The minutes of our February board meeting are now available for you to read. See what we’re currently up to, and let us know if you’d like to join our next board meeting in March. It’ll be an in-person meeting at the Community Wing, Alyth Primary School, Albert Street, on Monday 6 March starting at 7.00pm.
Alyth Development Trust
Millhaugh site wins £94k first-phase funding
ADT’s plans for the unused former sawmill at Millhaugh on Bamff Road have received a massive boost with a grant of nearly £94,000 from the Scottish Government.
The grant, from the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme, will cover half the cost of the first phase of ADT’s project to acquire and redevelop the site for a range of educational, environmental, social, and tourism-related activities on behalf of the local community. ADT hopes to hear about bids to cover the rest of the cost from other funding sources within the next few weeks.
The site, close to the heart of Alyth, currently contains several derelict mill, shed, storage and abandoned residential structures and forms the natural entrance to the Den of Alyth woodland and riverside walk areas, which are a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The Millhaugh regeneration project responds directly to the findings of last year’s Community Action Plan (CAP) for Alyth. The CAP was developed through a very extensive community consultation that engaged hundreds of individuals and groups throughout the community and generated six main themes for action over the next few years.
The CAP consultations identified the Millhaugh site as one where community ownership and re-development would make a massive contribution to all the CAP themes: repurposing derelict sites, developing new community and recreational spaces, promoting new events and activities, enhancing biodiversity and protecting habitats, and supporting tourism in the area.
Once a significant employer in the town since the 19th century with a cornmill and later a sawmill, Millhaugh has been vacant and unused since the 1980s, becoming increasingly derelict and attracting some vandalism and anti-social behaviour. The current owners are enthusiastic about seeing the site move into community ownership and become a public space that will benefit the whole town and create a new natural entrance to the Den of Alyth.
Once all the funding is in place, ADT will acquire the site and begin refurbishing existing buildings where possible, demolishing unsafe structures and tidying up the site generally. At the same time, there will be a wide-ranging public consultation to guide decisions on what sort of activities the redeveloped site could best be used for. Existing buildings and materials already on the site will be re-used and recycled as far as possible.
New home strips for Alyth Amateurs
Alyth Amateurs Football Club are representing the town in style with new home strips funded by a grant from ADT’s Community Projects Fund.
The Club bought new strips two years ago, but while the away strip tops are still in good condition the home strips were very tired and the numbers were starting to peel off. The pandemic of the last two years restricted the Club’s fund-raising leaving them short of money.
A grant of £750 from the Community Projects Fund allowed the Club to buy new home strips in time for the 2022/23 football season, so they now look their best at home games in Division 1 of the Perthshire League.
Jenni Milne of AAFC said: “All our players are from Alyth and surrounding areas and are very proud to part of the community, so to have a kit that was looking old and tatty was not very motivating for them or for their loyal supporters. The new strips mean they can represent the Alyth community at home games with new pride and determination.”
ADT’s Community Projects Fund distributes the community benefit income donated to the town by Temporis Ltd, operators of the Tullymurdoch Wind Farm just north of Alyth. Grants are decided by an independent panel of Alyth people. More info here: https://lovealyth.org.uk/projects/alyth-community-projects-fund/
ADT helping to make Winter Market a success
ADT is underwriting costs of up to £2000 to help make the Winter Market scheduled for 19 November as big a success as the Summer Market was in July.
The money, which comes from the windfarm revenues that ADT manages on behalf of Alyth, will go towards equipment and catering costs for the event.
Following the success of the Summer Market, the organisers of the Winter Market are expecting hundreds of people to gather at Alyth Bowling & Tennis Club on 19 November, where some 30 artists, craftspeople and artisan food makers will be displaying their wares.
Organisers are also planning a special treat for all duck-race fans: The Great Alyth Winter Duck Race will be taking place throughout November with many local businesses joining in. Can you find them all?
Eleanor Whipps of the organising committee said: “All the vendors from the Summer Market have said they want to return and we have a waiting list of others who have also applied. Many of these vendors are local so the Market will be a boost to the local economy as well as a great day out for the community.
“As well all the wonderful stalls, there will be free vegan food-tasting and a warm spiced apple drink on offer, (come early to ensure you don’t miss out) along with free face-painting and giant bubbles! More vendors and attractions are being added all the time, so keep an eye on https://alyth.online/market/ to get the latest details.”
The ADT grant comes from the community benefit income donated to the town by Temporis Ltd, operators of the Tullymurdoch Wind Farm just north of Alyth.
September board minutes now online
The minutes of our directors’ meeting last Monday are now available to read online. Have a browse through and see what we’re up to, and if you’d like to know more get in touch and we can send you the login for the next meeting in October. Better still, if you’re not yet a member, why not join us via the subscription form at right? It’s completely free!
Join our September board meeting
Our next board meeting is on Monday 5 September on Zoom at 7pm. Why not join us and hear more about what we’re up to? You don’t need to be a member – just ask us for the login details before the meeting. Alternatively, join us via the simple form at right – it’s completely free! The more members we have, the better we can speak up for Alyth to local and national government and funding bodies. While you’re here, have a look at the minutes of previous meetings to find out more about us.