Service updates

May AGM 2022 Minutes

Last updated

12 Mar 2024

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GARGUNNOCK COMMUNITY COUNCIL

 

MINUTES AGM 2022

Date: 09th May 2022 Time: 1930

Location: Gargunnock Community Centre

 

In attendance: David King (DK), Lovat MacGregor (LM), Douglas Barr (DB), Mike Buckley (MB), Christine Phillips (CPP), David Miller (DM), Mark Dickson (MD)

 

Agenda

 

  1. Apologies

Julie Cole (JC)

 

2.     Adoption of previous minutes

Minutes of AGM 26th April 2021 were accepted. Proposed by DK, seconded by DB

 

3.     Chairs Annual Report (Appendix A):

  • Shelloch Wind Farm planning permission was supported by the Community Council (CC) and has been granted
  • Leckie estate application for planning permission (tree houses, forest roads) was supported by the CC and permission granted
  • Station road junction: Environment and housing committee will support Option 4 that was preferred by the LM waiting for update from Stephen Blyth of Stirling Council (SC).
  • Speeding in village: speed checks have been conducted by the police
    1. ACTION: LM to look at quotes for speed control signage
    2. ACTION: MB to run social media campaign to raise awareness
  • Charging points: one not working has been reported
  • Road Traffic Collision (RTC) on A811 near the junction with Station Road
  • Paths and cycleways (DK):
    1. Currently finishing off upgrades to Charlie’s loan
    2. Cycle path: Completed Phase 0, 1 and 2 with SUSTRANS outlining path design from Gargunnock to Application of funding for detailed design has been submitted, pending response. Village wide survey conducted
  • Village shop update: (reference Appendix A)

 

 

4.     Secretary’s Annual Report (Appendix B)

  • Meeting format: moved from a virtual to hybrid model which is working well
  • Inbox: reports of speeding in the village
  • Stirling Council: communications with SC are meant to go to central addressee so reference number can be assigned

 

5.     Treasurer’s Annual Report (Appendix C)

  • Statement of accounts
    1. Balance at the start of the financial year (01APR21) was £2,790.39 and at the end of the year (31MAR22) stood at £6,627.15
    2. Income of £237.41 received from SC via the standard subsidy

 

 

6.     Election of Office Bearers

  • CP resigned as Vice Chair
  • CP proposed for the role of Chairperson by MB, seconded by DB
  • MD appointed as the new Minute Taker

 

Office Bearers remain:

Chairperson: Christine Phillips Secretary: David Millar Treasurer: Douglas Barr

Planning/Licensing Representative: Julie Cole

Road & transport Representative: Lovat MacGregor Wind Farm Representatives: David King/David Millar Social Media Representative: Mike Buckley

 

 

  1. AOB: covered in CC May meeting

 

  1. Next AGM Date: TBC

 

 

Appendix A:

Gargunnock Community Council (GCC)

Vice-Chair’s Report to the AGM on 9th May 2022

 

Despite the Covid-19 restrictions, Community Councillors have continued to support the residents of Gargunnock; meeting every 8 weeks virtually by Zoom and when appropriate at the Community Centre (CC). The following is a summary of the main issues and activities of the GCC since the last AGM on

 

1.     Planning

GCC reviews planning applications for projects within the Community Council area, and where appropriate may meet with developers to understand the project and may provide comments to the planning authority. Planning applications that have raised community interest included:

  • Shelloch Wind Farm: This proposal has been grated planning permission for five wind turbines on the Fintry Hills, to be located just West of the existing Earlsburn and Kingsburn Wind Farms.
  • GCC recorded our support for the
  • There will be a Community Benefit Fund that could support projects in the In order to take advantage of the expertise of Gargunnock Community Trust in negotiating with Wind Farm developers, and the Trust’s experience in the management of community benefit funds, GCC asked Geoff Peart from GCT to support negotiations on the Shelloch Windfarm Community Benefit Fund on behalf of the village. The Trust has accepted this invitation.
  • Leckie Estate applied for planning permission to construct 4 tree-houses and relevant forest Roads in the woodland between East Lodge Cottage and Watson This was granted. MB will be the GCC lead contact for Leckie estate, working with JC on planning issues

 

 

  1. Roads & Transport

 

STATION ROAD/ A811 JUNCTION

We have continued to engage with Stirling Council (SC) on the subject of safety at the junction of Station Road and the A811. SC’s Environment & Housing Committee have indicated verbally that they will support option 4 (detailed below) LM, as the Roads lead will continue to work with the committee, agree a timescale for the work to be completed

Option 4 - Remove high masonry wall, divert BT apparatus and remove vegetation

This option would require the consent of land, property and public utility owners and/or land acquisition.

 

The project would include:

  1. Removing a high masonry wall to improve visibility to the west of Station Road’s junction with the A811

 

  1. Removing vegetation to improve visibility to the west and east of Station Road’s junction with the A811
  2. Diverting BT infrastructure to improve visibility to the west and east of Station Road’s junction with the A811.
  3. Relocation of the roadside fence line to the east of Station Road’s junction with the A811, approximately 2m south of its current position

 

These works would provide an improved visibility splay by increasing the x-distance to 2.4m, providing the recommended 215m-distances to the west and east of the Station Road junction and would leave the junction open to two-way traffic.

Improved visibility splays are likely to encourage the junction’s use by motorists. With the junction still operating below the recommended standard, this is likely to increase the risk of slight injury accidents but could reduce the chance of a perpendicular collision at this site.

Estimated cost: £50-100k depending on costs associated with land acquisition and diverting utility infrastructure

 

SPEEDING WITHIN VILLAGE

Several years ago the GCC put forward a proposal to the CC for the installation of Radar Speed Signs to better control speeding drivers through the village. At the time this was not approved by the CC.

However, speeding continues to be a problem in the village so the GCC are going to propose a sign at each point coming into the village i.e. Manse Brae, Leckie Road and Station Road with the hope that funding can be secured from the Community Trust.

 

 

CHARGING POINTS

After many communications with SC, 2 electric vehicle charging point have been installed in the near future on Main Street (opposite the Gargunnock Inn). These currently provide charging points at no cost

 

At the request of GCC, following communications from residents, Police Scotland has conducted occasional speed checks on vehicles in the village.

 

 

3.     Pathways and Cycleways

The Paths group is a subgroup of The Gargunnock Community Trust, and its main purpose is to maintain and where appropriate upgrade the existing Paths network and also to take forward new projects identified by the village community. As most residents will appreciate during the Covid 19 pandemic the existing pathways were extensively utilized and as such require some substantial maintenance to compensate for this.

Projects identified include repairing sections of The Ladies Walk and also sections of The Leckie Loop adjacent to Watson House. Funding has been sought for this from the Windfarm Funds and it is expected that these works will be addressed prior to the Autumn and Winter months. Thanks are expressed to Stirling Council for the provision of materials to enable the upgrading and redirection of Charlie’s Loan

 

Application for funding for the Detailed Design element of the proposed pathway from the Village to Stirling has now been submitted. This is a culmination of 3 years dedicated work by the Trust involving substantial effort in directing and coordinating the works of specialized contractors and liaising with Sustrans the funding body and Stirling Council Officers. The outcome of our application should be known in July.

 

 

4.     Communications

GCC has regularly submitted articles for Stirling Observer, The Bugle newsletter and posted information on Facebook providing information for residents, and updating the community on our work. Information posters are also placed in the CC and local Gargunnock Inn. The Village notice board has all of GCC minutes and information posted. In addition the GCC with help from GCT and some residents have hand posted survey invitations & updates regarding the Village shop

 

5.     Village shop

In the past the village hosted 3 shops and a post office, before supermarkets came to dominate shopping habits. Gargunnock now has 1 local shop, closed since July 2021 due to a fire

GCC formed a Village shop working group, inviting GCT, WFP and 2 local residents who were previously owners of the Village shop.

The aim of the Gargunnock Village shop working group was to understand what the residents of the Village wanted. The first output of the working group was to create and successfully launch a shop survey. The survey was conducted between Dec 2020 and Jan 2021-for detailed results see end of Vice-chair report. Full results shown in embedded PDF. If required can be made available directly, upon application to GCC email address

The survey clearly showed that the retention of a Village shop was a priority for Gargunnock residents. GCC has tried several times to contact the current owners, but so far, they refuse to be in communication. A community-based project involving a partnership between Gargunnock Community Council (GCC) and Gargunnock Community Trust (GCT) has been established- to facilitate local people having ownership of the shop building, to be run as a successful local shop/café/deli.

It was clear that we needed professional expertise and support to assess the feasibility of the project and to develop a business plan. In our research, in speaking with other communities we were strongly advised to contact Plunkett’s, a national charity that supports small community owned businesses

In addition, Plunkett’s as they were strongly recommended to us by government

agencies (e.g. DTA) and main funding bodies. Plunkett’s did offer some “free” advice and steerage which was most welcome. Plunkett’s have a panel of Business consultants who have the necessary experience and expertise to the this forward, at cost

 

The Village shop working group made 2 applications to the Wind Farm Panel (chaired by A Younger). Membership fee for Plunkett’s (£240) and feasibility & Business plan, in the form of consultancy (£4800). Both applications were awarded

An open public meeting is planned for Thursday 17th May, all villagers have been invited via:

  • Hand posted flyers to every village home (395 households)
  • Information on the Village notice board and in the Gargunnock Inn
  • Facebook posts

 

GCC councillors can be contacted in person, by phone or email

 

Once the open public meeting has taken place and residents have had the opportunity to share their views the Village shop project will move to the next phase

 

 

Christine Phillips

Vice-Chair, Gargunnock Community Council

 

Appendix B: Secretary Report

 

  • Meeting
    • Meetings held virtually up until restrictions lifted in October
      • Hybrid (f2f + Zoom) Meetings Held since
    • Last hybrid meeting (f2f + Zoom) 4th April

 

·        Communication to email account. (gargunnockcommunitycouncil@gmail.com) GENERAL

  • 3 complaints about speeding in the village and options for better enforcement. CC contacted.
  • Request to share information for Befriending Wellbeing
  • Applications for new Minute Taker – now on
  • Setting up meetings regarding Gargunnock Shop
  • Meeting with Force 9 Consultancy regarding Shelloch Wind
  • Gathering of quotes for traffic mirrors opposite Station Road exit of village onto No longer required following progress with Council on permanent solution.

 

STIRLING CITY COUNCIL

  • CC enquiry references
    • 2202818: Speeding in the village – lessons from other villages
  • Community Council Employer's Liability Insurance Documentation

 

SPAM

  • American Forest Foundation
  • Public Sector Executive
  • Charities Buying Group
  • Church Noticeboards
  • Playforce
  • OpusXenta
  • Website Developers

 

Promotion of meetings.

  • Facebook
  • Up and coming meetings posted on Community Notice Board also Gargunnock Inn
  • For exceptional meeting g. Public meetings, hand poster communications to all households

 

Publication of approved minutes.

 

 

Appendix C: Treasurer Report