Fossil Grove update

FossilGrove

The Fossil Grove Trust has the resposibility of managing funds for the benefit of Fossil Grove, but it does not have any role in running the property, as this responsibility sits with the city council. However, the trustees are working with officers from the council’s Land & Environmental Services department (LES) to support the grove.

The trust has appointed Professor Lennon of the Moffat Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University to undertake a review of business case feasibilities. It has also set-up a small sub-group to review the future governance and funding options, to develop Professor Lennon’s work into a viable strategy, and to procure funding for a new building and for running any new facility.

LES have authorised £19k of drainage improvement works following a CCTV survey and they have also agreed to keep the gutters and the southern wall clear of debris on a regular basis, to fix the leaking gutters and to put more bituminous paint on the concrete strip at the base of the south wall. The leaking overflow has been fixed. There are some encouraging signs that the clearance work on the south elevation may have started to reduce some water ingress. In addition LES will fix the current heating system, install a frost-protection thermostat and are getting a short-term loan of environmental monitoring equipment to carry out a pilot survey. They will make sure the heating is on should a significant period of sub-zero temperatures be forecast. LES are discussing with contractors an upgrade or replacement of the heating system and integration with more permanent monitoring and control equipment. They will also provide options and costs for replacing the lighting.

The trust’s advisory group is engaged in commissioning a number of conservation studies with the aim of providing science-based guidance on a preferred humidity and temperature regime and an action plan for conservation, salt removal etc. once the water ingress has been controlled.

At the trust's AGM, held on 31st October 2016, Walter Semple of the Geological Society of Glasgow was elected to the postion of Chair of the trust. David Webster is also a trustee, and society members Margaret Greene, Alan Owen and Simon Cuthbert are members of the advisory group.

David Webster

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