Berriedale & Dunbeath Community Council
Minutes of Meeting held on 5th May 2014
Members
Neil Buchanan NB (Chairperson)
Francis Allan FA (Vice Chairperson) and Acting Treasurer
John Gunn JG (Secretary)
Sue Steven SS
Ex-
Matthew Reiss (Highland Councillor Caithness Landward) MR
Members of Public:
Elizabeth Cameron, Simon MacLeod, Margret Irvine, James MacBeath,
1/ Apologies, from Sergeant MacDonald and Magnus Henderson.
2/ The Minutes of 03.03.14 were read and Proposed by Francis Allan and seconded by Sue Steven.
3/Police Report. Since the last meeting there have been 27 incidents in the Dunbeath area. All related to Traffic offences. There have been six lots of speed checks on the bridge and five drivers have been reported for speeding and two for mobile phone usage.
4/FA. Financial statement was passed around,
Current account balance £99.27
Outstanding cheque £73.28
Balance £24.99
Development account balance £4022.96
Outstanding cheque £112.50
Balance £3,910.46
Village Warden account balance £677.99
Outstanding cheques £0.00
Total assets £4,614.51.
5/ GC had raised the poor state of Latheron Cemetery at the members meeting and we were waiting for the outcome. The matter was passed on to Matthew Reiss who had a meeting with roads Engineer Iain MonCrief. The outcome was that definitely this year the top turning point would be tidied up and have new gravel laid and that the first part of the walkway would be brushed and two small holes would be filled. Also if the budget permitted two layers of tar would be put on the new pathways at the bottom. If this is successful it would be hoped to tar the upper pathways in the following year dependent on budget constraints.
6/ 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 on to the works list. NB to find out what Kinbrace is doing. (On going). Dunbeath is on the schedule to get next generation broadband between July and December 2015.
7/ 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 positioning phone box. (on going) letter sent 08.05.2014.
8/Road safety: On going 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 Quest House Mr Danny Dixon (land owner) was also present it was agreed to remove the soil and the bollard between the layby and the quest house and surface with hardcore until time and funding could be found to install a footpath. This work has been completed. It is a considerable improvement. The C/C has received a quote for shifting the drystone wall of £800 but the owner’s agent did not wish the wall to be shifted in the summer time as it may distract any future purchasers of the property as it is up for sale.
9/ Dunbeath Broch: NB has got quote for installing the proposed footpath of £8245.00 plus vat. NB has arranged a meeting with Matt Dent Highland Council Path Officer (work on going)
10/ Dog Waste Stations: all seem to be working and getting emptied
11/Camels Hump: NB advised the meeting that he had a quote of £336 for the installation of a 16metre handrail. NB was to speak to landowner and then confirm the agreement in writing before any work took place. Decision to be made at next meeting.
12/ Proposed Footpath at Bridgend Portormin Road: MR was to see roads department why the footpath was never completed. This was proposed and sorted out with landowner some time back. An e-
13/ Strath Path. After a 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 help if the landowners would give their consent . The chairman approached the land owners and they all agreed verbally. The chairman then had a meeting with Rodney Brass and it was agreed that the service would cut the pathway up to the second gate on the path three times during the summer months. After this was all agreed the secretary received a letter refusing permission to have the path cut on Ballacly land. The feeling of the members present was to have the rest of the path cut leaving Ballacly uncut.
NB to speak to Rodney Brass.
14/Wind Turbines Knockinon Dunbeath: Magnus Henderson decision still with the Planning Department. (on going)
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. As a result a site meeting was held with councillors/Tony Usher/Community councillors and residents. At this meeting it was decided that the Dolos protective barrier should be done first although it was low on the consultants list. The residents of Portormin road voiced concern that no word had been heard about Dunbeath and the neighbouring harbours had restoration work in progress. MR was to chase this matter up as a matter of urgency. In the meantime the community council and local residents were to write to Head of the Roads and Harbour Authority Highland Council in Inverness.
16/Community Council Training Neil Buchanan and John A Gunn attended on behalf of Dunbeath C/C. We learnt that as our C/C has only four members that all must be present before a vote can be taken. If someone has connections with the matter being discussed they must abstain from any discussion and the vote but have to remain in the room to form a Quorum. If they are unable to do this or a community councillor is uncomfortable with their presence then the subject cannot be discussed.
17/Mr James Macbeath raised a question at the last meeting concerning his old job of village officer with a letter dated 2003. NB wrote to James requesting a copy of the letter so he could seek further advice. This had not been forth coming so the matter was closed.
18/MR was to check to see if the Dunbeath and Berriedale War memorials were 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.
19/ The Caithness Conversation. The chairman attended a meeting chaired by the Dounreay Stakeholder group with Landward Community councils and Foundation Scotland. It was determined at this meeting that the Landward community councils should keep their community benefit but that if a project came up that was for the benefit of the whole county then they could be asked to contribute but have the right to refuse. It was also pointed out that what the landward community councils most needed was help in capacity building.
Correspondence: Letter received from Busy Bees Bumblebees about a scheme in the Thurso area S/S wished to look into the matter.
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AOB, Margaret Irvine raised the point that the lock was broken on the Dunbeath War Memorial gate MR to bring the matter up with T.E.C.S.
MR also stated he does not like the centralisation of emergency control Stations as there is no substitute for local knowledge.
Next meeting Monday 16 June 2014 to be A.G.M