Service updates and festive arrangements

Feb 2021 Minutes

Last updated

05 Mar 2024

PORT OF MENTEITH COMMUNITY COUNCIL

The meeting of the Port of Menteith Community Council in the Port of Menteith Hall scheduled for
Monday, 8th February, 2021 did not take place due to the Covid-19 restrictions. Instead, an E-
meeting involving all members was held and a document summarising the current situation with
regard to regular Agenda items, together with the draft minutes of the December meeting, a list of
correspondence received, a Police Report and a statement of the accounts to the end of January
were circulated to members for information, discussion and comment in the usual way

Minutes of the meeting of the Port of Menteith Community Council of Monday, 8th February, 2021.

 

Members : Peter Stewart, Chair

Sheena Makgill-Crichton, Vice-Chair & Secretary
Penny McCoull, Treasurer

Alison Forrester
Quint Glen

Jim Riach

Valerie Graham, Minutes Secretary

AGENDA

  1. Members Present and Apologies for Absence

    There were no apologies for absence.

     

  2. Declarations of Interest in Items of Business

    There were no declarations of interest.

     

  3. Adoption of the Draft Minutes of the E-Meeting of 7th December, 2020

    The adoption of the minutes as a true record was proposed by Sheena Makgill-Crichton, and
    seconded by Alison Forrester.

     

  4. Matters Arising from the Minutes:

    1. Port of Menteith Church

      Sheena Makgill-Crichton reported that the Church had been open from September
      until the second week in January when Government restrictions once again meant it
      had to close. There had been good attendances and on average, probably higher
      than before the start of the pandemic. People came from other local churches that
      were closed showing that there is actually a requirement for a physical service rather
      than just an online one.

       

      There had been a really wonderful Carol Service for the 23 people who regularly come
      to church every Sunday and this included Seonagh Glen and a musician friend playing
      the most beautiful music. The acoustics of the church are really good and in complete
      darkness, other than for fairy lights and candles. The playing was incredibly atmospheric
      and moving and the Church was very grateful to them for giving their time and skill.

       

      The Church will re-open for services as soon as it is allowed to do so.

    2. Refuse Collections

      Members were advised that it would appear that the uplift of old refuse bins and the
      delivery of the replacements had not gone totally according to plan and although for
      some residents there had been no problems, there had also been a number of
      complaints that not only had the old bins not been replaced but also that they had not
      been emptied on time.

       

    3. Strathard CC Co-op Buy Out Project

      Valerie Graham reported that although she had made a request for an update on the
      project following the survey, this had not been received.

    4. Trossachs Area Network

      Members were advised that the previous proposal to reinstate meetings of the
      Trossachs Area Network had been dropped due to a lack of interest from communities.

       

  5. Road Issues

    1. Work Schedule

      Members were advised that there had been no work on local roads scheduled for the
      period 25th January – 21st March.

       

      The Chairman said that he was of the opinion that the Community Council should keep
      on at the Council about the state of the road surfaces as they are deteriorating to a
      dangerous level again.

       

    2. Cardross Bridge

      Members were advised that there had still been no response from Stirling Council’s
      Bridge Officer to a request for information following the dive survey on the Cardross
      Bridge in March, 2020. However, information had been acquired by the Chair of
      Arnprior Community Council from one of the Community Link officers that the company
      had only provided part of the video of the survey and so Stirling Council’s Bridge Officer
      was chasing this up.

       

    3. Hammersmith Junction

      There had been no response from Angela McGibbon following the Community
      Council’s comments regarding the red road markings at the bottom of Cock Hill.

       

    4. Road Sign & School Lights

      Valerie Graham reported that the damaged directional road-sign at the junction of the
      B8034 & A81 had still not been repaired and the 20mph school warning lights continue
      to either malfunction or not work at all despite the Council having been advised of this
      by both the School and the Community Council.

       

    5. Petition against the Viewforth Link Road

      Members were advised that following the information received from Martin Earl
      regarding the launch of a petition asking Stirling Council to reconsider the Viewforth
      Link Road, this had been circulated to residents via the Community Council’s ’s email
      contact list. However, it had just been announced that as a result of the large number
      of signatures to the petition, the status of the Viewforth Link Road was now “On Hold”.

       

  6. Financial

    1. Accounts to the end of December

      Members noted the accounts which had been circulated prior to the meeting but
      there were no comments.

       

    2. Community Council Asset Insurance Cover

      Valerie Graham reported that notification had been received that Insurance Cover for
      any assets owned by the Community Council could be arranged through Stirling
      Council. However, currently the Community Council does not have any assets.

       

  7. Correspondence

    1. List of General Correspondence

      This had been circulated prior to the meeting. There were no questions.

    2. Offer of Supplies of Rock Salt from Stirling Voluntary Enterprise (SVE)

      Members had previously considered the offer of supplies of rock salt from SVE for the
      purpose of de-icing the paths of vulnerable and elderly members of the community
      and while agreeing that it was an excellent idea, it had been decided that it would be
      difficult to organise for the local area as the houses are so widespread.

       

  8. Planning & Licensing Issues

    1. New Planning Applications

      1. Shellock Windfarm Development Proposal for the Fintry Hills

        Scottish Government advice encourages Community Councils to focus on
        proposals that raise issues of genuine community interest and members were
        advised that as agreed, a very detailed document regarding the proposed
        development had been circulated locally when the planning

        application was published. As a result of this, a number of notifications had
        been received from local residents indicating that they would be objecting to
        the application, some of which also asked for the Community Council to take
        these into account when considering the application.

        It was known that Thornhill & Blair Drummond Community Council had also
        consulted its local residents, a number of whom had responded with
        objections to the windfarm

        Because the site of the proposed development is not within the Port of Menteith
        Community Council’s area, it is not permitted to lodge a support or objection
        response to the application. However, Community Councils are invited by
        Stirling Council to make comments on any application that they consider raises
        issues of genuine interest for the wider community.

        After consideration, it was agreed to advise Stirling Council’s Planning
        Department of the action the Community Council had taken to make local
        residents aware of the application and to report the comments it had

        received. Action : VG

         

      2. Planning Application : 2020/0299/DET – Path in Malling Forest/Menteith Hills, Rob
        Roy Way

         

        It was explained that this is a project by the NPA to restore a section of the Robbetween Aberfoyle and Callander which goes through the

        Community Council’s area. The work will seek to address braiding, soil erosion,
        localised flooding, poor water quality and a low-quality visitor experience on
        972m of the path. However, it was agreed that a comment from the Community
        Council was not necessary.

         

    2. Planning Update

      Members were advised that:

      1. Formation of Forest Road, SW of Bigram

        This had now been approved.

      2. Port Hall Car-Park

        This application was still awaiting a decision by the NPA.

      3. Erection of dwelling house at land NW of Bonnie Braes, Port of Menteith

        This application had been withdrawn.

      4. Housing & Commercial Development Proposal at Thornhill

        No Planning Application had yet been submitted.

  9. Visitor Management Plan Project

    Jim Riach’s reports about this project had been circulated prior to the meeting. There was no
    further discussion.

     

  10. Community Partnership AGM

    1. Penny McCoull had previously circulated a report from this meeting.

    2. Members were advised that one of the recommendations from the Community

      Partnership’s AGM was that all Community Councils should join the Countryside Trust.
      In view of the Trust’s involvement with the Visitor Management Plan as reported by Jim
      Riach, members were asked if they were in agreement with this proposal? This was
      agreed.

       

  11. Reports:

    1. Port Hall Report

      Quint Glen said that there was nothing to report regarding the Hall but that he had
      been told that the planning decision about the proposed extension to the car-park
      would be made sometime in the following week.

    2. Port School Report

      Peter Stewart advised that there was to be a meeting of the Parent Council shortly and
      undertook to forward a report following this. Action : PS

       

    3. Police Report

      This had been circulated prior to the meeting.

       

  12. Any Other Competent Business

    There being no further business, the meeting closed.

     

  13. Date of Next Scheduled Meeting : Monday, 19th April, 2021