Bourtreehill
Bourtreehill is a large housing estate built by the IDC (Irvine Development Corporation) in the late 1970s it forms part of the Irvine New Town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The estate has two main parts, known as "Bourtreehill North" and "Bourtreehill South". Along its southern border runs the "Broomlands" estate. In recent years, the Bourtreehill South area has suffered from anti-social behaviour. However with more frequent Police and Community Warden Patrols this has gone down, though the area still suffer's from the lack of employment opportunities in North Ayrshire.
Etymology
A 'Bour Tree' is an alternative name for the Common Elder tree, Sambucus nigra, often found in the older and more biodiverse local woodlands.[1]
Geography
Bourtreehill is north of the village of Dreghorn. The Annick Water, a tributary of the River Irvine runs through Bourtreehill.
History
Bourtreehill (and Broomlands) housing estates were built in the late 1970s to meet the demands of a burgeoning population. They developed around the older Bourtreehill House estate. Rather than being controlled by local or regional government, they were managed by Irvine Development Corporation, a body set up for the purpose of regenerating Irvine.
Originally, Bourtreehill housing scheme was intended to be substantially larger than it is today, extending beyond the River Annick, further towards Perceton. However, with a considerable number of old mine workings, some of which have not been charted, this was abandoned.
North Bourtreehill has been a troubled community since its inception with several different construction companies being involved, some of which went bankrupt partway through the project. This has resulted in a wide variety of housing styles of varying quality. Since the disbanding of IDC, the houses which had not been sold to private ownership fell under either local council administration (Cunninghame District Council, now North Ayrshire council) or, in some cases, were owned by a housing association.
Missing toddler
On 23 April 1976, the case of Sandy Davidson hit the headlines in Scotland as he has been one of the many children to go missing in Scotland. He was in his garden with his little sister and the gate flew open as his dog ran out. Sandy ran out trying to catch him and from that day on nobody has seen him since. Some people believe that he ran down to the river, 5 minutes away and followed the dog in, some say he was taken but the most believed story is that there was a man delivering leaflets around for a couple of days and he could have opened the gate and taken Sandy. Sandy's mother and father believe that it was a lonely man wanting a son. His sister says that all she can remember was Sandy motioning for her to go to but she refused and went into the house to tell her Grandparents who were looking after her at the time. Lorriane Kelly did an episode on it but still nobody phoned in with information... sadly. It is a great disruption and sadness to have to deal this sort of thing.[2][3]
Unsolved murder
In an incident that shocked the community of Bourtreehill a young mother was brutally murdered. In broad daylight on 10 November 1994 Shona Stevens had her life taken away from her violently while walking on the footpath in Bourtreehill Park / Middleton Park on the way back to her nearby house.[4] This murder remains unsolved.
Social problems
The community of Bourtreehill has a range of social problems such as drug dealing, underage drinking and petty acts of vandalism. This has been blamed on the lack of facilities for young people in the area, although several projects have sought to address this. These are however problems common in many areas of nearly every town up and down Britain. With new regeneration schemes and building works planned for the future, the social problems of old should lessen if not cease.
There is a very high unemployment rate in Irvine which is partly due to well known companies moving out (Compaq, Volvo and British Telecom) of the area which has resulted in big job losses to the local population and has damaged the local economy.
Amenities
Bourtreehill is home to a library which was originally sited in the Towerlands Gate area. This original library was quite small, and also both users and library staff had concerns about the possibility of their cars being vandalised. In 1996, the library moved to a site directly next to the British Telecom exchange building in Cheviot Way. This custom built building cost 280,000 pounds sterling to build, and has since been vandalised on numerous occasions.
There are no public houses in Bourtreehill since both the But 'n' Ben and The Village Inn closed. There is, however, a Sports club located to the north of the village centre.
The demolition of the Towerlands Gate Complex resulted in a limited number shops available within the estate the village centre has a small shopping complex which provides a basic service for the community. It includes stores ranging from a Small Supermarket, a newsagent with an internal sub post office, bookmaker, Chinese Take-Away and chemists and a hair dressers. Although a small News Agent/Grocery Store has opened up in the Towerlands Gate area on the Site of the former But'n'Ben
There is also a community centre in the old Towerlands Farm. The farm had lain derelict for a number of years until it was refurbished. A group was set up called BABCA (Bourtreehill and Broomlands Community Association), and the community centre is used for various activities. BABCA at one point used to issue an irregular local newsletter making residents of the Bourtreehill and Broomlands area aware of coming events in the community centre and local issues which might affect them. This practice seems to have stopped some years ago.
The local Health Centre is located in Cheviot Way.[5] There has been a Health Centre in Cheviot Way for many years. Originally it was a small prefabricated building which was situated just a short distance down the road across from the Telecom building where there is now a sheltered housing complex. Now it is in a newer, larger building with other facilities, including a dentist.
The Irvine New Town Trail is a cycle and pedestrian route which passes through Bourtreehill, giving relatively 'car free' access to Girdle Toll, Eglinton Country Park, Broomlands, Springside, Kilmarnock and beyond.
Transport
The area is served by several bus companies; Stagecoach Western buses Ltd, Bennetts of Kilwinning and Ayrways:
- 21 - Kilmarnock - Dundonald - Dreghorn - Broomlands - Irvine Cross - Magnum Leisure Centre (Stagecoach Western)
- 23 - Broomlands - Irvine Cross - Hunter Drive - Livingston Terrace - Irvine Cross - Broomlands (Stagecoach Western)
- 27 - Whitehurst Park - Kilwinning Howgate - Five Roads - Old Caley Road - Irvine Cross - Broomlands - Riverside Business Park (Bennetts of Kilwinning at peak times Mon - Fri only)
- 28 - Bourtreehill - Clark Drive - Irvine Cross - Irvine Station/Tesco (Stagecoach Western)
- 28A - Bourtreehill - Broomlands - Irvine Cross - Livingston Terrace - Irvine Cross - Clark Drive - Bourtreehill (Stagecoach Western circular service - evenings and Sundays only)
- X76 - Irvine Cross - Bourtreehill - Dreghorn - Kilmarnock - Glasgow (Stagecoach Western)
- 605 - Kilmarnock - Dreghorn - Broomlands - Irvine Cross - Girdle Toll - Barrhead - Silverburn Shopping Centre - Glasgow City Centre - Braehead Shopping Centre (Ayrways, Daily)
Service 605 departs Broomlands at 9:23am on School Days (Based on an East Ayshire school day) and at 10:23am on non school days and weekends.
Education
Educational needs in Bourtreehill are at present met by 2 Non-denominational Primary Schools(Towerlands Primary and Fencedyke Primary) and 1 Roman Catholic School (St John Ogilvie Primary). Due to the close proximity of the Broomlands Estate, children from the Bourtreehill Estate can attend Broomlands Primary School if they choose to.
On 3 March 2011 the Scottish government granted North Ayrshire Council consent to close Broomlands, Fencedyke and Towerlands Primary Schools, a new school would be built on the existing Broomlands site which would serve both Bourtreehill and Broomlands Estates.[6] This site was chosen due to its central location within the revised catchment area. The new school is due to open to pupils in August 2014[7] It will fully incorporate the hearing impairment unit which is presently based in Towerlands Primary School. The new school is currently known as Irvine East Primary School and the lead architect is Glasgow based JM Architects, with the consultation period for the proposed design due to finish on 29 March 2012. Once construction of the new school is complete the sites on which Towerlands Primary School and Fencedyke Primary School sit will become dissued, North Ayrshire Council has not given any indication of what it intends to do with these sites yet.
Although the Primary School catchment areas will change there will be no change to the Senior Schools Catchment area. And so children of a senior school age will fall into the catchment area of Greenwood Academy.
References
- ↑ Thefreedictionary.com
- ↑ Lex Brown (1 May 2009). "Irvine toddler's disappearance to feature on TV". Irvine Herald. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
- ↑ Missing Children Lorraine Kelly Investigates
- ↑ "Unsolved". STV. November 1999. Retrieved 2009-08-22.
- ↑ Bourtreehill Medical Practise
- ↑ NAC, Proposal to close Broomlands, Fencedyke and Towerlands Primary Schools.
- ↑ NAC, Outcome of the proposed closure of Broomlands, Fencedyke and Towerlands Primary Schools.
External links
Coordinates: 55°37′0.3″N 4°37′45.3″W / 55.616750°N 4.629250°W
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