Minutes of the meeting held on 13th November 2024

1. Present/apologies for absence:

• Present: Michele Bennett (Chair), Ian Rodger (Vice Chair), Moira Mackay (Treasurer), Hendy Spence (Secretary), Jackie Garvie, Ronnie Garvie.
• Gerry McGarvey (Stirling Councillor)
• Apologies: PC Newlands and PC McCammon

II.        Declaration of interest in any items of business

Declarations of interest were indicated by HS and MM.

III.      Approval of Minutes of last meeting:

The previous minutes were approved.

IV.    Stir lin g C ounc il lo r’s R eport  

• Cllr McGarvey indicated that he would rather receive and answer questions at the meeting than read out a report which may have a lot of information which is not relevant to Fintry.
• The Cllr explained that much of Stirling Council’s time at the moment is taken up with the budget. This is not a good time economically but they are doing their best to work to the projected sums. They hope that things will improve with additional government funding although it is not clear yet how this additional funding will be distributed. He emphasised the importance of the community interacting with consultations – these are not hollow exercises and are taken seriously. A consultation about libraries is about to close soon. MB expressed the importance of the mobile library for residents of Fintry as the nearest library is Balfron and Fintry has no public transport to get there.
• Cllr McGarvey, as Deputy Leader of the council, is currently leading the council due to the death of the Council Leader, Cllr Margaret Brisley.
• MB asked about the Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) service. It has become very unreliable. Trips which have been booked weeks in advance are being cancelled the day before they are planned. Sometimes this means residents are missing important appointments. A resident noted that sometimes the transport just does not turn up with no notification that it has been cancelled. MB also noted that the times when the DRT is available are now very limited. ACTION: MB to email Cllr McGarvey specifically about the issues with DRT.
• MB referred to the budget and asked if Fintry Nursery was in the firing line. The Cllr replied that nothing was in the firing line yet. MB emphasised the importance of the nursery to working parents and to help maintain a younger population in Fintry. Taking children to neighbouring villages for nursery provision would add considerable time and money for parents.
• MB referred to the number of road closures around the village in the last few months. Whilst it is important to keep the roads maintained properly, there has been frustration from the residents regarding the road closure signs not being moved when the work has finished. This has impacted local businesses considerably. RG asked who was responsible for removing the signs. The Cllr replied that it varies – sometimes it is the contractor carrying out the roadworks and sometimes it can be independent contractors. ACTION: MB to email Cllr McGarvey about road signs being left up and/or left lying around.

V.          Strathendrick Rugby Club Parking

• No representatives from SRC were present at the meeting.
• MB acknowledged the importance of the rugby club to the village but concerns have been raised about the way vehicles are parked in Fintry when rugby club events are being held. Cars are sometimes parked on both sides of the road and on the pavements. Both cause issues with access for residents and could prevent emergency services getting through. Sometimes the parking is supervised by a representative from the rugby club and this makes a big difference. MB wondered if a rota could be established involving the parents of the children playing at the events. RG suggested opening the gate at the end of the sports field to allow cars to park on there but this area becomes very muddy after spells of rain. There was a suggestion to put down matting. IR noted that this idea had been used successfully at the Courtyard Café to provide additional parking in fields when needed. The grass grows through the matting and can be cut with a mower like the rest of the grass and the matting is not noticeable. A resident commented that they have observed cars arriving with only one child in them and the rugby clubs should be encouraging car sharing. There were also suggestions that cars could be parked at the cemetery and at the primary school. These are both good options but would require attendees to have advance information and for marshals to be present to direct cars to the right places. ACTION:

MB to meet up with representatives from SRC to discuss the issue.

VI.         Police Re port

Reporting Period:    October 2024 – Compiled by PC Matt McCammon Community Engagement:

PC Laura Newlands joins the Forth & Endrick ward community Policing Team. She comes with 6 years’ response policing experience having spent the majority of her service within the Falkirk / Grangemouth area. 

Fraud:

Unknown suspect was able to access a resident’s email address and various other accounts by unknown means and was able to make £200 worth of orders. Fortunately, the victim was able to contact their bank before further money was taken and changed all their passwords the compromised accounts.

Road safety:

Call received regarding sheep on the road on the B818 towards The Carron Valley, fortunately they were returned to their field and no road accidents occurred as a result.

Incidents of Note:

Unfortunately, a person was found deceased outdoors near to Fintry. There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.

Where to Report Scams:

In Scotland, report all scams to Advice Direct Scotland by calling 0808 164 6000 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or online at www.consumeradvice.scot Fraud:

If you have been the victim of fraud, report it to Police Scotland on 101 or 999 in an emergency. 

Suspicious Emails:

You can forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and send links from websites which you think are trying to scam the public to the National Cyber Security Centre's scam website reporting service at www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-thiswebsite/report-scam-website

Suspicious Text Messages:

If you receive a suspicious text message you can forward it to 7726. The free-ofcharge ‘7726’ service enables your provider to investigate and take action if malicious content is found.

Phishing:

Warning signs - 

• E-mail that uses generic terms like ‘Dear account holder’
• E-mail is threatening and states that urgent action is required
• E-mail has a link you don't recognise
• Spelling errors in the e-mail
• E-mail address is different from trusted company’s website
• Unexpected e-mails from a company you have no business with
• No padlock sign on website and no 'https://' at the beginning of web address.

Keep yourself safe:

• Keep your browser software up-to-date
• Avoid risky sites, including supposed investment sites
• Never click on a link in an e-mail from an unknown person
• Use spam filters if you can
• Never give out your personal details, passwords or security codes via e-mail
• Don’t leave personal documents lying around for anyone else to see
• If you're throwing away correspondence, remember to shred it first.

Fraudulent transactions and identity fraud:

Purchases made without the person's consent is one of the most reported forms of cyber-enabled fraud.

This is when a fraudster gets access to their victim's accounts or uses their payment details to take money or buy things.

These offences use different phishing techniques to get a victim’s account details. The fraudster also uses the victim’s debit/credit card or phone. They then use these to carry out transactions online.

Access can also be gained through remote access to a victim's devices. The fraudster then gets access to their accounts.

If any transactions on your account are suspicious, contact your bank/credit card company as soon as possible. You should report this and allow them to carry out an investigation.

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 Matt McCammon is the Ward Officer for the Forth and Endrick area.  He is 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 VII.           Finance

 Decisions will be made about grant applications immediately after the meeting and applicants will be notified as soon as possible.

VIII.         Resilience update

• A grant has been received to pay for the Christmas Party for the older residents of Fintry.
• MB met with RiverTrack recently for an annual maintenance check to inspect sensors, check firmware, replace batteries for a further year of operation and visit display monitor volunteers to make sure displays are connected and working.
• MB has applied for funding for bank stabilisation along the Endrick.
• Funding has been received for a Leaky Dams project. Leaky dams are made of natural woody materials, laid in streams and ditches. They are designed to reduce the downstream flood peak by temporarily storing water by holding it back within the stream’s channel or encouraging it to spill onto the banks behind the barrier and slowing the flow. These will be installed on the burn near the castle drive and on the B818 (Denny road).
• A public meeting is planned early next year to provide an update on flood resilience measures. Cllr McGarvey asked to be kept informed about this. He feels that a lot of emphasis is put onto flood measures for urban areas and he is keen to support initiatives in rural areas.
• MB noted that sandbags are available for residents to use but they need to notify FCC so that resources can be monitored. MB will also be purchasing Floodsax with recent funding which are easier to manage than sandbags.
• MB thanked the Fintry Development Trust (FDT) for working with the FCC on a recent resilience project and for supplying equipment.
• Work on the orchard has started with the area being cleared ready for trees to be planted. This will be located between the river path and the sports field. MB has offered to clear space nearer to the sports club if it can be used by the rugby club but is awaiting a response.

Councillor McGarvey left the meeting.

IX.         Planning (Member of the public to discuss planning application)

• An application has been received for a single storey side extension at 2, Menzies Avenue. A decision is being awaited.
• An application has been received for a single storey side extension at 15, Menzies Avenue. A decision is being awaited.
• A retrospective application has been received for change of use of land for the use of a woodworking business and ancillary storage; including an improved access, the addition of hardstanding for parking and the storage of materials and machinery, and the addition of buildings, including a machine store, workshop, tool stores, furniture store, and a caravan on land 340M north of Provanston Farm. The applicant was present at the meeting to ask for the support of FCC. The Councillors all voted in favour of supporting the application with the exception of one Cllr who had expressed a conflict of interest.

       X.      Roads/paths

• MB is awaiting a response from Stirling Council regarding the repair of the Gonachan Bridge and what can be done to prevent further damage. There were four accidents there in three weeks.
• MB has also asked about the repair work needed on the wall of the bridge over the Endrick.
• FCC had offered to pay for repairs to the drystone wall along Cicely’s Way but the landowner declined.

         XI.      Correspondence

    Two residents are looking to start up a mother and baby/toddler group and had enquired about funding to provide teas and coffees. Unfortunately, the grant would not be able to cover this but may be available to cover the cost of some equipment. ACTION: JG to meet with the residents involved to discuss exactly what help they need.

       XII.      Any other business

• Remembrance Sunday - IR laid a wreath at the church on Remembrance Sunday for the community council. JG commented on the poppies on the cross and thanks were given to the Brownies for doing this.
• Wind farms - IR has been chasing up information about the various wind farms and wind farm extensions planned in the area but it has been difficult to get information from some of the companies involved. MB has also asked the planning department regarding the Shelloch wind farm (Stirling Council granted planning permission in 2022 for 5 turbines to be installed in the Fintry Hills. This project has now been acquired by Vantage RE Ltd). The developers have five years to start the work. The extension at the Earlsburn wind farm was originally for eleven turbines but this has now been reduced to seven turbines all at a lower tip height. The developer is Naturalis Energy Developments Ltd. Public exhibitions are being held on

Tuesday 19^th November (12.30 – 15.00 at Gargunnock Community Hall and 16.30 – 19.00 at Cambusbarron Bowling Club). MB will attend. Drummarnock Wind Farm Ltd has lodged an application for four 180 metre high turbines in the Fintry, Gargunnock and Touch Hills, around 1340 metres south east of Easter Cringate Cottage on Polmaise Road and approximately 10km south-west of Stirling. If approved, this would mean more funding for FCC.

• Local Place Plans - Local Place Plans were introduced by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, which contains a new right for communities to produce their own plans as part of the new Scottish planning system. They offer communities the opportunity to develop proposals for their local area, expressing their aspirations and ambitions for future change. A member of the community will be attending a course about this.

XIII.Fintry Sports Club

    Two representatives from FSC were present at the meeting. At their Annual General Meeting, the members approved a proposal to be an incorporated association. An incorporated charity is a legal form (like a company) that gives the charity its own legal personality. This means it can own property and sign contracts in the charity's name. Incorporation gives trustees greater protection from being personally liable. FCC owns the land that the sports club is built on and FSC currently have a 99 year lease. A new lease would need to be drawn up if the FSC becomes incorporated and this would be a good opportunity to update the lease to make it more relevant to today. ACTION: FCC to discuss the proposal, seek legal advice and arrange a meeting with FSC to discuss further.

XIV.           Date of next meeting

                                The next FCC meeting will be held on Wednesday 11^th December at 7.30 p.m.

The FCC was saddened to hear about the deaths of Gonie Govenden and John Duckworth recently. Their condolences go to their families at this difficult time.