News
A spokesperson for 3 made the following statement :
Having reviewed the site, we have decided not to proceed with the build.
A number of Stirling Councillors and Scottish Ministers had previously appealed to 3 to consider alternative locations following requests by Dunblane Community Council.
The mast had been allowed to proceed going forward following an admin error at Stirling Council.
By Alastair McNeill 24Oct23 at the Stirling Observer
An ‘eleventh-hour’ appeal to a mobile phone giant was made this week to stop building a controversial 50ft mast in a residential area of Dunblane.
Clackmannanshire and Dunblane MSP Keith Brown and three Dunblane councillors – Alasdair Tollemache, Robin Kleinman and Douglas Dodds – are urging Three not to proceed with the project.
It emerged last month that the 5G mast – turned down by Stirling Council – was to go ahead due to an administrative blunder.
Yesterday (Tuesday) Three said it is currently “evaluating” the site near Dunblane Primary School, opposite Murdoch Terrace, and that no final decision on whether to build or not had been made.
Following the error, Stirling Council pointed out they had made “sustained” appeals to the applicant to discuss an alternative, but had not had any success. The applicant had previously said the installation would be safe and improve network coverage, but objectors had cited concerns over its appearance and alleged potential health risks.
Dunblane Primary School is around 500ft from the mast
In recent days, workers have been spotted at the site opposite Murdoch Terrace near the town’s primary school.
This week three Dunblane councillors – Alasdair Tollemache, Robin Kleinman and Douglas Dodds – issued a last minute appeal to Three. Two MSPs had objected to the proposal along with 12 residents from Dunblane.
The blunder came about after a crucial deadline was missed, allowing the mast to go ahead by default. MSP Alexander Stewart had described the error as “utterly inexcusable.” Under planning rules, applicants who seek to put up a telecoms structure can proceed if they have not had a response from the council within a 56-day period.
The notification application – submitted by CK Hutchison Networks (Three) – had been received and validated on November 16 last year and then formally refused for siting and design reasons on January 16 this year - six days after the January 10 deadline
The local authority blamed a system error for which they are said to be “extremely sorry”.
Dunblane Community Council had expressed “shock” at Stirling Council’s “incompetence” adding that it was “inexcusable especially given the local opposition” to the scheme.
Upset residents had contacted Dunblane and Bridge of Allan councillors last month to express their anger over the matter.
Three, however, had said that 5G rollout was “vital” for residents and businesses of Dunblane.
The councillors said in their statement urging Three not to go ahead: “We call upon CK Hutchison Networks (Three) even at the eleventh hour to abandon the erection of the mast and respect the decision of the council to reject this.
“We intend to write to CK Hutchison Networks (Three) and request that they now give due regard to the council’s decision and to the community’s strongly held view that the mast should not be erected on this site.”
Mr Brown said: “Planning applications exist for a reason, and it is important that the will of local residents, as represented by local authorities, is abided by.
“This has clearly been an error on Stirling Council’s part, so I have written to them regarding this case asking them to keep my office in the loop.
“I have also written to the Minister for Community Wealth and Public Finance, Tom Arthur, asking him to investigate and advise if there are any alternative actions that could be taken to enforce the democratic process which has decided against building the mast.
“While I understand that an administrative error has meant that the network provider is within their rights to proceed with the building of the tower, I’d urge CK Hutchison Networks (Three) to listen to the concerns of residents and the local a authority, and to move the building of this mast to another location.”
A Three spokesperson said this week: “A new mast in Dunblane is vital to supply residents and businesses with the 4G and 5G coverage and performance the town needs.
“While we try to keep mast sites as unobtrusive as possible, they do need to be situated near to where people will be using the service and, in many cases, in precise locations to ensure the widest breadth of coverage.
“We are currently evaluating a site in Murdoch Terrace and no final decision on whether to build or not has been taken.”
Here are some of the key topics under discussion this month. Our full list of intiatives is on our home page
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Transport |
Dunblane Community Council (DCC) has asked Stirling Council to consider installing a pedestrian crossing on the dual carriageway across from the Dunblane Centre to improve road safety for people accessing the centre. DCC has asked Stirling Council to consider improving the slip roads to the A9 at the Queen Victoria school junction. These are very short and therefore dangerous for road users.
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DCC has secured the sponsorship of a Stirling Councillor to verify that Dunblane will be elligible for a portion of the windfall funding should the Windburn wind farm development behind Dumyat be allowed to proceed.
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Heritage |
The Old Bank initiative has DCC's support and has now managed to secure 600 members supporting its vision to become an Arts and Heritage centre with a music / cinema room and a cafe.
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Community |
DCC has written to Keith Brown MSP, to ask him to take action against the proposed build of a 5G Telecoms Mast at Murdoch Terrace close to Dunblane Primary school. The letter details the legal precendent and scientific evidence that is starting to point towards 5G masts being a potential health hazard. Keith Brown has in turn written to the responsible minister in the Scottish Government.
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Housing |
The proposed development of 44 houses in Kelly Wind has now gone to appeal. The Blairforkie development is on hold.
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Green Spaces | Stirling Council has confirmed that work to repair the Memorial Bridge (opposite the War Memorial) will be complted by Remembrance Sunday. |
The Scottish Central Railway (SCR) linking Dunblane to Stirling and Perth opened in on 1848, connecting with the Edinburgh to Glasgow line at Castlecary. A mere 17 years later it became part of the Caledonian Railway which in turn joined LMS in 1923. The engineer for the line was Joseph Locke who ranked alongside Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Robert Stephenson as one of the great railway pioneers. The SCR became the major shareholder for the Dunblane, Doune and Callander railway which opened in 1858. SCR fully aquired this line, the day before it was taken over by the Caledonian in 1865. The line was finally extended through to Crianlarich and Oban. A commemerative event is taking place....
The dual carriageway (B8033) from M&S to the Keir roundabout is frequently prone to flooding and closure. The Northbound carriageway was built to modern standards in the seventies at the same time as the M9 motorway. The Southbound carriageway has dips and bends and probably last had minor upgrades in the sixties and is prone to flooding. For this reason, Stirling Council have been keen for some time to reduce the road to be single carriageway using the modern half of the road. It would also free up the southbound half to be used as a segregated safe cycle route.
The Council argues that with a speed limit of 50, and little room for overtakes, little journey time difference would materialise. Others in Dunblane argue that they should retain the right to the fastest commute possible. Please let us know what you think, on Facebook, X or via Dunblane.info.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/flooding-closes-main-road-out-28979346
Here are some pictures from the "lake" hills
Update about The Bank – proposal to become a multi-functional, community owned, arts and hospitality venue.
The plans for the ex-Bank of Scotland building on the High Street in Dunblane will be outlined in 2 public meetings. In the next week, we will be going 'live' to the public and inviting them to become free members, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
Background For the past 9 months, a team of volunteers have been working to put together a plan for the building to be kept within the community and turn it into a destination that will be a positive addition to the town, taking in account feedback from community engagement. While some aspects of the proposal are similar to existing businesses, such as a café, it is our intention to minimise competition and instead to offer something new and exciting, to drive increased footfall and to contribute to the existing community efforts to revitalise the town centre. We will welcome collaboration with local businesses.
The Bank was bought in May 2023 by a local charity in order to save it for the community and funding is currently being sought through the UK government’s Community Ownership Fund to transfer ownership to Dunblane Square, a not-for-profit community company which will be owned by its members. Membership is free and open to anyone living in FK15. The company will be run by a board of volunteer directors, with all profits generated being re-invested back into the community. The project has already gained letters of support from Dunblane Community Council, Dunblane Development Trust and the Dunblane Centre.
Next Steps
The next step is to launch the vision to the public, enrol members (it's free) which will help us to secure funding to make the vision a reality. Critical to this development is ensuring that we communicate and engage with the local community and convert their support into membership as without large number of members, the initial funding for this transfer will not occur, putting the entire project in jeopardy.
If we are successful in the transfer and then successful in gaining further funding for the renovation, we hope to start works on site in early 2024 and open fully in late Summer 2024, pending planning permission.
The Vision
The vision is to redevelop the building into a multi-functional, community owned, arts and hospitality venue, named The Bank. It will be made up of two core areas:
1. A music/cinema/lecture room
2. A café/restaurant area
Additionally, a staff area, toilets and a professional kitchen will be included. The building design and overall running ethos will be focused on zero waste - through sustainable building and energy practice and then applying this to the café/restaurant management.
Area 1 (the old Bank Hall) - Cinema and Music Area 1 will be for a community cinema, music performance and lectures. It will be open plan with a high ceiling and external access. The room will be sound proofed though acoustic barriers and will contain a large retractable screen, PA system and a removable stage. We envision initially running three films per week - one weekend evening film, one weekday afternoon film and a family-friendly film on a Sunday. This would be a matinee movie every Sunday, running at the same time as a lunch offering, to provide an opportunity for parents to enjoy a meal out while their kids are watching a film in the cinema. We hope to start with at least one music event per week, and plan to host a variety of music genres. Talk and lectures will cover a whole variety of topics including, but not limited to, local history, sustainability, and ecological revival. We welcome all suggestions. The space will also be open for rental by the community.
Area 2 (ground floor of the Bank House) - Cafe & Restaurant Area 2 will be used for food and drinks. Additionally, a large glass extension on the west side of the building will provide a further seating area and some welcome sunlight. The Bank will use this space to host a ‘Supper Club’ style restaurant with guest chefs, initially one evening every weekend. The ‘Supper Club’ evenings will be done collaboratively with the guest chefs, including marketing, giving opportunity to showcase The Bank, and therefore Dunblane, to a wider market. The Sunday lunch offering will also run from this space. During the day, a café and small delicatessen will run for 6 days/week, serving exciting café food from 10am-4pm and with the deli having a weekly rotating selection of limited supply produce from a local small enterprise (e.g. a specific cheesemonger). There are plenty of opportunities here for collaborations with existing vendors through promotions and advertising, and these will be actively sought. The space will be dog and family friendly, and Area 1 provides a space for parents to come with their children during the day which is large enough for them to play safely. Additionally, this room will function as a bar and extra seating area during events. The kitchen will also be designed such that it can be used for training, cooking classes or a start-up food business (e.g. small bakery).
Helping Dunblane Thrive
Through this varied and new offering, it is expected that The Bank will attract increased numbers of visitors and more of the local community to the town centre regularly. By drawing more people to Dunblane town centre all businesses will thrive and prosper. As stated, we want to support local businesses and help put Dunblane on the map as a destination.
Located at the gateway to the historic centre of Dunblane, The Bank is ideally situated to be the new central focus point in Dunblane, attracting both tourists and the increased numbers and demographics from the local community down to the town centre. Due to its size and location, The Bank could be used as a new information point for Dunblane and be the starting point for historic tours, day-walks and cycles, thus attracting increased numbers down to the town centre. We have started engaging with Visit Scotland to make sure we are aligned with any local and regional tourism plans.
Next public events
We plan to hold two informal public Town Hall events in The Bank on Monday 2nd October from 2-3pm and 7-8pm to invite residents of Dunblane into the premises and for the existing committee to give a 20-min presentation on the plans and offer the opportunity for questions and input.
Following this, the bank building will be open for the Christmas Extravaganza event on 30th November 2023, where we will showcase the vision and invite further community engagement on the project.
How you can help
You can help support the project by joining as a free member and helping us spread the word in the community. One way of doing this is supporting us through social media and sharing posts.
Contact us
We would actively encourage you to reach out to us with any comments or suggestions.
Our main email contact is: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Our key people can be seen on the Who We Are page on our website.
You can read more on our website: https://thebankdunblane.org/
Our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheBankDunblane
Our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/thebankdunblane/
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
| Network Rail has recently carried out the final phase of enhancement works at Dunblane station to help improve service reliability on Scotland's Railway. |
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Work started in January 2023 to deliver a £11.2m programme, part of a wider Scottish Government investment that will improve connectivity and enhance capacity for both passenger and freight trains. As there is no 'turnback' facility at the station due to the current track layout, trains arriving at platforms 2 or 3 at Dunblane station have to continue north to use existing switches and crossings further along the line. This means the railway between Dunblane and Perth can become congested, constraining the timetable and network resilience during times of disruption. In this final phase of the project, over two weekends in early September, Network Rail and its contractors (Rail Systems Alliance Scotland, Babcock and Arcadis) installed a new crossover section of track. No trains operated through the station during this time. Once the new crossover comes into use next year, it will mean trains can depart from Platform 3 using this section of track when heading south from the station. This will help reduce the time it takes for a train to turn back towards Stirling by up to 13 minutes. In turn, this will free up capacity through the route and make services more reliable. Chris Sharkey, Network Rail's senior programme manager, said: "The first two weekends in September saw the culmination of many months of work in allowing us to deliver this critical and final part of the project. "Our engineers have carried out extensive preparatory works in advance of the crossover being craned into position. This includes installing new overhead line equipment and making modifications to platforms to support the signals for the new section of track. "We appreciate the inconvenience our activity caused customers and those living closest to the railway over those two weekends. "I want to thank people for their continued patience as we completed this work, which will deliver more reliable services for passengers and freight by reducing the impact of future unplanned disruption on the route." ScotRail had a replacement bus service in operation over both weekends. Customers were advised to check before they travel via www.scotrail.co.uk and www.nationalrail.co.uk If you have any questions about this work, you can contact Network Rail's 24-hour national helpline on 03457 11 41 41. For the latest information and progress updates, follow on Twitter @NetworkRailScot. |
Further to my attendance at the recent Community Council meeting – I can confirm that the request for links to information in relation to internet safety and scams was shared by PC Gilliland in the Community council report as follows
https://www.scotland.police.uk/advice-and-information/
Internet safety - Police Scotland
Scams and frauds - Police Scotland
There is also a further helpful site I have found with lots of information in relation to recently reported scams and online safety for students from trading standards which can be found on the following link
Trading Standards Scotland Bulletin 10 August (mailchi.mp)
It also has links to numerous other agencies and supports.
If there is a way you can think of sharing this with our communities please let us know – we have a number of leaflets at the station which we would also be happy to share I hope you find these helpful and I will arrange for a few posters to be made up for distributing within the community.
PS Sarah Stephenson (C0508)
Stirling Rural Community Policing Team
Dunblane Police Station
Forth Valley Division
Police Scotland
I'm writing to update you on progress on the Drumbrae site that the University of Edinburgh has recently purchased.
The University plans to use the site to create woodlands to sequester carbon, and also improve biodiversity and heritage understanding. We’ll do this through managing woodland and open habitats and engaging in projects with community and special interest groups, while maintaining access for local communities.
Over the last few months, we have been seeking early engagement with local communities through a survey to hear what is important to them on this project. This survey is now closed, and we will be using the responses gathered to inform aspects of our plans for Drumbrae. Our next steps are outlined below:
Drop-in information session
We hosted a Drumbrae Consultation event for members of the public. Our team were at this event to discuss and explain the draft proposals. Large-scale maps were on display, and people were able to share their views. It was held on Friday 25 August 2023 in the Bridge of Allan Sports Club
Woodland creation at Drumbrae: share your views
Everyone is welcome to view our plans and respond to our consultation survey. Over the coming weeks, we will be adding more information to our website, including detailed site maps, nature and heritage surveys. The survey will open from Monday 28 August to Friday 29 September 2023. All the information on Drumbrae, including the consultation survey can be found here: edin.ac/drumbrae-consult.
Please feel free to share this information with relevant groups and individuals. Our website will be kept up to date with the latest information.
Yours sincerely,
Yvonne Edwards
Forest, Peat and Rural Land Manager
University of Edinburgh | Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | +44 (0)131 651 3000
www.ed.ac.uk/sustainability | The Boilerhouse, High School Yards, Edinburgh, EH1 1LT
Twitter: @edsust | Facebook: EdinburghSustainability | Instagram: ?@uoe_sustainability
From earler in the year
A Land Management Plan is being proposed for land to the North West of Dumyat.
See the website; Download the plan
Quoting from the website
'Drumbrae is a newly acquired site of around 431 hectares that will be managed by the University of Edinburgh to create woodland and improve open habitat. It is in the Ochils, near the city of Stirling, north of Bridge of Allan. It sits in the Stirling Local Authority Area.
A new Land Management Plan is being produced to map out and guide what we will do at Drumbrae.
It covers:
- woodland creation
- increasing biodiversity
- engaging with local communities, local to the site and internally at the University of Edinburgh.'
The land was on the market recently for £1.850m. Here is the sales brochure.
More...
Early work for the next Stirling Local Development Plan is underway, and we wanted to let you know of a few key elements that may be of particular interest to you.
Have Your Say survey
To help us start the process of producing the new Local Development Plan (LDP), we want your views to inform the preparation of an Evidence Report. This is an initial information gathering stage that will lay the foundations for the new LDP. You can find out more about the LDP process on our Developing our next Stirling Local Development Plan page - Developing our next Stirling Local Development Plan | Stirling Council.
Your views will also inform the preparation of a new Local Transport Strategy (LTS). The LTS will lay out the Council’s plans to improve all aspects of transport across the entire Stirling Council area. With this in mind, we are keen to understand where there are any transport-related problems in your area, which can cover any transport type. Please find the link here: https://engage.stirling.gov.uk/en-GB/folders/have-a-say-in-the-future-of-your-place
Self-Build Register
Self-build housing is where an individual (whether acting alone or with other individuals) commissions or is personally involved in the design and construction of a dwelling that is intended to be the individual’s main residence once it is built. We now invite you to register your interest by completing the registration form available through this link: https://www.stirling.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning/development-planning/self-build-housing-registration-and-list/
Local Place Plans
Work has begun on assisting our communities in the preparation of their Local Place Plans. A resource hub has been set up to answer questions, provide resources and give guidance at any time. This can be viewed here: https://www.stirling.gov.uk/planning-and-building/planning/development-planning/local-place-plans-lpp-resource-hub/
If you are intending on producing a Local Place Plan and haven’t spoken to us already, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if further information would be useful to you.
We hope to be in touch again soon to provide further updates.
Best regards
Stirling Council LDP team
As part of its wider strategic campaign ‘Your Water, Your Life’, Scottish Water has committed to install outdoor water bottle filling stations across Scotland to encourage and promote the use of refillable bottles which customers can fill up with one of the country’s best-loved products - our nation’s tap water.
The benefits of topping up with fresh, great-tasting tap water are clear - it’s good value and good for the pocket, it’s good for the environment and it’s good for health. https://www.yourwateryourlife.co.uk/whats-new/
We have been piloting different locations and partnership opportunities, and would like to advise you of our proposal to locate a TUT in Dunblane to serve local patrons, community groups and visitors. This would also further complement existing Top Up Taps and future locations we have in planning for the wider area
We will go through for planning permission to be granted for this location where public consultation will be open but I would like the opportunity to engage with you directly in the first instance.
We are interested in locating a TUT near by the famous golden post box.
I look forward to hearing from you and hearing any feedback you may have.
Amy Methven
Corporate Affairs, TUT Project Manager
Phone: 01414830746
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Citizens' Advice Bureau has started advice sessions at Dunblane Library.
Dunblane school receives military charity's Recognition Award
To formally acknowledge extra endeavour, SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity in Scotland, the Regional Recognition Award (RRA) was established earlier this year.
So far, the RRA – a specially commissioned SSAFA Scotland Region engraved shield – has been awarded to individuals, be they volunteers or staff, for their sterling contributions to the welfare of serving personnel and veterans, and their families.
But in a break with this new tradition, the RRA has been awarded to a school. Queen Victoria School in Dunblane has received this major accolade to mark the very successful collaborative production of Archie's Issues, sponsored by SSAFA with The Collaborative Veterans in March 2023.
The production of Archie's Issues was hailed as "... a triumph..." by theatregoers, and the effort by pupils and staff of Queen Victoria School was critical to its success.
Graham Meacher, SSAFA's Scotland Regional Chair, said: "The support, interest, enthusiasm, and creativity displayed by Queen Victoria School pupils and staff in the production of Archie's Issues made making the school a collective recipient of the Regional Recognition Award an easy decision.
"Quite simply, without them, the production would not have been the success it was, and so it is entirely fitting that SSAFA in Scotland recognises their superb effort, and we plan to build on the excellent relationship established."
The presentation was made at the dress rehearsal for The Grand Day at Queen Victoria School in the presence of Sarah Chester (Executive Producer), Liz Miller and Billy McWilliam representing The Creative Veterans, Mary Kenyon (Chairman SSAFA Forth Valley), and Headmaster Donald Shaw in front of the school body.
The next Regional Recognition Awards will be announced in August.
For more information, visit ssafa.org.uk/scotland.
