Projects and Improvements

Market Square

It had always been the intention of the group to improve the gardens in Market Square for the elderly people who live in these houses. Previously the ground-level, badly maintained beds had been difficult to look after and we decided to look for funding to revamp the area. Funding for the work was secured from Leader and RACE, Small Town Network Community Chest, Councillor’s Discretionary Budget, and Highland Council Housing Department.

The building work was carried out by ILM as a training project for local boys. The planting was done by ourselves using plants grown from plugs produced in the polytunnel over the winter months. This planting was supplemented mainly by the daffodils and winter flowering polyanthus from the High Street tubs to these new beds. It was very difficult to work with some of the residents but we have learned a lot from this project, especially that we cannot take it for granted that everyone understands what we are hoping to achieve. Most of the residents are disabled or very elderly and they appreciate the improvements. Those who are fit can help us maintain the beds because they are at a much more accessible height.


Obsdale Primary School

Obsdale Primary School lies to the North East of Alness , has a school role of 96 pupils which come mainly from Milnafua Housing Estate which was designated as a Social Inclusion Area by the Scottish Executive. It had been a long time wish of the school to have the area which surrounds it tidied up to give an extra area which the school could use for play and learning. A grounds group was formed. This was made up from pupils, parents and teachers. They meet with two of the school staff every Tuesday after school and carry out all maintenance of the beds around the school and have undertaken all the planting round the building.

We were successful in securing the first phase of funding from the lottery small grants scheme and the work on this part of the project was carried out by volunteers from the S.C.V.O. We were then delighted to receive further funding of £20,400 from the aggregates tax, this was a huge achievement in itself and we moved forward to phase two. A major clear up was the first step. Much of the scrub surrounding the school was cleared along with an old fence and a great deal of litter and rubbish. This was an ideal area for tree planting, 200 substantial trees have been planted and under sown with wild flowers.

In the autumn daffodils and other bulbs were planted. A hard core area was laid with surrounding trellis. Raised beds made from wooden’ blokx’ , produced locally, have been planted by the children with a good mixture of perennials. A permanent path was laid from the canteen out to the seating area at the school to give the children access to this area not only for break times but also as a classroom area. Two living willow arbours were planted with seating inside to create “pit stops” where children, who find themselves looking for a quiet area to sit, can enjoy peace and quiet. In 2006 the children even planted vegetables in some of their containers. We have had many new wooden bins made but these were not nearly the hit that the two new talking bins have been. The children love these talking birds and all the litter goes into the bins at all times.

The Head Teacher considered that balancing equipment would help the children and because we all worked hard and saved as much money as possible we managed to carry forward £4,000 towards play equipment which should benefit all the children using it. Bird feeders, tables and water baths have been purchased and installed and the children are responsible for feeding the birds and filling all the feeders.

The final part of the project has been an arts project which has seen Jane Brigazi, a local artist, working with the children in the school creating panels and mosaics which depict some of the natural environment which they have come in contact with while working on the project. The panels were used to create Totem Poles in the area at Obsdale Road where the Q8 service station used to be. They have also designed a “Centipede” using recycled materials to enhance this area. This has been much, much more than an art project, the children have learned so much about Biodiversity and Jane’s enthusiasm has rubbed off on the children. 

 Shillinghill Park

The Shillinghill Residents Association were successful in their bid for £30,000 from Entrust, the landfill tax credits scheme and although this is a considerable amount it was only half the funds required to fulfil the ideas that they had for the “hill”.

They are a very determined group and did not let this deter them from progressing with their “long wished for” park. Morag Swanson and her regular group of volunteer residents undertook major clearance and labouring work above and beyond the kind of work normally expected of volunteers.

The whole site was cleared of stones over many weeks and the now grassed areas are a most welcome sight on approaching Shillinghill. Although the park looks good, a further input of funding is required and a follow up application is being prepared for the tax credit scheme. Much ingenuity and

creative thinking has been used to tackle many of the problems which have cropped up during the project. Materials have been recycled, many plants have been contributed and much assistance has been given by local businesses and contractors.

 2003 Update: Morag and her volunteers were successful in being granted £35,000 from the aggregate tax to pave the paths in the park with blocks. New drystone walls were built at different points in the park to compliment the existing beds. New seats have also been added and some new planting.

The barrels in the estate have reached the end of their useful life and have now been replaced with some more permanent stone beds which havebeen planted withshrubs. These have proved to be easier to maintain and water.

Shillinghill Residents continue to be an example to other residents associations in their commitment shown in maintaining and improving their already well established estate and park.
 
Milnafua Entrance

The Milnafua Housing Estate with some 200 houses is now a Social Inclusion Area with special emphasis on the 14 to 25 age group. Over the years Milnafua has had many problems especially with vandalism throughout the estate. The local group made it a priority to tidy up the entrance to the estate and this was a brave and difficult project to plan.

The regular volunteers who undertook this challenge were all residents of the estate and many of them aged from four to sixteen. Clearing the site was major achievement with many weekends of hard work carried out over the winter months. Eventually the site was ready for a JCB which was required to change levels and spread top soil. A new path was built to replace the informal arrangement which previously wound its way through long uncut grass and weeds.

Funding for the project was particularly difficult to achieve but with much hard work the group successfully applied to the Highland Council Planning & Development Services Environmental Grant Scheme and the Protective Services Small Grants Scheme for Community Projects. The local enterprise company (RACE) have also promised some funding.

The main aims of this project are primarily to tidy a very dirty and unkempt site and to introduce a formal path, seating area, plants & planters to enhance the whole area. It was always the intention that all the plants, trees and bulbs used would be perennial as funding was so difficult to find.

Fred Ironside has led his group with great dedication. The major planting has been done by the children and young people from the estate including two boys who were experiencing difficulties at school.

This year the residents with the help of the Youth Leaders and the youngsters planted barrels all round the estate and as the picture above shows they tackled another really overgrown area where they intend to plant trees and shrubs to enhance another bit of their estate.

Through the Local Councillor’s special Scottish Executive Grant it was possible to build a all weather sports facility on the estate to encourage the young people to spend their time in an interesting manner.

Update.

Because the old beds which were constructed from wooden rolpole edging, used initially because of the low cost, were now showing signs of collapse we decided to replace them with stone beds matching those in other parts of the town. This was a partnership project we provided the materials and the labour was undertaken by I.L.M. a training company based in the town. Many of the young people who are employed by I.L.M. have special needs and this was seen as a worthwhile project for them to be involved in. The existing planting was supplemented with the new plants which we had grown from plugs in the spring. Fred Ironside who looks after the garden does a huge amount of work on behalf of the group. Many of the children on the estate help to look after this area and take a great deal of pleasure and pride in the work they are involved with. Most of these children would never come in contact with horticulture and have now been involved for three years. We hope that improving these beds will make Fred’s life easier.

Milnafua Residents Association- Action Earth Weekend

In response to a press release from CSV in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage, the Milnafua residents got together with Fred Ironside, the regular gardening expert at Milnafua, to undertake a weekend of work adding to the considerable works already being done by their estate.

Having sourced some discarded railway sleepers, they used these to create four new planters to replace the existing ones. Many members of the community representing all ages were involved in the work. The beds having been created, they were then filled with topsoil and planted up with, not only plants from the poly tunnel, but also with plants from peoples gardens.

The children were also involved throughout the weekend collecting rubbish from all of the estate into skips, having a Spring Clean and making a real difference. Being involved in this type of project, not only encourages the children to get involved, but also helps them to appreciate the horticulture. Because of the children’s involvement, there is virtually no vandalism in an area where you might expect there to be some.


Millenium Garden

Since 1999 we have seen the development of the gap site at the corner of Obsdale Road and Caplich Road change through many stages from an empty grassed site into a beautiful and restful place. With a great deal of hard work, volunteers have spent a huge amount of time and effort creating this lovely garden with very limited resources.

Initially tree planting was used to break up the bareness, this was followed by the erection of new drystane dykes and feature seating area. The paths and trellis further enhanced the garden and flower beds were created using materials sourced locally.

 All the plants were chosen to give permanent displays which would flower throughout the year and give good colour in Spring and Autumn. Much work has been done to improve the existing trees and the newly fitted lights enhance the whole area and give a new lease of life to a previously overlooked piece of land.

High Street Improvements

During the last 12 years, the Alness Initiative have met regularly to encourage improvements to the Town as a whole. At the beginning of these nine years a wish list of projects and improvements was drawn up and at the top of this list was the upgrading of the High Street.

In 1999 we secured a place in the Highland Council Planning & Development Service Capital Programme with £250,000 being earmarked for our High Street area. To match this, the local enterprise company pledged £200,000 from their funds. Considerable amounts of time and effort on the part of the Planning & Development Service have been committed to this project and only because of the commitment being shown by the officers of this department who have given up many hours of their own time to see this project to a successful end, can we say that the improvements been a real enhancement to the town.

None of us would pretend it has been trouble free, from the very first day on site the contractors came up against criticism from the public. Councillors and council staff had many problems to resolve with retailers, taxi drivers and many others. Through all these months of upheaval, dust, considerable noise and traffic lights nobody seemed to appreciate the end result.

But now that it has been completed, everyone agrees that it was all worthwhile - the new pavements are clean and easier to walk upon, the drainage is better and the new environmental enhancements have been the icing on the cake.

The original plans drawn up for the town by consultants WS Atkins had a price tag of about £6,000,000. At one time we hoped to achieve funding from Europe but when this dream slipped away we began to tackle many of the proposed improvements ourselves and the results can be seen. Most of the original plans have now been realised but on a literal “shoe string” budget, with the commitment from the volunteers in this community and the goodwill we have received we approach the end of the nineyears with a complete transformation.

Mitchell Lane

Mitchell Lane was the first area improved in the Alness in Bloom campaign. It was improved and beds built in 1998 and was planted with perrennials and sweet smelling plants so that people could sit and enjoy the perfume of the flowers on their shopping trips. In 2007 all the beds were emptied of the perennial plants and farmyard manure was incorporated in the topsoil along with some new compost material. The plants were then split and replanted along with some new planting to ring the changes. Many of the old plants have been relocated throughout different areas of the town.

The bed at the bottom of Mitchell Lane, previously planted with herbaceous plants, had proved to be a problem  to keep watered. The area was therefore planted with drought tolerant plants and with stone chipping mulch from our local quarry. We hope they will flourish with a great deal less watering.  We are delighted with the results and the anticipated reduction in the time needed to maintain this bed.

In September 2007 we were honoured to have HRH The Princess Rpyal visit Alness and her first port of call was Mitchell Lane where she met some of the town's people and admired the many prize plaques on show there. She then inspected Shillinghill Garden before meeting the Alness in Bloom Gardeners at the Millennium Garden.