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Comrie Community Right to Buy:
yet again the Press Release from the CDT
Secretary does not truly reflect what
happened at a key open meeting
James Irvine
Teviot Scientific, Cultybraggan Farm, Comrie,
Perthshire
Filed 16 Aug 07
©www.land-care.org.uk
On Monday 13th August the Comrie Development Rust
(CDT) held its penultimate meeting before the members of the Trust
have to vote, yes or no, to buying the 90 hectare decommissioned
Cultybraggan Army Camp under Community Right to Buy legislation.
The final meeting is just days away on Monday 20th August.
At the meeting on 13th August the CDT Board, along
with the Consultants they employed, were severely criticised by
a number of members of the Trust for not having in place the semblance
of a business plan at this very late hour (1).
Basic economic facts were only extracted from
the executive after persistent demands from the floor. These included
the actual interest rates in relation to so-called interest-free
loans of substantial sums. It transpired that the loans were only
interest-free for a very limited time, which was then followed by
a punitive interest rate. of 9.5% at present rates. This basic fact,
lie so many others, is not reflected in the Press Release from the
CDT Secretary.
There was much concern expressed by the Trust
members as to the costs of running the site. The costs quoted by
the Consultants - again extracted only after repeated insistence
from the floor - were regarded as not being credible
The proposed uses of the site in order to generate
income were seriously unconvincing in their ability to meet the
running costs of the site, let alone meet bank interest charges
that would come into effect in 2 to 3 year. Neither were any reasonable
types of contract with possible leasors in evidence. Problems with
their superficially presented schemes were simply brushed over,
on the principle that
"it will be much easier once we own the
site".
The CDT's denial of serious security issues pertaining
to the site were met with incredulity.
The opinion of several speakers from the floor
was summed up by the statements that
"it was a huge gamble that should not be
taken
It was based on a wing and a prayer
It was like buying a pup
"Where are the cashflow projections?"
Yet the CDT Secretary issued a Press Release that
scarcely reflected any of that (2).
Instead he perpetuated the hype, as has been his custom, as though
the stated concerns of the membership of the organisation that he
represents were of little importance.
Hype may be defined as treading a fine line between
at least partial truth on the one hand and
frank deception on the other.
Remarkably, the meeting on Monday 13th August
was the first meeting in the six months that have been available
when it was possible to have a proper debate, albeit within severe
time restrictions. And this only came about after a serious complaint
was lodged.
Large sums of money from the Public Purse are
involved in this project.The Scottish Executive and the CDT Board
may well claim that democratic consultation and debate have taken
place, but in fact it has been a sham. PR hype and spin by professionals
have taken pride of place over the provision of basic facts and
proper open debate.
The good folk of Comrie are being lured into buying
a large parcel of land for themselves, for no cost or liability
to themselves, and for no clear purpose other than speculating on
the value of land. But if the project fails to work out economically
(as it may well do for lack of any credible business planning),
it will be a number of Charitable Trusts as well as the Public Purse
that will be the losers.
For an affluent community such as Comrie, that
seems to me to be an incredibly selfish exercise.
www.land-care.org.uk
References
1, Irvine, James (2007). So where
is the business plan for Community Right to Buy
Cultybraggan Camp?
See SOCIAL/ECONOMIC/POLITICAL Homepage, filed 14 Aug 07, www.land-care.org.uk
Click
Here to View
2. Comrie Development Trust (2007.
Press Release 15th August Click
here to View pdf
Finis
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