March 2011
MINUTES OF MEETING ON TUESDAY 1ST MARCH 2011
EDDERTON COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Edderton Village Hall
Present: Councillors Robin Ashby, Donald Clarke (Chair), Michael Brown, Albert Fraser, Sharyn Griffin, George Ross, Graham Ross, Ewen Simpson, Campbell Smith, Cameron Warren: Jim McGillivray (Highland Councillor) [withdrew under item 4i], developer of Coul Croft, 14 residents
Apologies: Alister Sutherland
1. Welcome: the Chairman welcomed everybody and then read an amusing letter of thanks from Paul Hoggarth.
2. Visitors: Two officers from Northern Constabulary attended and reported. There had been the theft of a panel from a JCB; all the wood lorries checked recently had complied with regulations; and speed checks were continuing.
3. The minutes of the meeting on 1st February 2011 were approved (proposed by Campbell Smith, seconded by Ewen Simpson) on condition that the Secretary made alterations to include nine specified omissions and corrections.
4. Matters arising from the minutes
a) Housing: Nothing to report. Item to be dropped from agenda until further notice.
b) Infrastructure:
i) Roads: the Secretary reported John Clark’s response to the Council’s request: briefly, the winter maintenance priority of certain roads could not be changed. He then reported John Paul McKay’s response: the problem with the pipe on the Dounie Straight had been reported to the Principal Engineer; the overhanging trees on the Struie road would be investigated as well as those at Seafield and the Dridaig Burn: the culvert on the Struie road would be replaced as soon as SEPA granted a licence; and the play park fence was on his repairs list and the erection of a high fence should not cause any problems.
The Council identified two new problems: the abrupt drops off the tarmac at the sharp bends on the A836 near Seafield; and potholes on the A836 east of Redburn and on the bridge over Edderton Burn.
ii) Footpath network: Donald Clarke reported that Matt Dent had obtained funding for the Admiral Farm section but had missed the deadline for an application for the Balblair section. Matt hoped to get onto the reserve list for funding and was debating whether to create a gravel path or rely solely on ditching to solve the drainage problem. Donald Clarke and Michael Brown are to meet him on site and liaise.
c) Ball screen: Nothing to report. Albert Fraser and Graham Ross volunteered to measure up the site.
d) Trees behind War Memorial: Nothing to report. The Secretary is to communicate the Council’s request for the removal of the poplars and planting of oaks to John Paul Mackay.
e) Railing in front of Heather Hut: It was recalled that the contractors, Pat Munro, had adjusted the skewed railings, in their words, “as best they could”. Donald Clarke and Jim McGillivray are to request the contractor honours his promise that “you won’t even know they have been moved”.
f) Glebe grant: Nothing to report.
g) Dounie Hill access: the original plan was for the fort path to start at the existing car park which would be expanded and the sight lines improved. The path was subsequently shortened and now starts at a newly constructed car park. This change was not noted in the Council’s agreement with Forestry Commission Scotland who still say they plan to improve the lower car park. The Council regards the simplest solution would be to retain the barrier without locking it and so allow members of the public use the upper car park. When restricted access to the woodland is needed for construction or felling operations, the barrier should be locked and a sign displayed explaining why it is locked and requesting motorists to use the lower car park. The present situation with the barrier sometimes locked and sometimes unlocked is not satisfactory. Michael Brown suggested a Mr Higgins of FCS be approached.
h) Highland Council supplementary guidances: the Chairman reported that in general they contained good advice and the Council agreed to support the documents in their response to the consultation.
i) Planning application 11/64 Coul Croft Camping – update: Jim Gagan, the developer said that he was in the hands of the planners and had nothing to add for the moment.
Sharyn Griffin reported that she and Ian Mackenzie had met the case officer that day. The application could go to a meeting of the Planning Committee on 15th March (Postponed to later), but the results of certain necessary tests and surveys were not complete. She also clarified that it was permitted to approach Jim McGillivray on the matter, but that Jim was required to refrain from commenting until the meeting.
The Secretary reported on a reply he had received from Allan Todd, head of Planning at Drummuie in response to the Council’s letter of objection. It explained that, since the planners did not envisage recommending approval against the local development plan, the application would be heard at a meeting, not a hearing, of the Planning Committee. Only at a hearing would the Council, and others, have an opportunity to speak. Mr Todd pointed out that it was the developer alone who made the decision whether to consult with local community before submitting their planning application and that in all aspects of this case Highland Council had followed the planning regulations. He also claimed that the grid references given were correct. The Secretary said that he had solved the anomaly of the grid references when he observed that by removing the first digit of the grid references given by HC, they corresponded with the ones he had taken off the Ordnance Survey map.
The developer was reminded by a resident that he had stated at the last meeting he had “no Plan B” if his present plans based on touring visitors proved economically unviable. He was asked whether, in the light of this remark, he would voluntarily enter a Section 75 agreement restraining him from making a further planning application for static caravans for a period of ten years. The developer replied: “No comment.”
5. Highland Council Member’s Report
February 2nd : Sutherland Partnership – 2 sub-groups to be set up
2nd : In house training
2nd : Primary school girls 5-a-side football competition
3rd : met HC Convenor and Budget Leader
3rd : met UHI and North Highland College principals
5th : talked to group of classroom assistants
7th : Ward business meeting
8th : Ward forum
10th : HC Budget meeting
14th : Interesting talk about sheep matters
17th : Meeting in Inverness about support for Gaelic
24th : Housing and Social Work Committee – target of 800 new social housing could well be only 50 a year. Discussion of HC and NHS amalgamation of community care.
24th : Education Culture and Sport Committee – the culture and sport section is to be moved out. Review of school estates phase 2 may include Tain, Alness and Invergordon (Later confirmed which means Edderton Primary will be part of the review during Phase 2.)
28th : Ward business meeting
28th : LEADER meeting
Albert Fraser remarked that since the proposals to close local baths and remove classroom assistants had been withdrawn following the budget consultation those responsible should admit publicly that they got things wrong. Jim preferred to see it as an example of local democracy producing a good result.
6. New items
a) Planning for People training: Sharyn Griffin and Robin Ashby are to attend the one-day training session in Dingwall on 12 March.
b) Community Benefit from windfarms etc: Highland Council is currently discussing a scheme to take over future Community Benefit from onshore and offshore windfarms and wave and tidal energy schemes. They are proposing a two-tier one for offshore ones which would allocate 20% to local communities and 80% to Pan-Highland activities and a three-tier system for onshore developments.
c) Community website: Bryon Gibson has produced the shell of a new site. It lacks structure and content which residents are supposed to provide. Details of how residents will be able to keep the site up to date will be supplied later. Cameron Warren and Robin Ashby agreed to consider suitable content for the site.
d) Election of Treasurer: Sharyn Griffin was elected by acclamation to act as Treasurer from 1st April 2011. She is to act as a signatory together with Donald Clarke and Robin Ashby.
e) Edderton Woods Scoping Report: the Council decided no further comment was necessary.
7. Correspondence
Health and Safety
Planning
Environment
Other
1. Robbie Rowantree, prospective MSP Lib Dem – offer to visit
2. The Crown Estate – newsletter
3. Association of Scottish Community Councils – common ground meeting invitation 26 March and newsletter
4. Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust – event 31/3 and 1/4
ELECTRONIC: Copies of the latest electronic correspondence can be ordered from the Secretary.
The Council decided to invite Robbie Rowantree to attend one of its next meetings to listen to the opinions of the residents.
8. Any Other Business
a) Broadband speed: In connection with the discussion about Planning Application 11/64 criticism was made of the download speed for documents on the ePlanning site. It appeared then that people in the village in general experienced an unacceptable decrease in speed at certain times of the day when internet traffic was at its peak. Speeds of about 1Mb/sec were common. Robin Ashby said that he recognised the problem and had after three months’ complaining got his provider (Plusnet) to upgrade his connection and that his normal download speed was in excess of 3Mb/sec despite living 3.5 kms from the exchange proving an upgrade was possible.
As a first step towards a joint demand for faster connections, Cameron Warren and Robin Ashby are to conduct a survey of speeds through the newsletter and a dedicated website.
b) Dog Fouling: Albert Fraser informed the Council that dog-fouling had been on the increase in the village during recent months but that he had not wished to raise the subject before because of the long agendas recently. He said that it had taken him 1½ hours to clear a moderate-sized portion of the streets in the village of dog mess. The meeting did not believe that previously identified dog-owners were responsible this time. The Secretary was charged with raising the matter in the next newsletter.
c) Chairman’s apologies: Donald Clarke informed the Council that he would be unable to attend the next meeting. In the absence of an elected Vice-Chairman, it was agreed that ordinary Councillors, except the Secretary, would in turn chair meetings in alphabetical order when the Chairman was absent. Michael Brown is therefore designated chair for the next meeting.
9. Next Scheduled Meeting
Business meeting in Village Hall on 5 April 2011 at 7.30 pm.
6 March 2011
Robin Ashby