Possibility of additional hydro projects in Ardentinny

Co-Hydrover Ltd. and Partners are studying the possibility of operating two additional hydro electric projects in Ardentinny, i.e., at the Coull Burn and Old School Burn, the latter being the burn beside the village car park and presumably so-called because of its proximity to the original Old School, i.e., Glencairn Cottage.

Regarding The Coull Burn Project, the contractor, Robert Brakes who was also representing his project partner Co-Hydrover, recently met with members of the Village Hall Committee along with Dougie Menzies, Chair of Ardentinny Renewables Trust. The object of the meeting was to discuss the possibility of erecting a pole on village hall land in exchange for a cheaper electricity tariff for the hall.

Cuil Burn Proposed Hydro-Electric Turbine site – Click map to download PDF

The turbine would be situated on Forestry Commission land, for which they will receive 20% of the project’s profits and the proposal is to connect to the grid by bringing an underground cable across the road and connecting it to a pole to be erected on village hall ground. In exchange, the hall will receive a reduced electricity tariff while the turbine is running, as will proprietors of other property through which the cable runs.

Ardentinny Renewables Trust receives first tranche of community funds

Members of Ardentinny Renewables Trust (ART) will already be aware that the first tranche of funds, i.e., £5322.78, from the Hydrover hydro scheme, has been received by the Trust and funding applications for its use are invited.

Applicants must first be resident within the Ardentinny Community Council area and be members of ART. Funds applied for must be for the benefit of Ardentinny. There are no limits to the amount but applicants are encouraged to source funds from more than one grant funder, particularly in the case of larger projects.

Successful applications will be decided by the ART ‘Funding Panel’ of 7 members who were nominated at the 2018 AGM. They will meet privately up to four times a year to consider applications but may occasionally request applicants to attend. They will base their decisions on consideration of which projects offer the greatest and widest benefit to the Ardentinny community, taking into account the number of applicants, the fund balance and any previous awards.

If you are not yet a Trust member and wish to be so, contact Neil Robinson, ART Secretary @ ardentinnyrenewablestrust@gmail.com.

The Big Picnic – LIVE!

Streamed live from Glenfinart Walled Garden on a rather soggy Sunday in July.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUBMohSeJRE

Village Hall groundworks begin

As unanimously agreed at the AGM in May, groundworks to clear and possibly replace the hall’s drainage system have now begun. This should go some way in tackling the urgent problem of dampness in the building.

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Ardentinny’s Village Hall Revival

At the Village Hall AGM in Ardentinny last week, one thing became abundantly clear. Namely, that the intervention at the EGM the previous August by Agnes Harvey, Guy Elder and Merle Ferguson who volunteered to stall the then imminent disposal of the Hall by caretaking it over the winter, had paid off. During that time the hall was ‘reopened for business’, allowing local clubs to return to use it and organisations and individuals to rent it for meetings and events. Minor and more serious defects in the fabric of the building were identified, the former being dealt with by Guy while quotes were obtained for rectifying the latter. Agnes, as Treasurer, dealt with documentation, the bank account and necessary payments while Merle, as secretary, handled hall bookings and correspondence and undertook a survey of residents as to the future of the hall.