Further to the announcement made at last night’s MCC Meeting, recent MCC communications and efforts to engage with the Council’s Public Transport Team, our Councillors, our local and regional MSPs and MP, together with all of the representations made by our community, and others across the Clackmannanshire and P&K Council areas, have resulted in a very positive outcome.

MCC is extremely pleased to announce that, following an appeal by the Council’s Public Transport Team to local bus operators to consider taking on the Stagecoach 23 route, on a commercial basis, it was confirmed to MCC, yesterday, that First are planning to start a new bus service – the X53 – on Saturday 12th September which will run, regularly, from Monday to Saturday, between Kinross and Stirling. It has also been confirmed that the new X53 service has, importantly, received approval from the national Traffic Commissioner.

MCC would take this opportunity to thank everyone, across both local Council areas, for all of their support regrading this matter. In particular, MCC would like to thank Lesley Deans, Principal Transportation Planner, at Clackmannanshire Council; Councillor Martin; Keith Brown, MSP; Mark Ruskell, MSP; and local resident Marion Robertson, for all of their time and effort spent securing this most welcome outcome.

The Council will be displaying the new bus service timetables, at bus stops, before the 12th September service start date.

Mike Wilson

Secretary – Muckhart Community Council

[email protected]

capuk.org

facebook.com/capuk

This is a reminder that the Stagecoach consultation on the number 23 bus service closes tomorrow – Friday 23rd August.

Once again, on behalf of those members of our community who regularly use and rely upon this service, MCC would encourage you please to respond to this consultation via the following link:

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/east-scotland/service-change-consultation#

Also, MCC has been made aware of the launch, today, of a Save the 23 Bus campaign by the Scottish Greens – see the following link:

https://greens.scot/SaveTheNo23Bus

Simply by adding your name and email address, a letter will be generated that goes straight to the chief executive of Stagecoach East Scotland, so it’s a great opportunity to let management know how important this rural bus service is.

Mike Wilson

Secretary – MCC

Further to our recent meeting, on behalf of our school, MCC is reaching out to our community to request your help.

Following the long period of closure, and with the school re-opening on 11^th August, the school gardens are in need of some care and attention. The gardens, other than the greenhouse and vegetable patch, need weeding and strimming and, generally, tidied up, as they are very overgrown.

Mrs McGlinchie will be opening the school for volunteer gardeners to help tidy up the gardens on Tuesday (4^th August) and Thursday (6^th August) next week. The toilets will also be available and please take along your own tools.

On behalf of the school, the Parent Council and MCC, many thanks, in advance, for those who can assist.

Mike Wilson

Secretary – MCC

Further to discussions at the last MCC Meeting, regarding the number 23 bus service, MCC has been advised of a consultation being run by Stagecoach re its proposal to withdraw this bus service, and others, completely from Monday 28th September.

According to the Stagecoach web-site: “We’re proposing to withdraw this service as it was under-performing prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and increasing costs mean that this service operates at a significant loss, resulting in us no longer being able to commercially run the service.”

On behalf of those members of our community, who regularly use and rely upon this service, MCC would encourage you please to take some time to respond to this consultation (close date: 7th August) which is available via the link below:

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/east-scotland/service-change-consultation#

(Note: should you wish to be added to the MCC mailing list to be kept appraised of this, and other matters, then please contact MCC, via the details below)

Mike Wilson

Secretary – MCC

Email: [email protected]

Please find below a link to the latest Muckhart Lend a Hand flyer which contains information for those residents who may be shielding due to Covid-19. This flyer was distributed earlier by the Council to all residents within the Muckhart area who are currently listed as shielding.

Please forward this link to anyone whom you believe would benefit from the support offered:

Community Shield flyers_muckhart

Re-engage, the older people’s charity, has launched a new UK-wide telephone befriending service, Call Companions.  You may know someone who could benefit from a regular chat.

This is a free service for any older person who may be socially isolated and lonely and would enjoy a regular friendly chat over the phone. Re-engage currently has volunteer call companions ready to be matched with potential referrals.

Re-engage (formerly Contact the Elderly) has been providing social contact for this age group for over 50 years. It has set up Call Companions in response to the current COVID-19 crisis, as along with other services and organisations, it was forced to suspend its regular social gatherings. It is planning to run both services after the crisis is over.

If you would like to refer anyone to Call Companions, you are welcome to refer online (with their permission, of course) or simply pass on the freephone number: 0800 716543. It has staff who can go through the application form with them over the phone.

The attached a leaflet has more details or, if you have any further questions, you can get in touch on the number below:

CC LEaflet

Jennifer Kaney

Development Officer  Monday – Thursday
Telephone: 01786 235034

This post is to make you aware that, this week, Clackmannanshire Council has made two Orders to designate sections of roads, throughout Clackmannanshire, as a 20mph and 40mph speed limit, for a period of up to 18 months, to reduce traffic speed on roads that have experienced increased pedestrian and cycling use since the implementation of the COVID-19 Lockdown and is in the interests of road safety.

Further information is available on the TROs web page:

http://muckhart.org.uk/traffic-regulation-orders-tros-in-your-area/

In case that you are unaware, from this week (commencing Monday 22nd June), the system of tying a liner around your food caddy handle, as a way to receive a new supply of liners, has stopped.

When your supply of liners is running low, you can request a new batch by e-mailing: [email protected] or by telephoning: 01259 450000

The Council is advising that any plastic or paper bag can be used to contain any food waste until your new liners are delivered.

Please see the following link for more information:

https://www.clacks.gov.uk/environment/foodwastecollection/

Mike Wilson

Secretary

Muckhart Community Council

Further to the recent post regarding the Temporary Prohibition of Driving, Parking and Loading along the A91 Dollar to Muckhart, and further to a query raised by MCC, we have since been advised that the A91 will not be subject to a full road closure during the period of the re-surfacing works. Traffic shall be allowed to run along the A91 from Dollar to Muckhart, without having to be diverted, and local access will be maintained.

Please note, however, that traffic travelling from Glendevon will be diverted along the A823, onto the A977, and then onto the B913 to Dollar.

The Council has stated that it hopes to complete the works earlier than the proposed 10 day period, which is very much weather dependant, and that they will be carried out whilst complying with the latest Government guidelines regarding social distancing.

Mike Wilson

Secretary

Muckhart Community Council