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Active Asset Transfer Request for Land at Calgary Bay

Type of ATR -  Request for Lease - (under section 79(2)(b)(i)of the Act) for more details look under section 8 of the Government guidance.

• Request is for a 25 year lease

Decision Notice - Agreed

This Decision Notice relates to the asset transfer request made by Mull and Iona Community Trust on 1 December 2018 in relation to Calgary Bay SSSI, Isle of Mull, PA75 6QT
·¬ÇÑÊÓƵapp Council has decided to agree to the request.

See the full decision notice.

The reasons for this decision are as follows:

• The Community Benefit is substantial compared to the value of the asset
• The disposal will remove the site from Council responsibility
• The disposal sets out a positive benefit for the Community

The terms and conditions subject to which we would be prepared to lease the land which is the subject of the asset transfer request to you are as follows:

1. The lease will be for a period of 25 years;
2. The rent will be £1 (one pound) per annum;
3. The tenant will require to permit the public to continue to exercise all access rights over the subjects;
4. The lease will be subject to any conditions, burdens and/or rights contained within the Council’s title;
5. The tenant will require to maintain such insurances in respect of the subjects and their operations as are required by the Council;
6. The transfer will include land owned by the Council below the low water mark and not contained in the asset transfer request.

Reasons for the request

• MICT is making this request to put in place a programme to conserve and protect the Machair.
• In recent years the area has started to degrade. SNH has listed it as an area at risk. The Machair is listed as Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Without urgent action there is a risk of losing this special site.
• We believe a local solution to managing and preserving the site is the best way to move forward.  Working with local volunteers, land owners, farmers as well as the statutory organisation is the best way forward, MICT is in the best position to manage this. 
• This local involvement would open opportunities to access funding to develop and protect this important asset for future generations.
• We are asking for a long lease as we believe that we need to develop a long term plan to protect and develop this asset.
• We want to manage access to the site to make sure that the continued enjoyment and use of the asset is in a managed and sustainable way and that the any future development to support it’s increasing use and interest is progressed in a planned and thoughtful way.

 Level and nature of Support

• We have a large community membership that support all our projects throughout the island and  out with the island community, both nationally and internationally. 
• With particular emphasis on Calgary Bay we have set up the informal Friends of Calgary Bay group to assist with volunteering projects.  
• We have a regular email list of  43 members all residents in the area, we also email and involve 18 others who are out with the area of Calgary but have expressed an interest in the work that Friends of Calgary Bay are doing.
• On Facebook we have 433 likes and when we did our just giving page to raise funds for the fencing we had 196 supporters helped us raise £5,351.47.
• We regularly write articles for the monthly local paper 'Round and About' with regards to what is happening at Calgary and people have always been very supportive.
• When we were fundraising for the fencing we got a lot of positive publicity in the National Press.
• Many of our supporters are off island who visit as holiday makers either using the beach for day visits or camping in the informal camping area.
• We got many emails of support from this group when we were fundraising, many expressing how important Calgary was to them.

 If you require further information, or to inspect any documents or information accompanying the asset transfer request,

contact us directly at asset-transfer@argyll-bute.gov.uk and we will make these available to you in electronic form until such time as the asset transfer request is determined.

You could also make a Freedom of Information Request.