Great news. On the 7th of April Greenbank Woods Ltd purchased the eastern section of the Greenbank Woods, and on the 16th of April, they were entered into the Land Registry as the official owners.
So what now? Well, there’s the short term that the interim committee can still do:
- Document, as best we can, the trees and their condition and upload them to the free forestry management system we have so there’s a simple, online way to monitor and manage the woods.
- Find a local, friendly, and cheap or free Arboriculturist to help us survey the areas and get that into our forestry management system.
- Organise the first clean-up of the areas.
- Find out about signage for the key areas to show that the local community, through Greenbank Woods Ltd and Friends of Greenbank Woods, now own and maintain them, along with contact details. There’s assistance for these through the Friends of groups.
- Ensure the planning department are aware we are the new owners, so we know what to do about future planning applications for felling and cutting back of the trees.
- Implement the required structure and constitution for us to be fully recognised as a Friends of group and to be ready to apply to the Community Right to Buy scheme if agreed to do so.
Then there’s the longer term, and for that we need the members of the company to discuss and agree:
- Appointment of a long-term committee and associated roles.
- Registry of those with skills and desire to help.
- Decision on whether we should apply to the Community Right to Buy scheme and record our interest in the west woods and field/cricket pitch?
- What to do with the golf course and play park land and their ownership.
- What to do regarding the current planning applications for trees around Rattray Loan and Way.
- Plans for monitoring and responses for future planning applications.
- Plans for future clean-ups.
- Plans for future fund raising.
- Expansion of membership to the wider Greenbank area, the Steils and Firhill.
- Plans for future updates and member meetings.