June 2024 Minutes

Download or view in pdf format

1
Gartmore Community Council
Date of Meeting: 5
th June 2024
Venue: Gartmore Village Hall
Present: Janet Billett, Mike Houghton-Evans, Colin Scrimgeour, Chris Webster
Apologies: Ian Dinwoodie, Wayne Glasse-Davies, Police Scotland
In attendance :
Elaine Watterson, Conservative, Trossachs and Teith Councillor, Stirling Council, David Mackie, LLTNP,
Helen Webster (Minute taker)
Members of the public : 11
Declarations of Interest‐ None
1. Adoption of previous meeting(s) minutes‐
Proposer : Colin Scrimgeour
Seconder: Mike Houghton-Evans
2. Matters Arising –
1) House in Jellicoe Ave – Cllr Gene Maxwell had notified JB that the house was still unoccupied
2) Green Routes planning application is still pending.
3) Borland Hill Core Path – DM had nothing further to report
4) Road into Gartmore badly potholed – no update
5) Church wall repair – nothing to report yet
6) Speeding signs – jump from 60-20mph is too great but nothing further to report on any action
being taken
7) Ancient cup and ring stones have been marked so should not be disturbed when Drum Wood
is felled. CW will contact Murray Cook, Stirling Archaeologist
ACTION : CW
3. Matters for immediate attention – none
4. Planning
a) 2024/0039/HAE Ronley, Park Avenue extensions & outbuilding - approved
b) 2024/0001/ENF & 2024/0001/AME Land at Park Neuk – not a planning application
c) 2023/0324/DET Shop change into one dwelling house planning application has been approved
5. Reports‐ External
a. Police Scotland‐ Report attached.
If there are any issues to discuss, please contact Callander Police Office
101 or email TrossachsTeithCPT@scotland.pnn.police.uk
b. Elected Member – Stirling Council has gone into recess early since Thurs 30th May to deal with
the upcoming Election but normal work continues. If there are any issues to discuss, contact
Elaine at wattersone@stirling.gov.uk
c. National Park - 90,000 objections to Flamingo land at Balmaha had been received. Cononish
gold mine in Tyndrum is closed temporarily. A new Minister of Parks has been appointed.
Looking at developing one or two more National Parks in Scotland.
Treasurers report Reports‐ Internal - The!balance!of!Gartmore!Community!Council!Treasurer!account!on!3
a. Treasurer’s Report - The balance of Gartmore Community Council Treasurer account on 3rd
June 2024 was £39315.10. New income comprises two payments of £19232.50, which together
make up the Shop Sale Fund, which the Community Council is holding for the community under
2
an agreement with the Village Shop Board and shareholders. Expenditure from Community
Council funds since April 3rd 2024 was £40 on minute taking for the April 2024 meeting, £24.97
on additional indemnity insurance for the year 2024-2025, and £18.00 on travel expenses, a
total of £82.97. Direct Community Council funds now stand at £330.10. Payments were made
totalling £385 from the Shop Steering Committee fund to Gartmore Community Trust for coffee
morning room rental. The Shop Steering Committee fund held by the CC now stands at
£520.00. There were no outstanding invoices on 3rd June 2024.
MHE reported that a motp had raised concerns about the CC holding the funds from the sale of
the shop.
MHE explained that the Community Council had been elected by the shareholders of the former
Community Shop to be the established organisation to hold the surplus of the funds. There was
a clear consensus from the shareholders of the shop that the surplus should go to a single
community organisation with the request that “the money be ringfenced for the purpose of reestablishing retail and other services lost to the Gartmore community when the village shop
closed”.
There now needs to be a 3-month window from receiving the funds in case anyone else comes
forward with a claim for shares or raises a concern).
A Shop Steering Group was formed after that meeting as a sub group of Gartmore Community
Council and commenced looking into ways to provide services lost to the community and to try
to re-establish a shop. A survey and an open day to the whole community of Gartmore
provided replies from 120 respondents which translated into 85.7% wanting to see a shop
established preferably within the Black Bull. On this basis, the shop steering group approached
the Black Bull Board and negotiations are continuing albeit at a slow pace. If a partnership
occurs, it was suggested that another public meeting be held.
Another motp asked if a shop could be set up in the Village Hall instead? MHE explained that
there would be financial repercussions to the exemptions that the Trust receives if a shop was
set up.
EW stated that isolation has become a huge problem for many older people in particular and
having a shop would help to overcome this.
A motp queried that the money was to go to one of the two assets in the village – either the
Trust or the Black Bull and asked why the CC was even considered. CW and MHE stated that
it was the shareholders of the shop who voted, after the Shop Committee had checked that the
three bodies (the Community Trust, The Community Council and the Black Bull Board) were
eligible to hold the money. DM also confirmed that that was his understanding. DM asked the
motp what her concern was? The motp said the Trust don’t want the money so why does it not
go directly to the pub? MHE reiterated that there were principles set up by the shop
shareholders to try and develop a shop first.
The motp again questioned if the CC had checked that they were eligible to hold the money.
Several Councillors confirmed that they were and EW reiterated that Stirling Council were the
overseers of all Community Councils and each constitution has a condition on the Control of
Finance which states:
“All monies raised by or on behalf of the Community Council or provided by the local authority
and other sources shall be applied to further the objectives of the Community Council
and for no other purpose”. “Monies raised from other sources may be used in accordance
with the terms of this provision (so long as they are consistent with the objectives of the
Community Council) or in the absence of such terms, for the furtherance of the
objectives of the Community Council”.
3
In the constitution, there are several objectives which would relate to the Community Council
operating in this way to help the community (in this case to obtain a shop and other services
lost by the closure of the Community Shop) and holding the funds to achieve a number of these
objectives.
DM suggested that this subject is discussed again at the October meeting as the three-month
period will have passed and negotiations may have developed.
b. Subgroups ‐ Shop Steering Group. The village café continues to operate well twice a week.
c. Chair ‐ an issue has been raised about the congested parking in the village which had recently
caused McGill’s to stop buses coming through the village. Hopefully the Local Place Plan
which addresses these issues will be distributed soon and some of these concerns can be
addressed.
8. AOB – Is there any update on the replanting of Archway Wood which should have happened by
June 2024. JB reported that nothing had been reported to date. A motp suggested that the
replanting could happen anywhere else on the Estate. JB said no correspondence to that effect
had been received.
9. Items raised by members of the public - Discussion was held around libraries and how important
it is to try and retain them. HW brought up that the mobile library has not visited the primary
school for over a year. EW asked to be emailed about this and she would look into this.
ACTION : HW
A motp stated her concern about the speed at which cars come round the bend from the Aberfoyle
direction at the Trossach Holiday Park entrance on to the A81. Signage or a mirror was suggested
as an option to help. JB will email EW about this. ACTION : JB
10. Date, time, and venue of next meeting
Wednesday August 7th, 7.30pm, Gartmore Village Hall