Projects

Glenluce Healthy Living Campus

Following the community consultation held in May 2020,  the results reiterated the unanimous support given in July 2019 for the Trust to seek ways to safeguard GP services in the Old Luce area. The full results of this consultation are available at www.oldluce.org.uk/gpsurgery/ 

Further community consultation on housing at the Four Winds site in November 2021 overwhelmingly supported the demolition of the existing Four Winds house and building three 2-bedroom bungalows on the site. The Trust has now been successful in obtaining funding from Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Community Led Economic Regeneration Fund (CLERF) which, combined with funding from Old Luce Community Fund, will allow the Trust to develop the plans for both the new Surgery and Housing to the submission of a full Planning Application, following earlier Pre-Planning Applications on both developments.

The Trust continues to work closely with the GP Practice Management Team and Dumfries and Galloway NHS to finalise the required size and design of the new Surgery building and discuss funding options. As part of their consultancy process, the NHS held a Risks & Benefits and an Options Appraisal public workshop at the Glenluce Public Hall in November and December. The Trust is currently awaiting the final outcome of this consultancy process.

The Trust has also engaged Community Enterprise to conduct research into potential funding opportunities for the remaining funding for the Glenluce Healthy Living Campus development, whilst also continuing its own discussions with funders, and will take forward the recommendations over the coming year.

 

The Village Square

The Village Square has now been officially handed over by contractors Luce Bay and the noticeboard, oak benches in the shelter, slate commemorative plaque and funding sponsor signage will be installed in the coming weeks. Our garden designer Sian Roberts has been keeping an expert eye on the garden beds during the winter months and we’re looking forward to seeing new growth and colour ‘springing’ up very soon.

The Glen

The Woodland Management Plan was completed for the Glen in late 2019.  The Friends of the Glen are now working through their action plan for work in the Glen based on this management plan. This dedicated group of ground volunteers has been meeting regularly on various days with the very welcome help of Glenluce Primary School teachers and students and the GSA Biosphere, clearing invasive laurel and rhododendron and replacing with regenerative native species kindly supplied by the Woodland Trust.

Bench installations, footbridge repairs, fallen tree clearing and other works are also planned for the coming months in the Glen.

The Friends of the Glen group rely on a wide variety of volunteer skills. Positions are currently available for Chair, Secretary, Grant Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator and Events and Marketing Coordinator.  Interest in becoming a volunteer for the Friends of the Glen can be lodged at thetrust@oldluce.org.uk.

Brambles

Following a pause to the project last year, to await news on the future of the Glen café site, the Trust recommenced work with the Brambles design team in January 2023 on the redevelopment of the site into a café and restaurant.

 

 

Community Asset Transfers

The Trust took ownership of the Woodside Industrial Estate from the Dumfries & Galloway Council on behalf of the community under a Community Asset Transfer arrangement on 15 March 2022 and is looking forward to working on improving these facilities for tenants. This asset will bring long-term income into the community, which will be reinvested in future community projects.

Tarff Valley has given notice to vacate and is currently in transition from the Glenluce site to their new Castle Kennedy store up until mid-June. Further information on units to rent at the site will be available in due course, so please follow our Facebook Page and keep an eye out for more updates. If you would like to register an Expression of Interest in the meantime, please email thetrust@oldluce.org.uk. Priority for lets of the units will go to those looking for an active use of the site that will bring jobs to the area.

The Trust has made the difficult decision not to progress the Community Asset Transfer of the Lorry Park, due to issues that have arisen during the conveyancing process, including lack of clarity on access rights over the site and the potential for contaminated land on the site that would be costly to clean up.

Glenluce Public Hall

The Trust is currently in the process of arranging a new Management Agreement with D&G Council for a proposed further 5 years, which would allow the organisation to continue managing the Public Hall until September 2027. During the management period, a plan for community ownership needs to be developed, which will only be viable if use of the Hall is increased. If you’re a social, creative, sporting, or any other kind of group that the Trust might not be aware of, or maybe you’d like to organise a party or milestone celebration, please email thetrust@oldluce.uk or submit your Booking Request.

A weekly Post Office service is available at the Hall every Tuesday 11.30am-12.30pm.

The Community Shop is open for browsing and donations every Tuesday 10am-1pm, Thursday 1-4pm and Saturday 11am-2pm. Entry is down the ramp from Main Street.

The Hall’s newly refurbished Meeting Room is also available to hire, ideal for anyone looking to hire a small, private meeting space.

New activities commencing in the Hall so far this year are Mums and Bubs Yoga happening for an initial 8 weeks on Monday afternoons and Yogi Kids Yoga after-school Tuesday sessions during February and March for a variety of age groups from 3-12 years. During March, Alan McLellan will host a free audio-visual presentation on the old Port Road (Railway) Line which he has been walking to raise funds for cancer research and the D&G Housing Partnership will also host a ‘Here for You’ customer drop-in session.

 

Dunragit to Glenluce Link Path

A path has been created along the old railway line between Dunragit and Glenluce. The path, which opened in Summer 2019, provides an off-road walking route linking the two villages and is particularly beautiful when the gorse and broom is in full flower. Please be aware that, as the path is on working farmland, the fence along sections of this route is electrified.

Dunragit Community Hub

The long-term aim of the Trust remains to create a community hub in Dunragit and we are still working actively to identify and purchase a suitable site in the area. Three new benches and a new noticeboard for Dunragit will be installed in the coming weeks.

Back Burn Footpath and Bridge

The aim of the now-completed Back Burn project was to improve our natural environment through the removal and installation of a new state of the art footbridge along the Back Burn, as well as creation of a new surfaced and drained pathway, hand rails and lighting. We hope that you are enjoying all of the improvements and making good use of this route.

Christmas Lights

It was jingle all the way when Old Luce residents of all ages gathered in Glenluce and Dunragit towards the end of November 2022 to mark the beginning of the Festive season.

Glenluce Primary School’s Christmas Fayre at the Public Hall was followed by the official Christmas light switch-on for the village as evening fell. Local businesses with stalls at the Fayre had plenty of Christmas shopping choices to offer, such as festive cards and decorations, pottery, fragrances, outdoor accessories, cakes, preserves, crafts and an enticing assortment of Community Shop items. Glenluce Primary School students and the local Gospel choir serenaded the happy crowd with celebratory Christmas songs,  children were entertained throughout the afternoon with face painting and a kid’s craft table and a raffle draw was also run. As darkness fell, the village burst into life as the Christmas lights were switched on.

Dunragit also made the most of their Festive celebrations, with Santa making a special stop-off visit for their annual light switch-on, arriving bearing small treats for excited little ones. Residents also enjoyed mulled wine and mince pies and a lovely community evening was shared by all.

Community Website

You are currently using the Community Website.  We have a schedule of maintenance in place and regularly update the website with new information and carryout checks to ensure that the information that you are seeing is as up to date as possible.  We hope to continue to improve our community and visitor information pages over time, so that the website continues to act as a single point of contact online for the parish.

© 2021 OLD LUCE DEVELOPMENT TRUST
Registered Company SC538942
DTAS Member SE225
Registered Address: Public Hall, 22 Main St, Glenluce DG8 0PR

Old Luce Development Trust (OLDT) is a registered charity, SC049400, regulated by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).

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