APPROVED minutes Carron Valley & District Community Council

held Wednesday 7 Sept 2022 meeting at 7.30pm, via ZOOM

In attendance

Peter Hayward, chair, PH Dorothy Breckenridge, Secretary, DB Margaret Porter, councillor, MP Nicolas Sinclair, Treasurer NS

Sara Smith councillor, SS David Petch, councillor, DP Iain Macfarlane, resident, IM Marnie Forster, SC, MF Helen Bang, minute clerk, HB

1 Introductions and welcome

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1.2 Apologies – Police - Pam King, Morag Holdsworth.

1.3 Declarations of interest for items on agenda - none

1.4 Items raised by members of the public for inclusion in agenda - none

1.5 AOB - defibrillators, EV charging point, meeting room feedback, Falck student bursary.

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2 Community Police report, Attached as Appendix I

2.1 According to Stirling Observer - Police are attending CCs and can attend unless a Monday. However they have not attended our meetings for many months.

3 Minutes of previous meeting on 1 June 2022

3.1 These were approved with the following amendments: Attendance of Councillor Jen Preston.

14.4 - Rumour incorrect. Remove.

3.2 Proposed PH Seconded MP. ACTION HB to DB for Stirling Council

4 Matters arising ACTIONS from June meeting

1.5 Flowers for Morag Holdsworth DB

Morag had sent thanks for these

4.1 Approved May Minutes to Council. HB/DB

5.2 VRG Board minutes to go to CC? to be requested DB

7.1 Earlsburn development on social media and website HB DP felt information sent to residents from Falck was misleading.

PH - the CC is having meaningful conversations with the developers. NS we have had constructive discussions. However we should curb our expectations on the high income as they have reduced the number of turbines from 15 to 11 and are talking to two additional community councils and also Bannockburn. So the sum might be in the region of £50K.

8.2 Defibrillator map on social media and website HB

9.2 School transport issue information to JP DP

14.1 Cart track development - more information required JP Marnie Forster joined the meeting at this point.

5 Community Development Officer (MF)

5.1 The Chair introduced MF, community development officer for Covid recovery.

MF is working with Stephen Bly, services and community councils. Aiming to improve communications. Working on a pilot scheme 'how good is my CC?'

5.2 Questions.

CVDCC may be different from other CCs because we don't have the list of which councillor who should attend our monthly meeting so there is no one who can offer advice etc.

We have been putting requests through Stephen Bly - they come back as 'closed' but we don't hear back from the relevant department or get a satisfactory answer. This is very frustrating. We are just a talking shop because of this.

MF - the enquiry system has a timeframe but there are issues. Her role is to explain response from services.

PH e.g. we have a road junction - have been requesting signage, white lines, and clearing of rubble to improve line of sight, but this has been going on for years.

MF - her role is to improve communication - there has to be a reason for a decision.

PH For example: Stephen Bly said there is a new head of roads and please advise where community grit bins are located. The Council website map is totally out of date. PH wrote back asking for the electronic version so he could add our bins to it and was told it was not available.

DP - what is the timescale on improvements in communications being in place?

MF - CC enquiries will stay the same - so if services come back with response in 10 days this is the point she will get involved, get answers if appropriate etc. We have 37 CCs in the Stirling Council area.

Trotting track - New Line Road near Vets. Lots of cars parking. It is in Bannockburn CC area but it affects CV residents' access. Would like to know how the planning application is progressing. DP on 2015 plan it was listed for possible crematorium with access from Glasgow Road. This has been built elsewhere.

5.3 MF please put in CC enquiry and copy her in. Also any outstanding issues. She will liaise with Stephen Bly. ACTION PH.

MF left the meeting at this point.

6 Chair’s report [PH]

6.1 A VRG Strategy meeting was held on 6 September at the Mayfield Centre. It was good for VRG and CVDCC to meet together. PH is concerned regarding the push for major energy / retro-fitting improvements in houses. The area has an ageing population, there is a lot of older housing stock. Major renovations would require people to move out while work is carried out. DB is concerned about setting up a subgroup at this stage, some more strategic discussion is required before moving forward with any proposals. There are some local experts / practioners in our area. An Historic Scotland expert on retrofitting historic buildings, also someone with experience in renovating schools. These are two local experts who could run a workshop for VRG and CVDCC to see what is possible.

SS has concern that it is a one-stop shop. There are some newer properties in her area that have been fully insulated, they would like microgeneration. There needs to be consultation with the community.

DB There is a whole mix of properties which probably all require different solutions. Overall should not just be about re-trofitting for energy efficiency but also using household based energy production to minimise energy usage and costs into the future.

PH - at the meeting charging points and cost of fuel was also raised.

DP we should get a windfarm deal so properties should be fuel neutral. What about housing for our young people.

IM - there are two different things; energy efficiency and new building and lack of homes for young people. A community plan is required for the future. If we want new housing there would need to be community support for such a development.

DP if we can't house young people they will move elsewhere. If use older people you lose a sense of direction and a lot of history. So housing stock needs to be updated to be fit for the future.

DB if we have a get together VRG and CVDCC with our local experts to hear about options and what is possible.

NS agrees this would be a good idea. We need to exercise caution about community benefit, it won't be enough to retrofit all housing or build new housing.

With regard to retrofitting old houses there are going to be conflicts of interest with some Directors.

7 Secretary’s report

7.1 Scottish Water are carrying out work at the dam at North Third. There is a meeting with Matt Bingham next week, Susan Young, Morag Holdsworth and DB will attend.

Scottish Water have previously arranged to have a ranger who will cover North Third, Carron Valley and another reservoir for the next few years. There are also rangers working with Forest Land Scotland, they may be liaising with the Scottish Water ranger.

8 Treasurer’s report (NS)

8.1 £3301.01 in account. Council grant of £667.61 has arrived. We have £1500 in the bank for a defibrillator.

Invoice for website and newsletter due from VRG. ACTION NS

Hopes to be able to be able to claim for the strategy review.

9 Councillor's report

9.1 No Councillor attended this meeting.

10 Valley Renewables Group report (NS)

10.1 The strategy document will be distributed when concluded. It was helpful to have a face- to-face meeting last night.

10.2 Meeting Room - no update yet. NS is expecting an update in October.

11 Woodland Group report – (DB)

11.1 A Volunteer day was held on 13 August - tree planting and swaps of produce. Planted about 300 trees. Next day is 17 September. This is a wood fuel day - people can collect either logs or lengths of wood for their woodstore. The wood will require seasoning. It has been publicised on Facebook, in the newsletter and on the website.

11.2 Pathworks for accessible paths - work is due to start shortly.

11.3 Pomona day is on Saturday 15 October.

12 Roads report (PH)

12.1 Nothing except roadworks in Stirling.

12.2 DP has the Stirling development plan from 2015 Would it be of interest to anyone?

ACTION DP to send to DB.

13 Planning report (PH)

13.1 Re-application for barn conversion Meikle Canglour - no issues.

13.2 Barr Wood - one plot has been sold. Looking to put pods on the site.

13.3 Trotting track moving to the opposite side of the road? Access is already an issue.

ACTION PH will look for relevant document.

14 AOB

14.1 Defibrillators. One is now available - the maximum grant was £1500 but it is going to cost

£2050. DECISION Agreed unanimously. Site - perimeter fence of filter station at Buckieburn has been considered. Alternatively, we need to find another host. One is needed in the Buckieburn area. Buckieburn House may be a possibility. Carron Valley village would be a possibility if someone with a power supply is happy to host it.

ACTION HB - to go on Facebook. Check with MP regarding copy.

NS where is the additional £600 coming from? It could come from the restricted fund as it is for the community.

14.2 Open Day - EV charging points enquiry. Could this be covered by a VRG grant?

NS - grants subgroup are going to explore this as currently there are grants available elsewhere. It is not currently on the list but they are willing to consider it funding is not available.

14.3 Would VRG consider funding communal EV charging points to be sited in various neighbourhoods? NS this would be a candidate for a community grant. There would be issues regarding land ownership etc. Also issues regarding electricity supply.

14.4 PH, NS and MP received an email from Falck regarding student bursary for person studying renewable energy. ACTION MP to send to HB for Facebook and the website.

14.5 Open Day - approx 20 residents mentioned the Meeting Room. IM in the strategy there was a significant minority opposed to this. Some attention needs to be given to it being ultimately self-sufficient. Also some residents feel it is not in the right area for them.

NS - the agreement was to proceed on the basis of using a converted container. Now the advice is a completely different building at considerably higher cost. The Board has to consider this new approval, then it has to go to the CC.

14.6 Litterpicking - purchasing these for the community. Lidl is selling these. PH happy to purchase these. About 3 years ago MP bought 8 sets of litterpickers and collection bags which are with Morag Holdsworth in the North Third area. DECISION purchase 10 and distribute to interested residents. ACTION PH.

14.7 Historic documents - records regarding windfarm agreements. Believed to be with Sheila Laidlaw. It was agreed it would be useful to have these digitized.

Appendix I Police Report