Approved Minutes Carron Valley & District Community Council Wednesday 2 March meeting, via ZOOM

In attendance

Peter Hayward, chair, PH Sara Smith, councillor, SS Margaret Porter, councillor, MP Nicolas Sinclair, Treasurer NS Sara Smith councillor, SS Dorothy Breckenridge, Sec, DB David Petch, councillor, DP Helen Bang, minute clerk, HB Morag Holdsworth, resident MH

1 Introductions and welcome

1.1 PH thanked DB and rest of CC for managing during his absence.

1.2 Apologies were received Iain Macfarlane, PC King, Dennis Canavan.

1.3 Declarations of interest for items on agenda - Energy crisis see VRG item

1.4 Items raised by members of the public for inclusion in agenda

1.5 Maureen Campbell - part of reason not swimming in reservoir is to do with location of pipes - where are safe areas to swim?

SS at her end it is marked. Never swim across a dam, suggested Maureen gets in touch. Buckieburn reservoir - biosecurity concerns at university.

Disinfecting wet suits recommended. DP - feeder pipes run across his land and Scottish Water don't know where the pipes are, blueprints have been lost.

2 Community Police report

2.1 Attached as Appendix I

Nothing much - theft of quad bike from Lochend (another one.). DP please take note of registration numbers of suspicious vehicles.

3 Minutes of previous meeting on 2 February 2022

3.1 These were approved with amendment Sara Smith appeared twice. Proposed DP Seconded SS

Approved February minutes to DB for Stirling Council. ACTION HB

4 Matters arising

4.1 Actions - fire raising at reservoir last year - no response received. Wall at Cauldbarns - still waiting for planning to come back. Planning and enforcement site visits awaited.

School bus - Maureen and Gordon Berry at meeting in February, were going to follow up.

Sauchieburn Estate - in last week padlocks have been unlocked from two of the gates but are still attached. Some of the signs seem to have been removed. Top gate is still padlocked, route past wood processing plant is just about passable.

Road closure information Facebook done

C10 water issues - part of bigger issue of trying to get survey of road. DP - forestry are extracting timber and are damaging the roads. NS there are serious water issues in Auchenbowie / Hallquarter. Loop from Chartershall towards Sauchieburn and to C10 at Egglicious - cyclists have raised this as currently dangerous. (Elaine Nicol)

DP offered to contact roads if PH gives him the information. ACTION PH

Grit bins - still haven't been filled. Damaged ones are still there. Road sign still needs replacing. ACTION DB. NS we have two spare grit bins if required.

Spitfire commemoration - done

5 Chair’s report

5.1 PH thanked everyone for their good wishes following his operation.

6 Secretary’s report [DB]

6.1 Dennis Canavan thanked CC and Scott Farmer for support over Sauchieburn Estate issues.

7 Treasurer’s report [NS]

7.1 Received £1500 grant for defibrillator. Less this fund stands at £1518.12

7.2 Should money be passed to VRG? DECISION - agreed. ACTION NS to ask VRG Treasurer to raise invoice.

7.3 DP - doesn't cover cost of installation - who is going to pay the balance. It's usually around £120 for electrician, may be additional if extra cabling required. NS we agreed earlier that we could afford this. DECISION agreed to use CC funds for this.

Locations - probably Buckieburn and South Sauchieburn/Upper Sauchieburn area. Andrew Morton contact/email ACTION DP to supply.

8 Stirling Councillor

8.1 No elected representative attended this meeting. No report was received at the time of the meeting.

9 Valley Renewables Group report [NS]

9.1 A Board meeting was held last night.

Have revived strategy subgroup. New resident from Cauldbarns, Morag and Jenny Holdsworth have joined.

Push on promoting young person's grants. New Steps grant scheme launched.

Defibrillators - see item 7.1

Carron Growers - latest application rejected, waiting to see if VRG can support them in other ways.

10 VRG Investment Fund [NS]

10.1 Has taken a battering - Ukraine invasion - but it has rebounded slightly.

11 Woodland Group report [DB]

11.1 Woodland group is meeting on 3 March. Have had a path survey done against accessibility of paths. All are to the various FLS path standards, site visit 11 February to look at state of paths, options for upgrading to all-accessible nature. It would be expensive to make them all-accessible - hope to have a compromise for VRG to consider. Suggestion is to have all-access path from eastern end of track to the first bench and a second all-access path cabin/pond going westwards to the second bench.

PH - is this a new expenditure? DB money was set aside in current budget, this will cover repair work and some culverts. Accessibility paths are extra but

funds coming in from timber felled and sold on. Because the community are volunteering to replant areas felled, this is also a considerable saving.

11.2 Quite a lot of windblow since recent storms. Discussing with Euroforest who are currently on-site felling in other parts of the Valley as to whether we could have this as wood fuel for future events.

11.3 I dig trees and Woodland Trust trees have arrived.

11.4 Volunteer day in February had to be cancelled owing to icy weather. Next is 19-20 March to help with restocking areas on the north side of the river.

11.5 SS noticed that older walkers used to be able to park - is opening/closing procedure on the gates a possibility? If they park in the Forestry area technically they should be paying. DB needs to discuss with the group. Thought there was a deal that VRG would pay fee for access to toilets. MP during negotiations it was agreed that annual amount would absolve residents of need to pay parking charges, however nuts and bolts never fully worked out. Something like £120 per annum mentioned. Previous forestry person no longer at FLS. Could we print a pass in newsletter - put in cars to show they are a local resident?

DB there is wood that has been felled and is by the trackside, this would disappear if the gate isn't locked. PH also may increase fly-tipping.

12 Woodland Base (Meeting Room ) Attached as Appendix II

Working group includes Gordon and Maureen Berry. Gordon has highlighted that a container might not be the best way of achieving goals. Also with aim of keeping work in the local area, a more permanent building might be more appropriate. A design and costings etc. is being drafted for discussion.

NS at VRG Board meeting there was surprise at change of direction, have asked to be kept abreast of what is happening. Expectation that costs will be higher.

DP Gordon Berry is trying to work within budget.

NS VRG Board wishes to be kept involved regularly rather than presented with costs at the end.

MP in the flowchart of the process there was stage called review which was before anything is built on the ground. This is a recent change (24 February) and VRG was updated at earliest opportunity. There will be a full consultation process. Reason for change in design - with portakabins they have already had a life, may not last 10 years in weatherproof state. Also being flat-topped no natural of rainwater off surface and thirdly condensation and insulation issues.

13 Roads report [DB]

12.1 Covered earlier -see item 4. SS has forwarded relevant minutes with previous meeting with Elaine Nicol.

DP - Stirling Council keen to push leisure aspect. Encouraging cyclists - roads need to be fit for purpose.

14 Planning report [PH]

14.1 Noticed that there are, e.g. Dormer window issues, in Kings Park where we have issues about road junctions that haven't been cleared of rubble etc.

14.2 NS has put in planning application - converting garage. Framework would stay the same but be used as self-contained studio/office. No objection.

15 AOB

15.1 NS - VRG had discussion about fuel poverty - wood fuel etc. RF suggested to ask Peter Mitchell for a 5 year plan of what could be available from the woodland. Keen for residents to get good advice for applying modern technology to their houses, looking at this too.

DP - in view of fuel prices, idea is to look at providing reliable, cost - effective wood fuel source for the community - buying in timber and processing it. Making available at cost. The majority of housing in the area is not well-insulated.

DP currently going to be part of the Woodland Group - may ultimately need a different structure. DB we do have a suitable site at the Woodland. Next newsletter will be May so could promote idea / ask for interest in that.

16 Date of next CC meeting – 7:30pm on Wednesday 6 April 2022 via Zoom.

The meeting closed at 9pm.

17 DECISIONS

7.2 Defibrillator money to be passed to VRG

7.3 CVDCC to pay for installation

18 ACTIONS

3.1 Approved February minutes to DB for Stirling Council and on HB VRG website.

4.1 Roads Stirling Council to be contacted re issues DP Grit bins - still an issue DB

7.3 Andrew Morton contact details DP