Lochmaben Community Council is leading the project, which aims to develop the former ‘paddling pool’ site in the heart of the village into a community garden accessible to all.
Local groups, including the primary school, nurseries and elderly forums, will all be encouraged to make use of the space. Additional features will include a weather station and information boards.
It is also intended that the former paddling pool site will be gradually developed over time and consideration will be given to leaving space for cycling, skating, and related activities.
These proposals were raised at Lockerbie and Lochmaben’s Common Good Fund sub committee last week. As the location is a piece of common good land, members of the new Lochmaben Community Garden Project had to seek permission from the council to take over the site and enter into a lease agreement.
Council co-leader Stephen Thompson said: “It’s good to see a proposal for use coming forward from the community and community council, having carried out some consultation work locally.
“At this time the council, who is the custodian of the common good and holds the title, hasn’t done any consultation whatsoever.
“While I think we should value the work done by the community groups in the run up to this, and the support that they’ve had, what I’m conscious of is that we’ve not asked anybody what they think about this. We’ve really just heard from the group about the surveys they’ve carried out.”
Calling for a council-led consultation process, Annandale North Councillor Thompson added: “Clearly our intention is to support this, but it’s just important that we do it right.”
Annandale North Councillor Gail Macgregor, leader of the opposition Conservatives group, said: “This is a piece of ground that’s been sitting doing nothing for a long, long time.
“We’re not selling it, we’re not doing anything radical with it. We’re simply permitting a local community group to bring it into useful being.
“I’m quite happy to agree the recommendations as is.
“We maybe do need to look at how we consult more widely with every single thing that we do within the common good.
“But, in principle, I’m fully supportive of the community garden.”
Council officer Nik Lane explained that an eight-week consultation process will have to be set up between the council and Lochmaben Community Council in order to pass any lease agreement.
It was agreed that this will proceed, which will pave the way for the community garden project to go ahead.
Originally gifted to the community by a local family, the site first provided a popular paddling pool adjacent to the Mill Loch. It was later infilled, surfaced with tarmac, and became an area for bike riding.
