Strachur & District Community Council
Minutes of Ordinary Meeting
Held 19:30 on Wednesday 11th December 2024
Strachur Memorial Hall
Members present: Archie Reid (Convener), Ian Lowe, Catherine MacDiarmid, Isabel McGladdery, William McGladdery, Kirstie Reid and Iain Wilkie (Secretary).
Also in attendance: Cllr William Sinclair and one member of the public.
1. Convener’s opening remarks.
Archie welcomed everyone to the meeting.
2. Apologies and declarations of interest.
Lizzie MacDonald and Steve Mclaughlin apologised for non-attendance. There were no declarations of interest.
3. Minutes.
Minutes for the Ordinary Meeting held on 16th October 2024 were agreed as accurate.
4. Matters arising.
a. Variable Message Signs.
Iain had received the following information from Cllr Sinclair on 22.10.24:
“I will be writing to Transport Scotland regarding the Mobile Signs at Cot house petrol station and also at Strachur indicating the status of the A83, I have noticed a number of times the wrong information shown.”
b. Strachur road safety.
Iain had asked Cllr Gordon Blair on 4.11.24 if there was any update on our concerns about Strachur road safety (as summarised in the documents sent to him on 27.6.24: item 4a, minutes of CC meeting 14.8.24). Cllr Blair had replied on 8.11.24:
“I was hoping for a business day next week but due to other diary commitments I’m trying to get something organised for early December.”
c. Gravel on C57.
Iain had reported this to Argyll & Bute Council for the second time on 4.11.24 and was subsequently informed that “Work on this fault was completed on 08/11/2024.”
d. Motorsport UK consultation on proposals for Argyll Rally 2025.
Iain had submitted a response on 28.11.24. Two residents had submitted comments (both supporting the rally).
Cllr Sinclair informed the meeting that Argyll & Bute Council intended to fact-check the economic analysis of the Argyll Rally, taking into account its effects on both Dunoon and the wider area.
e. Loch Eck flooding.
Kirstie reported that the flooding problem on the A815 near Cambusdhu had not been resolved. Cllr Sinclair said it would help him to progress this issue if Iain sent him a letter of complaint.
ACTION: Iain
f. FOI request re risk assessments for school crossings.
Steve had told Iain that he had submitted a FOI request and had been informed by Argyll & Bute Council Roads and Infrastructure Services that:
“No risk assessments have been carried out on the A885 School Crossing at Sandbank Primary, or the School Crossing on the A815 at Strachur Primary, therefore your request is refused under Section 17 of FOISA.”
It was pointed out that work on the reconfiguration of the A815 school crossing had not started yet. Cllr Sinclair offered to follow this up.
ACTION: Cllr Sinclair
g. Speed limit strategy.
Ian had made enquiries and had come to the conclusion that we should not take this any further.
5. Police Report (received from PC Alison Simpson by e-mail on 5.12.24).
Between 16/10/2024 and 5/12/2024, the number of Incidents and Crime Reports respectively are 31 and 6.
Many incidents raised for road traffic matters, broken down vehicles, minor road accidents and planned shoots.
There are ongoing enquiries to trace a driver who failed to stop after an accident.
There is one person being reported to the Procurator Fiscal for careless driving, driving over the prescribed limit of alcohol, and failing to stop for Police.
There is 1 person being reported to the Procurator Fiscal for two offences of wilfully exposing a child to harm.
6. Health Report.
Kirstie reminded the meeting that the HSCP is forecast to overspend its budget for the current financial year by £2.9 million and the budget gap for 2025-2026 is estimated at £15 million. All IJBs (Integrated Joint Boards, which allocate budgets for services delivered by HSCPs) are required to produce a balanced budget at the end of the year. Kirstie had asked about the formula used to decide how much of the budget we get and if the fact we are rural and remote is taken into consideration.
Kirstie stated that a COVID and flu walk-in clinic was being held in Cowal Community Hospital on 12th December at 10.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. This would be the last walk-in clinic of 2024. She intended to ask for an update on proposed walk-in clinics for 2025 and would publicise them as early as possible.
ACTION: Kirstie
Catherine asked about the NHS Near Me appointment room in the Hall. Kirstie explained that some people were unsure how to book it, or were concerned about privacy or what to do if they were not computer-savvy. Ian Lowe offered to publicise relevant information; Kirstie would forward this to the HSCP in the hope the room would be used more.
ACTION: Ian and Kirstie
Articles for Newsletter and/or Facebook.
Since the last meeting five articles had been submitted. These were on: Second CC Consultation on Argyll Rally 2025, Creag Dhubh Wind Farm Update, Remembrance Sunday Service (two), and Mull Car Club & Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally 2025 Survey.
The main correspondence (in addition to any mentioned elsewhere) had been with:
a. Argyll & Bute Council re: Potential sites for new cemetery.
b. Residents re: i/ Remembrance Sunday service
ii/ March Brae
iii/ West Coast Motors timetable and route misinformation.
c. Other individuals re: i/ Lapsed planning permission
ii/ Argyll Rally 2025.
d. Hall Executive Committee re: Booking of Heron Hall (New Hall) on morning of Remembrance Sunday service.
e. Trust Housing Association re: Decanting of Manse Gardens tenants during renovation.
Surveys and consultations.
Responses had been submitted to the following consultations:
a. Motorsport UK Consultation on Mull Car Club’s proposals for Argyll Rally 2025.
b. Planning Consultation on the proposal to extend the commencement of development deadline of Creag Dhubh Wind Farm to 7.11.28.
Other activities.
Attended Argyll Rally Community Council Liaison ‘Zoom’ meeting on 11.11.24.
8. Treasurer’s report.
The bank balance stood at £2,370.50.
9. Transport update (from Kirstie).
a. Strachur bus shelter.
Once again this had been used as a public toilet, which was first noticed on 30th November and then reported to Environmental Health, the Police, and our Local Councillors. Having received no reply or update, I sent another e-mail asking for help in finding a solution to this issue and again was disappointed at receiving no reply. I appreciate it is not a nice matter to discuss but ignoring it does not help the residents who have to use the bus shelter.
Possible ways of deterring this behaviour were discussed.
ACTION: Iain
Cllr Sinclair offered to pursue the issue with Roads & Infrastructure Services.
ACTION: Cllr Sinclair
b. Buses.
The Saturday bus that leaves the top of Clachan Brae at 8.14 a.m. and Dunoon at 5.50 p.m. has been running since 26th October. It has been well used every Saturday and has been busier on the return to Strachur than in the other direction.
c. West Coast Motors App.
Regarding the live tracker part of the WCM App, residents should be aware that the same vehicle does different runs, i.e. the bus coming in from Strachur then goes to Toward or back to the Garage. The bus that comes into town at 14.51 can be tracked into Dunoon; it then goes elsewhere, which makes it look as if there is no bus going back to Strachur. Passengers should therefore track their bus after it is due to arrive in Dunoon.
The WCM App had also been showing wrong information, though the pdf version of the timetable was correct.
10. AOB.
a. Visitor levy.
Cllr Sinclair took the opportunity to clarify that Argyll & Bute Council hadn’t yet decided whether to introduce a visitor levy. Councillors would be meeting on 20th December to decide whether to approve a three-month visitor levy consultation. Depending on the outcome of the consultation, they would then decide if they wanted to proceed with a visitor levy scheme (which would not come into force before 2027).
b. Cothouse bridge.
Cllr Sinclair told the meeting that Argyll & Bute Council had secured funds for the refurbishment of the Cothouse bridge, which would start in spring-summer 2025.
c. Depute Lord Lieutenant.
Cllr Sinclair announced that the Deputy Lord Lieutenant for Dunoon and Cowal – Lt. Col. Peter McDill – would attend the 2025 Remembrance Sunday service.
d. Knitted poppies.
Fiona Campbell had informed Iain that she was retiring from taking responsibility for displaying the knitted poppies on Remembrance Sunday. The Community Council thanked Fiona for her contribution over the years.
e. Argyll Rally CC rep.
Iain reported that no-one had expressed an interest in taking on this role.
f. Flashing lights at school.
Catherine said that the new flashing lights at the school were not working at all. Iain said he would inform Argyll & Bute Council about this.
ACTION: Iain
11. Date and location of next meeting.
The next meeting would be at 19:30, 15th January 2025 in Strachur Heron Hall (New Hall).
Iain Wilkie, Secretary, Strachur & District Community Council