Draft Minutes of Fossoway and District Community Council 2nd November 2021

Draft Minutes of Fossoway and District Community Council
2nd November 2021, Carnbo Village Hall

Attending: Community Cllrs Sarah Bruce-Jones, Trudy Duffy, Carol Farquhar, Nicola Marchant and Graham Pye; P&K Councillors Michael Barnacle, Callum Purves and Richard Watters; Seven Members of the Public (MoP).
Apologies: CCllrs Angus Cheape and Gillian Mudie; P&K Councillor Willie Robertson; PC Ashley Mitchinson.

Co-option of New CC Member: The CC welcomed Faiza Hansraj Jackson as a co-opted member – Proposed: Trudy Duffy, Seconded: Graham Pye.

Declarations of Interest: CCllr Mudie had previously declared an interest in planning application 21/01755/FLL.

Police report: There were no incidents to note in our area since the last CC Meeting from the Commander’s Reports received via Perth and Kinross Community Watch.

Minutes of the previous meeting: The minutes of the March 2020 meeting (the last face to face meeting) and any significant decisions made during the virtual meetings since then were reviewed and signed off.

Matters Arising
Access to Cash in Kinross-shire: CCllr Marchant and Cllr Purves are working with BoS to provide additional financial services in Kinross.
Community Development Trust: Cllr Barnacle reported on the 27th October meeting of the steering group, there is difficulty in attracting enough members, so combining with the Muckhart trust which is in a similar position was considered with no conclusion reached – a public meeting will be held, probably on the 24th November, to seek the community’s opinion – If there are sufficient people to join the Fossoway Trust it may still be possible to continue alone. It’s been agreed by the steering group that the Trust should be a Company limited by guarantee, which will be created once the name is determined. The Trust needs to have at least 20 members, and ideally more.

Fossoway Area Transport/DRT: CCllr Duffy reported that the X53 service through Crook of Devon will be discontinued in January – it hardly seems fair if this has been stopped on the basis of insufficient usage in the wake of a pandemic. Cllr Watters explained that First Bus is actually discontinuing the service due to shortage of drivers.

Local Councillors have made it clear to PKC’s Bus Group that it is essential that there are bus services in rural Kinross shire. Clackmannanshire are having similar problems and it may be possible to create a solution in conjunction with them. The next meeting of the Transport Group will be in December. CCllr Farquhar pointed out that there is still only one driver operating the DRT. The Kinross-shire Volunteer Group operate a driving service for the residents of Kinross-shire: http://www.kvgandros.org.uk/index.htm

A977 Mitigation Measures:
There is no news about when the remaining measures will be implemented. Cllr Barnacle has arranged for PKC to perform an HGV survey of the A977 between the M90 and Blairingone. Cllr Barnacle has asked Transport Scotland to consider changing road signs from the Glasgow side to suggest routes along the M9 rather than the A977.
CCllr Duffy noted that the Police have installed a PC Kirstie Speed Check Cut-out in Blairingone. Additional ones can be purchased by the Community at a cost of approximately £50.

Cllr Purves has made an application to request speed measuring lines to the west of Crook of Devon and east of Drum. This will hopefully give us evidence to support a request for a lower speed limit.

Crook Moss Travellers Site: Cllr Barnacle is trying to set up a site meeting with the Planners so they can see the state of the site. Cllr Purves observed that additional budget was allocated to increase the capacity for site visits, but this doesn’t appear to have had any effect.

Speeding in Carnbo: The proposal to include the Village Hall in the 30mph limit is not currently included but Cllr Purves has put in an application to extend 40mph to before the Hall. PKC’s Traffic department responded that they recommended keeping the existing 40mph limit to the west (past the South Queich bridge to the Muckhart side of the Gelvanmoor Road junction) with the 30mph limit starting nearer to the village – this is planned to be worked on in the autumn. However they were not in favour of extending the 40mph limit east to the Village Hall, as the road conditions mean that compliance would be poor unless further measures, e.g. VAS, were considered.

A MoP from Carnbo passed a survey of village members to Cllr Purves representing their views on what should be done. Carnbo didn’t get speed limit reductions under the “Spaces for People” scheme during Covid because it was thought to have pavements, which residents point out are actually not usable.

Flooding in Drum: Cllr Barnacle had shared his response to the Flood Risk Management Plan - Forth Estuary Local Plan Consultation. He considers that the Drum area should be included in communities requiring flood management and that Drum should be declared as a Potentially Vulnerable Area (PVA). CCllr Bruce Jones asked whether it would be worth asking for a ditch management programme – Cllr Barnacle thought it would be.

Cllr Purves asked if a public meeting should be held with Drum residents to hear views on how flooding (and speeding) should be handled – CCllr Bruce Jones agreed to organise one.

Community Speedwatch: CCllr Duffy attended a meeting on 26th October with the Police and a number of other CCs to discuss restarting the Speedwatch Programme. During the meeting it was clear that Community Councils in the Kinross shire area are keen to take part. Officer Ashley Mitchinson asked that all CCs indicate areas where this could take place – only in 20/30/40 MPH areas, straight stretches with good sight lines. They will then risk assess those areas after which PKC has to risk assess them as well. A minimum of three people should be there per team, one to operate the speed-measuring equipment and two to corroborate. All need to be highly visible. All the volunteers will be checked by the Police before they are allowed to operate. Volunteers can come forward as of now, forms will be available soon.
The speed measuring equipment, as well as the warning signs and the high-viz gear need to be bought by the group as well as insurance for the equipment and Public Liability. The standard measuring gun is £2200, but jackets and signs are also needed.
There was a discussion about whether a separate organisation should be set-up or just a loose cooperation between CCs. Ideally volunteers would be deployed throughout the area. A follow-up meeting will be organised.

Blairingone War Memorial
Cllr Barnacle is trying to set up a meeting with PKC’s Cemeteries Department to discuss the access to the site (as approved by a planning application.) A mason has been found, but their price won’t be covered by available monies.

Aldie Road Vegetation
Nothing has been done. CCllr Marchant asked about the procedure for salt bin filling as there was a problem last year. Cllr Purves agreed to investigate.

Matters Arising with no update since last meeting:
Crook & Drum Growing Together, Fossoway and District Community Council Benefit Fund (a.k.a. Hydro Scheme Fund), Rumbling Bridge Gorge Bridge, Ivy Cottage Powmill, Devonshaw Whinstone Quarry, Crook of Devon Skate Park, and Cemetery Car Park Extension: No information at present.

New Business:
Kinross-shire Committee (previously known as the Kinross Forum): There will be a final meeting on Thursday 5th November of the Kinross Forum for all the CCs to assemble a list of possible items for the new Committee to cover. CCllrs Bruce-Jones and Cheape will attend the meeting. Cllr Purves said that the first meeting of the Committee should be before the end of the year, and the CC needs to nominate a named (non-voting) representative.

Blairingone Tapestry: The CC was approached about a tapestry/ textile work made in Blairingone School in the Millennium Year. The PKC archives can’t hold it and the museum doesn’t want it – it has been offered back to the community. A posting on FB provided suggestions – three people have offered to store it; one said to give it to Fossoway School. It was agreed that we would accept one of the offers to store it for the time being.

Seamab School New Build (21/01467/FLL): A member of the public raised concerns about the state of the access road, which is dismal, contrary to the statement in the planning application which claims the road has been recently resurfaced, in fact only a very small section has been done. CCllr Marchant said that the applicant has had a pre-application discussion with the planners during which they stated they would restore the road after the works were complete. MoP asked what conditions were in place when the house was originally converted to a school? There was a restriction on the number of children which apparently may have been exceeded.
Cllr Barnacle suggested that the CC asks for a community consultation even though it’s not a major app.
The CC will ask for a two week extension for comments (two weeks) to allow a consultation; meanwhile the CC will submit a Neutral Comment requesting that conditions regarding the road are enforced.

Dunning Glen Signs: A member of the Devon Angling Association reported that signs exhorting campers to be tidy have been erected, however it’s not known who put them up. All answers welcome – as are the signs!

Glendevon Bridge: PKC have informed the CC that they are currently planning final repairs to the A823 Glendevon Bridge, damaged during the storm in August 2020, with closure starting on 15th November 2021, and reopening on 20th December 2021. A full closure for vehicles will be necessary for part of the works, but it is intended that it will mostly remain open for pedestrians and cyclists.

Community Council Business:
Minutes Secretary: CCllr Marchant’s “job description” for a volunteer will be published in the Pupil Bulletin; will be on the Notice Board; in the Kinross Newsletter and on the Kinross website in the volunteering section.

CCllr Marchant has submitted comments to the proposed new Planning Policy 41 - Planning for Nature: Development Management and Wildlife Guide.

P&K Councillors’ Reports:
Mike Barnacle: Last month a MoP drew attention to the additional charges PKC has to pay when the wrong material is placed in recycling bins – the response from Environment Service, discussed at Committee, is that if there is persistent offending by a household the bin is tagged and not emptied. But they’re reluctant to impose fines and think that education is a better idea. CCllr Faiza noted that it’s a problem that recycling options are different in each Council area, and if options are too complex there’s a risk that people will out everything in landfill; some councils take a much wider range. Cllr Watters said that PKC’s recycling goes to Newcastle to be processed, but the contract is due to be renewed - this time it should be based on environmental rather than just financial justifications.

Callum Purves: Cllr Purves drew attention to the proposed changes to Westminster Constituency boundaries. Current proposals would see Kinross shire split in two and other parts merged with Fife. All agreed that this would mix rural and urban areas in the same constituency which would not be a good idea. Instead similar rural places should be combined, e.g. merge Kinross shire with parts of rural Perthshire. Everyone can, and should, comment on this proposal which can be found at:
https://www.bcomm-scotland.independent.gov.uk/reviews/2023-review-uk-parliament-constituencies

Richard Watters: Nothing further to add.

Planning:
Due to the closing date for comments, the first item below was initially discussed amongst the CC Members by email in order to reach a decision in time, however see agenda item above.
New Applications:
21/01467/FLL Erection of replacement school, formation of multi-use games area, external play areas, vehicular accesses, parking areas, landscaping and associated works at Seamab School, Rumbling Bridge, Kinross, KY13 0PT.

21/01590/FLL Erection of a dwelling house at Land 40 metres south of Craighead Bungalow, Drum. No CC Comment.

21/01720/FLL Erection of a dwelling house (revised design) (plot 6) at Former Steading, Pitfar, Powmill. No CC Comment

21/01755/FLL Erection of 3 dwelling houses, 3 garages and associated works at Land 30 metres north east of Rantrie Knowe, Drum. CC will object that flood assessment doesn’t consider effect on surrounding properties; Inform the planners of residents’ concerns about contamination.

Appeals
21/00001/FLL S42 application to delete condition 6 (access upgrade) of permission 20/01319/FLL at Land 180 metres south west of Powmill Cottage, Rumbling Bridge. At the 14th September LRB meeting the application was deferred until further information into potential remedies had been obtained.

Decided Applications:
21/01347/FLL Erection of a dwelling house and garage - Land at Castle Hill View Rumbling Bridge. The application was approved, the CC had not commented.

21/01393/FLL Extension to dwelling house - 2 Cottage, Whorlawhill, Carnbo, Kinross KY13 0NZ.
The application was approved, the CC had not commented.

Enforcement Issues:
20/00809/FLL Craigton Farm Lane – MoP repored that there is now one static and two mobile caravans on site. PKC had asked the CC to confirm that there’s no building taking place prior to an Enforcement Notice being issued.

Correspondence: If the correspondence list is not attached to this document, it can be found on the CC’s FB Page.
Should anyone wish to see any items please contact the CC by email and a copy can be provided.

AOCB: Crook of Devon Scout Camp will hold their usual Fireworks display on Friday 5th November.

The Fossoway Gathering Is planned to be held on 3rd September 2022.

Draft Agenda for Next CC Meeting:
Declarations of Interest, Community Policing, Minutes of last meeting. Matters arising: Access to Cash in Kinross, Community Development Trust, Fossoway Area Transport, A977 Mitigation, Crook Moss, Gorge Bridge, Carnbo Speeding. Drum Flooding, Speedwatch. PKC Councillors’ Reports, Planning, Correspondence, AOCB

Next Meeting: Tuesday 7th December 2021 7:30pm at Moubray Hall

Correspondence October 2021