(Updated below) The Isle of Bute voted today on the proposed community buy out of Rhubodach Forest for the Attenboroughs. Whatever the community decision was to be, it needed 50% of the entire islands voting-age population to vote.
Today But achieved 52.5% with 2737 people voting.
It’s hard to imagine the legwork that getting this size of vote out must have taken. It’s also hard to imagine a 6’3″ Squirrel in Guildford Square in Rothesay – but there it was, part of the inventive all-or-nothing campaign to attract and remind voters.
It’s not been without its unanticipated hitches.
at the time the Community ballot papers were being issued, thre was an unfortunate story in the island newspaper, The Buteman – featuring the negativity of a couple of naysayers – to whom we promptly gave a double-barrelled blast for their enfeebled preference for doing nothing.
The initiative’s organising team was quick to get a story in the following issue of The Buteman, accounting accurately for the weight of support for the proposal across the island.
But the damage was done.
Several voters had binned their ballot papers, their confidence undermined by the ‘concerns’ of what had never been anything other than a minute minority. When sanity reasserted itself and they wished to vote, they no longer had the means.
So the project team had to tour the island replacing ballot papers and making sure that each had a unique number to defend against any unlikely worries about double voting.
It’s all been worth it now.
The final firework of community confidence is that 94% of the vote was YES. That sends a challenge to the rest of Argyll – to match the ambition and the drive in Bute to achieve a degree of self-determination through this multi-faceted initiative with the capacity to underwrite a host of sustainabilities.
The count took forever. There were so many envelopes that opening them took more time than the count itself.
Already this initiative has attracted more national media attention than Bute has experienced cumulatively in several years.
The day of the launch of the Community Ballot saw major features in The Herald and in the Daily Mail; and in every television newscast on BBC Scotland throughout the day.
Tonight there will be news on BBC and STV television news; and two journalists from The Times were on Bute for the count – with a piece due in that paper tomorrow (13th February).
Food for the tooth-suckers?
- Update 13th February: Congratulations from Jim Mather, MSP
Argyll and Bute’s MSP, Jim Mather says: ‘I am really delighted to learn that in this, the largest ever community buy-out exercise in Scotland, the voters of Bute have given a massive boost to that proposal with more than 2,700 Brandanes voting and of that number 93% being in favour of the proposed buy-out.
This is a defining moment for local confidence and cohesion for the Isle of Bute and I am happy to congratulate them and the Bute Community Land Company who brought together the bid for this successful outcome.
‘This is not an end in itself but rather the start of a huge project because there is valuable work to be done now to bring this to fruition.
‘Bute has huge potential and this step can do a great deal to realise and build on the past and look confidently to the future.
‘Like others I can see today’s news as a key means of attracting new generations of visitors to this attractive Clyde destination.’
- Update 14th February: Congratulations from Alan Reid MP
Argyll and Bute’s MP, Alan Reid says: ‘I congratulate the islanders of Bute and Bute Community Land Company on a decisive vote in favour of the community purchase of Rhubodach Forest – the largest community buy-out so far.
“There is still a great deal of work to be done and I offer my full support to BCLC in their efforts to raise the remainder of the cash required to buy the forest.
“Owning their own forest will give islanders tremendous opportunities to enhance this beautiful part of the island. They will be able to create jobs for local people, recreational facilities for tourists and educational facilities for children.”
Today the people of Bute had their say and they spoke loud and clear. Over 2500 people responded to a vision and embraced it. They said to the ‘no change here’ brigade that they care about the future of their island and want to see it flourish and grow. They were not prepared to lie down to small minded outlooks or listen to people who have no imagination for how things could be.
Instead they voted, in their tens, hundreds and then thousands. To get 2737 to vote is a huge undertaking but to persuade over 2500 to vote yes is nothing short of incredible. In one week the campaign produced more national press for Bute than in the whole of the last ten years.
So here’s to courage and drive; to vision and energy; to a determination not to give up. All involved with BCLC are to be congratulated and encouraged to go on. There will be criticism ahead and much negativity but keep going.
So here’s to BCLC …forever!
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What a cracking result and great to see such ambition in our neck of the woods. Sets a high standard for all the other communities across Argyll.
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The forest was only planted becose there were grants at the time to plant trees.as i have pointed out before the land would belong to the very cleverly named BUTE COMMUNITY LAND COMPANY and not the residents or the people who join bclc as members, it is fyne homes who run the chp wood burning heating project in there housing stock .one of the directors of the bclc is a director of fyne homes .that fact alone stinks, only a few will benefit as only a few live in a fyne homes .lottery money was use to persuade people to vote yes do you realy think you would have got any votes if people had to put there hand in the pockets ,do you think the bclc would have footed the bill to show there conviction ,i dont think so, its not about tourism its about grants, green energy grants payed to the few for the benefit of the few.not the good people of bute we will just get basicly the same walk as we have the rights to now with maybe a few sines and a hut or a bench thrown in ( hardly value for tax payers money) i think its shame full to get the people of bute to believe this is going to get thousands of tourists to come to bute ,this wood is in the middle of knowhere its not even a very nice walk bute has far better walks .unlles you have a investor in mined .then all you have done is saved the investor £1.4 million quid on having to by the land ,any investor is going to want a return on there money. time will tell if i wright or wrong. our lovely new multy millon pound marina went the same way. handed over to a few local business types who band locals from using the marina by adding a 3 day max stay clause so only tourists can use the pontoons as full paying rate .same old same old story
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@fyne by me: I’m just guessing here, but I think you are labouring under some misconsceptions about the process that the BCLC has just gone through, and how the BCLC must be set up to acquire the right to purchase through the necessary legislation. By definition an organisation which qualifies to make an application under the act is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status and MUST benefit a specifically defined postal code. This is exactly the case with the BCLC, and I imagine the presence of a Fyne Homes Director is about finding folk with relevant expertise. All the directors are required by OSCR the charities regulator to leave their business and other interests at the door when they act as a director for a charity such as this, and they were not to they would be in contravention of both the memorandum and articles of the company, but also the relevant legislation.
If you had fully understood the process you might understand now that the BCLC exists to benefit the community of BUte, and that any grants won for the project will have to be seen to benefit that community — it is why it is called a Community Land COmpany. The name has been chosen carefully because it specifically DOES NOT mislead.
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o silly stupid me, sorry i just dont understand
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/communitiessummit/show_case_study.php/00102.html
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No evidently not.
Are we reading the same document or are you seeing a stinking morass of corporate self-interest on behalf of Fyne Homes rather than an opportunity for BCLC, and therefore the community of Bute, to benefit commercially from the sale of woodchip biomass to Fyne Homes on some sort of assured basis? They may even make a profit which they can then use to reinvest in the community asset.
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# charles so its a community buy out for the benefit of fyne homes. its the same man that submitted the report below in 2003 and is now also a director of the bclc and also the same chap that asked the lottery for the money to get the yes vote,so that stuffs your ( All the directors are required by OSCR the charities regulator to leave their business and other interests at the door ) if fyne homes have a project and funding all worked out why not buy the land them selfs ? why sell the people of bute a story about golden eagals and thousands of eco tourists .why keep it quiet and how is this going to benefit any body bar a few interested partys. just in case we weren’t reading the same doc i posted it below.
Fyne Homes is a registered social landlord based in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. They have already developed a biomass community heating network at Lochgilphead, which is the first biomass installation in social housing in Scotland. It comprises a boiler house, insulated underground pipework and underfloor heating in each house. It was completed in Mid Argyll, where there are thousands of tonnes of wood on the hillside. Fyne Homes has a strong focus on sustainability and there was a keenness to keep the “energy pound” in the local economy.
The project was carried out with Torren Energy, who took the lead in the project. Residents paid 3.5p/KWhr for a 5 year contract with Torren. It was funded by Communities Scotland and the Scottish Executive.
Overall the project has been a success, although there have been difficulties along the way. It went live in May 2003 and residents are happy with the heat and cost. It has been great PR for Fyne Homes.
However, Torren went into receivership in November 2003 and Fyne Homes were left to pick up the pieces. This included sorting out design faults, maintenance arrangements and wood supply. They had to rely on the patience of residents who were left without heat on a number of occasions.
The lessons learnt for Fyne Homes include:
- Ensure good quality, objective technical advise at outset
- Ensure boiler can take woodchip with reasonably high moisture content
- Control wood supply and ensure that this is available as locally as possible
- Secure income stream
- Put in place robust maintenance arrangements with local input
The project is replicable and this has taken place in Campbeltown but on a different basis. However significant funding support was still needed from SCHRI. Other installations have followed by others on the back of ours.
Policy makers should provide a robust pool of technical knowledge, simplify the funding arrangements, encourage innovators, encourage the formation of a network of wood suppliers and send out a loud message – renewables are not fossil fuels!
They are now assessing the options for heat networks in two communities on the Isle of Bute.
The proposed heat network would serve more than 500 homes; options under consideration include the use of condensing gas boilers, CHP or energy from waste.
A development grant of £6,650 from Community Energy will help Fyne Homes to collect and analyse data on heat demand from the properties, evaluate options and liaise with the scheme developer.
In the longer term, Fyne Homes will explore which other private sector homes and non-domestic buildings could be connected to the network.
Fyne Homes are also exploring work to establish a community energy company on Bute utilising methane extraction from the dairy herds on Bute that produce milk for the creamery. Cattle slurry will be combined with waste products from the local creamery to produce biogass which will then be used to generate electricity.
Key features
energy
waste initiatives
Key data
Completion Date: 01/05/2003
Project Team: Bracewell Sterling Architects, Brown & Wallace (surveyor), Harley Haddow (structural engineers)
Cost: £350, 000
Local Authority: Argyll and Bute council
Client: Fyne Homes
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For Fyne by me.
When I first heard that Peter Macdonald, a director of Fyne Homes, was to also be a director of the BCLC, I too was concerned that there could be a conflict of interests and that Fyne Homes could become more involved in the project to the detriment of the good folk of Bute.
But I know Peter and before I voted I spoke to him on the matter. He assured me that he was there has a member of the Bute Community, that he was 1 of 7 other directors ( one of which is a Queen’s Council ) and that there were a number of safe guards in place to stop any single organization from taking over. Also that the directors reportrd to the members, of which there are over 200, and that they stand for election and relection at the AGM.
You are quite right that Peter Macdanold is the man tasked at Fyne Homes with identifying and organizing grants and funding packages, but I ask you, what better person to have has a director of BCLC.
There is a long way to go yet and a lot of hard work to come, but try to look on the positives and try to visualize the benefits that this project could bring to the island, along with the town centre regeneration there could be exciting time ahead for both Rothesay and the Isle of Bute.
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mark i hope your right.but its hard not to be cynical,bute has always been run by cleiky little groups . rothesay marina !. than there was the £2.2 million in 2007 Landscape Partnership Scheme ! now the bclc and the town centre regeneration . time will tell
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Was this one of the Jonahs that featured in The Buteman?
It is quite remarkable how destructive such negativity can be.
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‘Whine by Me’ seems to have a bee in his/her bonnet about Fyne Homes – fair enough – each to their own. However, these posts are about Bute Land Company and the outstanding communinty support vote they achieved. ‘Whine by Me’ would do better to pursue their anti-Fyne Homes Agenda elsewhere – or even better come clean about who they are: (a) the barely literate poster in the first couple of posts? or (b) the well-educated person presenting a cogent understanding of Fyne Homes policy, plans and direction?
Having a pop at one Director of the Bute Land Company because he is employed by Fyne Homes and then making a conspiracy out of it is quite over the top. And, surely I can’t be the only to notice that while Peter MacDoanld made no secret of his identity or his involvement – ‘Whine by Me’ continues to hide behind their false identity. It kinda makes you wonder what other things are ‘Whine By me’ is hiding from us all?
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try answering my questions instead of being condescending. im sure Peter Macdanold is a fyne chap. and i have nothing against him or even fyne homes as a provider of housing. bclc are following an business model that was developed by fyne homes in 2003 (fact) so its not over the top to think fyne homes will be pulling the strings to maximise profit for fyne homes. im sorry if you don’t like it. and im sorry if my grammar is not up to your standards.
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@fyne by me, @whine by me, @Charles — seems the most pertinent point here is: what business model will work for bclc? If it involves social landlord Fyne Homes sobeit. If they maximise their profits, where do those profits go? To shareholders? Investors? Or back into the company which I believe is a social enterprise. ie. more profit more homes more people living and working in Bute. Hmm.
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I don’t live in Bute. I don’t know anything about Fyne Homes. I don’t know anything about wood burning projects. But I do know that I don’t want to come to Bute to walk, jog, cycle, or do anything in a forest so count me out of any eco-tourist expectations (along with just about everyone else I suspect).
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Clearly Jim you need to get out more.
At least activate your search facility and find out what the topic is. Fyne Homes website is accessible and anyone can find out that they are a Registered Social Landlord run by a Managemant Team answerable to a Board of volunteers and if they are involved in any profit making activity the beneficiaries will be their tenants on Bute and across Cowal, Kintyre and Mid Argyll.They publish audited accounts and their organisation and membership is open to the public
The area under question, sepertate website, is not made up of solid blocks of evergreen forest but a mixed and varied area on the Highland side of the fault that divides the Isle of Bute. Excellent walking country with a wide variety of wildlife
While some Scots think that sporting activity involves watching other people playing football on television others have discovered the rewards of getting out and about in our great outdoors.
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I clearly didn’t get my message across. I don’t watch football! I walk. jog, cycle almost every day. and Bute is one of my favourite destinations. But with such wonderful scenery and views all around the island, why would I want to spend my time in a forest which is not a lot different from any other forest?
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