Cromarty Rising says a big thank you!

Cromarty Rising have issued the following statement:

Cromarty Rising wishes to say a BIG thank you to all who gave their support, attended public meetings, stood side-by-side, held banners, shared knowledge and correspondence, all of which contributed to the success of the recent campaign to prevent ship to ship oil transfers in the Moray Firth.

Supporters grew to include master mariners, an under-water acoustics specialist and an astonishing number of PhDs, Professors of Law and academics. Thank you to everyone who gave donations and thanks to Cromarty & District Community Council for holding those funds and providing fund management. We must also record our thanks to major financial backers, their presence in the background brought confidence and strength (and still does).

We cannot emphasise enough the importance of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 as a significant factor in the success of the campaign. The knowledge gained provided invaluable insight, allowed analysis and went on to shape both legal and campaign strategies.

Cromarty Rising demonstrating at the Scottish Parliament in January 2017

Thank you to Bindmans LLP, our London based solicitors renowned for being at the cutting edge of legal developments and challenges. With Bindmans expertise Cromarty Rising was able to mount a serious challenge in opposing the award of an STS licence inside the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation.

We owe an enormous debt to Mr Ian Cowan of Highland Environmental Law. His contribution in our challenges to the Scottish Government, the Public Petitions Committee and our formal complaint to the EU Commission has been invaluable. His personal commitment and generosity to community representation has been exemplary in protecting our natural environment.

Thanks also to Scotland’s major wildlife protectors RSPB, WDC, Scottish Wildlife Trust, National Trust for Scotland etc. and a special mention for Marine Connection in Moray.

A big thank you too for the support of 38 Degrees Scotland which has become such an important part of expressing the democratic voice of communities in today’s vast political landscape. 

We must thank members of the press from many different newspapers, who stuck with us and followed developments with genuine interest.

Our campaign against ship-to-ship crude oil transfers taking place inside a Special Area of Conservation has succeeded, we have no doubt that this was:

The Wrong Plan, In The Wrong Place.

With regards from Cromarty Rising

“Brògan-fiodha dealanach”, fiolm mu dheidhinn an “Ginealachd Diwan”

Beagan Gàidhlig an-diugh - a bit of Gaelic today.

“Brògan-fiodha dealanach”, fiolm mu dheidhinn an “ Ginealachd Diwan” le Soazig Daniellou, ag innse sgeulachd de bhuidheann òigridh o Phenn-ar-Bed a tuath sa Bhreatainn Bhig. Nuair a bha roc agus pop a' spaghadh air feadh an t-saoghal, le Beurla na chois, aig deireadh na seasgadan agus toisich na seachdadan chuir iad romhpa sùil a thoirt air a' chultair aca-fhein. Chuir iad buidheann thèatair radaigeachd air dòigh, agus thug sinn cothrom dhaibh a bith beò ann an àrainneachd Bhreatnais.

A bharrachd air sin bha gaoth a 'Chèitein 68 a' seideadh tro iomadh dachaigh, ag adhbhrachadh sgaradh eadar na ginealaichean

Ma tha beagan Frangais no Breatnais agad saoilidh mi gum bi am fiolm seo uabhasach fhèin inntinneachd. Faodaidh tu a' coimhead air an seo.

Turkey Trot 2018 - pictures

Individual images here

Small towns and parking charges don't work - images of Kirriemuir's first Christmas with parking charges - don't let Highland Council do the same to Nairn!

Nairn Community Fire Brigade complete a fortnight's fund-raising for charity in the High Street today

Individual images here.  The firefighters have raised an amazing £11,668.98 - more details here.

Real spirit of Christmas hits Nairn High Street

This morning a number of children's coats have appeared tied to lampposts in the High Street. They were placed there by someone who wishes to see them go to children who need them this Christmas. The notes on each of them are self-explanatory and one is pictured below.

The reaction on Nairn's social media has been instant and extremely supportive of this initiative.  There has been some suggestions that, if you badly need clothing for your family, then going to charity shops can be as expensive as going to a shop such as Primark.  This observer is glad to see charity shops filling spaces in the High Street, they provide employment and training but they have become more and more expensive as the years have gone by. And if you have little or no money to feed or clothe your bairns then there is no point in going into any sort of shop is there?  

As a community can we find new or resurrect old ways of getting clothes and other items to people that need them?  

Nollaig chridheil agus bliadhna mhath ùr (gun cìs-parcaidh) nuair a thig i!

Merry Christmas and a parking charges free New Year when it comes! Have a good one Gurnshire!

Grian-stad a' Gheamhraidh sona duibh uile!

Happy Solstice everyone

A few more pictures here.

"Nairn yellow jackets unravel" There's Nairn News and then there's "The Spin"

More here.

Developers being allowed to build too many larger size up-market homes in Nairn? Young, single folk being ignored?

Readers may be interested in a couple of slides show at a presentation in the Community Centre last Friday by the Community Councils and other groups to the new Highland Council Chief Executive Donna Manson. Readers can view the complete presentation here. 

So there is the assertion that the Highland Council Development plan housing projections are heavily overestimated. However, let us concern ourselves here with the figures on the Housing waiting list. A remarkable 64% of the folk on that list want one-bedroom accommodation.  We would suspect that the majority of them are young people wanting to get their first home perhaps? It shows that we are not catering adequately for a large section of the population. Just look at the homes being built up at Lochloy - it doesn't look like there's 64% of single accommodation being built up there does it? 

Nairn obviously needs more of this type of housing. Should planners be doing more to ensure private developers reflect this or does it have to be left almost entirely to the public sector and if so how can we get going on that quickly in Nairn? 

Recently the Highland Housing Alliance showed an interest in Sandown.  The problem here is that, although part of the Sandown field is zoned for housing as a result of a charrette plan gathering dust on a shelf in the Courthouse somewhere (a quicker start to housing on Sandown had been envisaged back in 2012), the Highland Council has a toxic history with the community over its administration of the Common Good Land that is Sandown. The Council also has an interest in the HHA and is also the planning authority - the overlapping interests there have the potential once again to raise public concern. Another argument for putting the Common Good Fund back where it belongs under the control of the people of Nairn, rather than Highland Council? 

Anyway, Drew Hendry praised the HHA the other day, here's a short video he put on twitter. 

📽️WATCH: @scotgov's housing initiatives are delivering for our communities & a particular favorite of mine is the @HighlandHousing mid-market rent scheme, because it gives young people in the Highlands housing security as they save for a deposit, and a home they can buy in 5 yrs. pic.twitter.com/7DrA910R7Q

— Drew Hendry MP (@drewhendrySNP) 14 December 2018

More about the Highland Housing Alliance here. Looking towards 2019 however, would the  most effective answer be for Nairn to have its own Housing Association and get building on Sandown for those in our community most in need of housing, 64% of whom need single-person's accommodation? We wouldn't be at the mercy of what Highland Council and developers want that way - the community could decide what is best. An impossible dream or something that should be possible in this new era of community empowerment and localism (let's hope too that 2019 is the year that these concepts finally hit town)?