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Councillors move to push for grass-cutting at the former farmers Showfield in Nairn after Covid-19 discretionary cash award


By Donald Wilson

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Nairn Showfield. Picture: James Mackenzie.
Nairn Showfield. Picture: James Mackenzie.

Councillors are to press for grass cutting of the former Farmers Showfield in Nairn to be put back on the local authority’s programme of works.

It was announced last week that grass cutting and other work at the site was to continue this year after councillors agreed to allocate a £1470 share of funds from the area’s Covid-19 ward discretionary fund to the work.

However it was also made clear that this was applicable to this year only with the council unable to make a longer term commitment to ongoing maintenance as it does not own the site.

The field belongs to the Farming Society which recently purchased a new site at Househill to stage their annual show.

The old showfield’s future is uncertain with previous plans for it to become the base for a new supermarket dropped after objections and plans for housing at the Lodgehill Road end of the field also not proceeding.

Councillor Laurie Fraser said it was an important community asset.

“The council is looking at every opportunity it can to off-load spending to the Nairn Common Good or remove it from the council’s responsibility if it’s not a statutory duty,” he said.

“The Farmers Showfield has been used historically as a public open space and apart from the football activities it’s virtually a public park. The grass cutting has been done by the council for well over 40 years.”

Chairman of the council’s Nairnshire committee, Tom Heggie, said: “As this land is not in council ownership, the committee recognises that this funding is a short-term fix and there is a need to find a longer-term solution to ensure grounds maintenance and grass cutting on this site can continue beyond the 2021 season.

“We will discuss this matter during our next committee.”


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