March 2022
KILMUN COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Facebook - @shoresweepersandKCC Website - www.kilmuncc.co.uk
MINUTES OF MEETING
8th March 2022 @ 7.30PM. Online
Meeting Start -7.30pm
PRESENT: Diane Nicholson (Convenor), Dale Mallin (Vice Convenor) Janet Holm (Secretary), Russell Humphreys (Treasurer), Graham Revill, Lachie Macquarie and Mandy Grout.
Also, Present: Councillor A Reid, Bob Darracott (National Park), Bruce Marshall, Gordon Holm, Becky Hothersall (representing Strone Primary PA - from 8pm) Ian Wherry and David Webster (part of the meeting).
APOLOGIES Julie Fish (HT Strone Primary), Councillor Y McNeilly and Councillor G. Blair (Argyll and Bute Council), PC Elaine Heffron, Fraser Macdonald (Forestry Land Scotland). Fraser Smith, June MacDonald and Jackie Weston.
This session was recorded for the minutes
2. DECLARATION OF INTEREST:
None
3. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING:
Correction from last month
A correction on the minutes from Bruce Marshall. I may not have come over properly, but what I intended to say in the para about potholes in Alan's report was:
“I am impressed with work carried out generally by A&BC, much better than in my day and we must have a really good area officer and workers.” Alan replied that it may just be that there is more money around this year because of Covid.
The 8th February 2022 minutes were:
Proposed: Dale Mallin
Seconded: Mandy Grout Carried
4. MATTERS ARISING NOT ON THE AGENDA
Amended Constitution and Standing orders for Kilmun Communty Council (Vote taken and passed unanimously).
Formal review of the Local Scheme – Shaping the Framework – Consultation - 22nd April 2022. (Forms the basis of the Council’s first stage of consultation in terms of Section 53(1) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973). Documents can be seen at. Community Council Review 2022 (argyll-bute.gov.uk).
KCC committee to look at this document and comment. Individual comments can also be submitted.
5. TREASURER’S REPORT
Carried forward £3809.48
Income
ABC Council Grant 478.80
Expenditure
Data Protection Sub 35.00
Spanglish website (3 year subscription) 89.85
gardening 48.75
Funds In
Interest 0.46
Totals.
General fund £ 1220.65
Gardening and Shore Sweepers £74.44
Festive Lunch £154.47
SSE grant £1090.92
Directory donations £7.00
Grant from ABC (For new road sign) £1262.00
Overall total 4253.28
general Fund.
6. POLICE REPORT
Officer Reporting: Officer Reporting: PS Elaine Heffron. Dates between 08/02/2022 to 07/03/2022
There have been 11 calls relating to the Kilmun Community Council area. The following were incidents of note:
1- Domestic
2 – Road traffic
2 – Assist the Public
2 – Concern for Persons
7 Correspondence
(Already been circulated to committee members)
8. Planning Applications
None
9. COMMUNITY MATTERS
THE SHORE SWEEPERS
At last, the new ‘Welcome to the Shore Villages’ has been put up at the end of the road with help from McNee Building Services who volunteered their time and expertise to do this work for the Shore Sweepers. Also, a very big thanks you to Argyll and Bute Sustainability Fund who part-funded this initiative and to The Shore Cafe, The Strone Inn, The Blairmore, Baileyfield Self-Catering, Ardentinny and Kilmun Community Councils who all made donations to make this possible.
A vote of thanks was given to Janet H and the Shore Sweepers for their hard work.
A thank you email to be sent round to the contributors and a photograph and info on the sign to be posted on Facebook @Kilmun Community Council & The Shore Sweepers
BIRD HIDE AT KILMUN
The bird hide is now complete with feeders and bird boxes in the trees. We are only waiting to get Armco barriers to protect wheelchair access. We got a grant, but in that time the cost had doubled. We are now hoping to acquire used Armco. Currently the only protection from the river is the willow hedge. We received our first visitors with an outing form the Argyll Bird Club. In addition, a number of local people have asked for the keycode, and we have had an informal request from the Glasgow Branch of the Scottish Ornithological Society to visit. We would like to thank the following people, Peter and Margaret Staley for donating the Reserve, Ewen MacDonald for completing the conveyance, McNees for assisting in the demolition of the old, corrugated iron hide and Alistair McGregor who has been the driving force of the design and building of this hide. Thanks also goes to Dave Smith who lives opposite and will keep on eye open for any non-birding visitors. We hope to have an official opening in the near future.
HIGHGATE HALL AND TYNESHANDON
See Councillor Reid’s report.
Highgate Hall
NTR – Meeting in May still scheduled to go ahead
BVT
No Report
10. DISCUSSIONS WITH REPRESENATIVES AS PER AGENDA
STRONE PRIMARY SCHOOL -Head teacher report - 08.03.21
Scottish Opera
The children in P5 to P7 are joining children from Strachur Primary, Kilmodan Primary, Tighnabruaich Primary, Lochgoilhead Primary, Innellan Primary and Toward Primary to participate in an all-day event run by Scottish Opera. The children are currently learning songs for their part in ‘The Last Aliens’ more information can be found using the below link.
https://www.scottishopera.org.uk/join-in/opera-for-schools/the-last-aliens/
Fiddle/Samba Drumming
The P5 to P7 class are currently having group fiddle sessions, this is to continue for the rest of the term. Later this week the whole school is participating in their first samba drumming workshop.
Forest Schools/Outdoor Learning
The children are very fortunate to have a small wooded area on site to allow for the participation in outdoor learning. The P2 to 4 class have been linking their outdoor learning to the topic dinosaurs. The P5 to 7 class have been working with Steve Gillian the Visitor Services Education Ranger from Forestry and Land Scotland to participate in forest school activities.
Echoes of Strone
We have been approached by Rob Wilkinson who has recently been appointed by Historic Kilmun as the co-ordinator for the ECHO Trails project (East Cowal Heritage Outdoors) the aim of the project is are to raise the profile of our local attractions and walks whilst engaging with the local communities across Kilmun, Strone, Blairmore, Ardentinny etc. The project is looking to involve the pupils at Strone Primary in some way bringing to life the history and geography of our local area. The staff and I have our first meeting with Rob in a few weeks. I will keep you posted on our progress.
Preparations for the Queen’s Jubilee
We are currently in discussion with the children regarding an event to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee. It is hoped by the time the date arrives the Covid rules will allow us to invite our families along to the event.
STRONE PRIMARY PARENT COUNCIL
Becky Hothershall, the chair of Strone Parent Council this year said she had participated in a one-to-one discussion with Sandra Clark from the Education Dept to raise a couple of points and that confirm that she is submitting feedback correctly. Becky has had communication back to the parents, the parent Council and the HT on the info from the council and is now in the process of drafting feedback to the HT later this week and to see if more information had been received from the school. Becky offered to share her draft feedback document with the CC and is interested to hear if KCC we have any information. Becky also said that she had a very helpful discussion with Alan Reid following KCC’s last meeting which she said was very useful. It was agreed that Becky can pass on the draft comments to JH to pass onto the KCC committee and if anyone has any comments, they can reply to Becky directly.
COUNCILLOR ALAN REID
Reported
Tyneshandon.
Building Standards served a Dangerous Buildings Notice on the owner in January.’ This notice sets out the work the owner has to carry out. The owner has told Building Standards that he will carry out this work. Building Standards have given assurances that they will carry out the work if the owner fails to do so.
Strone Brae Vegetation
Email from Roads on 03 Mar, “These works are currently underway and we expect them to be completed by tomorrow.”
Westfield. Vegetation growing out onto the road.
Roads emailed me to say they would cut this vegetation back. BM stated that this work had been done.
Loose chips on Pavement
Road’s response, “We do not have a pavement sweeper but as a number of footways in the area will require similar treatment, we will look to hire one.”
Cot House to Sandbank
Email from Roads, “Police Scotland are not in favour of a reduction to 40mph and have requested a new speed survey which we hope to have carried out by the end of March.”
DN and GR asked if it is possible that the road though Clachaig could be looked at as the road surface is in a very poor condition because of the heavy traffic through the village. Alan Reid is going to look to see if this could be alleviated using funds from the Timber Transport Fund
BM would like to record thanks for the work done by ABC at the Faith Hope and Charity as a completely new tarred laybye
BOB DARRACOTT (LOCH LOMOND REPRESENTATIVE)
On Friday afternoon there is a virtual meeting about the plans the NP have on managing visitore numbers in the National Park. Bob said that there is a large scale of resources being put into managing this issue of managing visitor numbers in the national park in the summer by LLTNP and other key partners.
With Tyneshandon and Dunselma – Not a lot for the planning to be involved in at present but it has been included formally under properties at risk which might in longer term assist in accessing additional funds should that be required. Bob Draycott has asked the planning team about the proposed housing site on Strone Brae and if there had been any progress with that. No discussion has been made at present. There had been positive discussions in May June last year but mothing to date has come in. BD had asked if there was any progress with the Western Ferris put in an application for Kilmun Pier but there has been no progress. They do have approval but there are several conditions that need to be discharged and that has not been done yet. There has also been some discussion with the new owner of the Pier Hotel site about the existing consent. They are looking to amend the consent but not significantly. The Ardentinny fish farm application. Dawnfresh have gone into receivership and the applications they have made for several fish farms in the area will not go ahead. The planning for a fish farm at Argarten is likely to go ahead. LLTNP is setting up for potentially big application e.g. Flamingoland. The old torpedo site, on the way up to Arrocher has been purchased by a consortium rom from Paisley and there may be a planning application for a mixed use leisure facility.
FORESTRY AND LAND SCOTLAND – FRASER MACDONALD
report emailed 3/3/22
Larch Felling Plan:
As per last update “The Cruach Benmore Larch Felling Plan” has been removed from the public register and is in process of being signed as an approved plan and discussions are ongoing regarding organising a drop-in session to discuss in detail how this plan will be implemented in the future.
Current Felling:
There are a number of SPHN sites being worked or in process of starting within Kilmun Community area
• Beinn Ruadh (above Coylet Inn) – Chainsaw fell to recycle will be completed end of November as waiting on shutdown from SSE. There is a small section of Larch to be felled adjacent to SSE Overhead Power line still to be completed when a shutdown can be organised. There has been no date provided by SSE regarding this as yet.
• Beinn Ruadh(above Coylet Inn) – Harvesting site had resumed and tree felling and extraction has roughly 1 week to complete. Unfortunately, it has been put on hold temporarily again due to storms from previous weekend until SSE can provide a shutdown to allow felling to continue. There has been no date provided by SSE regarding this as yet.
• Scottish Water Treatment Plant Harvesting site – a new harvesting site has commenced on bottom side of road on approach to Scottish Water Plant which will likely be operational until March 2022. It is hoped that this site will have trees felled before end of this month. Harvesting has been completed on site and only timber haulage remains.
• Corrach (Scottish Water Treatment Plant) Harvesting site – site is currently active including timber haulage.
• West Loch Eck (opposite Coylet Inn) – site is currently active including timber haulage.
• Pucks Glen – there are now three active sites currently being worked in Pucks Glen with further three sites to be worked later in year by same merchant which will impact on trail closures, trail closures remain as were previously. Pucks Pylons has been put on hold until SSE provide a shutdown to allow working beside overhead power lines. Pucks Gorge will be completed in next two days and Puck’s winch coupe will be completed early April
• Kilmun Hill – Harvesting operations and timber Haulage ongoing.
• There will be ongoing civil engineering maintenance works associated with harvesting sites as listed above. Civil engineering with be crushing stone in Kilmun Quarry (above Blairmore Golf course) and will be running the crushed material to various sites within KCC area and other sites in Cowal. This work has been extended until end of March 2022. There will be bridge inspections and remedial works carried out on access bridge at Benmore Botanic Garden and West Loch Eck Forest Road which may impact on access. Definitive plans and timescales will be sent to KCC and neighbours impacted by these operations. The bridge work past Scottish Water Treatment plant into West Loch Eck will be completed by end of this week.
• Benmore Botanic Garden (Burmah Road) – Chainsaw fell to waste operations are planned for later this month. This will be felling of young larch only, mature Larch will be felled and extracted at a later date. There was a delay in getting tender out our intention is still to carry this work out as soon as possible. This contract has been awarded and felling of young Larch close to Cruach Cottage and Home Farm will be expected to commence before end of March 2022.
• Fell to waste of young Larch will commence within next two weeks above forest road in Inverchapel.
Public Access:
Pucks Glen gorge walk will be closed as of Monday 14th February in order that harvesting can be completed above the gorge itself. This closure is until end of February. Although there was correspondence put out with closure extension until March 21st the expectation is that Pucks Glen will be reopened by Friday 11th March 2022
Ongoing Engagement:
There have been no new SPHN served since last update report however we believe that coming into the spring we will see more evidence of infection throughout Cowal.
Ravens Rock harvesting site in Ardentinny is currently active including timber haulage, timber is being transported via boat at Sandbank, there is a boat planned for end of February for this site. This boat was cancelled with no notification of when next boat is planned.
Barnacabber Harvesting site is now active and timber haulage will be later in the month will by boat from Sandbank via Ardentinny and A880 and road haulage via Larach forest haul route onto A815.
Some felling and vegetation clearance work was undertaken in Westfield resident area before Christmas with more works organised to be carried out by end of February, the contract is linked into A815 works. Pressure has been put onto contractor to get this work done ASAP. If contractor does not guarantee this then FLS will look at another contract option but would hope to complete work where possible by end of March 2022
FLS is working with Argyll & Bute Council to deal with over hanging branches on A815 from Coylet to Glenbranter and this will hopefully be commencing as of Monday 14th February, this will mean traffic management on the A815. This is ongoing but very slow due to other work commitments.
If you require any additional information, please get in touch.
YOUNGER HALL
RH said that the hall is slowly getting back to normal. The flea market is back to meeting every month and some clubs have restarted into the hall.
BLAIRMORE HALL
At a recent concert they raised approximately £200.
11 CURRENT ISSUES
Argyll Rally
Alan Reid who was at the last consultation meeting said that it looked as if the rally would be granted permission from AB&C.
13. ANY OTHER COMPETENT BUSINESS
Clachaig Water
GR spoke to Alan Morrison and suggested that on It would be good to have someone with experience of a private water supply to be on the Rural Supply Water group but that wasn’t taken up.
Defibrillators
From June McDonald who has offered to buy a defibrillator in memory of her husband” I’ve ordered a defibrillator and cabinet thanks to Russell’s advice and hoping that Brian T. might fit it for me when it arrives.”
RH said that there is another defibrillator available. There was some discussion about where to locate them. The Strone Inn has previously agreed to locate a defibrillator. RH will follow up.
SSE power lines
RH said that basically everyone realises that there is a need for a new power line but there are residents who have private springs, and they are unhappy about the lack of communication with SSE. RH suggested that this is put on the agenda to keep help to keep the community in touch with what is happening. Alan Reid read out an email which says that an assessment of the private water supplies is to be done in the late spring and that decisions have still to be made
Speeding though Villages
DN asked whether there was any decision to move the mobile speed sign from Bullwood. Alan Reid said it is committed there until April but Alan Reid to find out more information about this. He suggested that it could be an idea for KCC to write to roads.
KCC meeting online
Further to an enquiry from a resident re online committee meeting, DN said that KCC will continue with online zoom meeting and reassess after the summer because of the continuing high levels of Covid 19 in our community. In addition, the committee want to feel confident that the KCC members and the community attending the meeting do not feel threatened as happened at the August meeting. the committee want to feel confident that our meetings would not be disrupted by some residents as happened at out August face to face meeting and the committee would not be stressed by this kind oof situation. DN took a vote with all the committee and also all those who were attending the meeting. All were in complete agreement.
Historic Kilmun
Iain Wherry told the meeting that he was representing Historic Kilmun as a board member. Historic has completely taken over from the church and the facility will be opening again from April. They have done a £800 to refurbish the water organ and also have several social events planned. It was agreed that Historic Kilmun will be added to the agenda.
Fishing in the Clyde
RH said that he thought trawlers were banned for fishing in the Clyde. Dale M said that he and Jason from Wreckspeditions are on a committee in relation for a group for about a 3-mile protected area, but it is still being discussed. BM said that the area that is banned is well south of our area.
Dale also said that he had attended a course on how to help any mammals that are stranded or in distress on the shore
Meeting close at 9.03pm
Next Meeting
The next meeting will be held online via zoom link on Tuesday 12th April 2022 7.30pm
