The Community Council is a body consisting of local residents, who meet on a monthly basis to discuss and progress issues affecting the local community, and represent the views and concerns of the Balfron residents to Stirling Council and other relevant groups. You can find details of the members of the Balfron Community Council on the About Us page. The Community Council can be contacted via email at hello@balfroncc.org.uk or by sending a message to the Balfron Community Council Facebook page.
Community Council Meetings
We meet every month (except January and July) and our next meeting is:
Community Council Meeting (October)Balfron High School |
Minutes of previous meetings >>
How to report an issue to Stirling Council
Follow this link to raise an issue or for access to their most popular online forms
Report an issue with a park. Use this online service by following this link to report about any problems you’ve spotted in a park or play area run by Stirling Council.
Planning and Road Maintenance
You can search recent planning applications relating to Balfron on the Stirling Council website here>>
The latest rural and urban Stirling Council roads maintenance plans are available here with associated map
Latest News
Seeking ideas for enhancements to the play provision
A replacement for the vandalised basket swing has been ordered by Stirling Council. Balfron Community Council has a small value fund available for enhancements to the play provision at the parks. Ideas we have heard are buying toys for the sandpit, signage for a nature trail and we are seeking your suggestions. You are welcome to suggest ideas both big and small in scale. Please send your suggestions to hello@balfroncc.org.uk .
You can read about previous projects at Donaldson Park at https://balfroncc.org.uk/projects/donaldson-park-playground/
Call for new members to Balfron Community Council
Have you ideas to improve your community? We are looking for new members to join Balfron Community Council. We meet once per month and our next meeting is on 7 March. Drop a message to hello@balfroncc.org.uk if you are interested or to find out more information.
UCI Cycling World Championships – July 2023 update
When?
Events are taking place across Scotland from Fort William to Dumfries& Galloway. The road race for the Mens U23 group travels through Balfron on 12 August (at approx. 12-12:30pm) and the road race for Womens group travels through Balfron on 13 August (at approx. 12:30-1pm).
Information on the events
Information can be found at: https://www.cyclingworldchamps.com/about/get-ready-for-the-championships/
Online information event
There will be an online information session on the Elite Road Races. The session on Tuesday 18 July 19:00 – 20:00 will focus on the impacts to Stirling, East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire. Sign up via this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2023-uci-cycling-world-championships-elite-road-races-information-session-tickets-673101995187?aff=oddtdtcreator
Information for businesses
There is a Business Guide which includes how businesses can get prepared and involved in the Championships as well as advice, guidance and relevant resources for travel and transport.
The Business Guide can be accessed at: https://www.cyclingworldchamps.com/about/get-ready-for-the-championships/local-businesses/
To support businesses and make sure they don’t miss out on this opportunity, VisitScotland has also pulled together a Cycling Tourism Industry Guide. The guide includes robust market insights and advice on how to best reach potential cycling customers and provide a first-class cycle-friendly service: https://www.visitscotland.org/supporting-your-business/marketing/toolkits/cycling
Balfron Active Places project – June 2023 update
We thank the community for their patience with the temporary disruption during the construction work of the Active Places project.
Will the Tontine be used as a car park?
No, it is creating a civic space for the community. The first stage of laying a tarmac surface has been completed. The next stage will be to lay a resin bound gravel surface (similar to the Clachan), add street furniture including benches and a cycle rack, install a base for the Christmas tree and planting to be done by Balfron in Bloom. We look forward to this space being utilised for community events.
Are there plans to change the car park next to the Co-op?
No, while the project was being developed there were discussions on changing the layout of the car park area. One of the considerations was to accommodate any future construction of a new Co-op store. However this has been put on hold by Co-op Properties due to budget constraints. For the present, the layout, surface, entrance and exit routes of the car park next to the Co-op will remain unchanged.
What works are taking place on the roads that connect with Buchanan Street?
On Greek Thompson Road/Hillhead Brae/Spinner Street/Dunkeld Court/Buchanan Court footways are being widened and the carriageway narrowed. This is to create a raised crossing at each junction to provide a continuous footway. The traffic is required to slow on approach to the junctions of these roads.
What works are taking place on Buchanan Street?
A new zebra crossing will be installed between Spinner Street and Dunkeld Court. This is to provide a safe crossing zone at the south part of Buchanan Street, particularly to and from the Pharmacy and Library.
Balfron Active Places project – May 2023 update
We thank the community for their patience with the temporary disruption during the construction work of the Active Places project. The project began in 2015, and with many new residents to the village since then, we have provided below information on the Active Places project:
How it began
In response to widespread concerns over Balfron’s public environment in particular its street conditions, traffic speeds and transport provision, in 2015 Balfron Community Council began a series of consultations with local residents and groups.
How ideas were developed and shared
In 2017 Stirling Council supported the appointment of specialist consultants in landscape architecture, traffic and transport planners to develop draft proposals. The proposals were shared with the community in May 2018 at a street event on Buchanan Street. A report detailing the consultation and views was published and can be read at https://balfroncc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/2018-06-21_A-Space-for-Living_Stirling-Council-Presentation.pdf
During 2019 consultation events took place on the designs for the Clachan, Printer’s Row, Buchanan Street North, Buchanan Street South and Station Road. The feedback contributed to a revision of the detailed designs. Due to financial constraints, works proposed for Station Road were dropped from the project. The design plans are available to view at https://balfronactiveplacesproposals.commonplace.is/overview please note that the final designs may differ slightly from these due to changes in the cost of materials since 2020.
How has it been funded
Following the consultation on the draft proposals, Stirling Council, on behalf of Balfron Community Council, submitted an application and were successful in receiving funding from Sustrans ‘Scotland’s Community Links programme’, in November 2018 to enable development of the Balfron Active Places project. In 2019, funding to carry out the works was approved from Sustrans with match funding from Stirling Council.
What works have happened and what are being done
In 2020, works were carried out on the Clachan and Printers Row. The works on Buchanan Street were delayed due to the closure of Branshogle and Catterburn bridges and the use of Buchanan Street as a diversion route. On completion of the Branshogle Bridge, Fintry works and to enable the requirement of the funding being used before the end of March 2023, works have begun on Buchanan Street. A copy of the plans can be found at https://balfronactiveplacesproposals.commonplace.is/overview. The works are currently in progress, for example at the Tontine the first stage of laying a tarmac surface has been completed. The next stage will be to lay a resin bound gravel surface (similar to the Clachan) and add street furniture including benches and a cycle rack.
Who is managing the construction works and how long are they expected to take
The works are being managed by Stirling Council who are using specialist contractors in addition to their in-house team. There is group of volunteers in the village (Active Places steering group) who have proactively led from the beginning in gathering views and seeking funding to achieve the aims of the project.
The works began on 11 April and are estimated to take 16 weeks.
Phone box food exchange
Following its refurbishment, the phone box has been returned to Balfron and is in use. The formal opening of the refurbished phone box took place on 11 June 2022 as part of the Balfron Eco Festival. Please support the phone box as a food exchange and as a local cause in the Co-op Local Community Fund when you shop in the Balfron branch. More information on the phone box is available at the Balfron Phone Box page.
Space for Living – Balfron Active Places project
In 2014 Balfron Community Council began a series of community consultations on the most pressing issues facing the village now and in the future. In 2016 we produced a statistical report A Space for Living, which identified a range of problems relating to transport, access and amenities.
In 2020 work on the Clachan and Printers Row area of the village was completed. Unfortunately the planned works to Buchanan Street have been postponed until April 2023. More information is available at the Space for Living page.
Balfron Eco Festival
Balfron Eco Festival took place on 11 June at locations throughout the village, It had a range of activities and information suitable for all ages including interactive science exhibitions, plant swap and potting workshops, recycling advice, e-bikes demo and bike repair, farmers’ market and wildlife walks. Find more information at Balfron Eco Festival page or at Balfron Eco Festival Facebook page.
Community resilience
The Balfron resilience plan is ‘owned’ by the residents of Balfron and helps facilitate village wide communication of a major incident. The latest resilience plan for Balfron is available here >>. More information is available at Balfron Community Resilience page.
Donaldson Park
The final improvements to the wee playpark are now complete. In addition to the new play units, the new fencing is in place, a sand pit has been installed and all of the bark has been topped up. To celebrate, we left a range of toys in the sandpit for you and your children. More information is available at Donaldson Park Playground page.
Invasive plants along the River Endrick and its tributaries
The Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust continue to focus on removal of invasive plant (giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed, American skunk cabbage) and animal (American mink and signal crayfish) species. If you spot any of these invasive species or want to report any other incidents (e.g. pollution, riverbank damage) impacting the River Endrick and its tributaries please email them at l.lomondfisheriestrust@gmail.com.
