Balfron Community Council

BALFRON COMMUNITY COUNCIL NEWS 

Community Survey

Over the last few years Balfron Community Council have been busy with projects which have made a difference to the village, including restoration of the war memorial and improvements to Donaldson Play Park. We are now looking to gather your thoughts and get your feedback on two areas:

Where do you think we should focus next?

How should we keep you up to date with what we are doing?

Please complete this short questionnaire – it is completely anonymous. The link to the online version is here. There are also hard copies available at Balfron Library and the food exchange phone box on Dunmore Street.

Phone Box Refurbishment

Thanks to contributions raised from our crowdfunding appeal, a generous donation from The Paul Trust and funding from National Lottery Community Fund, the phone box will be refurbished this winter.  The phone box on Dunmore Street is a valuable food exchange and to ensure that it will remain in use for many years, it will be collected and refurbished by a phone box repair specialist. While the phone box is being repaired a temporary store will be available to ensure continuity of the food exchange.

Phone Box Fundraiser

Our first round of fund raising is now complete – many thanks for all your contributions to our crowd funding appeal which raised over £1,000. Also thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund and to The Paul Trust for supporting us with very generous contributions.

The National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland Chair, Kate Still: said: “In these unprecedented times, it’s heartening to see the way Scottish communities are coming together to provide each other with support.  I would like to congratulate Balfron Community Council on their award which is testament to the incredible efforts of their staff and volunteers. National Lottery players can be proud to know that the money they raise is making such a difference.”

We have now formed a small team to plan the refurbishment. Please contact us if you would like to be involved in the project.

Donaldson Park – Small Playpark

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 have left a range of toys in the sandpit for you and your children. The little playpark celebrates its 25th birthday this year and we hope everyone is enjoying the new play area.

Strathendrick Care Home

At an online meeting on 8th December, it was formally announced, for the first time in an open forum, that Strathendrick Care Home will close in the near future.   This is due to the fact that the facilities and services offered there are not appropriate for the Model of Care now deemed necessary for those who require the full range of Health and Social Care services available during periods of respite;  indeed, it was stated that the Home was never intended to be a respite centre.

We continue to work closely with our elected councillors to challenge this decision and the process that led to it.

Balfron Bank of Scotland Closure

In spite of our community petitioning, meetings with the Bank supported by MPs, MSPs and local councillors, and raising awareness in the media, our local Bank of Scotland closed on 23th March 2021.  The building is now on the market. A mobile bank will visit Balfron every other Monday from 10:45 to 12:45, and will park in the Co-op car park.

We are in discussions with Stirling Council to explore any opportunities that might allow us to keep the building for local use, and would be delighted to hear from anyone within the community who might have an interest in it or ideas for how it might be repurposed. You can contact us at hello@balfroncc.org.uk.

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. Further information about these species is available from www.nonnativespecies.org. Their project also includes works to enhance and secure habitats through tree planting and improving access to burns and other waterways for fish. 

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 report them by email to l.lomondfisheriestrust@gmail.com.   

Balfron Active Places – Construction Phase One Complete

The improvement works to The Clachan and Printers Row have now been completed, and the flower beds planted up for the summer by the village Balfron in Bloom group.

The works reflect the outcomes that were highlighted by the community during the consultations, such as:

• Improve the public realm and create space that provides enjoyment, comfort and protection.
• Provide positive road safety impact. Improve pedestrian and cyclist circulation.
• Improve accessibility for those with impaired mobility.

We are looking forward to working with Stirling Council on the next stages, covering Buchanan Street North and South, with the aim to secure funding during 2021.

Full details of the latest plans can be found at www.stirling.gov.uk/balfronactiveplaces.

COVID-19 – Support and Information

If you or a member of your household are showing symptoms of COVID-19, arranging for a test to be carried out is straightforward. Find out more on the NHS Inform page.

If you are self isolating or need support if you have to self-isolate any time in the future, there is a group of Balfron volunteers who are happy to help with errands such as shopping, dog walking, urgent supplies and posting mail (for free). Please call Michelle Conway on 07540 667260 if you need assistance or if you want to join the local volunteer group.

You can also contact Stirling Council if you are vulnerable, know of somebody who is vulnerable, self-isolating and has no immediate support available on 01786 404040 or email communitysupport@stirling.gov.uk.

Keep up to date with the latest local information about the Coronavirus on the Balfron Community Resilience Facebook page. Balfron has its own resilience plan, and the volunteers behind the plan are now working closely with Stirling Council to ensure our village needs are understood, and what we as a community can do to support Stirling Council to ensure the most vulnerable are looked after.