11 February 2019 NCC Minutes
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NORTHMAVEN COMMUNITY COUNCIL Chair: Mr D Brown Clerk: Tom Morton Crogreen Ollaberry Hall Ollaberry Ollaberry, Shetland Shetland Telephone 01806 544222 ZE2 9RT Minute of Meeting of the Council on Monday 11 February 2019 In Ollaberry Primary School This minute is UNAPPROVED until adopted at the next meeting Present: CCllr D Brown (chair) Ex Officio Present: Cllr Andrea Manson CCllr JA Cromarty Cllr Emma MacDonald CCllr R Doull Cllr Alistair Cooper Ex Officio Apologies Apologies Submitted: CCllr T Smedley CCllr K Scollay In attendance: Mr T Morton – Clerk Mrs J Copland Mr C Williamson Mr K Williamson Mrs B Wilcock The meeting started at 7.30pm, DB in chair Apologies for absence received from TS and KS Declarations of Interest: DB declared an interest regarding the agenda item ‘Sullom Voe Master Plan’ and indicated that RD would take the chair for that part of the meeting. Minutes for the meeting of 14 January were approved – proposed by DB, seconded by RD Matters arising Police activity and speeding It had been nice to see the police attending the January meeting in person, DB said. The meeting noted that there had indeed, as promised, been an increased police presence evident in 1 Northmavine over the past month, with police checking MOTs as well as speed and driving standards. However, there had still been no progress on the issue which had concerned the CC for some time – namely, reducing speeds of drivers on the A970 up and down the Clave at Urafirth and along the road past the school and into Hillswick itself. The clerk indicated that he had, as requested, forwarded to the police the data supplied by the SIC to NCC on speeds recorded at the Clave, but he repeated that the SIC Roads Department, who had the authority to impose speed limits, did not feel the criteria for doing so had been met. DB expressed great concern about the safety of the road at Valladale by the cattle grid. ER and JAC felt that further contact should be made with the SIC to impress upon them how seriously the NCC were taking this, and asked for further action and a meeting in person with a representative of the Roads Department. The meeting agreed. ACTION: Clerk to write to Roads Department again, copying in chief executive of SIC, asking for a representative to attend the next NCC meeting to explain why the speed limits cannot be changed. AM suggested pressing for a dedicated footpath to keep pedestrians safe might be a way forward. SC said there was Sustrans funding available for this. The clerk said he had been in touch with Robina Barton at the SIC about this, and it seemed a consultant would be appointed to assess how this money might be spent. The meeting hoped that the Hillswick footpath would be included in this. ACTION: Clerk to write to Robina Barton at the SIC stressing the importance of the A970 Hillswick/Urafirth footpath as part of the impending Sustrans consultation. Transport reorganisation. AC explained that the proposed reorganisation of bus timetables and services had been put back and would not now happen in the coming financial year. The proposed savings of £500,000 mentioned by Michael Craigie at a previous meeting would not be met. Collafirth Pier The full skip had been removed. DB said that concern had been expressed about the safety of the former angling charter vessel which was being stored on the pier. There had been suggestions that it could be dangerous as it stood, and should be moved or made safe, and preferably moved from its current position. The meeting agreed that this was a sensitive issue but that Ports and Harbours at the SIC should be contacted to ascertain if the boat was sitting on council or marina property, and that its safety and security be assured. ACTION: Clerk to contact Ports and Harbours Black bags at Ollaberry There was still a major issue with the provided receptacles being totally inadequate for the numbers of black bags being put in them. ACTION: clerk to contact SIC to ask for more space for black bags. Head of department to be included in all correspondence. Planning permission renewal for Sella Ness accommodation There had been no decision taken by the SIC on this due to major delays in the planning process. Election 2 There had been four nominations for the three vacant seats on the NCC, and an election would take place during March, by postal voting. The interest in the NCC was welcomed by DB and the entire meeting. Police Report – no police report had been received SVT Master Plan DB declared an interest and the chair was taken by RD Community Councillor Kevin Scollay had sent an email which he had asked the clerk to read and minute. It is as follows: “I think that if tanker numbers to and from Sullom Voe Terminal are to increase, as the SIC has indicated, then the SVT Masterplan should remain as it was instituted in the construction days, due to the safety factors involved. I would like to see more development in tourism facilities around the North Mainland and especially Northmavine, in order to encourage more of the coach tours to come north rather than going south to the likes of Sumburgh. “Yell Sound should remain the same as it is, as there is a considerable amount of wildlife in the sound and in the various surrounding voes. Regarding mussel lines/rafts and salmon farms, I think we have enough of that surrounding Shetland and should keep Yell Sound free of that and the debris that appears on the shores along with them. “Sullom Voe and Yell Sound at the moment are clean and reasonably free of rubbish washing up on the shores, and that should remain the case. “As to my earlier statement about tanker numbers increasing, what would happen to mussel and salmon producers if there was a repeat of the Esso Bernicia accident, which happened on New Year’s Eve 1978? That doesn't bear thinking about. I think that alone should be reason enough to leave Yell Sound as it is.” JAC said he had been at a very well attended workshop at Ollaberry run as part of the SVT Master Plan consultation, and his impression was that there would not be very much room for developments given the continuing need for tanker access. AC said that the moment anyone could fish for finfish in Yell Sound as long as they informed Port Control at Sella Ness, and shellfish fishermen could operate within reason. They were restricted by pipeline presence but there had been limited compensation for losses sustained as a result of this – of late with the Total and Magnus pipelines. There were issues with various parts of the area (particularly around Mavis Grind) with regard to water exchange and tanker access clearly restricted the possibility for mussel and salmon farming – though it was pointed out that the Crown Estate had already granted permission for one aquaculture site in Yell Sound, though no works licence was in place and no development could take place. New developments could potentially mean more pipeline activity, AC said – if the development of the Lancaster, Rosebank and Lochnagar fields went ahead. There was clearly a balance to be struck between the importance of the terminal’s future to Shetland’s economy and the importance of seafish, shellfish and aquaculture, all of which were crucial to the Shetland economy as well. The long term benefit of Shetland’s young people had to be a prime consideration. The council was engaged in crucial negotiations with BP over the Clair field and whether or not it would feed into SVT. If it did, the long-term future of SVT was assured. If those negotiations were unsuccessful, AC said, the terminal would close in 2025. Kenny Williamson was invited to speak by RD, and said no compensation had been received by the smaller boats for loss of income due to the laying of the last Total pipeline, and that pipelines 3 affected shellfish fishermen more than fin fishermen., KW said that personally, he felt there was no need for any change in the development status of Yell Sound and Sullom Voe. Jessie Copland was invited to speak. She stated that at the moment, Yell Sound and Sullom Voe were largely unspoilt and that the operation of the terminal had been beneficial to the wildlife in the area. Salmon and mussel farms especially in the peerie voes would displace wildlife. This would affect local fishermen, anglers, and tourists, as well as fishing boats coming in for shelter in the voes. The council should stick to its original plan and jeep Yell Sound and Sullom Voe clear of development. AC said it was important to rationalise the situation, as at the moment it was a bit of a hotch potch. The major salmon operators were wanting bigger sites and that was potentially offered by the availability of Sullom Voe and Yell Sound. KW said that these were all multi million pound foreign owned companies , but AC pointed out that benefits still accrued to the Shetland economy from them, though he said that the works licence system, co-ordination with the Crown Estate and planning of future aquaculture developments needed to change. Invited to speak, Colin Williamson asked if it were true that two or three sites had already been granted by the Crown Estate Commissioners. AC said that this had happened, flying in the face of SIC policy, but affected only one site in Yell Sound and no works licence had been granted.