Dunrossness Community Council
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DUNROSSNESS COMMUNITY COUNCIL Chairman Clerk Sherri Malcolmson Shirley Leslie Sula, North Exnaboe Ringesta Virkie Quendale Shetland ZE3 9JS Shetland ZE2 9JD Tel: 01950 460847 Tel: 01950 460922 E-mail: [email protected] Minute of Meeting of Dunrossness Community Council held in Dunrossness Primary School on Monday 23rd September 2019 PRESENT Mrs S Malcolmson Mr J Robertson Mr A Sinclair APOLOGIES Mr G Waddell Mrs S Waddell Mrs F Mitchell Mr H Harrop Mrs C Irvine Cllr R McGregor (ex officio) Cllr G Smith (ex officio) NOT PRESENT Mrs A Brown Mrs K Greaves Ms H Moncrieff Cllr A Duncan (ex officio) Mrs P Christie (Community Involvement & Development Officer) IN ATTENDANCE: Ms S Leslie (Clerk) 19/36 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were not declarations of interest. 19/37 MINUTE The Minute of the meeting held on 26th August 2019 could not be adopted as the meeting was not quorate. 19/38 POLICE REPORT No Police Report was available. Mrs Malcolmson enquired when a Police Report was last received. The Clerk will contact Police Scotland and enquire if Police Reports can be expected in the future. 19/39/1 23 September 2019 page two of seven 19/39 MATTERS ARISING 1. Road Matters: a) Bigton Graveyard Road: There was nothing new to report. b) Hardbrakes Housing Estate Road: There was nothing new to report. c) Road Signs to Airport: There was nothing new to report 2. Air Traffic Control: There was nothing new to report. 3. Sumburgh Airport Parking Charges: See above. 4. Sumburgh Airport Water Rescue Craft: See above. 5. Proposed Kirk Yard Bench: Mr Harrop had discussed this matter with Alan Adamson of AA Fencing. Mr Harrop had reported via email that Mr Adamson had stated it would be more cost effective to purchase a bench than for him to buy the materials and construct one. However, Mr Adamson had offered, as a good will gesture to the Community, to construct the necessary plinth and fix a bench in position for free. Some of the Community Council members had replied to Mr Harrop’s email expressing their appreciation of this very generous offer and suggesting it should be accepted. It was also suggested that Mr Adamson should be asked if it would be possible to delay this until the spring of the year. 6. Path from Dunrossness Primary School to the Playing Fields: The Clerk had contacted Kevin Serginson, SIC, ref the above path. Mr Serginson had replied that he had inspected the path and would be writing to the adjoining property owners asking them to cutback the overgrowth of fuschias and roses so that they are not creating an obstruction. Mr Serginson had also noted that the path is not adopted or owned by the SIC and they therefore have no duty to maintain it. However, it would be considered a Public Right of Way. The path being a ‘Public Right of Way’ means that members of the public have a right to use the route and that the SIC (being the local Authority) have a duty to protect that right; ‘to assert, protect and keep it open and free from obstruction or encroachment’. Mr Serginson states that this path appears to be potentially owned by various people along its length, however, as a PROW, the landowner(s) have no duty to maintain it either. 19/39/7 23 September 2019 page three of seven 19/39 MATTERS ARISING (Continued) 7. St. Ninian’s & Westvoe Beach Wheelie Bin Decoration: Mrs Malcolmson reported that she will be attending the school’s assembly next Friday (4th October) to announce the winners and present them with their Shetland times Bookshop vouchers. The Clerk reported that Artmachine had recently visited the beaches to get exact measurements of the bins and had come back with a new suggestion. Due to the exposed positions of the bins, they suggested, rather than apply vinyl stickers direct to the bins which were liable to get damaged by the elements, that the designs be applied to a flat sheet of aluminium composite and wrapped in vinyl to protect the graphics. The sheet could then be bolted to the bin with stainless steel nuts & bolts. It had also been suggested that there was little point in applying graphics to the rear of the bins as they would never be seen. This was agreed. 8. Scatness Bus Stop: A reply to the points raised with regard to buses blocking the Scatness junction when picking up/dropping off passengers had been received from Elaine Park, SIC Transport. The reply states that SIC Transport had sought the advice of the Roads Service and has been asked to seek further clarity. Ms Parks email reads as follows: Currently the bus pulls of the main A970 carriageway but blocks the side road junction to Scatness. This has been the case for a great many years now in this location, and happens all over the islands in many locations each day. This activity is not considered to be unsafe unless there are circumstances when the bus does not clear the main through route carriageway as this may create an overtaking scenario in an area of insufficient visibility for that manoeuvre. The bus has been observed by a member of the Roads Service staff using the junction to stop and it was completely clear of the carriageway. This gave no cause for concern. Vehicles looking to come out of the junction will be required to wait but this also does not pose a safety concern. Similarly, vehicles approaching along the A970 looking to turn into the Scatness junction will also have to wait until the bus clears the junction. For southbound vehicles it would not be uncommon for a right turn to be obstructed (usually by northbound traffic) and so queuing traffic in the road cannot be considered a significant risk, particularly given the limited number of occasions that it will occur given the traffic levels and service frequency. It is true that northbound vehicles will also have to wait to turn into the junction if the bus is stopped, and this can encourage/ create the overtaking scenario that we have previously commented upon at other locations. However, unless the volume and timing of this left-turning traffic was such that northbound queuing/ overtaking on the A970 was happening on a regular basis, the Roads Service would not look to recommend that a bus layby be provided. 19/39/8 23 September 2019 page four of seven 19/39 MATTERS ARISING 8. Scatness Bus Stop (continued):If the latter scenario is the one being raised then we could ask a member of the Roads Service staff to schedule a number of traffic counts and visits to confirm and quantify the issue. The Clerk reported that she had replied confirming that it was indeed the latter scenario which was of most concern although the fact northbound traffic was unable to access the Scatness junction at times was also of concern. 9. Sand Dunes: Mrs Greaves had emailed enquiring when the ‘defensive sand dunes’ on Shetland beaches (and in particular those at Grutness and Westvoe) are checked and made good, how often they are checked and who is responsible for their good condition and upkeep. The Clerk reported she had sought the assistance of the Councillors and a reply had been received from Neil Hutcheson, SIC Roads, stating that ‘the only sea or dune defence infrastructure which the Council is responsible for in the above areas is the 135 metre length of in-situ reinforced concrete retaining wall between Westvoe beach and the A970. This is visually inspected once a month by a Roads Inspector and will get a more detailed inspection by the Design Section every two years’. Mr Hutcheson suggested that the Community Council contact Colin Smith, SIC Drainage & Flooding Engineer, with regards to any possible coastal protection role which the SIC may have with regard to the dunes. The Clerk reported that she will email Mr Smith regarding the matter. 19/40 FINANCE AND GRANT APPLICATIONS 1. Dunrossness Central Public Hall – To assist with the costs of rewiring the kitchen and installing low energy lighting: No decision could be taken on this application at this time as the meeting was not quorate. The application will be carried over to the next Community Council meeting. 19/41 PLANNING APPLICATIONS AND PLANNING MATTERS There were no Planning Applications for consideration. 19/42/1 23 September 2019 page five of seven 19/42 FEEDBACK FROM EXTERNAL MEETINGS 1. Association of Shetland Community Councils: Mrs Irvine and Ms Moncrieff had attended a meeting of the ASCC on 17th September 2019. Unfortunately neither were available to provide a report at this stage. 2. Isles Event: Cllrs Smith and McGregor reported that they had recently visited some of the outer isles as part of the Isles Event. Each island had given a presentation on what life on the islands is like. Both Councillors had been impressed and especially so by the way the Fair Isle community pulls together to achieve a better standard of life on the Isle. 3. Area Transport Forum: Cllr Smith reported that he had recently attended an Area Transport Forum event. Those attending had been mainly from the Sandwick area. Cllr Smith reported that it is hoped to put out the Service Bus Contracts to tender before Christmas with a view to being able to accept an offer in the New Year. Cllr Smith also reported that he had made Elaine Park, ZetTrans, aware that there is a desire within Bigton to review the current Feeder Service to better serve the needs of the local community shop.