At a public meeting on 23 March at the Rugby Club, guests Nick Chisholm from Dumfries & Galloway Council and Jenny Davies from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) did a bit of a Show-and-Tell about the Black Stank burn and the vision to reclaim a 20 acre wasteland between Stranraer Football Club’s ground and the Community Reuse Shop’s Zero Waste site for public use.
There was lots of excited chat at the prospect of this land becoming a Sanctuary for local people (or STanctuary as one bright spark chucked into the chat). They shared pictures like this one from Galloway Glens that showed the potential. Getting the burn and surrounding wetlands back into a healthy state with raised walkways that would naturally flood in the wettest periods. Having a learning/events shelter in the park for folks to gather.
We could see how this could meet a lot of the needs raised in the Place Plan. It’s ideal for health and wellbeing activities, growing food on allotments in the higher ground, gathering for walks, Men’s Shed activity, eating together, creative workshops, environmental activism, an adventure playground – maybe made from waste from the Zero Waste park run by the Furniture Project/Community Reuse Shop next door.
Saving and protecting the fabulously named Black Stank burn for the long term is a 7 year project. It’s firmly in the Place Plan as an anchor zone in the town.