Tuesday 19 February 2019

Thank you!



Very many thanks to everyone who came along to our event at the Scout Hut on Saturday. Overall we had nearly 80 people turning up and there was a great deal of information shared and a lot of ideas collected. We had maps, charts, surveys, displays, 3D models - and we had fires outside and made kindling. We had all sort of people there including the Community Council, Sustrans, and the Forestry College and lots of of people who live nearby and use the woods.
  
So what happens now? Well, we are continuing to gather ideas and if you know anyone who wants to contribute, or to help, please urge them to fill out the online survey by 24 Feb  at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QTGSQ9K

Then our team of independent facilitators from Abriachan will collate the information and write up a report for our Management Committee - and we will decide what to do next.

Lots of good conversations going on....



Talking about woodland management and making kindling - all at the same time.


Tuesday 5 February 2019

Who owns Culduthel Woods?




One of the first projects that the Culduthel Woods Group undertook was to collate all of the available information about ownership of the woods and commission some legal advice. In summary, we have found out that:


  • Up until 2002 the woods (probably extending to around 5 to 6 Ha.) were owned by a company called Tullochs Homes (Culduthel) Ltd. But, in 2002 the company was “dissolved voluntarily”, presumably because they had no further interest in the land.
  • In Scots law, the title of the land in such situations falls to the Crown, whose representative in Scotland is a little-known organisation called “The Queen’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer” or QLTR. 
  •  In 2013/14 the QLTR corresponded with The Highland Council and the Community Council about the land – but neither organisation was inclined, or able, to take on ownership of the land.
  • The QLTR is not obliged to own and manage any land. In July 2014 they formally disclaimed the land, leaving it technically ownerless.
  • It is important to note that all the trees are still protected by the Highland Council’s Tree Preservation Order and that it is an offence for any person to cut or prune a tree without permission.
There are still quite few things we don’t know – we don’t know the exact boundaries of the land in question; and some of the maps in the earlier title deeds seem to be missing. The Group are still working to collate this information. Any assistance would be appreciated.


So what happens now?

·     This is a pretty unusual situation. No-one can really manage the woods without the ownership being clear. If there was an owner then a community group could maybe lease the land, or manage it by  agreement – but no-one owns the land at present. Looking forwards there are two broad options: 

o There is a legal process that the Group could go through to claim ownership on behalf of the community – but that will take some time and money.  We need to know if there is community support to do that.

o Or, we could leave the woods as they are, with no-one owning the land. But the problems that we have now – with dangerous trees, litter, broken fences and vandalism – are likely to get worse over time. No-one would be responsible for taking a lead and sorting them out. 

·     We haven’t decided what to do next. And that is why we are keen to hear peoples’ views - see the last blog entry for details.