NEWSLETTER - AUGUST 2003

MAVISBANK HOUSE

In June we notified our 480 members of a very important meeting about the future of Mavisbank House. Sixty-six attended a special presentation by the Mavisbank Trust of its current proposals and also heard opposing views from a group of Civic Society members. This was followed by a fully-interactive question-and-answer session, and those present were then strongly advised to provide written comment in confidence to allow our Committee to assess their consensual opinion.

Based on the responses from thirty-six Members, it seems clear that a majority was concerned by the scale of the Trust's proposals, particularly the full restoration and occupation of the house with the necessity for vehicle access, car parking, artificial lighting and services, and to the concept of a "country park" which might have an adverse impact on the peace and tranquility of this rather special area of countryside, through resultant noise and light pollution. However there was widespread recognition that the present situation is insecure, that something needs to be done and that an appropriate solution with sustainable ongoing maintenance would improve the local amenity.

There was comment that this should involve assurance of the present Conservation Area status and permanent safeguards for its use as a public asset, hardening of the external shell of the building to permit safe access to its curtilage, conservation of the remaining features of the Designed Landscape (e.g. the pond and removal of invasive scrub from around the heritage trees), reduced levels of horse grazing to minimise erosion and other landscape damage, improved pedestrian access and limited pathways within the grounds with appropriate signage and historical interpretation.

These views have been forwarded to the Mavisbank Trust, and a similar letter has also been sent to the “Edinburgh Evening News”. The Trust intends to hold wider consultations with other community groups and organisations in the area - so there is still an opportunity for those of you who missed our meeting to catch up with future developments. B D

SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2003

Meet up

This year something completely new! We will walk up the newly refurbished Cast to Midfield, then along road/private path to Gorton House for picnic lunch. Thereafter you’ll have to wait and see but we promise to take you to places few will have seen before.

Back to Polton Village by 4.00 pm latest.

Please bring your own picnic

LASSWADE VILLAGE
COMMUNITY GARDEN

PLANTING - OUT DAY

SUNDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2003 at 11 AM

MEET-UP IN GARDEN

Parking: Lasswade Park.

Please bring gloves and one or two tools eg: spade, fork, trowel, hand-fork, secateurs. welly boots for river debris!

Light refreshments will be provided.

VILLAGE COMMUNITY GARDEN UPDATE

It has certainly been a very long hot summer for our Community Garden with work on site being rather sporadic, and a bus shelter which appeared to be in limbo over most of the summer holidays. Although progress has been very slow, the team of youngsters from Midlothian Training Services have nearly completed work on the stone shelter.

It is anticipated that the long awaited Pillar Box will be installed by the Royal Mail during the week beginning 25th August after which time the block paving will be laid around its base and throughout the shelter providing a pleasing ground surface, which will link the street pavement with the Community Garden. Once this work is carried out, the timber seat and polycarbonate windows can be fixed into place and the new bus shelter will be operational. The old shelter can then be removed.

The foundations for the low boundary wall which will run around the perimeter of the Garden are currently being dug and the wall should be completed by the trainees within the next four weeks. Midlothian Council will then provide the top soil for the planting bed behind the wall and finish the garden with turf laid around the central area. It is then up to us, the Civic Society Members to provide and complete the planting.

Many of you have very kindly offered donations of plants and help with the hard work of planting. We have also received some very generous financial contributions from a number of people. I shall be contacting all those concerned by the end of September, beginning of October to rally the members into action with a view to planting the Garden hopefully on Sunday 12th October.

This certainly gives us all a chance to dig up plants straight from our gardens and plant them bare rooted into the ground.

If you have any further ideas or wish to contribute plants for the Garden
do please contact me on 663 1895     S.B.

Winter months of 2003

Early August 2003 showing the painted
gable end and stone built bus shelter.

NEWS FROM ANOTHER LOCAL ORGANISATION:

SPRINGFIELD MILL ACTION GROUP

Springfield Mill Action Group reports significant progress since last year's Public Inquiry rejected housing development. SMAG has cleared the old pond of many unwanted saplings, and received a Landfill tax grant to help rejuvenate the site. Midlothian Council itself has obtained funding to deal with the basic site clean up. As the pictures show, they have already knocked down the last remaining building. Future work, beginning with ground preparation, will continue to be a joint effort.

Now you see it .....

Now you don't!

River Cleanup - Saturday 10^th May

A total of 32 members, friends, children and dogs worked extremely hard for over two hours clearing the river from Hewan Bank through Polton Village to Glenkevock. Rubbish removed included lorry doors and bumpers, a bike, a broken wheelie bin, an inflatable (not any more) dinghy, assorted road furniture and timber plus general garbage and the usual unmentionables.

The Council provided back bags, gloves and litter-pickers and members brought along wheelbarrows, rakes, shovels, loppers, waders and a chain saw. The bulk of the rubbish was piled at the entrance to Springfield Mill from where the Council collected it with some also placed in a trailer provided by Peter Beck in his field.

Not a bad haul

Workers young and not so young

Almost a complete cab

Another potential blockage removed

"The Committee"

Work completed, a much appreciated reward was lunch laid on by Sandra McGlasson in her riverside garden.

Photos MJ Workman