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Approved minutes Carron Valley & District Community Council
Meeting held Wednesday 1 March 2023 meeting at 7.30pm, via ZOOM
In attendance
Peter Hayward, chair, PH Margaret Porter, MP
Dorothy Breckenridge, Secretary, DB Nicolas Sinclair, Treasurer, NS, David Petch, DP Iain Macfarlane, IM Morag Holdsworth, MH Jen Preston, Stirling Councillor, JP Helen Bang, minute clerk, HB
1 Introductions and welcome
1.1 The chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.
1.2 Apologies – PC Pam King.
1,3 Declarations of interest for items on agenda.
MH Dumarnock windfarm is in her neighbourhood.
1.4 Items raised by members of the public for inclusion in agenda – none
2 Community Police report
2.1 PC Pam King can’t be present but will take note of comments.
2.2 Report attached as Appendix I
3 Minutes of previous meeting held on 1 February 2023
3.1 These were agreed with the following amendments:
2.1 Approved meeting was held in December, not November.
5.1 The anonymous letter was posted to Peter Hayward not to the CC. No carbon copies were received by other councillors.
13.1 typo - should be let the council down.
Proposed DP, seconded NS. ACTION HB to DB for Stirling Council.
3.2 DP explained about his experience of being released from hospital.
SF has sent an update. The Council has not replied to his enquiry. Electric vehicles are unsuitable for Carron Valley roads in winter weather. ACTION JP.
4 Matters arising
ACTIONS from 1 February 2023 meeting
2.1 Police request for information to Facebook DB check
3.1 Approved minutes of December meeting and draft minutes of HB done
February meeting
5 Chair’s report PH
5.1 Carron Valley email - DB is having difficulty accessing this. There are too many emails regarding road signs, how to be a public speaker, playgrounds, etc.
5.2 Stephen Bly has sent an email saying that there will be CC elections this year. The CC will remain until midnight on 14 April. It will then cease to exist until the inaugural meeting of the new council. This will take place after confirmation of existing member if there is no ballot or new members if a ballot has taken place.
Draft minutes CVDCC meeting held 1 March 2023
Formal notice of the election will be published in due course. A full timetable will be published with dates.
DP is very concerned about the period where there is no community council - what if windfarm or other contentious planning applications come in during this period?
There is also a legal aspect - the Falck money managed by VRG on behalf of the CC is in the CC's name. If the CC is not in existence there may be implications for this.
ACTION PH to contact Stephen Bly regarding these issues.
5.3 MH asked if there was an induction programme, she would like to learn how Stirling Council and the CCs work together.
DP twenty years ago there was a training course. A Stirling Council official attended meetings in the past - for a while we had Pam Campbell. This has now ended.
JP was a community councillor for a period. There was no formal programme, the expectation is the more experienced councillors will advise new people.
DB there is a Community Council handbook available as a pdf. ACTION DB to send to MH.
5.4 Email regarding Windfarm - electricity generating website. Earlsburn extension. It is not clear how the CC is supposed to respond.
DB - Earlsburn, we are waiting on the Scottish Government. They are waiting for feedback from SC and communities of interest. In the meantime, the windfarm PR people want to talk to the CC about their aspirations for the community, community benefits etc. These benefits are potentially for a period of 40 years.
DB Muirpark windfarm there is a date coming up in March for Pre-consultation. See item 6.1.
NS at VRG Board meeting there was a long discussion regarding windfarms. It was agreed we need some mechanism to ensure we get full community feedback, feelings within the community.
How do we know the opinions in the community? We have previously asked on Facebook but have not received much of a response.
DB There has been a community consultation in other areas last year - it was publicised on Carron Valley Connections Facebook page.
Ten years ago there was a consultation, views then were evenly matched. Some residents were pro-windfarms, some anti and about half were ambivalent. Feedback is most likely from those with strong feelings one way or another. Do we need to do yet another survey?
DP we have to ask the question but are likely to get a similar response to before. We do need guidance on this. We should use the next newsletter asking for community responses.
NS on major factors that are going to affect the whole community it is the responsibility of the CC to ask for views. He suggested that a letter should go to every resident asking for feedback. Perhaps a card with 3 or 4 questions? The cost can be reclaimed from Stirling Council.
Draft minutes CVDCC meeting held 1 March 2023
IM has concerns about pre-planning applications that can be a PR exercise with the developers wanting to show they have community support.
DB spoke at a meeting on behalf of a resident who was the nearest neighbour to the windfarm who had not been consulted - they are now communicating with him.
MP in the absence of other comments we should limit comments to issues regarding, for example, access issues rather than likes or dislikes.
JP as an elected representative you should make yourself available for people to make comments but sometimes you have to take a view.
MH the main issue previously was noise. Understanding the bigger picture is important. Is there a Stirling Council planning overview? MH's property has self-catering properties - visitors come for the walks, scenery etc. JP information comes to the council for information but the decision is taken by Scottish Government. ACTION JP will try to find out if there is a council overview. There was a plan in 2015 which said there could be windfarms in the Carron Valley but not elsewhere. Back then there was a limit on the height.
Decision: in the next newsletter there should be an article advising residents how to comment on windfarms. This won't be until May when decisions will have been taken.
5.5 MP when a planning application comes in is there a way to alert the community?
It was agreed that planning information can go in Community Council section on VRG website. ACTION PH/HB
6 Secretary’s report DB
6.1 Drumarnock / Muirpark – dates for PAN consultations - see above.
This is at the King Robert Hotel on 23 March 4pm - 8:30pm
6.2 Scottish Water update re North Third engineering works
There has been a large increase in traffic therefore this work must have commenced.
PH there were supposed to be passing places put in - this has not happened. There are concerns about construction traffic.
NS - North Third project. MH's comment on parking in passing places when walkers want to reach the Crags on the road by North Third. Scottish Water is the road in the opposite direction - a very narrow road, steep drop the Bannockburn river. The roads are also in a poor condition.
PH when there was construction in his area there was a convoy system. This should be imposed in the Scottish Water area.
ACTION DB to ask Scottish Water to put in the promised passing places and request a convoy system.
PH was pleased some potholes were filled in on the New Line Road.
6.3 Co-option - MH has been co-opted to the CC.
Draft minutes CVDCC meeting held 1 March 2023
7 Treasurer’s report NS
7.1 Community assets form for Council – an email has been received from Stephen Bly regarding the annual form that has to be completed by the middle of March. ACTION DB.
7.2 There is £996.02 in the account.
8 Stirling Councillor report JP
8.1 There is a budget meeting on 2 March. Inflationary pressures, staff cost increase. If we carry on with the same services we would need £20 million more so there are going to be cuts.
MH what sort of cuts? JP - the papers are now on SC's website. It is cuts across the board. Most of the budget is education and social care where cuts would not be acceptable.
PFI these deals are coming to an end over the next few years. It has been agreed to spread repayments over the whole life of the school rather than 25 years so we won't have to pay as much going forward. There won't be additional interest. This is something agreed with the Scottish Government.
9 Valley Renewables Group report NS
9.1 The Board meeting is on 7 March.
9.2 The new grant schemes are up and running. Energy Efficiency grants of up to £1000 and a new Warm up, costs down grant are already attracting applications. The Get the Valley Growing scheme has been relaunched.
9.3 The Board agreed money for timber purchases – see Woodland report item 10.1
9.4 Agreed funding for hardstanding and an open barn.
9.5 Community Hub, awaiting report.
9.6 Microgeneration scheme - this is being looked at. This falls under the new Energy Efficiency subgroup chaired by John Speake.
10 Woodland Group report DB
10.1 £9K for buying timber for wood fuel days – this money comes restricted funds so want agreement from CC See Appendix II
Decision: Agreed unanimously.
10.2 There have been two of the four planned wood fuel days. Many residents come to help and also do deliveries, it is a good way to meet people. It could be an opportunity to ask for views on windfarms. Often 25-30 residents turn up to the wood fuel days.
Tea and Gardener's Question Time is planned for 13 May
The request for hardstanding and open barn has arisen from the wood fuel days.
10.2 Main report attached as Appendix III
The Chair expressed thanks to the Woodland Group and the volunteers.
Draft minutes CVDCC meeting held 1 March 2023
11 Roads report PH
11.1 Potholes on C10 some near the Stirling end have been repaired. There are serious potholes on the Gateside Road.
12 Planning report PH
12.1 Nothing not already discussed.
13 AOB
13.1 MH North Third Memorial Day parking. The passing spaces are used as parking spaces. The spaces don't have signs on them. DB they should have 'no parking' as part of the passing place signs.
The meeting closed at 8:45pm
14 Date of next CC meeting – Wednesday 5 April 2023
15 ACTIONS
5.1 Approved February minutes and draft March minutes DB/HB
3.2 Issues regarding social care in the Carron Valley JP
5.2 CC election concerns PH
5.3 CC Handbook to MH DB
5.4 Stirling Council view on windfarm development? JP
5.5 Planning information to go on website PH/HB
6.2 Passing places and request for convoy system Scottish Water DB
7.1 CC asset form DB