Minute of Meeting on Tuesday 17 August 2010

Kalewater Community Council

Minute of Meeting on Tuesday 17 August 2010

In the Village Institute, Morebattle

Present:  Community Councillors; Eric McNulty (chair), Michael Scott (Secretary), Helen Cessford, Margaret Lister (Treasurer), Sarah Dixon, Paul Grime, George Aitchison, Andrew McEwan, Peter Tweedie.

SBC Cllr Alec Nicol.

1 member of the public.

ACTION

1

Apologies

Community Councillors; Matilda Hall, Margaret Blackmore

2

Minutes of Previous Meeting

The minutes of the previous meeting of 20 July having been circulated were passed as a true record of events.

Proposed: Cllr Grime; Seconded: Cllr Cessford.

3

Matters Arising from 20 July Actions

3a

£20 donation made to Morebattle Festival Committee, FAO John Mabon.

3b

Forward SBC Officer Dougie Mallin’s email address to Cllr McEwan.

Secretary

3c

Cllr McEwan to contact Michael Moore MP (copy to SBC Cllr Nicol) re. replacement red BT telephone kiosk.

Cllr McEwan

3d

BRC introductory First Aid course attended by 8. BRC are happy to run a full course for a minimum of 8 participants. Forward contact details for Lindsay Wilson (BRC) to Cllr McEwan.

Secretary

3e

Chair to contact relevant community councils on Skye where Vattenfall operate a wind farm.

Chair

4

Presentation from Colin Roxburgh (STAR consultancy)

Chair welcomed Colin Roxburgh who explained that he understood that the presentation was part of the community council’s efforts to gather information on community development.

STAR consultancy is a small community development company, active in Scotland and Ireland for the past 10-15 years which aims to assist rural communities  planning future developments, help set-up community developments trusts (approx. 50 to date, mainly in Scotland) and to help communities develop projects including feasibility studies and business plans.

Example: Strathfillan, Tyndrum near Crianlarich. Around 15 years ago STAR helped put together a 10 year plan and collated a profile of the community, including interviews with community members. A large-scale community event was organised. With the most important local issues identified a Community Development Trust was formed. Within 2 years most of the plan’s actions had been progressed including increasing the provision of affordable housing and community purchase of forest land from Forestry Commission Scotland. The trust is now into its 3^rd cycle of planning on a 3-5 year rotation.

In the Scottish Borders STAR worked with Burnfoot community in Hawick in 2007.

In undertaking Household Surveys the aim is obtain a 40%+ return rate.

All 23 community councils within the Loch Lomond National Park went through the action plan process in advance of the creation of the national park. This helped make the views of the communities clear, strengthened their ability to make representations and made applications for funding projects much easier.

A windfarm company such as Vattenfall might support a community council to work with STAR.

Questions & Answers

Cllr Grime: Where does funding for community action plans come from?

CR: In the past 3-4 years, mainly from LEADER, Awards for All, windfarm companies and local authorities.

Cllr Lister: Any difficulties getting community involvement?

CR: Not really.

Cllr Scott: Are there other community development businesses such as STAR?

CR: Yes, but they don’t all offer comprehensive community action plans. It’s important for the process to be locally driven and to keep momentum high with events, meetings, etc.

Cllr Scott: What is the approach to involving owners of 2^nd (holiday) homes in the action plan process?

CR: They are usually included although their responses may be identifiable as coming from non-residents.

Chair: How long does the community action plan process normally take?

CR: Approx. 6 months of which 3-4 months to undertake the bulk of the work with 2 months to agree the final version of the action plan. Sometimes STAR undertake all the work and sometimes they enable community members to carry out some of the work. Students are sometimes involved after appropriate training. The project reports to a steering group.

Cllr Cessford: Would using Awards for All to fund a community action plan process risk compromising other Awards for All applications?

CR: Yes. LEADER is a good source of funding because it makes funding any resulting projects through LEADER easier.

Chair asked if there was a consensus to proceed with the community action plan process. There was agreement.

CR noted that it was easier to set-up a Development Trust following on from a community action plan and it also made it easier to populate the Trust. STAR could draft a proposal and some options for undertaking the  action planning process, including a starter event to publicise the activity

                  ALL

 Colin Roxburgh

5

Update on Vattenfall Whitton Wind Farm planning application (Jeanette Thomson)

No progress to report on the Vattenfall planning application for Whitton. Any work on producing a community action plan need not await a decision on the windfarm. Having a proposal from STAR would be useful for the next meeting between Vattenfall and community representatives in September.

6

Community Trusts

This item was omitted until a later meeting.

7

Permitted Development Rights for Microgeneration Equipment on Non-Domestic Properties – Scottish Government Consultation www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/planning/National-Planning-Policy/themes/renewables Deadline 8 October 2010

This item was omitted until the next meeting.

8

Correspondence

·   Association of Scottish Community Councils area representative nominations

·   Kelso area Community Beat Officer.

·   Libel and Slander insurance cover

·   Volunteer Centre Borders request for volunteering opportunities

·   Scottish Borders Elder Voice newsletter August 2010

·   SESplan Main Issues Report Workshop invitation 18 August, Cardrona Hotel, Peebles

·   Letter from Borders Party re. SESplan Main Issues report

·   Scottish Borders Licensing Board Consultation on Review of Licensing Policy Statement

·   Invitation to NextGen Access Broadband Roadshow 8 September

·   SBCCN Annual Seminar 2 October, SBC Council HQ

9

Items for Circulation Folder

The Secretary summarised items going into the new circulation folder as listed on the agenda.

·   Energy Saving Scotland Energy Advice Centre update

·   Harestanes Visitor Centre events posters

·   Volunteer Centre Borders poster

·   Scottish Borders Council Homelessness Services poster

·   Cheviot Area Committee Agenda 18 August, Eckford

·   SBC Agenda 19 August

10

AOB

• Problem with a wall in Teapot Street. Cllr McEwan to approach the landowner in first instance.
• Cllr Tweedie noted that there were serious concerns over school transport arrangements for the Kale Valley over the length of time school pupils were spending on the minibus. Secretary to contact SBC Passenger transport section for a solution.
• Cllr Tweedie raised issue of roadside vegetation on the public road between Corbet and the footbridge over the Kale forming part of St Cuthbert’s Way. Walkers were having to use the middle of the road, putting themselves at risk from vehicles. Secretary to contact SBC Access Officer Neil Mackay. Cllr Tweedie noted that he would happy to cut back the trees.
• Member of public asked what progress there had been on the interpretation board. Chair noted that there had been no recent progress.
• Member of public asked why biscuits purchased for the visit of the Kelso Laddie hadn’t been bought in the village shop. No-one knew for certain who had bought the biscuits.

Cllr McEwan

Secretary

        Secretary

13

Items for Next Meeting 21 September 2010

Christmas Lights

Remembrance Sunday arrangements

Meeting concluded at 8.40pm.

Signed:

Date: