Latest news with #LossiemouthCommunityCouncil
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Council to end lease of erosion-threatened Lossiemouth car park
A local authority has decided not to renew its lease of a car park at a popular Moray beach due to the impact of climate Council said it was making the decision over the site at Lossiemouth West Beach due to rising sea levels and coastal expect the car park to be regularly under water by the end of the century and protecting it would cost about £750, council said its capital spending was limited to key areas like schools. The council lease from the Pitgaveny Estate expires in January 2027 and it said technical assessments had confirmed that the site was increasingly at risk from coastal erosion, flooding and sea level 2050, it is projected that the site will fall within the area of active coastal erosion, and by the end of the century, it is expected to be below the mean high water spring tide car park is sandwiched between Moray Golf Club and the Moray Firth shoreline. The nearest public alternatives are several minutes' walk away on the other side of Lossiemouth town centre. Marc Macrae, who chairs the council's economic development committee, said it fully acknowledged how valued the car park was by local residents, businesses and visitors. He said talks would continue with groups including the Lossiemouth Community Development Trust, Lossiemouth Community Council and Moray Golf Club to find a way community council said it was "utterly dismayed" by the news."This beach and car park are essential to our community, locals and visitors alike," it said."We will be meeting with Moray Council, elected members and other groups as a matter of urgency in the coming days.". Rising sea levels and increased intensity of storms are already having a damaging effect on Scotland's of golf courses have reported impacts from coastal erosion while the important Neolithic village of Skara Brae in Orkney has been described as "extremely vulnerable."The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) says sea levels in Scotland have been rising by an average of 1.4 mm per year this have published updated maps showing large areas of coastal land which will now be vulnerable to flooding by includes the West Beach car park which has a "medium likelihood" of flooding.
Press and Journal
24-04-2025
- General
- Press and Journal
Passers-by stunned as artist works on Lossiemouth seafront mural
Work is under way on a seafront mural in a busy Lossiemouth spot. The artwork, which overlooks East Beach, has caught the attention of dozens of visitors and locals alike. French artist Marc Delaye started work on the wall on Monday. Lossiemouth Community Council, with the help of Mikeysline and Marc, says the painting is to be completed by the end of next week. The mural depicts Lossiemouth's fishing heritage – including a Zulu boat as well as a fishing wife. Community council chairwoman Carolle Ralph said: 'We felt that we have so many other things going on around Lossie, but nothing fully symbolises the fishing industry as it was in its heyday. 'And, of course, there would be no Lossie if it weren't for the fishing industry.' The community council had been 'on a search for years' to get someone to take the mural project on. Carolle said they did some work with mental health charity Mikeysline in the past and got in contact. This led to the council reaching out with Mikeysline to an artist they worked with called Marc Delaye, who agreed to do the mural. The project coincides with Lossiemouth high who are celebrating 150 years of their school. The school got in contact with the community council and asked if it could be involved in some way in what they were doing in the community. First years from the school drew up some ideas for the mural and then members of the public were able to give their views on the designs at Lossiemouth Community Hub. Before Marc arrived, the community council prepared the wall and repaired parts of the masonry. In 2003, The Press and Journal reported that artist Katie McLeod worked with Lossiemouth High School pupils as well as teacher Fiona Shearer to create a mural in the same spot. However, after over two decades, the paint faded. Marc Delaye is originally from France but has lived in North Kessock for 24 years. The mural artist has his own business called Fresh Paint. In a video on his website, he said: 'Fresh Paint is about commissioned murals. 'People come with their ideas and I try to paint their vision. 'I've kind of always done it – I started in the late 80s.' Richard Ward, who was walking his dog, said that since he lives in the area, he has seen it from the start. He said: 'It's a lot better than the last one. 'It's looking great so far.' One passerby even commented that it would make Lossiemouth 'more Instagrammable'. They added when the sun was out a few days earlier, the sky was so blue that the mural blended in. Jen and Terry Davis, from York, complimented the painter's work so far. 'It's in a lovely location,' Jen said. 'I'll be interested in seeing it once it's done.' Cathy said she was 'quite impressed' at the work and that the painter was doing a 'good job'. She added: 'I think the fisherman's wife is a really good idea as well. 'And Lossiemouth sort of took the families under their wing and looked after them. 'I think it's important that the fisherman's wife is there as she's just as important as the fishermen.' The Stotfield disaster resulted in the village losing all of its able-bodied men and youths in one afternoon, including their entire fleet of three fishing boats The Lossiemouth mural is set to be completed towards the end of next week.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Christmas trees used to shore up beach dunes
Hundreds of Christmas trees are being used to shore up sand dunes at Lossiemouth in a bid to keep coastal erosion at bay. Lossiemouth Community Council is behind the project at the Moray town's East Beach. They have been assisted by personnel from RAF Lossiemouth and volunteers from the local community. Having already being collected and carried to the beach, a trench will now be dug and the trees put in place. The plan is that grass will later be sewn, and that sand will catch, forming new eco-systems. At the end of last year, the community council made a plea asking for people to donate their discarded Christmas trees for the coastal erosion project. The trees have been collected over the past few weeks. More stories from North East Scotland, Orkney and Shetland Listen to news from North East Scotland on BBC Sounds Carolle Ralph, who is the chairwoman of Lossiemouth Community Council, told BBC Scotland News a micro digger will be used for the trench and trees, after matts are used to get it across a beach bridge. "The last thing we want to do is damage the bridge," she said, after it opened in 2022. Of the East Beach erosion project, she said: "It's the first time we have done this so we didn't really have a full concept of what was needed." She explained: "We first spoke about it at the end of Covid times. Coastal erosion is a problem. "Building the dunes back up to restore them is something of little cost and it is also recycling trees." The aim is for children to get involved in the next stage of volunteering when marram grass will be sewn in a bid to knit the trees together. "The hope is the trees and grass will catch the sand and new eco-systems can develop," she said. "The trees will be at a 45-degree angle, facing the sea and wind. We will pack the trees down thoroughly. "We may lose some but we will take evidence over the next few months. "We have tried to involve as many people as possible." She described the RAF Lossiemouth help as a "welcome sight" both in terms of planning as well as pure physicality when they were moving the trees into place. RAF Lossiemouth said it was "proud" to have been helping, on a voluntary basis. It said the project was "aiding in conservation activities to benefit future generations". "The 'Team Lossie' ethos we have here on station often emphasises the importance of our personnel spending their time wisely and contributing back to the local community that give us so much support daily," a statement said. Moray Council added: "While Christmas is long behind us now, it's heartening to see the festive spirit and a local commitment to recycling make a real impact in efforts to protect dunes at Lossiemouth East Beach from the ongoing threat of coastal erosion." New £1.8m bridge opens up beach access again
BBC News
06-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Christmas trees used to shore up Lossiemouth beach dunes
Hundreds of Christmas trees are being used to shore up sand dunes at Lossiemouth in a bid to keep coastal erosion at Community Council is behind the project at the Moray town's East have been assisted by personnel from RAF Lossiemouth and volunteers from the local already being collected and carried to the beach, a trench will now be dug and the trees put in place. The plan is that grass will later be sewn, and that sand will catch, forming new eco-systems. At the end of last year, the community council made a plea asking for people to donate their discarded Christmas trees for the coastal erosion trees have been collected over the past few weeks. Carolle Ralph, who is the chairwoman of Lossiemouth Community Council, told BBC Scotland News a micro digger will be used for the trench and trees, after matts are used to get it across a beach bridge."The last thing we want to do is damage the bridge," she said, after it opened in the East Beach erosion project, she said: "It's the first time we have done this so we didn't really have a full concept of what was needed." She explained: "We first spoke about it at the end of Covid times. Coastal erosion is a problem."Building the dunes back up to restore them is something of little cost and it is also recycling trees."The aim is for children to get involved in the next stage of volunteering when marram grass will be sewn in a bid to knit the trees together."The hope is the trees and grass will catch the sand and new eco-systems can develop," she said."The trees will be at a 45-degree angle, facing the sea and wind. We will pack the trees down thoroughly."We may lose some but we will take evidence over the next few months."We have tried to involve as many people as possible."She described the RAF Lossiemouth help as a "welcome sight" both in terms of planning as well as pure physicality when they were moving the trees into place. RAF Lossiemouth said it was "proud" to have been helping, on a voluntary said the project was "aiding in conservation activities to benefit future generations"."The 'Team Lossie' ethos we have here on station often emphasises the importance of our personnel spending their time wisely and contributing back to the local community that give us so much support daily," a statement Council added: "While Christmas is long behind us now, it's heartening to see the festive spirit and a local commitment to recycling make a real impact in efforts to protect dunes at Lossiemouth East Beach from the ongoing threat of coastal erosion."
