Minute of Meeting of Holm Community Council Held on Tuesday 4 February 2020 At Holm Primary School at 7pm

Note on Abbreviations: HCC = Holm Community Council, HC= Highland Council

Present: • Community Councillors - Murray McCheyne (Chair), Graham MacKenzie (Secretary), John Horne (treasurer), Margaret Irvine, Alison Jamieson, Gail Beveridge, Evelyn Grant • Councillors – Callum Smith, Ron MacWilliam (from 7.30pm) • PC David Grant (until 7.20pm) • Members of the public - 1

Apologies for Absence were received before the meeting from Rhona Douglas and Steve Rodgers, (both Community Councillors) and Councillor Alasdair Christie

1. Welcome The Chair welcomed all present.

2. Police Liaison PC David Grant spoke to his report, circulated by email prior to the meeting. It is notable that there remains a comparatively low level of crime in our area. The major item reported on was efforts made since the previous meeting to target speeding motorists. It was requested that three specific area be further targeted, as there had been reports of speeding in each area – namely Brodie Road, Dores Road and Essich Road. Enquiries are also to be made of the roads department for a flashing speed indication device to be located at Dores Road and Brodie Road. After giving his report and taking questions PC Grant left the meeting.

3. Declarations of conflict of interest No conflicts of interest were declared based on the agenda issued before the meeting.

The Minute of the previous meeting held on 15th August had been circulated by email and were approved as a true record. After a short discussion it was agreed that the practice should continue of publishing the minutes of HCC meetings only after they had been approved at next meeting, rather than as drafts in between meetings.

4. Approval of Minutes of Meetings on 19 November 2019 The Minutes from the inaugural meeting and the one which followed immediately thereafter were approved, with a change being made to the paragraph 6 regarding bus services, which is to be amended to read: “7. An update was provided by Margaret Irvine (MI) regarding bus timetables. Since Stagecoach took over the running of the routes the service level had reduced. A joint meeting has been suggested with and Drummond Community council and feedback awaited to progress.”

Matters arising from those minutes not the agenda were: a) Co-opted Youth members Murray reported he had contacted the acting Head Teacher and a modern studies teacher at Royal Academy, publicising the opportunity for having two co-opted youth members. A further response is awaited. Action: Murray b) Barratt Home’s Development at Ness Castle Murray reported having made contact with Barratt who are to send a representative to the next meeting, who have no objection to a noticeboard for HCC purposes being erected at

the bus stop at the roundabout and who provided the details of the factor for future correspondence. c) Dores Road lighting Having raised the issue with the Roads Dept it seems no provision was made in any existing planning application for a developer contribution to the cost of installing street lighting on that part of Dores Road between the point where, travelling from the roundabout leaving town the lighting ceases and the junction with the access road to Ness Castle. A condition is to be inserted into the planning consent for the new Primary School to cover this area.

5. New issues raised at the meeting not otherwise covered on the agenda.

a) It was raised that there is a growing amount of rubbish in the SUDS basin at the Ness Castle Barratt development, which is also becoming overgrown with gorse. It was suggested such concerns be raised in the first instance with the factor of the development and if that does not attain a satisfactory result then the matter can be brought back to a future meeting. Action: Alison

b) Also concerning the Ness Castle development it was queried if a rubbish / dog mess bin could be provided at the bus stop at the roundabout in the Ness Castle development. Again, this query is to be made first of the factor and then, as appropriate, brought back to a future meeting. Action: Alison Jamieson / chair

6. Finance John reported there had been no change in the bank balance since the previous meeting. Murray that our next allocation from HC should be made, now that our minutes and accounts had been sent to the HC support team, as they had requested.

6. Consultations/Correspondence (a) UHI study on local government A request had been circulated by email to all community councillors from a UHI student who was seeking input about local government. (b) Murray reported having attended Holm Primary School’s Lego club meeting and noted two pupils showed him their imaginative ideas for save pollution and promote health journeys to school – a large scale pedal powered bus!

7. Street Naming Request A request for five new street names for the next phase of Barratt Home’s development at Ness Castle had been received. Continuing the theme of castles, the following were agreed to be put forward: 1. Redcastle Road 2.Varrich Crescent 3.Tarradale Place 4.Moniack Lane 5.Dunbeath Drive. Another castle name which would be appropriate is Duntulum.

8. Bus Timetables A very well attended joint public meeting with Lochardil and Drummond Community Council had been held at the since our last meeting. Following that., Margaret produced an update list of concerns which is to be sent on to Stagecoach. The key messages to be sent to Stagecoach are that their frontline staff in their office at the bus station are extremely helpful; it is unsatisfactory that paper copies of timetables were not available in advance of implementing changes to timetables in February; that key watchwords are reliability, regularity, simplicity, publicity and communication. A request is to be made that if we can assist in promoting the bus services, we’d appreciate Stagecoach letting us know how this could be better done. Action: Murray & Margaret

9. Cold Calling/Neighbourhood Watch A suitable date for a joint meeting with Lochardil and Drummond CC is still to be identified and Murray to liaise with Maria at LDCC then Calum Smith. Action: Murray, Calum Smith

10. Tullochs Ness Side development community liaison group Murray, Graham and Margaret continue to represent HCC on the community liaison group and the next meeting was to be the following evening. Concerns to be address are to include the formation of a suitable cycle path at the northern boundary of the development and a drop kerb, the relocation of the bus stop where the path emerges on the northern boundary and the timetable for the buildouts of the pavements on Dores road.

11. Communications and publicity Concern was raised that the website is outdated. There followed a general discussion and it was agreed that the website needs updating soon. This is a higher priority than a community newsletter. For the next meeting all community councillors are encouraged to view other community council’s websites and report back feature and content we’d like to see appear on our website. The new homeowner’s information packs issued by developers could signpost newcomers to the website too. Action: all

12. Ness Castle development a) It was noted that phase 3 of Barratt’s Ness Castle development appears to be commencing with safety fencing now having been erected. Its location was initially altered to preserve a route for public walking access during construction. b) Speeding traffic was highlighted on Brodie road (see police report above for action) and the siting of a speed indication device for Brodie Road is to be requested from HC if possible. Action: Murray

13. Ness Castle Primary School development Murray, Alison and Evelyn attended the first meeting of the liaison group for the construction of the new primary school and minutes of that meeting were circulated by email. Overall it was a helpful meeting, with the HC, architect and contractor all appearing to be listening to our concerns. The formal response to the planning application had also been made, and a decision was awaited. The main concerns remain traffic management within the school site, traffic impact on the Ness Castle development and the layout of the sports fields which may cause noise and light pollution. As part of the Community benefit notice boards for the roundabout and in time at the school for the use of HCC are to be requested. Further reports will follow. Action: Murray

14. Planning application response 17/03541/S42 footpath on Dores Road Murray reported having made a brief response to an application for planning consent submitted regarding the timing of when a new footpath adjacent to Dores Road is to be built, essentially asking that it be attended to as soon as possible, in conjunction with the development of Ness Castle, although there is a public benefit to a significantly larger section of the population than just those living locally at Ness Castle.

15. Date of Next meeting: 26 March 2020 at Holm Primary School at 7pm

There being no other business the meeting closed at 9.05pm.