Heavy loads adding to traffic delays in Nairn

One of our regular readers took the image below today as he was stuck waiting in traffic. Our correspondent said: "West bound traffic was brought to standstill as yet another wide load carrying a piece of turbine (?) trundled through the town with a Police escort this lunchtime. Bypass time?"

Happy Birthday Hamish - 91 today!

Many happy returns to our regular reader and occasional correspondent Hamish Dunbar who is 91 today.

"Government to consult Forres Community Council on Common Good"

Thanks to one of our regular readers for pointing us in the direction of the Forres Gazette website this morning. Good news for Forresians worried about Common Good affairs along the road, their Community Council is to be consulted by Scottish Government officials responsible for drafting the forthcoming Community Renewal and Empowerment Bill.

""We welcome the news," said Forres Community Council secretary Colin Lipscomb. "We’ve maintained for a long time that the legislation on Common Good is so airy fairy you could drive a bus through it." More on the Forres Gazette website here. Gurnites that read that article will find echoes of similar sentiments that have been expressed in Nairn for many years

Our correspondent contrasts this information with the way things went with Sandown recently. There will be those in Nairn that have campaigned for a single Community Council that will point to this as an example of how it is easier to communicate with the authorities when you have one body representing the town rather than three. 

Nairn Bypass - "a tiny step forward"

At the West Community Council meeting last week Rosemary read out a couple of paragraphs from a copy of a letter she had received from Dick at Suburban CC. It was a response to a letter he had written to Transport Scotland in relation to South Nairn Development and the A96 Nairn Bypass. It was an interesting letter, yes versed in the usual official parlance but there were a few clues in there. You can read the letter here if you wish, it isn’t too long and it will probably not be necessary to make a cup of tea first this time.

Graham Vine then asked: “Madame Chairman, may I ask if the Combined Community Councils are going to press the authorities for an entrance/exit from the bypass in South Nairn?”

“We’ve already started that,” replied Rosemary. “I just hope we’re around,” she then added with a touch of irony.

Brian Stewart then stated: “the two key points out of this letter are: 1) although it is only a tiny step forward, it is a slightly more solid assurance that the Nairn Bypass will at least be an early component of the larger A96 dualling scheme Given that the bypass is locked into that much bigger, more ambitious long-term thing the focus has to be now in making sure that it is one of the first bits to be done.

The other point at the end of that letter is that it was in reply to a point out of the joint committee meeting a month or two ago which also which also reminded Transport Scotland of the traffic and transit issues of the current A96 trunk road through Nairn and the letter does offer, or does inform us that Transport Scotland are doing further traffic studies or censuses or whatever they of the current transit through the town. I’m not holding my breath for conclusions that come up with brilliant new ideas on improving the traffic through Nairn but it is another strand on which we will keep pressing.”

A very useful Gurn training morning with Adam Perry of the Local360 network

Eleven of the contributors to the Gurn had a training session today with Adam Perry of the Media Trust's Local360 network initiative. Good craic and some interesting ideas thrown into the discussions that centred on Adam's multi-media approach to telling the story. It was fun too for a few of the anons to meet up at last. The training was held in the conference room in the Nairn Community and Arts Centre, an ideal venue if you need an overhead projector, internet access, wi-fi, tea and coffee facilities and helpful staff, etc. 

Colbh Gàidhlig - Gainnead Deamocrasaidh ann an Inbhir Narann?

Gabhaidh mo leisgeul a chàirdean, mise a-mach air a' chuspair seo a-rithist. Ma tha thu air a bhith leantainn a' Ghurn o chionn ghoirid bidh làn fhios agad gu bheil smachd teann fhathast aig Comhairle na Gaidhealtachd air an Common Good Fund againn. B' ann leis na 80 Comhairleach an a bha a' cho-dhùnadh a-rithist a thaobh Sandown.  A-nis bidh sealbh orra a b' fhiach £340,000 de Sandown. Thèid sin a' dèanamh a-mach ann an dòigh air choireigin nach eil am follais fhathast. Co aig a tha fios ciamar a bhios sin ag obrachadh a-mach sa mhargadh fhearainn a th' ann an diugh? Saoil am faigh iad 5%,10% no roinn nas motha na sin? Dhan neach-amhairc seo tha Sandown mar mheatafor air fada a bharrachd san càirdeas eadarainn agus Inbhir Nis.

Leis an deasbad a tha air bhoil an diugh a thaobh an referendum an ath bhliadhna agus de seòrsa dùthaich a bhios againn an uair sin bu toil leam deasbad co-shìnte nas làidire againn fhaicinn air ciamar a thèid deamocrasaidh ùrachadh ann an craiteachan a leithid Inbhir Narann. Nan robh Alba neo-eisimeileach an tèid cùisean a leasachadh? Tha mi an dòchas gum bi.

An t-seachdain seo thèid sanas naidheachd fhoillseachadh le Comhairle na Gaidhealtachd a' gealltainn leasachadh san càirdeas a th' aca ris a' bhaile seo. Ann an ùine nach bi fada thèid Comitaidh Ionadail ur a chur air bhog, a' gabhail a-steach Inbhir Narann, Bàideanach agus Strath Spè. Bu choir do dh'atharrachadh nach bu beag tighinn air a' ghnothach agus fada a bharrachd air a dhèanamh aig an ìre seo. Tha eagal air feadhainn ge-tà gum faca sinn “bùth-bruidhne” eile 's iadsan a-mach air Fòram na Uaird agus a' Chom-pàirteachas Inbhir Narann – a tha air a bhith gu math sàmhach am bliadhna. An tèid iadsan ùrachadh cuideachd no am faigh iad an t-sitig?

Dhan neach-mhair seo s' e Comhairle Coimhearsnachd singilte a dhith oirnn ann an seo. 'S ann mar sin a cùisean ann an Farrais agus moran bailtean eile ann an Alba. 'S e cnap-starra a th' ann gu bheil trì againn ann an Inbhir Narann. Chan eil guth aonaichte againn agus a-rithist gheibhear searbh-neachdan a tha làidir den bheachd gu bheil sin a' còrdadh ri Comhairle na Gaidhealtachd gu mòr, mòr. Ceart no cearr a tha e 's ann mar sin a tha e le eas-aonta buailteach a nochdadh eadarra. Nan robh Taigh na Roid airson tuilleadh cumhachd a thoirt do Coimhearsnachdan ann an Alba b' fheairrde leinn le aon chomhairle coimhearsnachd gus amasan agus dòchasan muinntir Inbhir Narann a thoirt air adhart.

Saturday County awards line-up

Martin "Bobo" MacDonald is holding the award for outstanding performance; Conor Gethins holds the three hat-tricks trophy and the players' player of the year award; Ross Naismith has the young player of the year award while Andy Neill is displaying the supporters' player of the year award.  Larger image here.

Suburban Community Council to engage funding consultant for play park project

The Subbies are to appoint funding consultant Alan Jones as project manager for an attempt to obtain funding for a major upgrade to the Moss-Side Road play park.

Gurnites may have encountered Alan at the presentations he has done in recent months for NICE. He seems a pretty sharp mannie and maybe this is the way forward in these austere times as local authorities face more and more cutbacks. The community councils just don’t have the administrative infrastructure that the Highland Council has (or still has at the moment) and so hiring a professional like Alan is one way to go. He operates on a “no win, no fee” basis but charges a fee equivalent to 10% of the project’s costs should it be successful.

There will be thorough community consultation before anything goes ahead and already it was reported that children in the Tradespark area are bringing forward their ideas. Alan told the meeting that the project would qualify under the post-code eligibily for Community Spaces funding from the Big Lottery. Funding of up to 95% could be available and the remaining part of the costs could be met through volunteer labour.  

Alan also stated during the introduction part of his presentation at the Subbies meeting last Wednesday night that he was also working with our four local Highland Councillors to try and get a bigger adventure style play area on the east links area (that’s the putting green part of the links).

Liz and fires in the Culbin - her eye-witness account

Liz told the Gurn a bit more about the fire she came across and yesterday and other recent similar events:

"After we phoned for the Fire Service, we heard the sirens after 5 minutes at Lochloy gate, but then heard them leaving and then we could hear them from the distance. They tried to get in at Kingsteps to the wood, then they tried to find another way in. Eventually they came back to Lochloy and walked down the path with water packs on as they couldn't open the lock.

I phoned them again after about 15minutes after my first call, told them that they had been close by and left, and asked why they didn't just cut the chain, I was told they can only cut a chain if there is a life in danger.

Gordie Maclean is going to look into getting a key, I assumed that they would already have one. They were fast to react and I don't blame the guys at all for trying to find another way to the fire, after all they wouldn't know the scale of the fire until they found it. They may have required the equipment that is available in the engine.

They did a terrific job and were very professional. I was worried because it was so windy today, I didn't know if the fire would spread or grow if it was left.

There have been several fires around Nairn recently. A couple of weeks ago a fire was lit in Kingsteps wood and the fire service was out at it. About a month ago I found 2 burnt out fires in the wood.

I wonder who would be liable if substantial damage was done - would preventing access make you responsible?"

Provosts reports fire in the Culbin but fire brigade delayed by locked gate

The Gurn understands that Liz came across a fire in the Culbin whilst out walking today and alerted the fire brigade. It seems the fire engine arrived quickly but was unable to access the locked gate at Lochloy and the fire crew had to walk to the scene of the fire with back packs which took a considerable amount of time.