Meeting to discuss future of Holm Dell woodland
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An Inverness community is inviting people to discuss options to manage a popular woodland that has not been maintained for years.
Holm Dell woods is used by dog walkers and other local people, and Holm Community Council believes the area should be better looked after.
Last year it undertook a survey asking residents for their views about options for the woodland, which is dissected by the Holm Burn.
Around 40 people responded with a majority (57.5 per cent) voting to explore taking the woods into community ownership. Just under 25 per cent favoured exploring having a management agreement with the current owners Tulloch Homes, five per cent favoured asking the present owners to better manage the woods and 15 per cent said doing nothing was the best option.
The community council is inviting to people attend a public meeting on Thursday, January 19, at 7pm at Holm Primary School.
It says all are welcome to find out more about the woods, and hear why they are intrinsically important for the local area of Holm and Ness Castle, as well as discussing the options outlined in its earlier survey.
Murray McCheyne, the chairman of Holm Community Council, said: "All are welcome to discuss the possibilities of taking forward new ideas about managing or owning the woods at Holm Dell. Whether you think this a great opportunity or a terrible idea, all are invited to come along and share their ideas and thoughts.
"It is important to emphasise this whole project is at the stage of understanding and discussing the possibilities. Nothing has been decided and at the meeting we’ll discuss more about why that is."
The area being discussed lies only to the east of the burn and the west of the housing development of Holm Dell Drive, Road and Avenue. It does not include the area to the west of the burn adjacent to the Robertson’s Homes and Albyn housing developments.
In May 2022, the path through the woods was signed as part of the South Loch Ness Trail on a temporary basis. The woods are also used by walkers, runners, cyclists and children, and have also been used by the RSPB Inverness Wildlife Explorers group.
