast to go ahead by default. MSP Alexander Stewart had described the error as “utterly inexcusable.” Under planning rules, applicants who seek to put up a telecoms structure can proceed if they have not had a response from the council within a 56-day period.

The notification application – submitted by CK Hutchison Networks (Three) – had been received and validated on November 16 last year and then formally refused for siting and design reasons on January 16 this year - six days after the January 10 deadline

The local authority blamed a system error for which they are said to be “extremely sorry”.

Dunblane Community Council had expressed “shock” at Stirling Council’s “incompetence” adding that it was “inexcusable especially given the local opposition” to the scheme.

Upset residents had contacted Dunblane and Bridge of Allan councillors last month to express their anger over the matter.

Three, however, had said that 5G rollout was “vital” for residents and businesses of Dunblane.

The councillors said in their statement urging Three not to go ahead: “We call upon CK Hutchison Networks (Three) even at the eleventh hour to abandon the erection of the mast and respect the decision of the council to reject this.

“We intend to write to CK Hutchison Networks (Three) and request that they now give due regard to the council’s decision and to the community’s strongly held view that the mast should not be erected on this site.”

Mr Brown said: “Planning applications exist for a reason, and it is important that the will of local residents, as represented by local authorities, is abided by.

“This has clearly been an error on Stirling Council’s part, so I have written to them regarding this case asking them to keep my office in the loop.

“I have also written to the Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance, Tom Arthur, asking him to investigate and advise if there are any alternative actions that could be taken to enforce the democratic process which has decided against building the mast.

“While I understand that an administrative error has meant that the network provider is within their rights to proceed with the building of the tower, I’d urge CK Hutchison Networks (Three) to listen to the concerns of residents and the local a authority, and to move the building of this mast to another location.”

A Three spokesperson said this week: “A new mast in Dunblane is vital to supply residents and businesses with the 4G and 5G coverage and performance the town needs.

“While we try to keep mast sites as unobtrusive as possible, they do need to be situated near to where people will be using the service and, in many cases, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage.

“We are currently evaluating a site in Murdoch Terrace and no final decision on whether to build or not has been taken.”

Here are some of the key topics under discussion this month.  Our full list of intiatives is on our home page

 

Transport Transport

Dunblane Community Council (DCC) has asked Stirling Council to consider installing a pedestrian crossing on the dual carriageway across from the Dunblane Centre to improve road safety for people accessing the centre.

DCC has asked Stirling Council to consider improving the slip roads to the A9 at the Queen Victoria school junction.  These are very short and therefore dangerous for road users.

 

 £ Town Centre & Economy

 DCC has secured the sponsorship of a Stirling Councillor to verify that Dunblane will be elligible for a portion of the windfall funding should the Windburn wind farm development behind Dumyat be allowed to proceed.

 

Heritage Heritage

The Old Bank initiative has DCC's support and has now managed to secure 600 members supporting its vision to become an Arts and Heritage centre with a music / cinema room and a cafe. 

 

 Events Community

 DCC has written to Keith Brown MSP, to ask him to take action against the proposed build of a 5G Telecoms Mast at Murdoch Terrace close to Dunblane Primary school.  The letter details the legal precendent and scientific evidence that is starting to point towards 5G masts being a potential health hazard.  Keith Brown has in turn written to the responsible minister in the Scottish Government.

 

 Housing Housing

 The proposed development of 44 houses in Kelly Wind has now gone to appeal.  The Blairforkie development is on hold.

 

 Environment Green Spaces  Stirling Council has confirmed that work to repair the Memorial Bridge (opposite the War Memorial) will be complted by Remembrance Sunday.

The Scottish Central Railway (SCR) linking Dunblane to Stirling and Perth opened in on 1848, connecting with the Edinburgh to Glasgow line at Castlecary.  A mere 17 years later it became part of the Caledonian Railway which in turn joined LMS in 1923.  The engineer for the line was Joseph Locke who ranked alongside Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Robert Stephenson as one of the great railway pioneers.  The SCR became the major shareholder for the Dunblane, Doune and Callander railway which opened in 1858.  SCR fully aquired this line, the day before it was taken over by the Caledonian in 1865.  The line was finally extended through to Crianlarich and Oban.  A commemerative event is taking place....

 

SCR 1

SCR2

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