March 2021 Minutes

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Minutes of the meeting held on

10th March 2021

(A virtual meeting held via Teams)

1. Present/apologies for absence:

   • Present: Michele Bennett (Vice Chair), Sue Wallace (Treasurer), Angela May (Secretary), Ian
     Rodger, Hendy Spence

   • Pam Campbell (Community Link Officer), Robert Davies (Stirling Councillor)

   • 2 members of the public

   • Steven Park, Andrew Smith and Nick Mackie (Force 9 Energy)

   • Apologies: Meg Duckworth (Planning/Licensing)

      

2. Declaration of interest in any items of business

   None

    

3. Approval of Minutes of last meeting:

   Approved

    

4. Stirling Councillor’s Report

   • Robert paid his respects to Councillor Graham Lambie who passed away recently. He noted
     that Graham had been a big supporter of Fintry and will be a huge loss to the whole of
     Stirling. Michele also paid her respects to Councillor Lambie on behalf of Fintry Community
     Council and agreed that his passing will be a huge loss to Fintry.

   • A meeting of Stirling Councillors is scheduled for tomorrow (March 11th) to discuss the
     budget.

   • Scottish Parliament elections (including local by-elections) are scheduled for May 6th. This
     along with dealing with the Covid-19 epidemic has meant that Stirling Council employees
     are stretched so there will be a reduction in the number of council meetings.

   • There has been a lot of discussion recently about parking and traffic management in rural
     areas with concerns raised about sheep worrying, damage to fencing etc. Problems over
     the Easter period are being anticipated especially as overseas travel is not allowed.

   • Michele had been contacted by a local resident over an issue with potholes preventing a
     funeral hearse being able to access their residence. Michele will contact Robert with the
     details.

      

5. Police Report

   • Antisocial Behaviour – There were no reports of anti-social behaviour since the last
     meeting.

   • Road Safety – There have been no reportable RTCs in the Fintry area since the last
     meeting. Please keep your vehicle well maintained before you take to the road. Take
     special care that brakes, tyres, lights, batteries, windscreens and wiper blades are in good
     condition. In addition, washer bottles need to contain an additive to stop the water from
     freezing. Tyres should also be checked weekly to ensure they are legal and at the correct
     pressure (consult your vehicle handbook). The minimum legal tread depth for cars is
     1.6mm across the centre 3/4 of the breadth of the tread around the entire circumference.
     They should also be checked for bulges, cuts or tears which weaken the tyre. Failure to
     maintain your tyres could lead to a maximum of £2,500 fine and 3 penalty points per tyre.

   • Theft - There have been no thefts in the Fintry area since the last meeting however there
     was another Theft by Housebreaking at commercial premises in Killearn, this time it was
     Oakwood Garden Centre. Enquiries are still continuing however anyone with any
     information then please contact Police. We always advise never leave bags or any
     valuables lying on the seats of your parked and unattended vehicles. It is so very quick
     and easy for thieves to smash a car window, reach in and take any valuables in an instant.
     If a thief observes a bag in a car, they may think the bag contains something valuable and
     will smash your window to get in, even if it contains absolutely nothing of value! Please
     take any bag and or valuables with you but if this is not possible, place the items in your
     boot or out of sight, but preferably, take all valuables with you. All incidents in relation to
     suspicious persons or vehicles are welcomed and Police will attend to all these incidents
     immediately. We urge people to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious. Please
     consider the following:

     • Use timer switches on lights and radios to make it look as if your home is
       occupied.

     • Ensure all doors and windows are secured when you leave and when you go to
       bed.

     • If possible use secure lighting at the front and back of your property.

     • Make sure all garden tools and ladders are locked away when not being used.
       Don’t give the thieves the tools to break into your house.

     • Use a good quality lock on any garden sheds and outhouses.

     • Make a note of all makes, models and serial numbers of expensive items in
       your home.

     • If your house is fitted with an alarm then please use it. This is a good deterrent
       should thieves manage to force entry to your house.

     • Create a FREE and secure inventory of all your personal property at
       www.immobilise.com

     • If you note anything suspicious in your neighbourhood report it on 101.

   • Fraud - There was a report of attempted fraud in Balfron regarding Bitcoin investment
     and one in Gargunnock regarding the sale of puppies. Fraudsters can make contact with
     you by phone. The caller might pretend to be from your bank and ask for personal
     information such as bank details or they might be someone offering you a deal or a prize.
     Other calls have been made by persons purporting to be from HMRC stating that there
     was a warrant out for the receiver of the call and was asked to contact the number that
     was given. This is clearly a false call so please heed the below advice:

     • Consider making your phone number ex-directory.

     • Don’t give out any personal information unless you are the one who made the
       call and you are certain of the identity of the person you are speaking to.

     • Don’t give out your credit card or bank card details to strangers on the
       telephone.

     • NEVER tell somebody your bank PIN number, even if they claim to be the
       bank or police. If the caller is genuine they will never ask for this information.

     • Don’t give out information which may infer that you live alone, are older or
       vulnerable.

       o Never send money to anyone who claims to have a prize for you.

     • If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

     • Contact local trading standards – they may be able to use approved ‘call
       blocking’ technology.

   • Fraud – Covid 19 - Criminals are using the Coronavirus as a cover story to trick you into
     parting with your money or information. Always take a moment to Stop, Challenge and
     Protect before making any payments. It’s important not to let the criminals rush or panic
     you into making a decision that you later come to regret and remain vigilant and guard
     against criminals using the publicity around Coronavirus as a chance to target you with
     fraudulent emails, phone calls, texts messages or social media posts. With fake news
     articles on the internet and in the press promoting remedies, cures and false advice
     around coronavirus, it’s also important to only share articles from trustworthy sources. If
     you are in any doubt, then visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus or www.who.int/ for updates
     and information. Criminals are experts at impersonating people, organisations and the
     police. They spend hours researching you for their scams, hoping you’ll let your guard

     down for just a moment. Stop and think: it could protect you and your money. If you
     receive an email, text or WhatsApp message purporting to be from the government,
     HMRC, the World Health Organisation (WHO) or a coronavirus-related charity, then take a
     moment to think before you part with your money or information. Never click on links or
     download attachments as criminals may infect your devices with malware or ask you to
     enter your personal or financial information into fake websites. In some cases this can
     lead to your identity being stolen.

   • Sheep worrying - This time of year presents the problem of sheep worrying. It is an
     offence to allow a dog to worry sheep. “Worrying” includes attacking or chasing sheep
     and, in some circumstances, farmers are legally entitled to shoot dogs if they are
     endangering their sheep. It is vital that you keep your dog on the lead around livestock,
     even if you can usually trust it to come to call. If you live in or near a farming area, you
     must make sure that your dog cannot escape from your property, as it may find its way
     onto land containing sheep. If a dog worries sheep on agricultural land, the person in
     charge of the dog is guilty of an offence. The Act considers sheep worrying to include
     attacking sheep, chasing them in a way that may cause injury suffering, abortion or loss
     of produce or being at large (not on a lead or otherwise under close control) in a field or
     enclosure in which there are sheep.

   • Community Engagement and Reassurance - It is important to you to have community
     officers who you know, who are accessible and who address local problems. PC Steven
     Graham and PC Gary Martin are based at Balfron Police Office and can be contacted at
     the office, on 101, or at ForthEndrickCPT@scotland.pnn.police.uk. It is recommended that
     this email address is used by the local community for email contact. Please remember
     that we regularly publish useful information and updates on social media, including
     appeals for information, updates about road closures and crime prevention advice. Our
     Facebook and Twitter pages can be found at www.facebook.com/forthvalleypolicedivision
     www.facebook.com/policescotland www.twitter.com/stirlingpol
     www.twitter.com/policescotland

      

6. Treasurer’s Report

   • General Fund Account

     The current balance in this account is £8,736. We have received a grant from Stirling
     Council for £3,098 which will be used by the Resilience Team to provide Easter Care
     boxes for the young people and elderly in the village.

      

     Foundation Fund:

     The foundation fund balance to date is £23,408.

      

     Foundation Scotland Budget	Description	Budget	Spend	Remaining
     Commissioned Service	Community Transport Scheme	£2,500	£1,424	£1,076
     Commisioned Activity	Continued Path Maintance	£5,000	£4,963	£37
     Commisioned Activity	Maintance of reslience fund assets	£1,000		£1,000
     Commisioned Activity	Community Notice Board	£1,500	£1,428	£72
     Fintry Special Project	Community Garden & Resilience Fund	£2,000	£410	£1,590
     Fintry Special Project	Menzies Hall Resilience Hub	£11,500		£11,500
     Fintry Special Project	COVID-19 Hardship and Resilience Fund	£5,160	£3,737	£1,423
     Micro Grants-A	Individual Grants £250-500	£2,000	£250	£1,750
     Micro Grants-B	Individual Grants £250-500	£2,000		£2,000
     Main Grants	Constituted Groups £500-2500	£10,000	£8,400	£1,600
     Student Study Grant	Student Study Grant	£1,000		£1,000
     Administration Fee	FCC Admin work	£500	£240	£260
     Post Code Lottery	COVID Grant	£2,000	£1,900	£100
     	Total	£46,160	£22,752	£23,408

     o Fintry Flower Show	–	£250
     o Amount Available		£1,750
     o Amount Remaining if all above requests granted		£1,500

     • Grants for review:

     o It was agreed to fund the application from the Fintry Flower Show on the condition that no

     plants were to be planted in the fountain.

   • The plan for the forthcoming financial year’s budget will be presented in the May meeting.

   • Michele confirmed that an application has been submitted by the FCC to fund the restoration of the
     fountain.

   • Expenses from the resilience volunteers will be submitted soon and will be paid out of the Resilience
     Grant received recently from Stirling Council.

      

7. Resilience Update

   • Funding has been received for the community gardens and seeds will being planted soon
     in the greenhouse by the school children and volunteers.

   • Michele thanked Robert Taylor for providing free manure and delivering it to the
     community gardens.

   • Michele had been notified by the Trossachs Search and Rescue Team that the defibrillator
     at Balgair Caravan Park was not working properly. Michele passed this information on to
     the park owners.

      

8. Planning

   • An application to replace a garage door with a patio door and painting of windows, doors, verges
     and soffits at Abriachan, Main Street.

      

9. Licensing

   • Hendy had hoped to attend a meeting regarding proposed changes to licensing laws but was
     unable to attend. She had received some feedback from the meeting that the police were
     seeking more powers to prevent people drinking alcohol in public.

      

10. Roads/paths

    • The resurfacing works on the B822 near the caravan park which was scheduled to begin on the
      29th March has been put on hold.

    • The culvert works on the B818 have been put on hold.

    • The road closure on the B818 between Fintry and Killearn has resulted in an increase in the
      number of large vehicles going through the village. Several residents have mentioned their
      concerns to FCC. Michele has spoken to the police but was informed that there is no weight
      restriction on the roads through Fintry and it is a public highway so traffic cannot be
      prevented from using the roads. Concerns have also been raised about the speed of these
      vehicles i.e. not sticking to the 20 M.P.H. speed limit. Michele will mention this to the police.

    • The traffic calming survey that was carried out showed that speeds have come down so the
      20 M.P.H. speed limit has had an impact. Traffic calming measures on Kippen Road have been
      proposed but will need to be approved by the Stirling Councillors. A second survey has been
      requested but this has been delayed. Clarification of the drop in speed was requested.

    • Some residents had raised concerns about the lack of gritting on the Denny Road. Michele has
      been told that the policy will be reviewed at the start of next winter.

    • The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) had submitted a quote for £452 to install French drains on
      the Lade path. It was agreed that this work should go ahead as it is a well used path.

       

11. Shelloch Windfarm

    • Questions regarding the Shelloch Windfarm development had been sent to Force 9 Energy prior to
      the meeting. A power point presentation had been prepared to answer these questions and
      provide more information about the development and was presented at the meeting. This
      presentation is attached to the minutes.

    • A background to the planning history of the site was outlined. The original planning consent was
      for 7 turbines and access to the site would have been via the existing windfarm at Todholes. Since
      then turbine technology has improved so only 5 turbines are proposed. These will be bigger than
      the original ones and due to their size the site will need to be accessed via an alternative route.

      The proposed route is from the A811, up the C36 Arnprior Road, onto the B822 and then down a
      farm lane to the site.

    • There will be very limited visibility of the turbines from the Fintry side of the hills. 1 or 2 of the
      turbines may be visible from the top of the Crow Road.

    • The windfarm will be connected to the grid at Dumbarton. The connection will initially be
      underground and then above ground using wooden poles, not pylons. There will be a separate
      planning application submitted with regard to this by Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and will
      link in with an existing line where possible.

    • Two of the turbines will be in excess of 150 metres and will therefore need to be lit with aviation
      warning lights. These will only operate during the hours of darkness and will not be visible to any
      properties in Fintry or from any roads. They would be visible from Dunmore Hill. The brightness
      from here would be equivalent to seeing a brake light.

    • There will be a period of disruption during construction along the Arnprior Road and the stretch of
      the B822 from the junction with the C36 and the farm lane. The community will be kept up to
      date and made aware of possible disruptions. The construction period will be around 9 months.
      Following this the top surface of the additional roads will be removed and dressed back to fields. A
      tree survey has been done including looking for bat roosts and the route of the access road has
      been designed to avoid as many trees as possible. Any work which affects trees will require a
      licence and will be done in conjunction with Stirling Council’s Tree Officer.

    • A survey has been done to establish the depth of the peat on the proposed site. There are some
      discrete pockets of deep peat. The access across this area will use an existing track and avoid the
      deep peat areas as much as possible. There is some flexibility within the plans to move the route
      slightly if further pockets of deep peat are discovered.

    • The community benefit scheme will mean that approximately £120K per annum will be shared
      between the 6 community councils in the immediate area and there is an opportunity for the
      community to participate in a shared ownership scheme.

    • Force 9 Energy has no plans to develop any more windfarms on the Fintry Hills but it is possible
      that other developers may want to.

    • Michele thanked Force 9 Energy for their time in attending the meeting.

    • It was agreed that the presentation had been comprehensive and had answered the questions.

    • Concern was raised about the impact on the landowners along the Arnprior Road and the risk to
      road users.

    • It was agreed that the option of shared ownership should be investigated and that the Fintry
      Development Trust may be able to advise on the best way forward with this.

       

12. Village litter pick

    • Ian offered to organise a village litter pick as the amount of litter on the grass verges is
      quite noticeable. This has been done in previous years and litter picking equipment
      should still be available to use. Stirling Council has previously agreed to do a special uplift
      for the litter that is collected.

    • There was a suggestion to liaise with adjacent community councils to pick up litter from
      the village boundaries. Pam will send community council contact details to Ian as well as
      details of who to contact at Stirling Council. She was also aware of another community
      council who had done something similar and had prepared a detailed risk assessment and
      would send details of this to Ian.

       

13. Play park update

    • Details of the proposed new climbing frame had been circulated to FCC members prior to
      the meeting. Michele confirmed that Stirling Council would be responsible for the
      maintenance of the climbing frame after its instalment and will be meeting with them
      again soon to take it forward.

       

14. Correspondence

    • Correspondence had been received from the Fintry Development Trust outlining their
      view on the Shelloch Wind Farm development.

15. A.O.B.

    • It was agreed that Michele should contact Stirling Council’s legal department for advice
      on the locked gates on the castle drive before any correspondence is sent to the castle
      owners.

    • Some responses had been received about the survey from Clackmannanshire and Stirling
      Health and Social Partnership (HSCP) for views on the delivery of community health and
      care models. Michele will forward them to Pam.

    • A forum meeting is scheduled for next week where community councils have the
      opportunity to raise issues which are important to them to Stirling Council.

    • Stirling Council has offered a number of trees for planting in areas that are frequently
      flooded and these will be distributed soon.

    • The vacancy for a Fintry Community Councillor has been advertised on Facebook, in last
      month’s minutes, on the FCC website and on both noticeboards in the village. There was
      some concern that the Facebook post had not been on the Fintry Buddies page as this
      seems to be the page that the majority of Fintry residents look at regularly. It was agreed
      that it will be made clear on Fintry Buddies that community council business could be
      accessed via the FCC Facebook page. Resilience/Covid related posts will still be posted to
      Fintry Buddies.

    • A resident queried the fact that Twitter and Facebook accounts from their household have
      been blocked by FCC. None of the councillors present knew why this had happened and
      will look into it.

       

16. Date of next meeting

    • 12th May 2021