Draft Minutes: meeting 4 December 2007

Draft Minutes

Garve & District Community Council

Of meeting held in Achnasheen Village Hall on 4 December 2007

Present: Uisdean Menzies, Marion Taylor, Alex Mackenzie, Sheree Grant, Sue Tarr, John Urquhart, Donald Northwood, Lady Eliza Leslie Melville, Jean Hollingdale, Cllr Jean Urquhart, Robbie Bain ward manager and 15 members of the public.

Apologies: Jim Ruggles Brise, Helen Grainge.

The meeting was opened and chaired by Uisdean Menzies.

1) Approval of the previous minutes (with minor corrections) proposed: Marion Taylor, Seconded: Sheree Grant. Two members of the public said that the Community Council should make notes and not minutes and suggested that they should not be published until after they had been approved at the normal meetings; another member of the public said she felt that the use of the word barracked in the minutes was a bit decisive and what did it mean. The Secretary stated that he could have use ‘continually interrupted’ for that is what happened, he went on to say that minutes have to be taken not notes and would produce draft minutes if required by the Community Council. Uisdean Menzies said that the minutes had to be taken and that they reflected what was said at the meeting and not a word for word transcript and that the Community Council had a duty to record events. After a brief discussion it was agreed to produce draft minutes that would be published before each meeting so members of the Community Council and the public could read them and raise any issues at the next meeting. The Secretary further asked that as all members received copies of the minutes before publication they should raise issues with the Secretary if they felt there where discrepancies in them and that while he has asked several time before, to-date he had received no such communication. Sue Tarr challenged the Secretary over the recording of the minutes asking why it appeared he was not writing any thing down; another member supported the Secretary by saying that every one records things differently and that the minutes reflects this.

2) Matters arising: The Secretary reported and thanked Gordon Mackenzie for answering the Community Councils letter regarding his receipt of a document prior to the Community Council making it public; he stated that the post person had put it through his door. Transerve had yet to be contacted regarding coming along and talking at one the meetings. Gifts for both Christine and Pat had been distributed and letters of thanks received. A member of the public raised the issue of an e-mail that had been sent out prior to the election of Community Council members; the chair said that this matter had been dealt with at the last meeting and there was nothing else to say. This did not satisfy the member who questioned the whole matter again; Marion Taylor said the matter was done and dusted and that the Community Council had spent time discussing it at the last meeting and that any person who still felt strongly about it should do as suggested at the last meeting and take it up with the sender. Sheree Grant stated that the matter had been dealt with and we should all move on. At this point the member of the public challenged the Secretary stating that he should answer why his name was on the e-mail as someone who had received it. The Secretary responded by stating that he had already answered this point at the last meeting and that his name was not on the e-mail, but his company and unlike at the last meeting he could confirm that the company had received the document at an office in the south; He further went on to say that this was a private e-mail from one individual sent to a small group of people all of whom had no influence on the voting in the area. He also reminded the member that he was on holiday at the time and would not have seen the correspondence any way. Several other members of the Community Council said that they could not see how this matter was relevant as it had all been discussed before, the secretary further pointed out that this had as others had said been full aired at the last meeting and that any person who had a question on this document should direct it as suggested before to the author who sent it, not the Community Council; there is also the question of how a private correspondence found it’s way into the public domain in the first place. Uisdean Menzies said that he was surprised that the issue was still being discussed as it had been raised, discussed and minute from the last meeting.

3) Planning issues: There was only one issue that affected the Community this being the proposed development at Inchbae for chalets and a bungalow the Secretary had been sent details that he put before the council these included an agrological survey of the area. He had received one note of objection to the development and asked the Community Council members and the public if there were any other objection on this matter. There where none and the Community Council agreed that the matter should rest with the planning department. There where no other planning matters.

4) Treasurers report: Marion reported that the main account held £2296:27, senior citizens £1336.50 and war memorial £125.85 and that we had received a number of donations to the senior citizens account. A member of the public asked why in the last minutes some names of people had been listed as making a donation and not others. Marion Taylor explained that most of the donations received had stated they wished to remain anonymous and it was up to the Community Council to respect their wishes.

5) Correspondence received: copies of minutes received from, Lochbroom, Torridon, Lochcarron and Shiedaig Community Councils, Noted. E-mails from the Wester Ross Alliance regarding Green Prints a scheme for improving green spaces; one from Robbie Bain on the Ward Forum and another from the Wester Ross Alliance regarding expense claims, Noted. There had been two news letters from Highland health care plus a document on an update on Scottish Cancer Strategy Noted. There had been an e-mail from Robbie Bain at the Highland Council on the proposed income from the developers of the proposed wind farm at Lochluichart, which outlined the potential revenue. A member of the public asked what would happen to the funds and how it would be handled. The Secretary said that the member probably knew as much as the Council and the article in the Ross-shire Journal and the News and Views was more than the Community Council had been given as the developer hadn’t had the curtsy to give them any details on any deals. The Secretary said that the history had been reported several times but to remind every one the Community Council had been invited to a meeting by the Highland Council in December 2005 where they outlined what might be potential income from theses developments, several members attended, including E-ON who are planning a wind farm at Corriemoillie, Infinergy did not attend; following the meeting it was agreed by the Community Council that the Highland Council should negotiate on the communities behalf and that while there is not a legal requirement for developers to make payments there was a formula that was recommend be followed; They had further been told that any income would be shared with other communities who bordered our district and that the percentages had to be agreed. The funds could be used for sustainable projects only and administered by either a trust or limited company by people drawn from each of the communities and who did not have a conflict of interest. Robbie Bain then explained that, that was now not the criteria and that it was far to early to start discussions as none of the proposed developments had been given planning permission, he further added that the funds could be structured in a similar manner to the Common Good Fund in Inverness which had been running for more than 150 years; the Secretary thank Robbie Bain for his information and input and further stated that he would not be party to any negotiations or discussions on the income as he had to declare a conflict of interest as he currently owned small interests in two power companies both of whom were developing renewable energy projects including wind farms and it would be wrong for him to take part. A letter was handed in from Dena Ross and read to the members stating that after ten years working with the News and Views she would be no longer carrying on. The Community Council thanked her for all the work she had done. Sue Tarr said that following her announcement in the News and Views that she was resigning from the committee and production of the news letter and wished to read out her resignation which she did. The Community Council thanked her for all the work she had done and said they would arrange to remove all the equipment and documents from her home.

6) Any other Business: A) A member said he had concerns over the arrangements for the flood alerts; this was answered by the chair stating that arrangements were in place for early warnings.

B) A member of the public raised the issue of the junction at Gorstan and the Ullapool road, every one agreed that this was a very dangerous spot and that it had been reported to the Highland Council on a number of occasions and that letters had also be sent to the police regarding concerns of safety. The member of the public suggested that better signs be put up including signs that were lit up; it was agreed to write to the highways agency and Highland Council again on this subject.

C) The issue of recycle points was discussed following an enquiry from the Highland Council on adding further collection points and relocating the current units, a member of the public gave a short explanation of what was hoped to be achieved including adding containers for the collection of both plastic and metal recyclable items. A number of suggestion where put forward for the location of the recycle bins including the old goods yard in Garve and the car parking area by the school.

D) Concerns were raised by a member of the public over the foot bridge at Achanalt station that crosses the burn; there is a young couple with a new baby that uses this path and the bridge is in need of repair, plus the access to the station was currently in a mess after recent work at the station. The Secretary said that with regard the mess he was waiting for Network rail to arrange for this to be sorted out as the land leading to the station and the car park area belong to him and is for access only by those who use the station; what Network rail did was dump construction material without permission and then not clear the site afterwards, he had spoken with them and now waiting. On the question of the bridge this is Network rails responsibility and he would write and contact them on this matter as it was unacceptable on the grounds of safety.

E) The unacceptable state of Achnasheen filling station was again raised plus the untidy area around the centre of the village. A member of the public said that complaints had been received from a number of people; the owner had been contacted and as yet no response had been forthcoming.

The meeting was closed with the Chair thanking everyone for attending and set the next meeting for the 5 February 2008 in the Garve Village Hall.