Transition Town Forres members meet with Moray Council and Forres Community Council to discuss future of Bogton site

MORAY Council’s finance officer has met with representatives of Transition Town Forres (TTF) to negotiate the future of the common good site at Bogton.

Forres Community Council (FCC) arranged the meeting in the Green Room at Forres House Community Centre between Corporate Policy Unit manager Councillor Bridget Mustard (Heldon and Laich, Conservative) and TTF board member Rosie Tait following the local authority’s announcement in September that it will no longer cover TTF’s annual rent of £13,200, effectively ending the environmental charity’s varied community activities on the land it took over 14 years ago.

FCC chairman Steve Ferris also attended with the four elected Forres Moray Councillors.

He said: “The meeting was successfully run by Cllr Mustard. Each side stated issues as they saw them and any discrepancies were then discussed. It ended with three asks of council officers: Can you look at reducing the rent for this year in negotiation with TTF?; Is it possible to have a revaluation of the site, particularly around the area which has been valued at a commercial rate?; and will you look at the issue of the council retaining the option of taking possession of the land again?”

“These are now being worked on by council officers,” he added. “I believe that things are heading in the right direction to the benefit of all concerned.”

TTF has run social and environmental projects from Bogton since 2009. The group applied for a Community Asset Transfer (CAT) of the site two years ago and Highlands and Islands Enterprise carried out a Social Value Impact Study which concluded the total value of what is currently on offer there is £109,253. However, the CAT was declined after it was deemed there was insufficient evidence of community support for the proposal.

On August 29, Moray Council’s corporate committee refused a request from TTF for a rent rebate from Common Good Funds and to change the terms of their lease. To date, the group has received £29,400 from the fund.

A local authority spokesperson explained that TTF approached Forres Community Council seeking support for them asking Moray Council to review its decision.

She said: “Cllr Mustard and local ward members met with representatives of the community council and TTF on November 2.

“After that meeting, Cllr Mustard was advised that, unless there had been a relevant and material change of circumstances, the council’s Standing Orders (84 and 85) do not allow it to change its decision within six months of its original decision.

“Cllr Mustard is not aware of there having been any relevant and material change of circumstances therefore there is a six month moratorium on the decision.

“This means there will be no change to the decision in that time and any future discussions will come back to committee after then.”

TTF claims the £29,400 figure given for support from the common good fund is only relevant because the council wants the charity to pay commercial rent. The decision could mean the loss of growing gardens and projects including a youth club, after school events, environmental and repair and cafés.

TTF believes pressure from its supporters has had an effect.

Ms Tait said: “The elected councillors declared themselves supportive of the organisation at the meeting and expressed a desire to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution. What that looks like isn’t clear - we have been invited to go back to council officers and discuss. There is still a lot of uncertainty but there is definitely a shift. Hopefully we are now moving in the right direction.”

Moray Council leader Kathleen Robertson (Forres, Conservative) is also hopeful all parties will be satisfied with the future outcome.

She said: “We had a good meeting with three actions to be explored.”