WACC Meeting Minutes Monday 8th April, Nadurra Centre, Glenmore

WEST ARDNAMURCHAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD AT THE NADURRA NATURE CENTRE, GLENMORE ON
MONDAY 8th APRIL 2019 AT 7PM

1.         WELCOME AND APOLOGIES

Present:

Geoff Campbell (Chair) (GCC)         

May McNicol (Vice Chairperson) (MM)

Pat MacPhail (Treasurer) (PM)

Stewart Connor (Secretary) SC

Gill Calver (GC)

Cllr. Iain Ramon (IR)

Also, present were 16 members of the public.

Apologies were received on behalf of, Jessie Colquhoun (JC), Kevin Swift and Angie Campbell, Police Scotland.

GCC welcomed everyone present to the meeting.

2.         MINUTES OF MEETING HELD 11^th MARCH 2019

The minutes of the meeting held 11^th March 2019 were adopted as a true account of the meeting. Proposed by PM and seconded by GC

3.         MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES

There were no matters arising from the previous minutes

4.         ACCESS TO HILLS AND PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY

GCC informed the meeting of correspondence received from Donald Kennedy, Highland Council, Access Officer, Skye, Lochalsh and West Lochaber.

GCC confirmed that Highland council is proposing a new core path from Acharacle to      Glenborrodale and Laga and it will go along the track through the Biomass facility at    Glenborrodale. This is part of a long-term plan to create more core paths in remote areas. Highland Council is currently checking all land ownership along the route and its expected that formal consultations on the amended core path plan will start end of April or beginning of May. The amended core path plans will be published and made available for a three-month consultation period.

MM asked if other paths could be looked at with the path from Portuairk to Bay MacNeill in a bad state of repair. GCC confirmed that there were charitable organisations dedicated to the repair of existing path infrastructure.

GC raised issues on behalf of Dr. Michael Foxley who recently walked the Glenborrodale route encountering problems with locked gates. GC confirmed that Dr. Foxley has raised these issues with the Scottish Rights of Way Society.

A member of the public, William Kelly, on behalf of Ardnamurchan Estate read out a statement confirming their disagreement with what Dr. Foxley had stated in the previous minutes as raised by GC on the subject of the existence of Public Rights of Way in West Ardnamurchan.

GC expressed concern that planning permission did not appear to have been applied for regarding electricity generation at the Glenborrodale woodchip facility. She advised that Andrew Baxter was investigating this with the local planning authority.

5.         FINANCIAL UPDATE

PM confirmed the current balance is; £1776.04

5.1       Payments Received;

No payments were noted as being received

5.2       Payments Made;

Cheque sent to Kilchoan Community Centre for £1,000

5.3       Balance; £776.04

PM confirmed that secretarial payments be made as follows;

£88.00 to be paid to Gayle Cameron for the 1^st 3 months of the year she was secretary.

£262.00 to be paid to Stewart Connor for the 9 months of this year he was secretary.

Cheques were prepared and signed at the meeting for these payments.

6.0         NHS SERVICES

Council members discussed the £1,000 cheque payment to the Kilchoan Community Centre to help facilitate the completion of the Doctors surgery waiting room.  A letter of thanks for this payment from Gael Cameron on behalf of KCC was received.

Discussions confirmed that there had been two or three applications for the vacant first responders position.

GC confirmed that there had been a positive open meeting in relation to DalMhor. 

GCC was pleased with the work done to date by Lara Bryce. 

GC confirmed that a drop-in session asking the public what services they would like available at DalMhor or from the hub of DalMhor would be held in the Kilchoan Learning Centre with the date and time confirmed post meeting as Tuesday 30^th April 1530-1900hrs.

7.           ROADS

7.1 Update from Highland Council

Concerns were raised at the meeting over the angle of the approach on the road over the new 

Alt Darach/Pier Road culverts. IR confirmed that the road was being widened to allow for the angle 

of the railings.IR confirmed he would check this was in fact the case at the meeting with 

Highland Council on Wednesday and advise at the next meeting.

SC outlined the content of an e-mail received by from Mark Smith, Highland Council, Senior 

Roads Engineer in relation to Road Safety Concerns, Pier Road, Kilchoan and Glenborrodale.

This was read out as follows;

“Thank you for reporting your concerns about the speeding issues at Pier Road and Glenborrodale.

As you will appreciate the section at Pier Road is already a 30mph limit that the Police can enforce.

Glenborrodale is listed for deployment of the speed data recording equipment but I         

cannot give a date for its deployment at this time.

On another topic I had hoped to have been in a position to arrange a meeting with

representatives of the community council, as requested, but I am still waiting for

information regarding the proposed budget funding allocations to be made 

for operations in the upcoming financial year.”

7.2 Review of open road maintenance cases

SC confirmed that a live open road maintenance case had been raised.

Case reference is FS110976813; Damaged cattle grid signs at Mingary Pier and the B8007 East of Caim below the big sheds.

SC confirmed that these had been acknowledged by Gus MacLennan and were being actioned.

8.         BT SERVICES/BROADBAND

It was confirmed that the broadband service in the Glenborrodale area was much better.

Action; GCC confirmed that this heading be removed from the agenda unless specifically raised at further meetings.

9.           POLICE UPDATE

An e-mail update had been received prior to the meeting from PC Kevin Swift which SC read out 

as follows.

“Concerning possible bogus workmen. There are some people carrying out driveway work 

etc.They are going around the doors seeing if people wish work done. One of them quoted 

a local business when trying to get work from another. When I checked the first business 

owner confirmed to me that they were not working for him. He had turned them down. 

One local has paid them for work. I don’t know the quality or validity of the business. 

Any details of anybody going door to door would be appreciated.”

10.         Correspondence

10.1 Planning Applications;

12/03/19 19/00490/FUL, Corriebeg, Pier Road, Kilchoan. Change of use of land and the 

siting of 2 camping pods/cabins. Per Mr Paul Moffitt, Corriebeg Pier Road, Kilchoan.

No comments were offered on behalf of the community council

19/03/19 19/00564/FUL, Land 440m SE of Ardnamurchan Lighthouse. Access track and 

feed stance. Per Mr Alasdair McLachlan. Carraig, Kilchoan.

No comments were offered on behalf of the community council

02/04/19 19/01150/S42, Greenwood, Ardsliginish. Section 42 removal of condition. Ms Lois Livett.

No comments were offered on behalf of the community council

10.2 Community Council Correspondence

14/03/19; copy e-mail from Cecilia Fry to Miller Harris reference Ardnamurchan 

Estate woodland creation proposals.

19/03/19; e-mail from GCC to Donald Kennedy reference access issues

20/03/19; letters sent on behalf of WACC 

To, Miller Harris, Ardnamurchan Estate, Woodland Creation Proposals

To, Mark Smith, Senior Roads Engineer, Highland Council. Traffic surveys, Pier Road 

Kilchoan and Glenborrodale.

20/03/19; e-mail from Hamish Bain, Nairn River Community Council.

21/03/19; e-mail from Scottish Government reference revised guidance on licencing boards.

21/03/19; SFRS news

22/03/19; e-mail from Dot Fergusson, Senior Ward Manager reference flooding event in Glasgow.

26/03/19; e-mail from Kevin Swift reference the Wildcat Protection Group and cats 

being neutered without permission

26/03/19; e-mail acknowledgement from Miller Harris, Kirn Ltd. Reference letter sent.

27/03/19; e-mail from Dot Fergusson, Senior Ward Manager reference suicide 

prevention open community meeting.

27/03/19; e-mail from Highland Council Policy team reference Resilient Communities 

Conference 2019.

28/03/19; e-mail from Gus MacLennan, Highland Council Roads Inspector, reference 

cattle grid signs as per agenda item 8.2.

28/03/19; e-mail from Fiona Fowler, Screenmachine, requesting further information 

to enable assessment for a possible visit to Kilchoan.

29/03/19; draft notes from Lochaber Health and Social Care re-design Steering Group meeting.

29/03/19; Scottish Rural Action newsletter

02/04/19; e-mail reference the Planning Democracy conference in Glasgow

04/04/19; Thank you letter received from Kilchoan Community Centre reference recent donation.

05/04/19; e-mail correspondence between GCC and Donald Kennedy reference Core Path 

creation see agenda item 4.

05/04/19; e-mail from GC with a request for Highland Council to consider the 

route from Glenborrodale to Ockle as a core path

05/04/19; SFRS news

07/04/19; e-mail from Kevin Swift with the Police update as per agenda item 9.

08/04/19; e-mail from Elaine Stokes, Branault resident with updates on the proposed Home 

Office Telecommunications mast at Branault.

11.0         Corran Ferry Consultation

GCC led a discussion on the proposed Corran Ferry Fare increase. The main points were; 

Councillor Andrew Baxter thought the fare increase was unfair. Pedestrians should pay at least 

£1 to help offset the increase.

Further discussions would be held at the Highland Council meeting in Strontian on Wednesday.

GC mentioned that Dr Michael Foxley was chasing up an equality’s assessment.

Some of the passenger numbers mentioned in Highland Councils assessment were not 

quite right with a figure of 9 motorhomes carried by the ferry in one year being quoted.

MM mentioned that a meeting was held 6 years ago reference foot passengers.

An action group has been set up with representation from all affected community councils.

GCC stated that all feedback to be through Councillor Andrew Baxter.

IR confirmed his attendance at the Strontian meeting on Wednesday where issues would be 

raised, and MM asked why a ferry subsidy was not being applied to the route.

12.         AOB

12.1. Empty Houses in Kilchoan

GCC led a discussion on this, providing examples of where possible issues were in 

un-occupied properties in Kilchoan. The trend from holiday homes to residential had turned 

in recent years with two thirds of housing in Kilchoan now residential and one third holiday homes.

WACC had been made aware recently that a Rural Housing Association were looking for land 

to build more affordable social housing.

The return of local people to Kilchoan was discussed along with the need to provide 

housing for younger people currently living with parents and working locally so 

that they can be encouraged to stay in the area longer term.

Local employer MOWI will be looking at further recruitment with housing for staff a consideration.

12.2; Ardnamurchan High School 3-18

Member of the public Rosie Curtis informed the community council of her attendance 

at a parent council meeting reference the Head Teacher issues at Strontian.

Rosie outlined concerns over the responses received to the 3 options provided to the 

issues of the Head teacher currently sharing the High School and Primary School positions; 

3 options were given to this issue as follows

1. Re- advertise the Head Teacher Post

            2. Cluster Strontian Primary School with another school within the Associate School Group.

            3. Establish a 3-18 years School management structure for Ardnamurchan High School and Strontian Primary School with a single head teacher.

12 responses to the consultation were received with the weighting favouring option 3.

Rosie raised the concerns of the Kilchoan parents to the acceptance of 

this option with the centralisation of both schools possibly having a future impact on 

the long-term viability of Kilchoan Primary School.

Councillors were being given a say by a vote on the options and it was 

stressed that IR support the view of the Kilchoan parents that there is no long term 

impact on Kilchoan Primary School.

12.3 Lighthouse Trust Survey

MM made available copies of the survey to those present.

12.4 Fly-tipping and the rise in campervan waste

Member of the public Niall Rowantree raised the issue of the rise in campervan numbers 

in the area and the added additional waste that this brings.

Cases were provided where cassette toilets and waste were being disposed 

of illegally in some cases into burns and water courses.

Member of the public Fiona Ogg informed the meeting of similar 

issues raised by Acharacle Community Council

Action; GCC asked that these issues be explored further and that ideas in 

assisting better waste management in the area be brought to the next meeting in May

12.5 Signage B8007 to Swordle/Ockle 

Member of the public, Morag Docherty raised the issue of the lack of signage to Swordle and Ockle especially at the Kilmory junction. 

Holiday makers traveling to either Swordle or Ockle were stopping in Kilmory and asking directions of local residents. 

Action; SC to raise a fault with Highland Council Roads for further signage to be added at the Kilmory junction.

13.       Next Meeting

The next meeting will take place on 13th May 2019 at 7pm in the Kilchoan Learning Centre, Kilchoan
GCC duly brought the meeting to a close thanking all for their attendance and Richard and Vicky for the use of the centre.