In response to the article in the Courier of March 3 about Councillor Hampshire’s plans for a youth hub at Lochend Woods, Dunbar Community Woodland Group (DCWG) have deep concerns about the proposed location of this hub.
To be clear, we support the creation of facilities for young people – it would prevent misuse of the woods.
DCWG committee members met Cllr Hampshire in January to voice opposition to the location. He agreed to a further meeting with the directors of Dunbar Community Development and Heritage Trust (DCDHT) in February. Cllr Hampshire has not responded to email requests.
Cllr Hampshire states “the woodland area is in pretty poor condition and there has never been any management take place”. DCWG has never had any role or responsibility for that part of Lochend Wood. It is in the privately owned 15 hectares at Hallhill West and North. DCWG have successfully managed a separate 18 hectares of Lochend Wood since 2007.
As Cllr Hampshire describes, drainage ditches have collapsed at his proposed site. It is now waterlogged, not suitable for construction.
An environmental impact assessment is essential. His proposed site is wild land, habitat to wildlife – deer, foxes, possibly badgers, many bird species, some rare, and bats too.
Lochend Wood will soon be completely surrounded by built environment.
Development would be catastrophic for wildlife, already suffering from significant habitat loss and stress. Cllr Hampshire acknowledges “there is still wildlife in the woodland and we will do everything we can to make sure we protect that”.
Clearly, the best way to protect this area for wildlife, including nocturnal species, is to NOT fill it with floodlights and noisy, boisterous humans.
He continues: “People complain about young people hanging around and doing things they should not be doing.”
Yet this proposal aims to attract kids to a location that is isolated and not overseen. This is dangerous. Emergency services have been called to deal with gatherings in the woods in recent times – ambulances for vulnerable young adolescents suffering serious alcohol effects, fire services, and police to disperse large groups. This location would create a perfect storm of risk.
His vision – a ‘community cafe’, open 10 till 10 – would cost tens of thousands of pounds to install basic services to the site. How could this be sustainable? Even the Bleachingfield Centre cafe, with the library on site, close to the town centre and the primary school, was not viable. He suggests young people could watch television at the hub. Why not Bleachingfield or the Hallhill Centre? Why waste precious resources?
Great new facilities – The Space at DunBear Park – are planned. McDonald’s is already a hub for young people and it’s near bus stops. It would be perfect to locate the youth hub adjacent to The Space, somewhere kids can have some freedom, not under close adult scrutiny, yet where they could still access help from adults at Asda if needed. Dunbar Community Woodland Group are completely against this proposed development.
Eva Hurley (convenor), Fiona MacDonald (secretary), Isobel Knox (treasurer), Angela McLeman, Libi Newell, Ute Penny and all the committee of Dunbar Community Woodland Group
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