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Cambuskenneth Community Council
Meeting held on Monday 25 September 2023 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall
Present: Tessa Carroll (Vice Chair), Elaine Turner (Secretary), Archie McIver
In attendance: Councillor Rachel Nunn (in place of Councillor Susan McGill), 3 residents
Apologies: Ross McGregor (Chair), Barbara McElhinney (Treasurer), Graham Barrett, Councillor Susan McGill
The meeting was chaired by Elaine Turner. Minutes were taken by Tessa Carroll.
Adoption of minutes from meeting held on 31 July 2023: Adopted with following amendment: under AOCB heading ‘Riverside Naturally’ corrected to ‘Riverside Community Council’
Proposed: Elaine
Seconded: Archie
Matters arising
Welcome leaflet: Elaine has received the December 2022 draft from Linda and circulated it to the other CC members for comments for it to be updated before printing.
Hall and Park Funds: One leg of one of the new gazebos was found to be damaged, and the company agreed to send a replacement. Elaine will check with Barbara whether this has arrived. Tessa will mail Stirling Council to check about putting up the new noticeboard and the possibility of placing a
picnic bench in the hall garden.
Traffic: Parking on North St and speeding in village: Elaine has emailed the community police team about these issues. Cllr Nunn suggested arranging a visit from the police to look at the problems with someone from the CC and inviting her and Cllr Thomson (both on Environment, Transport and Net
Zero Committee) to attend as well.
SC has told us that the Traffic Manager Officer position is currently vacant, leaving no other officer able to respond to our enquiry about the possibility of getting a ‘children playing’ sign at the entrance to the village. Cllr Nunn said she would take up this matter on our behalf.
Access: Core path management: Elaine will check whether Ross has been able to contact the SC access officer about this.
Cycling Route/Manor Powis/Speed limit: Cllr Nunn had no update but would follow up. The new Sustrans officer at SC, Marco Farnocchi, has agreed to attend our next CC meeting with the transport team leader to update us on plans for the long-overdue cycle route to Manor Powis. Cllr Nunn asked to be invited to this CC meeting. Archie will produce a list of questions to send to Marco in advance.
It was agreed that we should still send a letter to the Scottish Minister for Active Travel, copied to MSP, MP and SC, about the long delays in establishing this route. Archie will do this.
Archie asked for speeding on Alloa Rd to be put on the agenda for the next meeting.
Park - wild flower strip / grass cutting / swings / dogs: Ross has cut the wild flower strip. Residents attending the meeting were unhappy about the cuttings being spread under the hedge at the back of the park, as has happened the last few years, which they thought encouraged nettles. They were also unhappy that the hedge is much higher and wider than it used to be years ago and that nettles have spread to near the climbing frame, posing a risk to children playing there. In general they felt the park looks messy and in need of tidying up. One resident suggested asking local businesses to sponsor this. The residents felt that the CC’s efforts and any funding available would be better spent on the park and village rather than plans for areas outwith the village, e.g. Ricoh’s land. CC members noted that the CC area extends to the railway line and includes Ricoh and Broom Farm, and that CNEG is a sub-group of the CC and its proposals for Ricoh’s land would depend on funding from appropriate sources.
SC had replied to our query about lifting the grass cuttings: there is no practice of cutting and lifting the grass and this applies across all areas. Graham wished an additional query to be raised: for the grass in the park to be cut fortnightly in summer, as otherwise it gets too long for children to play.
SC also said they would arrange for the damaged swing seats to be replaced within the next 2 weeks and this has been done.
Cllr Nunn will ask council officers for clarification about SC’s policies for maintenance of the park and an update on SC’s consultation on dogs in playparks. She said that there will be discussions about how much the council will be able to continue their current level of maintenance of parks and keep
things looking as they are in future and that the council will need to ask/allow/support communities to do more themselves on a voluntary basis if they so wish.
Pergola: No update.
Orchards: One of the apple trees at the park entrance was found to be diseased and has had to be removed. This was done with help from a member of Riverside Naturally, who has also kindly offered to do some remedial work on two other trees that are damaged. Emilie Wadsworth, who initiated
the revival of Tower Orchard and the mini-orchard in the park through Central Scotland Green Network Trust, now Green Action Trust, is moving to a new environmental charity. She will still try to coordinate work at the orchards on a voluntary basis, but funding for replacement trees, materials etc will no longer be available via GAT.
Newsletter: An autumn newsletter was produced in mid-August. Thanks to Archie for taking on this task at short notice. A resident had suggested adding a brief roundup of issues that the CC has raised with SC and the outcomes. Members agreed this was a good idea for future newsletters.
SUBGROUP REPORTS
Cambuskenneth Nature and Environment Group (CNEG) Report: Tessa and Archie reported that the CNEG had held a meeting with Riverside Naturally on 20 August and a CNEG meeting on 18 September. Full update from Helen Barrett, CNEG Chair, at the next meeting.
Social Group Report: A very successful barbecue was held on Saturday 19 August. Many thanks to everyone involved in organising, donating raffle items, and coming along on the day. We made a profit of £292.14.
The group will meet soon to discuss details of the Quiz Night on Friday 27 October.
Sustrans Art: no update
Resilience Group: Update from Graham at next meeting. Elaine reported that a local resident is willing to do CPR training and she will follow up on that. See also SEPA Flood maps and contingency planning below.
Resignation of Chair of Community Council and Council membership: Ross had emailed the other CC members to give notice that he would resign as Chair and CC member after this meeting. The CC confirmed his resignation and wished to thank Ross for all he has contributed to the CC and the community over the last 9 years, most of that time as Chair.
The CC intends to co-opt a new member to fill the vacancy as soon as possible.
Details agreed after meeting: If you are interested in joining our friendly team, please complete the co-option nomination form which can be downloaded from the Stirling Council website:
https://www.stirling.gov.uk/media/fupfl35i/2_co-option-nomination-form.pdf
Completed nomination forms can be posted in the mailbox on the door of the village hall or handed to any current community councillor by Wednesday 18 October.
Election of new Chair deferred to a future meeting.
Tactran report: Regional Transport Strategy 2023-33 – for comment: Archie will attend a presentation on this on 27 September and will report back to the CC at the next meeting.
SEPA Flood maps and contingency planning: Archie encouraged residents to check the SEPA Flood maps https://map.sepa.org.uk/floodmaps as Cambuskenneth is likely to be affected in cases of severe flooding. Cllr Nunn will ask about flood risk assessment for the area and asked that the
Resilience group contact her about this.
Treasurer’s Report: No report in Treasurer’s absence.
Report from Councillors: Cllr Nunn had responded on various issues throughout the meeting and had nothing else to report.
Police Report: No reports at present
AOCB:
Hall lights: Residents reported that the hall lights were often left on overnight. Elaine will contact SC about this.
Date of next meeting: 7.30pm, Monday 23 October 2023 in the village hall
Stirling Council: 01786 404040, Police non-emergency 101, NHS 24 111
Scottish Power emergency: 105, Scottish Gas emergency: 0800 111999
Reminder: Minutes are available via the CC website and Facebook page. If you would like them emailed privately or paper copies, please let us know via email at cambuskennethcc@gmail.com or by contacting any CC member.