KIngsteps Road closure - more on how residents should have been informed

Recently we revealed how Kingsteps residents had not been informed of a six week road closure starting this week. 

The Gurn received the following reply from Scottish Water on twitter concerning the nature of the closure and the works that are planned:

"Where extra sewer capacity is needed to accommodate development, developers are responsible for providing this. The planned work is therefore being carried out by a contractor on behalf of the developer. 

 
It's important the work takes place so there is no detrimental impact from new connections on our existing customers or the local environment, but SW isn't directly involved in the specific construction / road arrangements which are agreed between developer and roads authority."

So something has gone wrong elsewhere, the failure to inform Kingsteps folk is not down to Scottish Water. The Gurn also understands that Highland Council asked Springfield to inform the Kingsteps residents. 

The Gurn also understands that BEAR Scotland are seeking information on any diversion signage that may be required for the A96. 

In relation to the sewer upgrade it also appears that a number of public interest questions have been sent to Highland Council by one local resident.

Chinese Lion Dance Blessing at Ashers on the High Street this morning

More images later on the Gurn Flickr pages

Nairn Academy Duke of Edinburgh Gold Group Burns Night Celidh fund-raising sucess

Excellent video in the tweet below too. Well done the Gold DofE group

Well done to the @nairnacademy Gold DofE Group for hosting a truly memorable and successful evening last night raising over £1500! #WellDone #iAmDofE #BurnsNight @DofEScotland @HighlandCouncil @NairnAc_HT pic.twitter.com/yq6sG8peVt

— Nairn Academy DofE (@dofe_nairn) January 26, 2020

Kingsteps residents shocked to find Lochloy Road closing for six weeks

This road sign comes as a bit of a shock to one or our regular readers at Kingsteps. Morton told the Gurn:

"This will effectively cut off Kingsteps and we will now face a major and lengthy diversion to access Nairn

A new sewer is to be laid for Scottish Water.

At the Planning Application by Springfield for its Kingsteps housing development we were assured that the existing sewage system had plenty of capacity and we were never informed of the need to provide a new stretch of sewer.

No one had the courtesy of giving residents prior warning or explanation of this road closure and we only found out when signs were put up today advising the road will be closed from next Tuesday for six weeks!!

I had to contact the local Roads Department to obtain an explanation!"

Conversation in on of the local social media hotspots indicates that residents in the new housing schemes in Lochloy had been consulted and informed but some folk that are nearby and will be affected do not seem to have been contacted at all. 

The Gurn has asked Scottish Water for details of the work and whether a press release is available. There is concern as to whether the emergency services and the like of the school bus have been informed too. 

Post office plans cancelled with McColls closing in Nairn

The plan to move the Post Office to McColls is no more. The Nairnshire Telegraph has revealed that the store is now to close. Much debate in Nairn social media circles now about the future of the Cawdor Road Post Office and the services it provides.

More evidence of the turbulent times for many High Street retailers, with fags and newspapers on sale at so many outlets in Nairn it must have been too difficult for the company to justify continuing with its Nairn outlet.  

Yes cafe event in Nairn's Little Theatre -Saturday 25th January 7 - 9.30 pm

Cròileagan Inbhir Narann (Nairn's Gaelic Early Learning and Childcare Setting) Open Session Friday 24th and Monday 27th January

Gàidhlig - Gaelic - lots going on in Nairn - loads of folk learning with the new Duolingo app

Gaelic in Nairn has been given a bit of a boost recently with the arrival of the new Duolingo Gàidhlig app. According to one article recently about 80% of the learners using the online resource are resident in Scotland. This morning there are an incredible 159,000 folk using Duolingo to learn some Gaelic and it's only been available for seven weeks too!

This observer knows 14 people in Nairn that are using the Duolingo Gàidhlig and there are probably the same again in town and nearby and maybe more too. You can register here - it's free too. 

Here's where there's details of events in Nairn for Duolingo learners and other Gaelic learners and speakers.

Nairn River Community Council election result and interview with top of the poll Tommy Hogg

The result read out by Depute Returning Officer and Ward Manager Willie Munro


Interview with top of the poll - Tommy Hogg

Scozzesi (male vocal quartet) - Saturday January 18th 7.30pm - Nairn Community and Arts Centre

Tickets at the door.

Chase away the January blues with a fun night of song! Scozzesi, the acclaimed Scottish operatic ‘boy band’ comes to Music Nairn on Saturday (18th ) with a night of favourites from opera, operetta, Gilbert and Sullivan, traditional airs and songs from the shows. Singing both a cappella and with piano, these four young Royal Conservatoire of Scotland graduates have delighted audiences all over Scotland with their easy rapport and beautiful singing. The concert starts at 7.30pm in Nairn Community and Arts Centre with tickets at the door.