Musings from the Merse
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Reston : the last Shufti. Hopefully
As seen from N13 on a glorious warm Autumnal day sense reigns supreme amongst the sun kissed voters on the Berwickshire News 'Issues' Poll
Should Reston station be reopened?
Yes [2.7%]
No [93.8%]
Don't Know [3.6%]
So apart from John Lamont and Big Jim F who has voted yes? Must be a number as each vote changes the percentage by .1 . Which equally shows that a very large number are voting no.
Power of the Blog?
Or common sense?
(The image, thank you Hutton Think Tank, Photos and Fish Section, for this mock up image from their Report : Reston Station: Gateway to Berwickshire: Predicted usage.
The title of the picture : 0800 Monday Rush hour. The figure who has just arrived has not been identified )
Labels: Berwickshire News, Big Jim Fullarton, John Lamont, Reston Station
Friday, September 11, 2009
Reston on whose Laurels
'CAMPAIGNERS for the re-opening of Reston Station were given a major boost last week when the Scottish Transport Minister agreed to fund the next step in the process to find out whether it will be financially viable.' is the opening sentence of Janice Gillie's main story in yesterday's Berwickshire. You can read the rest of the article here
AS a long time opponent of wasteful public spending (New benches in Hutton Village always excepted) I am delighted to the read that at last the value for money aspect is going to be examined-the elephant in the room will be found to be white. You would have thought that financial viability would have been the first thing to consider-years ago when the campaigners in RAGES fired their opening salvos. But there you are. Financial cut backs means hard choices but in the case of Reston Station and its hourly service to East Linton this is an easy one. So Mr Minister pull the plug and throw it away.
If you can bear to read the article in full you will come to the usual supporters for madcap if locally populist schemes. Mr Lamont will loudly back anything that might add a vote or two to an already healthy majority and as for Big Dim Jim-dim does not necessarily apply in this case, the developer's faithful friend has a nice acre or two down Coldingham way-railhead at Reston, commuter housing at Coldingham. Oh but isn't that good farming land? Yes. And look at Big Jim's record of support for building on farming land.
And much will become clear
'CAMPAIGNERS for the re-opening of Reston Station were given a major boost last week when the Scottish Transport Minister agreed to fund the next step in the process to find out whether it will be financially viable.' is the opening sentence of Janice Gillie's main story in yesterday's Berwickshire. You can read the rest of the article here
AS a long time opponent of wasteful public spending (New benches in Hutton Village always excepted) I am delighted to the read that at last the value for money aspect is going to be examined-the elephant in the room will be found to be white. You would have thought that financial viability would have been the first thing to consider-years ago when the campaigners in RAGES fired their opening salvos. But there you are. Financial cut backs means hard choices but in the case of Reston Station and its hourly service to East Linton this is an easy one. So Mr Minister pull the plug and throw it away.
If you can bear to read the article in full you will come to the usual supporters for madcap if locally populist schemes. Mr Lamont will loudly back anything that might add a vote or two to an already healthy majority and as for Big Dim Jim-dim does not necessarily apply in this case, the developer's faithful friend has a nice acre or two down Coldingham way-railhead at Reston, commuter housing at Coldingham. Oh but isn't that good farming land? Yes. And look at Big Jim's record of support for building on farming land.
And much will become clear
Labels: Big Jim Fullarton, Criminal wastes of money, RAGES, Reston Station
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Cometh the Flood; Buildeth the Ark
It appears that the proposed building over the area next to Hutton Castle Mill-the second home for the resident gillie-is running into further bother with a letter of objection from the Scottish Environmental Agency (SEPA) as you can read here
This is all about the flood risk and the great flood of 1948 which carried away some of the buildings around the mill and swept away a couple of bridges down stream. However the Head of Technical Services writing about the flood problems offers some comfort:
In terms of information that this Council has concerning flood risk to this site, I would state that The Indicative River & Coastal Flood Map (Scotland) known as the “second generation flood mapping” prepared by SEPA indicates that the northern part of the site is at risk from a flood event with a return period of 1 in 200 years. That is the 0.5% annual risk of a flood occurring in any year.
Thus with the great flood of 48 and several less severe inundations since, go on,one might say, take a risk, it won't happen for another 200 years- and assuming that the Gillie is an experienced betting man he could well go for it. But if he is a very experienced betting man he just might pause for thought-next year is inside the '200 year flood risk envelope' as the SEPA guy puts out so why put both your homes at risk?
SEPA does not have much clout I fear. The existing house was given planning permission despite an identical risk assessment as was the project to convert the mill into self catering accommodating.
On present form it is sad to say that with both SEPA and the Community Council against the application it has a reasonable (ie completely unreasonable) chance of success. Much will depend on which way Big Jim will jump.
Just a thought. If Mr Noah, formerly of Ararat, now of Belmarsh was to make a formal application to build an Ark down there how would he fare? Anticipation of a Flood would chime well with SEPA advice but I am not sure that the new Local Plan has provision for mobile buildings of this sort (unless containing chickens as at Hutton Castle Barns-and only two in the case of the Ark) Sites of Special Religious Interest (SSRI)are not recognised by SBC Planners.
Come on Planners think outside the box (or Ark) for a change A Gillie's Ark, able to float out of trouble by 2209 if necessary is an idea worth pursuing should the current application fail.
What do you think Albert R?
Worth a shot?
It appears that the proposed building over the area next to Hutton Castle Mill-the second home for the resident gillie-is running into further bother with a letter of objection from the Scottish Environmental Agency (SEPA) as you can read here
This is all about the flood risk and the great flood of 1948 which carried away some of the buildings around the mill and swept away a couple of bridges down stream. However the Head of Technical Services writing about the flood problems offers some comfort:
In terms of information that this Council has concerning flood risk to this site, I would state that The Indicative River & Coastal Flood Map (Scotland) known as the “second generation flood mapping” prepared by SEPA indicates that the northern part of the site is at risk from a flood event with a return period of 1 in 200 years. That is the 0.5% annual risk of a flood occurring in any year.
Thus with the great flood of 48 and several less severe inundations since, go on,one might say, take a risk, it won't happen for another 200 years- and assuming that the Gillie is an experienced betting man he could well go for it. But if he is a very experienced betting man he just might pause for thought-next year is inside the '200 year flood risk envelope' as the SEPA guy puts out so why put both your homes at risk?
SEPA does not have much clout I fear. The existing house was given planning permission despite an identical risk assessment as was the project to convert the mill into self catering accommodating.
On present form it is sad to say that with both SEPA and the Community Council against the application it has a reasonable (ie completely unreasonable) chance of success. Much will depend on which way Big Jim will jump.
Just a thought. If Mr Noah, formerly of Ararat, now of Belmarsh was to make a formal application to build an Ark down there how would he fare? Anticipation of a Flood would chime well with SEPA advice but I am not sure that the new Local Plan has provision for mobile buildings of this sort (unless containing chickens as at Hutton Castle Barns-and only two in the case of the Ark) Sites of Special Religious Interest (SSRI)are not recognised by SBC Planners.
Come on Planners think outside the box (or Ark) for a change A Gillie's Ark, able to float out of trouble by 2209 if necessary is an idea worth pursuing should the current application fail.
What do you think Albert R?
Worth a shot?
Labels: Big Jim Fullarton, Flooding, Gillies Ark, Hutton Castle Mill, Noah
Friday, July 03, 2009
JIM WON'T FIX IT
A Peasant has commented on the previous post as follows
"The lack of visual literacy of the planners is unparalleled - just look how they have wrecked Whitsome Hill and many other places. Planning in the Borders is beyond a joke. How can this issue be progressed?"
I don't know the background to the rape of Whitsome Hill but don't generally blame the planners but their political masters and the odd rogue Councillor who forces through daft decisions-either out of sheer dimness, illiterate cussedness or following a discretely hidden agenda of his (usually) own. I hate to be a bore on the subject but a fine example of this beast is Big Dim Jim the member for Eyemouth/Coldingham and one of the three councillors for Eastern Berwickshire. I used to see him in action when I was a Huttonian by both domicile and inclination but I am still marking his card-hence yesterday's Post. And this week's Berwickshire carries yet another example of his style: moving across the Whiteadder to Foulden as you can read here
Granted Big Jim knows the area; he has been around long enough but I suspect what he understands about what or what not constitutes a an important historical remains could be inscribed on one of these new 20p pieces with something missing-an apt metaphor this. Yet he can still proudly say : "I suspect that the cottages won't be of significant importance historically."
Fortunately, in this case, he has not been able to stop the involvement of genuine experts-not that their opinion will impress him unless it is in his favour.
You will observe Dear A Peasant that (from his declaration of interests) that Mr B F is a member of the NFU (see here) and it is therefore instructive to note that most 'development' proposals put forward by a farmer or landowner (often the same difference)automatically earns his support seemingly irrespective if its merits and the views of the local community.And when the opinions of the official planning staff are also against the applicant it is all too frequent that he can get his point of view rammed through the Berwickshire Area Committee.
A Peasant : raise your sights
(Image is of a nice bit of Berwickshire just crying out for development. Get those pretty scrubby trees out of the way and a posh estate in before you can say 'next credit crunch')
Labels: . inappropriate develoment, Berwickshire Area Committee, Big Jim Fullarton, Border Planning
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Concrete 2 Paxton 0
A Good day for the Laird is the story behind Paxton Houses get the Green Light-full sordid details you can read here
PLANNING permission has been granted for two new houses in Paxton, despite objections from the Community Council, and what one Councillor described as "moral issues". sums it up. Bully for Councillor David Raw who could not accept the way the applicant had run rings around the planning regulations including cutting down his own plantation of Christmas Trees (in January-bad timing, or what?); the application had originally been rejected on the grounds :"that the development would result in the loss of a woodland resource and would subsequently have a detrimental impact on the landscape" Soon fix that-cut down the woodland resource; fait accompli; now let's start again shall we?
But not a problem for Big 'Dim' Jim, one of the other two Councillors for Eastern Berwickshire who has a peerless record in supporting any development, any where, whatever the local Community Council might think and how nauseatingly inappropriate it might be. In Dim Jim's eyes this Woodland Resource was no more than basically "pretty scrubby christmas trees", and urged the committee to look at the positives. He said: "These pretty* scrubby trees were felled by the owner for reasons which are not our concern. We have to look at the positives - new trees will be planted. I would support the recommendation to approve permission, we have to be positive and bold." ( subtext:Just in case I ever want to build on my own farm at Coldingham?)
So now the good people of Paxton will have on their doorstop two one-and-a-half storey properties with dry dash rendered walls, timber clad features and Redland Norfolk pan tiles. 'Timber clad features? Made from the felled Christmas Trees? There is a lost opportunity for you .
And so exciting is this new development (until it is mercifully screened in about 40 years time by a new mandatory planting of less pretty scrubby Christmas Trees) that Big Jim Fullarton is calling for a major new transport initiative to service it "This is now a completed building group. I wonder if it is in the interest of transport links to put a bus shelter in Paxton to link this community - I am going to put that out there.
Big Jim's syntax is hard to follow at the best of times*-there already is a bus shelter in Paxton-so we assume he means that a new bus shelter should be built near to the this startlingly bijou attraction thus allowing the people of downtown Paxton to take the 32 bus (never on a Sunday, mind you) to visit Scotland's Favourite Short Break Destination latest tourist attraction; 'Nothing on Telly Joan-lets pop on the bus and go and have a look at how the Johnny Dim Development is getting on and enjoy a stroll through the pretty pretty Christmas Trees"
(* 'Pretty' as in 'very' one assumes but with BDJF you can never be quite sure)
A Good day for the Laird is the story behind Paxton Houses get the Green Light-full sordid details you can read here
PLANNING permission has been granted for two new houses in Paxton, despite objections from the Community Council, and what one Councillor described as "moral issues". sums it up. Bully for Councillor David Raw who could not accept the way the applicant had run rings around the planning regulations including cutting down his own plantation of Christmas Trees (in January-bad timing, or what?); the application had originally been rejected on the grounds :"that the development would result in the loss of a woodland resource and would subsequently have a detrimental impact on the landscape" Soon fix that-cut down the woodland resource; fait accompli; now let's start again shall we?
But not a problem for Big 'Dim' Jim, one of the other two Councillors for Eastern Berwickshire who has a peerless record in supporting any development, any where, whatever the local Community Council might think and how nauseatingly inappropriate it might be. In Dim Jim's eyes this Woodland Resource was no more than basically "pretty scrubby christmas trees", and urged the committee to look at the positives. He said: "These pretty* scrubby trees were felled by the owner for reasons which are not our concern. We have to look at the positives - new trees will be planted. I would support the recommendation to approve permission, we have to be positive and bold." ( subtext:Just in case I ever want to build on my own farm at Coldingham?)
So now the good people of Paxton will have on their doorstop two one-and-a-half storey properties with dry dash rendered walls, timber clad features and Redland Norfolk pan tiles. 'Timber clad features? Made from the felled Christmas Trees? There is a lost opportunity for you .
And so exciting is this new development (until it is mercifully screened in about 40 years time by a new mandatory planting of less pretty scrubby Christmas Trees) that Big Jim Fullarton is calling for a major new transport initiative to service it "This is now a completed building group. I wonder if it is in the interest of transport links to put a bus shelter in Paxton to link this community - I am going to put that out there.
Big Jim's syntax is hard to follow at the best of times*-there already is a bus shelter in Paxton-so we assume he means that a new bus shelter should be built near to the this startlingly bijou attraction thus allowing the people of downtown Paxton to take the 32 bus (never on a Sunday, mind you) to visit Scotland's Favourite Short Break Destination latest tourist attraction; 'Nothing on Telly Joan-lets pop on the bus and go and have a look at how the Johnny Dim Development is getting on and enjoy a stroll through the pretty pretty Christmas Trees"
(* 'Pretty' as in 'very' one assumes but with BDJF you can never be quite sure)
Labels: Big Jim Fullarton, The Laird. inappropriate develoment
Friday, April 17, 2009
Greenlaw farmer praised for housing plans
(by Fellow Farmer Shock)
Cognoscenti of Borders Planning shenanigans will find this story here drearily familiar. Farmer looking to diversify (tr. Make money out of housing) Produces scheme. Opposed by local community as represented by the Community Council usually for very good planning reasons including in this case a clear breach of how many new buildings can be built near an existing building group. Oh its just the Nimbies says the Tribune of the People-aka Local Borders Councillor. Endangering bats? Birds? That's strictly for the Birds And Bats. Bats! In a word ;BATTY. Berwickshire Civic Society objecting? Lot of Middle Class reactionaries Keeping booming Berwickshire in a Guardian reading time warp.. Imaginative scheme. Pushes it through the hoops.
But this little latest triumph for the farmers/developers has another familiar element. Indeed a common -no slur intended-denominator: Yes you spotted it!
Big Jim F.
One just has to admire his consistency/persistency. When ever a farmer proposes any kind of development, regardless of merit (as it often is- apart from ladling in the readies) it seems to the keen observer Jim will try to fix it. And in this case building apparently for rent is singing from BJ's favourite hymn sheet. By coincidence his Coldingham farm stead has housing for rent and a few more buildings dotted around the rape,in accordance with planning precedent elsewhere in Berwickshire might not come amiss.
Am I being a bit cynical?
Am I Donald?*
* Borders rhyming scan-blog ed
(by Fellow Farmer Shock)
Cognoscenti of Borders Planning shenanigans will find this story here drearily familiar. Farmer looking to diversify (tr. Make money out of housing) Produces scheme. Opposed by local community as represented by the Community Council usually for very good planning reasons including in this case a clear breach of how many new buildings can be built near an existing building group. Oh its just the Nimbies says the Tribune of the People-aka Local Borders Councillor. Endangering bats? Birds? That's strictly for the Birds And Bats. Bats! In a word ;BATTY. Berwickshire Civic Society objecting? Lot of Middle Class reactionaries Keeping booming Berwickshire in a Guardian reading time warp.. Imaginative scheme. Pushes it through the hoops.
But this little latest triumph for the farmers/developers has another familiar element. Indeed a common -no slur intended-denominator: Yes you spotted it!
Big Jim F.
One just has to admire his consistency/persistency. When ever a farmer proposes any kind of development, regardless of merit (as it often is- apart from ladling in the readies) it seems to the keen observer Jim will try to fix it. And in this case building apparently for rent is singing from BJ's favourite hymn sheet. By coincidence his Coldingham farm stead has housing for rent and a few more buildings dotted around the rape,in accordance with planning precedent elsewhere in Berwickshire might not come amiss.
Am I being a bit cynical?
Am I Donald?*
* Borders rhyming scan-blog ed
Labels: Big Jim Fullarton, Borders Planning, Inappropriate Development
Thursday, December 11, 2008
"Our countryside is being vandalised with these damned industrial machines because the administration in Holyrood does not have the guts to go down the nuclear route," blasted Jim Fullarton (East Berwickshire"
speaks the well known voice of moderation. (Full report here) Short and to the point which is not at all like Big Jim. My instinct after being subjected to blasts of long winded (npi)incoherent rhetoric by Jim F whilst serving a few years on the Hutton and Paxton Community Council is to support anything he is opposing. In this instance I have the unworthy thought that perhaps there is an element of a Border Collie in the rabbit hutch behind this vehemence, opposing turbines wherever they may wish to be. Some fellow landowners have done quite well renting out vast tracts of territory for wind farms. Damned industrial machines pay quite a nice lot of rent. Has anyone asked Jim for a slice of Coldingham?
Thought not.
(The image is of Hardens Hill Turbine farm-marching towards Coldingham so Big J could yet be lucky?)
Labels: Big Jim Fullarton, Wind Turbines
Saturday, November 01, 2008
A bloggee has suggested that Huttonian has been a trifle unkind about Big Jim-see post immediately below. Just because he is a bit long winded and at times incoherent is no reason for poking fun-look what happened to Russell Brand, he points out. After all he continues we are talking about a local government councillor, not the Chief Whip and most councillors are long winded and mostly incoherent (In his experience I hasten to add, I never said that)
I am sure that Mr F will take no offence- a cheery bloke as you can see from his official photograph-as lifted from here. And I have no intention in leaving inappropriate messages on his answer machine. And I very much doubt if the disgraced Mr B will bother to do so either, even a very short one, querying, ever so politely, the use of 'rurality'
Labels: Big Jim Fullarton, Borders Councillors
Friday, October 31, 2008
Jim (Probably won't) Fix It
A regular Bloggee reports as follows:
Big Jim was discussing on Radio Borders this morning, the problems we have in our region for the funding of affordable housing. The main problem he sees is our "rurality"!
Big Jim is, as regulars will know,one of the three East Berwickshire's local councillors, a regular attendee at the meetings of the Hutton and Paxton Community Council where he was supposed to keep us informed of the bigger picture in the Borders' scheme of things. Willing: certainly, verbose:definitely, informative: rarely. Clear: Well put it this way,
he suffered from verbal rurality. Or as a great Borders Philosopher, a friend of Duns Scrotus, once put it :
Vos animadverto nemus pro nemus
: You can't see the trees for the trees'
A regular Bloggee reports as follows:
Big Jim was discussing on Radio Borders this morning, the problems we have in our region for the funding of affordable housing. The main problem he sees is our "rurality"!
Big Jim is, as regulars will know,one of the three East Berwickshire's local councillors, a regular attendee at the meetings of the Hutton and Paxton Community Council where he was supposed to keep us informed of the bigger picture in the Borders' scheme of things. Willing: certainly, verbose:definitely, informative: rarely. Clear: Well put it this way,
he suffered from verbal rurality. Or as a great Borders Philosopher, a friend of Duns Scrotus, once put it :
Vos animadverto nemus pro nemus
: You can't see the trees for the trees'
Labels: Big Jim Fullarton, Hutton and Paxton Community Council
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Lies,Damn Lies, Statistics and Opinion Polls
The Berwickshire has a series of running polls on every conceivable subject from Ber Wick 'returning' to Scotland to the merits of wind farms in the Lammermuirs.
One is of some historical interest with regard to the closing of Eccles Primary School as part of a round of schools closures in the Borders which sunk Hutton. The question was
Is Scottish Borders Council right to keep Eccles school open?
75% said yes and 25 % said no
Now that may have not been the right answer for the Highheidyins in St Boswells so the question was cunningly rephrased (by some stickler for Borders Grammer, as she/it/they is/are writ?)
Are Scottish Borders right to keep Eccles school open?
Vote Results Yes 0% No 0%
Great result for the Educational Gurus who could go around saying, quite truthfully, on the basis of this poll that no one wants to keep the school open.
As it happened the school was not closed-a triumph for the 75% who voted in the wrong poll. But no one asked a question about Hutton.
Its like the old chestnut. What is more correct?:
Yokes of Eggs are white
or
Yokes of Eggs is white.
If you don't know, ask your local councillor.
If it is Big Jim Fullarton.
Ask someone else.
Incredibly, Flickr has no image of Hutton School-nor is there one in my 137strong collection of pictures of the village. So this photo of a Toad, seen crossing the main road, not far from the school will just have to do. Apologies
Labels: Big Jim Fullarton, Eccles, Hutton School, Scottish Borders
