District news - May 13, 2022

Islay

 

The Church of Scotland's proposals to close half of its kirks on Islay would be 'disastrous', and 'a blow some villages may not recover from', Islay Community Council has heard.

 

The future of the Round Kirk in Bowmore is under review by the Church of Scotland, which is looking to half the number of churches it has on the island.

 

'Change is necessary,' said the church, as it launched a Scotland-wide consultation on how to allocate its 'limited resources' over the next five years. Its proposals include reducing church properties on Islay from six to three.

 

The draft plan suggests selling Columba Hall in Port Ellen, and two kirks designed by Thomas Telford - Kilmeny Church in Ballygrant and Portnahaven Church on the Rhinns peninsula.

 

Local concerns were aired at Islay Community Council on Wednesday April 20.

 

Community councillor Calum Murray said: 'The strong local feeling is they don't want to be in competition with each other, but they do feel that a church, like a school, is part of the community.

 

'They don't want to have to travel far for their services - they would rather do it within their own community, despite the fact there are falling congregations.'

 

'It's difficult for people to move between parishes because there's no buses on a Sunday,' added community councillor Garry MacLean.

 

Community councillor Jim Porteous said: 'There was a lot of concern expressed about the Bowmore Round Church, because it's so iconic, and possibly also a listed building. What would be the conditions of sale? Would the church engage with the community on that?'

 

Community councillor Billy Sinclair said: 'This process has happened across the Church of Scotland for many years. There is a number of good examples in rural communities on the mainland where the churches are retained as charitable trusts and used by the community. St Conan's Kirk in Lochawe is one.

 

'There's options to look at, rather than it just being sold off.'

 

Portnahaven

 

The declining corncrake population on Islay has been deemed not to be at risk from plans for a new house in Portnahaven.

 

Eric Merrall submitted the plans to Argyll and Bute Council for the property and a detached garage to be sited on land west of 1 Claddach at Portnahaven.

 

A planning officer said: 'The development of the plot is not removing any corncrake habitat, or corridors to good habitat. The plot includes a small area of designated land therefore thought needs to be given to biodiversity impacts.

 

'RSPB Scotland advises that this development is unlikely to have a significant effect on the SPA or SSSI although it is noted that corncrake are on the decline and that mitigation through management of wider habitat in the locale would be appropriate however such mitigation measures would lie outwith the scope of the current application.

 

'The plot is within the curtilage of the farm steading and takes up part of an existing hardstanding/yard area. The site is covered by the SSSI (sites of special specific interest) and SPA (special protection area) but is not deemed by consultees to be a threat to habitats.'

 

No representations were received from the public and no statutory consultees raised any objections, so0 council planning officers decided to give the go-ahead.

 

Jura

 

A new board game created by children on Jura will be played by school pupils throughout Scotland as part of a project to protect the country's seabirds.

 

Pupils from the Small Isles Primary in Jura invented the board game Save our Seabirds as part of RSPB Scotland's Biosecurity for LIFE project which is working to raise awareness of the threat of invasive predators to seabirds and put in place systems to prevent their accidental introduction to islands.

 

The game, which now forms part of a country-wide education resource pack, sees players work together to eradicate rats from their islands and prevent their spread to other islands by answering questions and collecting ‘Conservation Points’ to buy biosecurity measures.

 

The design concept was brought to life by Glasgow based company Focus Games. The physical game is now available for free to school signing up to the project.

 

Small Isles primary teacher Jonathan Pye said: 'The children seeing their resources brought to life was such a refreshing change and the buzz around this was wonderful to see.

 

'So often engaging with outside organisations means that ideas the children generate aren’t brought to fruition, so seeing the looks on their faces when they were able to see, and play, their board games and online resources meant that children had a real sense of worth.'

 

RSPB Scotland education, youth and families manager Laura Copley said: 'It’s been a joy collaborating with so many passionate young people from our island and coastal schools to bring this conservation project to life in such an imaginative and empowering  way. Scotland is such an important place for many of the world’s incredible seabirds, but unfortunately they are facing an increasingly difficult future.'