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2003/4 Breakdown of Events
A breakdown of the year's events along with a table of related documents for these years.
2003
June
- Carron Valley Development Group (CVDG) is formed, a constitution adopted and a website developed.
- Volunteer trailbuilding sessions begin.
- Due to staff changes within the FCS, little has moved on in terms of official permissions and a meeting is sought with the FCS at a more senior level to remedy this.
December
- CVDG continues dialogue with FCS at local level whilst continuing to seek a steer on mountain bike strategy with senior management at a national level.
2004
May
- CVDG secure a meeting with newly appointed FCS District Manager for Scottish Lowlands, Michael Wall. Rena Tarwinska, District Forester Communities and Environment, advises proposals will have to be framed within a "national context".
June
- CVDG finally meet with Michael Wall, who listens carefully to the hopes and aspirations of CVDG.
- Michael Wall grants CVDG very limited permissions to build trails in areas of the forest, stating "the completion of the existing course should provide the means to show that there is a demand for mountain biking at Carron Forest"
- He explains that whilst other forest districts have broken ranks and developed their own mountain bike centres on an ad hoc basis and this cannot be allowed to continue unchecked. He emphasises that ad hoc development will not be permitted at Carron Valley and that any sizeable future development will depend on the outcome of the review and report into mountain biking being carried out by FCS throughout the national forest estate. This report would form the basis of a new FCS national strategy for mountain bike centres.
- CVDG assured that they would be permitted access to the document and would be allowed to comment on it in draft form.
- CVDG understood at this point that national strategy had been drafted -the document remains unpublished as of December 2008.
July
- CVDG invited to FCS drop in meeting regarding future of public recreation at Carron Valley via the forest design plan
- CVDG seek clarity on the ground rules for construction and future development
- Rena Tarwinska seeks to limit progress using pending National Strategy as an excuse "such strategies are intended to give us all a better steer on what type of rec should be catered for where"
August
September
October
- CVDG member writes to Deputy Minister for the Environment. Hugh Insley, the FCS Chief Executive, responds and outlines an "imaginative, challenging and deliverable vision" to work towards
- Sylvia Jackson MSP registers her support for CVDG project
November
- CVDG are granted charitable status by The Inland Revenue.
- CVDG invited to contribute to the Forest Design Plan for Carron Valley
- Rena Tarwinska reinforces the positive future of mountain biking at Carron Valley "chances are Carron will be a chosen site for FC investment in MTB" but "the reason FC cannot yet commit to leading / supporting any funding bid for MTB itself is because of our pending mbiking strategy"
December
- It becomes apparent that the review has not even been started, and in the absence of a strategic steer, other forest districts have continued to develop their own centres.
- Meanwhile support for development at Carron Valley increases as the chief executives of North Lanarkshire Council & Stirling Council strongly back the aims of the project. A joint council workshop is scheduled for January 2005 following months of talks to publicly debate the recreational potential of Carron Valley. FCS stated the workshop was a pre-requisite before any development could take place. CVDG were the catalyst for this event.
- There is an easing of restrictions and permission is now given to CVDG by the FCS to design and develop a limited trail network and have this built by civil engineering contractors - the surfacing of trails being the only viable means of ensuring long term sustainability.