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Fintry Community Council

Approved Minutes  8^th November 2023

19:30 

Menzies Hall

 

 

 

           Present/apologies for absence:

 

 

 

 

           Declaration of interest in any items of business

 

            None

           Approval of Minutes of last meeting:

Approved

 

 

 

 

C             ounc il lo r’s Report

 

Cllr McGarvey states that there have been budget consultations in each of the Stirling wards, but no actual budgeting decisions have been made. Every service has reportedly been told to look at cuts of around 20%. It is noted by Cllr McGarvey that this will present a difficult future for many of these services and that it is likely that financially it will be even worse next year. It is very important that consultations with everyone involved or affected occur, but as nothing has been confirmed or signed it is impossible for him to guarantee anything.

 

MB brings up Fintry Nursery proposed cuts and raised questions, as the school had been supposedly ‘safe’ from financial and hour cuts last year, yet its back on the table again after assurances from all Councillors last year that this would not happen. People need assurances.

 

Cllr McGarvey agrees that financial support is needed. He states that even statutory services like education are having to be pared back due to budget cuts and constraints. The social work report had arrived back to Cllr McGarvey and it showed that everything non-statutory must be cut back to save funds for Stirling Council.  Cllr McGarvey is aware of the group of those affected by reduced school hours in Killin and believes that Fintry will make its voice well heard. 

 

MB has raised the concerns around the threat of closure of Fintry Nursery to Lindsey McNair at the last Rural Forum meeting and so now she is aware of the state of affairs.

 

MB raised concerns regarding X10 bus cuts etc and how this will affect our DRT service Cllr McGarvey advised no decisions had been made.

Libraries and their importance as resources, social spaces and assets to villages are discussed. Cllr McGarvey points out that mobile libraries seem to be the future as they are able to reach a greater number of people, and the accessibility in regards to wheelchairs is far better than many building libraries in Stirling Council as ramps can easily be deployed. He wishes to have the FCC meet with him at some point to discuss and visualise this better.  

 

MB brings up another instance of budget cuts affecting Fintry. Fintry has waited a long time for street lighting to be replaced. The project was meant to be done last year financial year but was pushed back to this year. It has been on the rolling programme for years now but now Fintry has been removed from this programme with no explanation. MB requests for Cllr McGarvey to inquire about this and provide an explanation. 

 

 

 

Position Changes

 

MB nominates JG for the position of Treasurer for the FCC.  

MM seconds this nomination, and everyone voted JG is elected.

 

Co-Option -

 

Co- option of Hendy Spence, Susan Rodgers was voted on and agreed to work with MB, MM and Ronnie Garvie on the Place Plan

 

 

 

 Police Report - report submitted  

 

C o

m m

u n i t

y Forth and Endrick, Fintry Community Council

C

o u n c

i l :

 

 

Reporting      October 2023   Compiled by PC Graeme McNulty Period:

 

Ward Plan               

Priorities                 

                               Theft

           

           Reports of a sum of money stolen from a domestic dwelling house.  Enquiries remain      ongoing.

           

                               Road Safety

 

Call received in relation to abandoned vehicles after flooding.  Please be aware of weather warnings and drive to road conditions accordingly and at times only drive when necessary.

 

Antisocial Behaviour

 

Reports of a male acting suspiciously near t the primary school during the hours of darkness (school closed).  Police attended however there was no trace upon their arrival.  Please continue to report incidents where persons are acting suspiciously.

 

 

Police have been working with Stirling Council Antis Social Behaviour team in relation to ongoing neighbour tensions within the village.  No crimes have been recorded by Police during this period.

 

is dangerous to yourself, passengers and other road users.

 

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’s Graeme McNulty and Matt McCammon are the Ward Officers for the Forth and Endrick area. 

They are based at Balfron Police Office and can be contacted at the office, on 101, or at

ForthEndrickCPT@scotland.police.uk. It is recommended that this email address is used by the local community for email contact however this should not be used to report crimes.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

Treasurer’s Report 

It was agreed that £1,500 from the Volunteer Services budget to be transferred to the Community Transport budget.

Cllr McGarvey inquiries about the shopper’s bus. It is confirmed that the CC gets a reduced rate for this service, and the DRT is not used for this service anymore due to the lack of drivers covering this area.  

MB brings up that when the Community Council receives the new wind farm money, they can possibly allocate more money to providing tuition grants. The FCC wishes to eventually provide grants for all those travelling to education.  

 

Grant application for £250 tuition fee grant        Application approved by all.

Grant application for £220 upgrading the seed library        Application approved by all.

Grant application for £488 from the Fintry Brownies group for the purchase of life rings and a storage unit for the Endrick.

    Noted that this is the Brownies themselves own idea and request. Application approved by all.

 

 

Resilience Update

 

The Menzies Hall defibrillator has been returned and TSAR have changed the batteries this has been paid from defib maintenance budget.

 

Noted that the Stirling Council River gauge went down again and it is not working. MB to ask about getting this fixed or replaced at the flood forum.  

The FCC did not receive the SSEN grant for £20k as it was oversubscribed. However, two new grants have been made available now so MB is applying for them.  

 

Discussion held around getting a resilience shed put up at the Menzies Hall.

 

Application to be put in for hydro sacks which will be easier for the elderly to use in a resilience event.

 

Application to be put in for an adult wheelchair for the resilience supplies. Stated that an eye should be kept out for wheelchairs being sold on Facebook.

 

FCC has placed a grant application in for mental health, but it is unknown when further updates on the success of this will be heard.

 

RG to inquire about securing logs for the hardship store.

 

MB informed RG at the previous meeting that gulley clearing would be happening.

This happened the week beginning 30th October, where drains were cleared in Kippen Road and Main Street, however, not into the estate. RG asks that this be brought up at the flood forum as leaves clog the gullies and lead to poor drainage at Menzies Avenue to Menzies Crescent. RG also brings up that lack of clearing of leaffilled gullies leads to things growing there and destroying the roads. He also suggests that if council would not pay for it, then perhaps some of the Earlsburn money could be used to clear the gullies twice a year. MB responded that we could not use the Kingsburn money at the moment due to the grant criteria at the moment and it really is Stirling Councils responsibility. MB will raise this with the flooding officer at the next meeting.

 

MB states that the FCC should possibly look at putting willow stakes and embankments between the Sewage works to the Knockraich Farm area to preserve the banking and limit flood damage and erosion. These are issues to be brought up at the Flood Forum.

 

 Loch Lomond Fisheries Trust are going to be planting trees to stop embankment erosion.

 

Planning

 

 Planning application Single storey extension dormer window to rear, roof pitch change and elevation treatment Ardtamford

Conversion of first floor flat no 77 main street and adjacent two storey dwelling house no75 into single dwelling house approved with conditions

Planning application single storey rear extension to dwellinghouse at 3 Menzies Avenue, Fintry

Erection of dwellinghouse at adjacent to north east of 10b main street refused planning permission.

Erection of two dwelling houses South-West of the Mill House. Planning has been approved with conditions

 

Application for the upgrade of existing equipment at the Earlsburn Transmitting Station has been delegated to a different team at Stirling Council as it is uncontroversial. Clarified by Cllr McGarvey that in the event of an uncontroversial planning application, the application is sometimes delegated, but if, for example, the Community Council were to object to anything, then the application would be automatically passed to the official Planning Committee.

 

Licensing Board meeting due to take place on Tuesday 21st November MM will attend

 

Cllr McGarvie informs that Crowder is a new representative for local licences

 

Roads/Paths

 

Phase two section of the Cicily's Way expansion has now been completed. MB wishes to thank everyone involved and Stirling Councils Cemeteries team

Further regarding Cicily’s Way- Member of the public and MB met with the new access officer to speak about the site. MB has arranged further meeting on site in the 1st week of December.

Speed activated sign in the main street are still being disputed as faulty, and it is noted that there is a potential for court appearances over this as the provider company has been difficult to work with. The FCC would like to see them either replaced or refunded.

Regarding speed bumps and the transport survey, this is now under the new officer, who Has advised they will get back to us in the near future.

Speeding near the Clachan is going to be examined.

MB has noticed grass coming up through the pavement. RG suggested that he write and send photos to Stirling Council's Roads Department.

 

Correspondence 

 

Correspondence email received concerning Culcreuch Castle shutting MM will respond

 

Three grant applications received. See finance

 

Correspondence received from the Scottish Government re place awards 2024. MB 

 

Place plan –

It was agreed that the C.C will be co-oping Hendy Spence and Susan Rodgers to work on Fintry’s Place Plan project along with MB, MM and RG

 One of the Priorities is affordable Homes / Rentable accommodation

C.C are in discussions with rural housing and Stirling Councils housing services. 

The C.C are in touch with local land owners this is at a very early stage.

 

 

A.O.B.

 

Christmas lights 

 

Volunteers needed for putting up Christmas lights in the village. MB will ask on Fintry Buddies

 

Baubles and lights have been purchased for a Christmas tree in the village. A few volunteer MOPs have agreed to help. 

 

The Brownies troop are also to be invited to help decorate the tree.  

 

 MM will represent the Community Council for laying of a wreath for armistice day.

 

Carron Bridge Community Council

 

MB to initiate contact with Carron Bridge Community Council (Carron  bridge) to arrange a meeting in the new year with both CC to have informal catch up .

 

To benefit the Fintry community the FCC provides a bus into cities to help residents get out for their shopping. Discussion held on how this bus could be amalgamated with the Carron community to benefit both areas.  

 

The My Place Awards 

 

The My Place Awards celebrate community-led built environment projects that have transformed their locality. MB has forwarded information of the award to the Community Council members so that ideas for what they might like to vote for can be thought of.

 

M.o.P questions if there is any chance of getting the trees over the bridge cut as they are rather close to clipping cars. MB to contact the appropriate people about this.

 

Sheepdog Trials

 

Kenny Dickson hosted a sheepdog trial near Kippen that had 50 competitors. Forth

Valley Vets sponsored, and it raised £1200 pounds for various Mental Health

charities. Competitors came from as far away as Finland. Well done Kenny and

Lynne

 

 

Date of next meeting

 

           17^th December 2023