MINUTES OF MEETING HELD AT THE KILCHOAN COMMUNITY CENTRE, ON MONDAY 15th August 2019

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD AT THE GLENMORE NATURE CENTRE, ON
MONDAY 14^th October 2019 AT 7PM

1.    WELCOME AND APOLOGIES

Present

Geoff Campbell Chair (GCC)

Pat MacPhail Treasurer (PM)

Gill Calver (GC)

Apologies

Jessie Colquhoun (JC)

It was noted that Cllr Ian Ramon (IR) was in hospital.

Also present were 12 members of the public.

It was agreed that GC would take the minutes of the meeting.

GCC welcomed everyone present to the meeting.

Elections for the Community Council have been postponed to 29^th October due to lack of candidates.  This is a general problem across the Highland Council and does not affect WACC. 

2.    MINUTES OF LAST MEETING

The minutes of the meeting held 9th September 2019 were adopted as a true account of the meeting except that Thursday is changed to Monday in the heading. Proposed by PM and seconded by GC.

3.    MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES

Emergency responders.  The Ardnamurchan Newsletter detailing the positions had gone out to 180 people on the Community Company mailing list, and had also been posted on Facebook.  Alan Knox reported to the meeting, detailing the high level of training that Emergency Responders would receive.  The position of Emergency Responder was unique to Kilchoan, reflecting the distance from the siting of emergency services from the population.  He asked whether the community wanted the ad to be posted more widely, to try to attract people from outwith the peninsula.  One of the potential problems with this was that some applicants might view it as a way into the ambulance service, not as a long term role within Ardnamurchan. 

He also asked whether the community wanted an ad requesting First Responders to be  posted.  He stressed that First Responders would only operate as part of a team along with a trained Emergency Responder.  The First Responders would be contacted by the Emergency Responder after a call out, and would accompany the Emergency Responder on any call.  First Responders would be given 4 days training.  Emergency Responders would have up to six months training, with regular sessions to maintain skill levels after that.  For example, currently Ricky spends one day every two weeks on call in Fort William.  There are not a high level of call outs - there have been 20 calls in the last 30 months; with call outs in the summer months being more frequent.

GC mentioned the information package that had been prepared by Joanne Matheson and others for dissemination to applicants for the GP position, and said that she would get this forwarded to Alan Knox for use for applicants for the Emergency Responder positions.

Alan Knox clarified the position on statutory response times, telling the meeting that the clinical outcome drove the response.  Calls were classed as red, amber or yellow, with the air ambulance and a major trauma unit from Glasgow an option for calls classified as red.  There followed a discussion on defibrillator locations - two will be going in at the MOWI sites (Laga and Kilchoan), one is at the Lighthouse and a potential location for the Glenborrodale defibrillator which needs extensive servicing, is the Distillery.  Ricky to liaise on this.   

4.    FINANCIAL UPDATE

PM presented interim accounts which need to be submitted to Dot Ferguson on dissolution of the present Community Council before elections.  GCC proposed acceptance, GC seconded.  The accounts had been audited.  The £1,000 grant from Ardnamurchan Trust had been received, and the Community Company had given the Community Council details of how this money was spent - the major part going on insurance and auditing costs.  It was agreed that the full £1,000 would be passed to the Community Company as soon as possible. 

5.    NHS SERVICES

No further reports.

6.    ACCESS ISSUES

Community Council has submitted the follow comment to the consultation process:

The Community Council supports the promotion of recreational walking in Ardnamurchan and the extension of the core paths network, as outlined in the Community Action Plan.

Everyone supports responsible access to the land.  Regarding small sections of the paths around the wood chip facilities in Glenborrodale, it would be best if the relevant parties work together to come up with a mutually acceptable compromise.

7.    ROAD REPAIRS

Nothing to report.

8.    POLICE UPDATE

We have received the following from the Police:

Keep reporting suspicious vehicles.

We do check them out even if we do not get them stopped, but you have to note the reg number and direction of travel.

Make sure your vehicle is winter ready. Check tyres are above the 1.6mm tread. Make sure all your lights are functioning correctly. Make sure your wipers are working and adequate screen wash. It is also worth having a a few items in your car in case you get stranded somewhere, road closures etc. Water, food, warm clothing/blanket, torch and a phone and phone charger.

9.    SUNDAY SAILING ON THE TOBERMORY FERRY

A member of the public has been in touch with the request for Sunday sailings between Tobermory and Kilchoan in the winter. CalMac rely on the Mull & Iona Ferry Committee  to run timetable consultation, so if there is to be a change we need to request it. The timetables are usually put out in draft 12 months before they commence, so the winter 20/21 timetable will soon be proposed.

The key principle to bear in mind that the total number of sailings cannot change, so if there are to be sailings on a Sunday, they will have to be balanced with reductions at

other times.  It was felt that this was unlikely to be a service that was much in demand, and as the present timetables gave the crew a full day off, we would not request a change now.  This can be reviewed if there is a substantial demand for it.       

10.  CORRESPONDENCE

10.1               Planning Applications:  No new applications

10.2               E-mail from John Ewen of WHP Telecoms Ltd asking the Community Council

            to consider supporting the planning application for telecoms mast installation        in Glenborrodale. Planning reference: 19/03936/FU.  WHP are appointed by             Scottish Government to build the new mast network and attract mobile        operators to deploy sites in Not Spots. Scottish Government community       consultation ended on 8th of October 2018 with your Community since        identified as an attractive destination with a Community identified as seeking             mobile phone coverage and very supportive Landowner Mr Peter Stockdale.

            GC said that the proposed location is unlikely to present any major issues

            regarding visibility of the mast.

10.3               Alan Knox: Emergency Responder advertisement   

10.4               Dot Ferguson: Information regarding postponement of elections.

10.5               WACDC to request donation for running the company.

11.  CORRAN FERRY CONSULTATION

GC reported that she had been unable to attend the inaugural meeting of the Consultation Group, and as yet had had no information regarding this.  She will contact

Trish Kennedy regarding future meetings of the Group. 

12.  AOB

There were no further matters brought forward.

13.  NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will take place on Monday 9^th December 2019, unless an election is required.  In that case, the meeting cannot take place until after 16th December, as there is a statutory period of 7 days after the ballot for notification of the meeting. 

GCC duly brought the meeting to a close thanking all for their attendance.