Berriedale & Dunbeath Community Council
Minutes of Meeting held on 3 March 2014
Members
Neil Buchanan NB (Chairperson)
Francis Allan FA (Vice Chairperson)
John Gunn JG (Secretary)
Sue Steven SS
Ex-
Gillian Coghill GC (Highland Councillor Caithness Landward)
Sargent Steve MacDonald. (Local Police)
Members of Public:
Elizabeth Cameron, Simon MacLeod, Frank Sutherland, Margaret Irvine, John Irvine, Marjory MacKinnion, Kenny MacKinnon, Victor Cormack, Paul Kerridge, Magnus Henderson, Robert Miller, Charles Kennedy, James MacBeath.
Letter of resignation from Margaret Sutherland. She would like to be an Associate member for the patient participation scheme. This was agreed. As a result of her resignation the post of Treasurer was vacant. NB asked for any volunteers to take on this post. No one came forward so Vice Chairman Francis Allan said he would cover this post till the A.G,M.
1/ Apologies, no Apologies.
2/ Sergeant MacDonald gave a run down on the incidents that occurred in the area and asked for any complaints the community had on police matters. Several suggestions were put to him including a speed check on the bridge. He took these on board.
3/ Financial statement was passed around,
Current account balance £251.77
Outstanding cheque Rent for hall £152.50
Balance £99.27
Development account balance £4022.96
Village Warden account balance £677.99
Deposit account closed
Total assets £4800.22.
4/ GC Was to raise the state of the road inside the Latheron cemetery she stated after looking at it that it was barely passable for men with stout footwear and not fit for women or disabled people. NB to send e-
5/ Community Broadband Scotland NB has had discussion with Welbeck Estate and GC stated she had been in touch with BT and the Highlands had not yet made it on to the works list. NB to find out what Kinbrace is doing. (Ongoing). Dunbeath is on the schedule to go next generation broadband between July and December 2015.
6/ Phone box: still waiting a reply from David Sutherland (ward manager) as to how much ground the council owns beside the toilets at the harbour Dunbeath, Margaret Irvine stated that the Council do not own any of the land beside the toilets. JG to write to the Heritage Trust concerning siting phone box. (on going)
7/ Road safety: Ongoing concerns were expressed re road safety on the Castlehill stretch of the A9 and the footpath at Inver beside the guest house, It was reported that NB and JG had a meeting with people from Bear and Transport Scotland on site at the Inver Guest House. Mr Danny Dixon (land owner) was also present and it was agreed to remove the soil and the bollard between the layby and the guest house and surface with hardcore in the meantime until time and funding could be found to install a pavement.
8/ Dunbeath Broch: NB said he had yet to get a quote for the cost of the foot path but he had arranged the route of the path with the landowner (NB work on going)
9/ Dog Waste Stations: NB informed the meeting that when he went to empty the waste bin at the mill it had been filled with domestic rubbish. A request went in to David Sutherland for a wheely bin to be placed in car park, the wheely bin is now in place and NB volunteered to take it up to the road for emptying except it is locked to its base. GC was to see if a key could be got for emptying purposes.
10/ Camels Hump: NB advised the meeting that he was awaiting a quote for the installation of a handrail. Discussion on the position of the handrail took place as to install it on the bottom side of the path it would collapse. It was proposed to that two quotes be obtained. One for the handrail on the top side of the path and one for the bottom side by moving the path into the hill. NB to have further discussion with contractor about handrail (work on going)
11/ Proposed Footpath at Bridgend Portormin Road: GC was to see roads department why the footpath was never completed. This was proposed and sorted out with landowner 8 years ago. Stuart Bell to look into the footpath. (on going)
12/Strath Path. After the letter of complaint concerning the Strath footpath last year the chairman approached the Community Payback Service to see if they could help. They agreed that they could if the landowners would give their consent. The chairman approached the landowners and they all agreed. The Chairman then met with Rodney Brass and it was agreed that the service would cut the pathway up to the second gate on the path excluding the gates on the footbridge three times during the summer months.
13/Potholes on old A9. The Chairman emailed Stuart Bell concerning the potholes on the old A9 suggesting the road should be resurfaced in the summer. Stuart Bell responded saying they knew of the problem stating that it would be necessary to get a planer in and that this is only done when there is enough work in an area to justify the expense. The chairman emailed back asking that the top of Portormin Rd from Bridgend to the playing field entrance could be added to the list. The chairman then asked that if anyone knew of other bad bits of road in the area to advise him.
14/ Letter from Dunbeath Day Centre asking for funding as they have extended the operational hours, (John Gunn left the room as he is a director of the Centre) a discussion took place and the matter went to a vote of the three councillors present and the request was declined.
15/ Dunbeath Harbour as the c/c had received the engineers report from Arch Henderson on Friday 28 February 2014 about the proposed work copies of this report was circulated amongst the community and residents of Portormin road some of the residents and harbour users were not happy with the proposals and wondered why there was no discussion on the proposed works GC to have discussion with Graham Philips (chairman of roads) and Tony Usher harbour master and to report asap.
16/Mr James Macbeath raised a question about the Village Officer job (Francis Allan left the room as James is his brother in law) it would appear that the previous c/c gave James a letter in 2003 giving him the job as village officer this was a post that James fulfilled for a number of years, James took ill about two years ago and could not continue with the job discussed with NB chairman, however it was agreed to give the work to a local man Mr Mackenzie. The funding from the Council has now changed. It used to come from TEC services as a grant paid to the community council but it now comes from TEC services and the Discretionary Fund with the job becoming Village Warden with Monthly invoices. James is now asking why he cannot have his job back.
The matter is to be raised at next c/c in April.
AOB,
GC raised the question of changing the post code for Caithness it was the feeling of the members that it would not make any difference.
GC raised the closing of service points and informed the meeting that this was not a done deal as a notice of motion had been put forward to the next full Council meeting to have the matter fully discussed.
GC informed the meeting about the Fuel discount was to be looked at again as the only place to receive it was Halkirk but the filling station closed some time back.
GC also informed the meeting N.H.S was to Reform and Redesign to be a better service in the North.
Members asked GC to check if our war memorials we on the list to be repaired and given a face lift as there was no mention of them in the list that appeared in the John O Groat Journal.
Question on Community Council setting up a Company similar to Halkirk to administer the Community benefit from wind turbines etc. to be looked into.
In future the c/c minutes will be posted on the notice board in the community centre after they have been passed and approved.
Correspondence:-
Highland Council about core path signs in local area (noted)
Spittal against wind farm group requesting c/c support against wind farm this was replied to stating our c/c did not get involved in matters out with our area.
Letter from Boundaries Commission about changes in our area no map present
not easy to decipher (content noted)
Letter from S.A.C about renewal energy (noted)
Gillian Coghill left the meeting at this stage.
17/ Upper Smerral Wind Turbines: No change.
18/ Wind Turbines Knockinon Dunbeath: Magnus Henderson decision still with the Planning Department.
19/ Wind turbine Upper Latheron, progress on going
20/ Wind Turbine Boultach Latheron;-
21/Wind Turbine Braehungie. Still checking to see if in our area.
22 Wind Turbine Upper Smerral. Iain Black will be making a benefit payment of £200 in September/October .
Date of next meeting;-