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Approved Minutes Carron Valley & District Community Council held 2 November 2022 at 7.30pm, via ZOOM

In attendance

Peter Hayward, chair, PH                                Sara Smith, councillor, SS

Nicolas Sinclair, Treasurer, NS                        Iain Macfarlane, resident, IM

Jen Preston, elected rep, JP                            Helen Bang, minute clerk, HB

1                    1.1 Introductions and welcome

• Apologies – David Petch, Margaret Porter, PC Pam King, Stephen Bly
• Declarations of interest for items on agenda - none
• items raised by members of the public for inclusion in agenda - none

2                    Community Police report

No report received by time of meeting. PK had tried to send but there were some technical issues. Attached as Appendix I

3                    Minutes of previous meeting on 5 October

• The minutes were approved with the following amendments 1 - correct typo

9.10 MH queried VRG membership, now sorted.

• Circular route - refers to taking Roads

representatives from vets up C10 around by Chartershall, undertaking a survey of roads, trying to encourage the Council to lower the speed limit. There is a range speed limits varying from 20mph to 60mph in a relatively short distance. ACTION JP.

• They were proposed by PH and seconded by DB following the ACTION HB

to post approved minutes on VRG website and send to DB for SC.

4                    Matters arising

• Update on ACTIONS from October meeting
• Approved September minutes to website and to DB for Stirling Council Done
• Historic documentation IM to contact Sheila Laidlaw Done No response so far.
• Ask Stephen Bly re Zoom meetings Councillor attendance Done

9.6       Invite Stirling Observer to interview VRG Apprentice Director                             Done

• VRG membership issue Done
• Printed strategy document? To be raised with VRG Comms subgroup Done
• Strategy document to be emailed to CC Done

10.3     Number of woodburning stove grants issued by VRG – 15                                   Done

11.1     Road concerns                                                                                                   Ongoing

12.1     Golf course and trotting track concerns                                                               Done

13.2     PH to email SEPA re Barr Wood quarrying - NS advised work has now

been tidied up.                                                                                                       Done

5                    Chair’s report (PH)

• Archive – PH visited and was told that he really needed an appointment but agreed to talk. There is no point in archiving documentation that no one is going to look at but we should be cherry-picking things to go on the website. The original can be lodged with the archive in Stirling and would not be not lost. He provided a link to a website which provided guidance on archiving. The university also has a public facility for IM and PH should ask Sheila to advise what documentation she is holding.

IM has asked Sheila Laidlaw if HB could review the material and is awaiting a reply. The archivist suggested thata student from the university could perhaps be involved. IM - there is information regarding Kingsbarns and the money transferred. He will come back to the CC when Sheila responds.

• PH has spoken to Stephen Bly regarding the 'closed' status in planning applications regarding the trotting track (harness racing) and what is happening with the golf range, why does it not have an environmental survey? For both enquiries these are pre-planning applications, the department only had an outline of what was involved so it isn't the time for lodging objections etc.

• Traffic monitoring C10 - no one understood why it was there and Stephen Bly couldn't find who was responsible for it.

• The road junction at Cauldbarns is being dealt with. IM there are other issues at this junction; no Give Way signs and the white lines have faded it is not clear which is the priority road. We have raised this and other Roads issues repeatedly over many years. NS has also raised this repeatedly. ACTION PH to forward email ACTION JP. The March 2019 minutes of the meeting with Roads’ Kenny Sneddon to be forwarded. ACTION HB.

6                    Secretary’s report (DB)

6.1       Defibrillators - back in touch with Scottish Water contact, still trying to find out about access to pump station at Auchenbowie. Ongoing.

7                    Treasurer’s report (NS)

7.1        We have £1136.02 in account. Expense – minute clerk fee £40 and litter pickers. They are in store at the woodland.

8                    Stirling Councillor report (JP_

• We are in challenging times. The Council may be £13million in deficit. They are focusing on basic JP enjoyed the Pomona apple day. Planning - some things are coming up. Would like to help with windfarm funding if possible.

• Roads - Garry Neil re gritting. JP will remind him. PH updated JP on the grit bin situation. Also whether could swap with Falkirk Council where the boundary is so part of the road is gritted and then suddenly it is not.

Information is to go on Facebook to be provided. ACTION HB.

9                    Valley Renewables Group report (NS)

• An EGM was held last night regarding the grants schemes. The grants subgroup has looked at these following the strategy They propose rebranding the household scheme as energy-efficiency and offering project grants, also offering larger grants if residents are doing more substantial work, up to £2500 based on professional advice or a recognised report e.g. Home Energy Scotland. A new subgroup will look into this. VRG is retaining the other grants; young, bursary, get the valley growing grant, new steps and new venture fund.

They considered a new hardship grant but have decided to hold off on this for now.

• The AGM is Tuesday 8 November at the King Robert It is hoped Community Councillors will be able to attend.

• Falck is holding a session in Fort Augustus currently - a VRG Director and a community councillor are attending.

• Strategy - one of the things consultant Kerrien Grant created was action plans - these are being allocated to the relevant subgroups.

It was suggested that the CC had been involved in approving strategy’s in the past- the previous strategy was not even raised at a VRG AGM, this time members will be able to comment on the strategy.

• Regarding the allegation that items purchased with our grants had found their way outside our area, NS wrote to the recipient of the grant seeking assurance that this was not the case and that the household had retained the items and they confirmed that they were. He regards the matter as closed.

• IM - regarding the Hardship Fund - Stirling Council is making further funds available for people in real This is a welcome initiative. JP - if the CC is aware of people in difficulty they can contact the Council. ACTION HB to liaise with JP regarding appropriate copy for Facebook.

10                Woodland Group report (DB)

• A successful Pomona Day was held with many people in attendance in spite of the bad weather.
• Paths - The contractor is still finishing a previous job.
• The next Volunteer day is Saturday 19 November for tree There are still 500-600 trees to be planted.
• Falck additional project competition - Rob Ferguson, VRG Treasurer and DB put together an application to increase the number of wood fuel days. The application was for the purchase of a wood Funds for purchasing timber are to come from VRG and the sale of wood felled in the Spring. Awaiting results of this.

PH if this is not successful are they applying to VRG instead?

NS - we have been successful in these competitions before. We are applying for two grants this time but will be surprised if we are successful in both. SS and VRG Secretary Barbara Wilson are also applying for a grant to help people be more energy-efficiency in their homes, heated blankets, air fryer, slow cookers etc. We are proposing packages of up to £200 to purchase such items.

NS if one scheme is supported by Falck VRG would look at supporting one or possibly both schemes.

11                Roads report (PH)

Covered earlier. See Chair’s Report Item 5.3-5.5

12                Planning report (PH)

• Foot o'Green farm have applied for a single-storey PH suggests other councillors look at the plans, he has concerns about the garage's appearance.

• Trotting track - pre planning now closed, comments were also sent regarding the golf

13                AOB

13.1     SS is resigning from the CC citing work pressures. PH thanked her for all her work on behalf of the CC.

• Date of next CC meeting – Wednesday 7 December 2022 at 7:30pm via The meeting closed at 8:40pm.

16        ACTIONS

3.3       Approved October minutes – VRG website and to DB for SC                           HB

5.4       Roads issues – email chain                                                                                PH/JP

Minutes of March 2019 meeting with Kenny Sneddon to be circulated          HB

8.2       Roads information for Facebook                                                                       HB

Appendix I

Council help available cost of living crisis – info for social media         JP/HB