Samye Ling / Eskdalmuir

[Campag]

You may be familiar with the Samye Ling Buddhist centre in Eskdalmuir. A lovely quiet area with lots of empty countryside and quiet roads.

Samye Ling is internationally recognised as a religious and educational centre. And (from a cycling point of view) provides a cafe and toilet facilities, regularly used in local cycling events as well as the international LEL (London Edinburgh London) audax event.

There is a planning application for a shooting range, including heavy calibre automatic weapons, next to the centre. I find it hard to imagine something less appropriate next to an international religious centre, and in remote countryside. If you would like to help by emailing an objection, the address to do so before 18th March is:

planningrepresentations@dumgal.gov.uk

[toontra]

Signed and forwarded to everyone I know who's cycled past or stayed there. As you say, hard to think of anything less appropriate for a spiritual retreat, considering folks come from all over the world for silent retreat stays.

If you haven't been, well worth having a look if you're in the area! Quite spectacular.

[rualexander]

Bizarre location for any kind of activity centre like a shooting range, miles from anywhere, who's going to use it?

[irc]

Bizarre location for any kind of activity centre like a shooting range, miles from anywhere, who's going to use it?

There is already a range there. How well used I have no idea.

https://firearmsuk.org/clubs-ranges/esk ... ile-range/

https://www.gardnersguns.co.uk/

[Pebble]

shooting ranges destroy the ambience in quiet countryside for at least 5 miles in all directions, just hate the things. The other unpleasant side effect is that people who love guns seem to also love driving oversized SUVs and pickup trucks, and they don't seem to drive them very slowly or carefully.

I occasionally cycle in that area and will be definitely putting in an objection.

[rualexander]

Bizarre location for any kind of activity centre like a shooting range, miles from anywhere, who's going to use it?

There is already a range there. How well used I have no idea.

https://firearmsuk.org/clubs-ranges/esk ... ile-range/

https://www.gardnersguns.co.uk/

Not quite as straightforward as there already being a range there.
http://www.targetshooter.co.uk/?p=3371

And that is at a location further up the valley, about 4 miles from Samye Ling.
There seems to be issues with permissions etc there also.

[Paulatic]

On my back door
Our MSP is onto it. One anomaly of planning is applications have been submitted for the small areas of activity. She believes planning should be applied for the whole area which would then make it a huge development and need referring to ScotGov. We’ve seen this tactic before with Fracking applications for Canonbie. Application was for 8 individual sites and not as a 8 well development.
Whilst I no longer stop at Samye Ling since the opening of the Community Hub cafe I believe there wouldn’t be a community anything without Samye Ling.
When I came here 40 years ago the area around SL was very run down and lots of empty, old herds houses, properties as the forestry grew. As a cycling group we would stop there before any of the Temple etc was built. It was purely a large house where we would be offered any food left from their last meal and we put a donation in a tin. Back then the place was often talked about because the people looked different and wore long robes. Over those years they have become integrated and a respected part of the community. As such I think there is little support locally especially as the ground is owned from overseas and the applicant is from Cumbria.
The last time I stopped at the cafe was 2019 and four camouflaged men came in. It’s not only their vehicles which are large and their presence was completely out of character with the place.
Please send in your objections and what is going happen to 'right to roam' as well as noise.

[VinceLedge]

Has a link been posted to the actual application, so people can see that before deciding to send in an objection? Hard to inject if you haven't seen the detail of what is being asked for!
I am local to the Borders so am interested in this.

[Jdsk]

Clerkhill range planning ref number - 20/2013/FUL | CHANGE OF USE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND TO FORM TARGET SHOOTING RANGE, TRAINING CENTRE AND CAR PARKING AREA (RETROSPECTIVE)
https://eaccess.dumgal.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=QKAE11GBHIH00&activeTab=summary

Over Cassock range planning ref number - 20/0630/FUL | CHANGE OF USE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND TO FORM RIFLE RANGE AND ERECTION OF ASSOCIATED BUILDING (RETROSPECTIVE)
https://eaccess.dumgal.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=Q9L4VLGBILW00&activeTab=summary

Jonathan

[toontra]

I see they are both retrospective

[Zulu Eleven]

I have to say, I live with a few hundred yards from one of the busiest rifle ranges in the country - both civilian and military, plus machine guns - and to be honest you barely notice it. In fact the only thing you do really notice is the Grenade ranges, as on an overcast day they give a proper 'whoomph'.

moderators out there now for .50BMG too, so fairly easy to condition their use on the ranges in order to reduce noise footprint.

[Zulu Eleven]

I see they are both retrospective

From what I can see, that appears to be down to at least one of the range areas having operated for the last three years under permitted development rules without any complaints or problems.

[Paulatic]

There is a petition https://www.change.org/p/elaine-murray- ... -en-gb%3A6 over 11,000 so far.

for the last three years under permitted development rules without any complaints or problems.

Don’t know where you’ve got that info from. AFAIK there has been a lot of grumbling and evidence of use far beyond its legitimate area.

[toontra]

I see they are both retrospective

From what I can see, that appears to be down to at least one of the range areas having operated for the last three years under permitted development rules without any complaints or problems.

Try reading some of the letters of objection to these applications!

[Bikes`n`guns]

The ranges are already in use and cause no issue.

I hope they get both approved for use and I and many I know will continue to well use them both. They are great facilities and will be further developed to ensure they continue to be good neighbours.

That area is very popular as a target shooting hub. People travel form all over the country to shoot there.

I also visit the monastery and cannot see this being an issue.

Just for info, there is a huge amount of deer stalking going on in this area on a daily basis as it is a huge forest. The shooting folk hear isn't always a range.

The last time I stopped at the cafe was 2019 and four camouflaged men came in. It’s not only their vehicles which are large and their presence was completely out of character with the place.

Charming.