Freedom of Information Request - Taynish Shelter Build Tayvallich Argyll
Date: 07 January 2025
Our ref: SIR178154/A4908958
Information Request – Taynish Shelter Build Tayvallich Argyll
Your Request
Confirm the cost to build of the Taynish shelter at Taynish mill Tayvallich, also could you please confirm separately the cost to reinstate the path leading to the new shelter once work is complete.
Our Response
We have discussed your request with the Operations Team who work at Taynish National Nature Reserve (NNR) and have provided the following information dated to the 12th December 2024.
| x | 20-21 | 21-22 | 22-23 | 23-24 | 24-25 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planning | 3600 | 2286.53 | 3031 | 0 | 3771.97 | 12689.50 |
| Build | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22976.5 | 22976.50 |
| Materials | 0 | 2752.5 | 1794 | 0 | 9472.63 | 14019.13 |
| x | x | x | x | x | x | 49685.13 |
The build is still ongoing and is not expected to be completed until the 15th of March 2025. We therefore are unable to provide you with a confirmed total cost of the build at the time of your information request. However, the costings provided above are a comprehensive account for the project so far. Our contractor has quoted £38,000 for the labour to build the shelter, and at the time of receiving your request we are still receiving final quotes for materials, so we are unable to provide total costs at this stage.
Full planning permission and building warrant has been given by Argyll & Bute Council and this information can be found on the council's planning portal.
Regarding your request for the costs of the Mill path repairs. We are unable to provide an absolute cost for this part of the project as yet. The Operations Team indicated that the path leading to the new shelter was in need of repairs before the project began, due to broken drains, the bottom zigzags needing restructuring, and the whole path requiring a layer of fine dusting. The recent wet weather and the use of machines along this very popular path have made these issues worse, however, once the shelter has been completed the NNR team will take remedial action to complete repairs.
Although we cannot provide you with an exact cost of the current path works (as we have not yet tendered for labour or materials) previous path works, along the woodland trail, came in at £17,000 for approx. 800m, for an external contractor to create a new path. We therefore estimate the mill path would come to around £10-£12,000 for resurfacing. However, (staff and volunteer availability pending) the NNR team hope to complete a large part of the pathworks inhouse to reduce costs.
We hope that you can appreciate that we are currently mid-way through the build project so apologise for not having the full information available at this time and thank you for your understanding. One of the main aims of the build is for the shelter to be used as a community asset so we very much hope that the short-term disturbance to the path will be forgiven for the long-term gain.
As we do not hold information relating to the works on the path we must, under the EIRs apply the exemption 10(4)(a) (Information not held) to this part of your request.
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot
