soapbox!
air your views...
The Broch at Strathyre As promised in last month’s edition I have pursued the issue with the Broch and have received the attached response (right). I have also been contacted the NP to confirm that the signage concerning the cycle path at the back of the houses in Old Station Court is now ready and we have agreed where signs would be most suitable and they will be in place very soon, if not already in place by the time this goes to print. Well done to the NP for addressing this in a professional manner, let’s hope the cyclists take heed of the information given on these notices!!!! Wullie D Elite 150W Aquarium heater New boxed Maxi Jet MJ750 670 l/h Powerhead New boxed Whisper 800 Airpumps 2 off used Fishmate F14 Automatic Aquarium fish feeder £40 Tel 01877 384 608
The Great Loch Earn Boat Race Continued from page 4
route than ours - our plan looked like it was working! Sure enough, we crossed the finish line in first place, securing ourselves not only the Veteran Team Trophy which had been a cert anyway, as we were the only team racing in that category (!) but also the outright winners’ cup! Time taken, 1 hour, 45 minutes and 20 seconds. The team would like to thank all those who sponsored us and in particular, MGK Motors in Comrie for their very generous donation. When it was pointed out to Mike at the garage that his donation, whilst gratefully accepted, was to say the least, on the generous side, he stated that he, in turn, had been grateful for the support of the ‘Villagers’ of St Fillans with his business and felt it a way of saying “Thank You”. Total sum raised will be close to £500, so in all it was a very successful event. When all the donations have been collected, we shall liaise with Sally Watson and forward the proceeds to The Salvation Army. Finally, we should also like to thank Russ (Ex Team Captain) and Liz Cunningham, who kindly fed and watered us (excessively!) after the race. Their hospitality was very generous and enjoyable. 6
High Hedges (Scotland) Bill enacted This email recently came in on the subject! I am writing to inform you that the Scottish Parliament enacted the High Hedges (Scotland) Bill today, Thursday 28 March 2013. One final amendment was approved to the Bill. The definition of a high hedge as set in Section 1(1) of the Bill was amended to remove the words “evergreen and semi-evergreen”. Consequently, the Bill as passed now defines a high hedge in Scots law as a hedge which – (a) is formed wholly or mainly by 2 or more trees or shrubs, (b) rises to a height of more than 2 metres above ground level, and (c) forms a barrier to light. A copy of the Bill, as passed by the Parliament, is now available online. The Bill should receive Royal Assent by late April or early May. Once this happens the final published version of the High Hedges (Scotland) Act 2013 will be available on the Scottish legislation section of the UK Legislation website: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp During the parliamentary debate this afternoon both the Minister for Local Government and Planning, Derek Mackay MSP, and the member in charge of the Bill, Mark McDonald MSP, indicated that work would now take place during the rest of the year to develop the necessary local authority and public guidance to support the high hedges system being introduced by the Act, with a view to bringing the relevant provisions of the Act into force in early 2014. The exact timing of the commencement of the Act will be a matter for the Scottish Ministers to decide. I hope you have found the interaction with the Committee, the Parliament and the legislative process to be useful one? On behalf of the Local Government and Regeneration Committee can I thank you for taking part in our scrutiny of this Bill. Further information on the Parliament, the legislative process, and how you can take part in the Scottish parliamentary system can be found on our website: http://scottish.parliament.uk/ParliamentaryBusiness.aspx (parliamentary business) http://scottish.parliament.uk/75.aspx (getting involved) http://scottish.parliament.uk/visitandlearn/9981.aspx (how the Parliament works). WD