MINUTES OF A REMOTE WEBEX MEETING HELD ON THURSDAY, 11TH JUNE 2020 AT 6.30PM
PRESENT IN ATTENDANCE Murray Cooper Duncan Anderson, North Isles Councillor Mike Fogarty, Vice Chair Frances Browne, Community Development James Rendall, Chair Michael Duncan, Community Development Tom Thomason Ryan Thomson, North Isles Councillor Bridgette Thomason, Clerk
1. APOLOGIES Apologies were received from Julie Maguire.
2. MINUTE OF THE PREVIOUS MEETINGS Minutes of the previous Meeting held on the 25th February 2020 had been circulated and were taken as read and adopted. Proposed – James Rendall, seconded – Mike Fogarty.
Decision Making Recording Sheets from the 30th March 2020 and 23rd April 2020 had been circulated and were also taken as read and adopted. Proposed – James Rendall, seconded Tom Thomason.
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST No declarations of interest were made.
4. ONGOING BUSINESS 4.1 Islands with Small Populations Ms Browne had circulated the Islands with Small Populations (IWSP) consultation key points for Fetlar and priorities for June 2020 ahead of the Meeting which included a summary of questions at the Drop In held in February and key points raised from the consultation Meeting which followed afterwards alongside priorities for Fetlar taken from all previous discussions. Ms Browne provided an update on the IWSP project to date and explained the purpose of further discussion was to ensure the points raised are correct, current and that nothing had been missed and to check on any impacts that Covid-19 may have had on the community or whether the priorities may have changed since the pandemic began. A discussion followed, with the following agreed by Members:
Communication with services had been very good throughout Covid-19, with the District Nurse keeping the community very well informed regarding health matters and Community Development keeping in regular touch and sending information which could then be circulated onto the community. SIC Ferries communication had also been good and although services had to be reduced, it was understood why. Bulky waste removal, although no progress had been made, was understandable under the circumstances Ongoing priorities: . Continue to monitor issues and resolve outstanding NHS actions surrounding prescriptions, use of Attend Anywhere and the information leaflet on what to do in an emergency, etc. There are still issues with social care, however, Isleshavn are currently working on putting a care package in place on the island and have been flexible in their approach . Ensure the Community Maintenance post is successful and liaise with SIC Infrastructure around this. A letter outlining the collection of waste and recycling by the Community Maintenance Handyperson had been circulated to all households on behalf of Colin Bragg, SIC Waste Management. Initial issues with the transportation of waste on the ferry had also been resolved with Mr Bragg in between Meetings with a caged vehicle now being used to collect and transport waste over to Belmont by the Handyperson (Decision Making Record – 23rd April refers also) . Ms Browne had previously clarified the options available to residents surrounding bulky waste collection and this information had been emailed to the distribution list
4. ONGOING BUSINESS 4.1 Islands with Small Populations Ongoing priorities: . Ferry succession planning in conjunction with accommodation is important in maintaining the current Fetlar based ferry service and in encouraging more jobs, which would help overcome insufficient employment opportunities on the isle and assist in providing a more stable economic base. Ferry succession planning is important both for current residents and for promoting the island to future residents. With a retirement due in 8 months, it was felt that aspect needs immediate focus. Councillor Thomson offered to look at possible solutions for the longer term such as training programmes/apprenticeships and suggested the matter could be raised at the proposed Ferries Meeting to be held later in June (4.7 refers also) . Investigate whether Fetlar could adopt a Local Lettings Policy (which will be dependent on agreement from SIC Housing and only applicable to social housing), which also links in with ferry succession planning and in attracting new residents. SIC Housing can assist with any questions surrounding the points system for qualifying for a house at the Stakkafletts, with private housing availability also important . Attracting people to Fetlar still remains a key point and includes promotion of Fetlar as a place to visit, stay for a while, to live and work alongside continuation of the work which was previously started on a Welcome Pack
Continue with: Community Maintenance / Health and Care Post 6 monthly drop in sessions with the community which will be supported by the Community Development Officer and establish “Champions” for each island within each Directorate of the SIC, with service issues being the responsibility of the relevant person within the “Champions” network
Agreed priorities in no particular order of preference: Resolve outstanding NHS actions Ferry Succession Planning Attracting new residents Local Lettings Policy Explore Commuter Ticket on the ferry Tourism - links with other Isles and “North Isles Golden Triangle” Decentralise office based posts Explore role of RSPB in relation to Fetlar’s community aims Private sector activity such as farming/aquaculture Explore national legislation regarding land/sole use of waters Explore whether local landowners are happy to be proactive in making land available to prospective residents for crofting/farming
Action – Ms Browne offered to send the notes from the discussion and a priorities response form for the Clerk to circulate to every household to gather feedback from the community on points they feel should be prioritised.
4.2 Energy Isles Statkraft (4.3/02/20) A Meeting had taken place last year with the 5 development groups in the North Isles which had agreed that Unst Partnership would be the community body who would proceed with a bid for the Enablement Grant for a study into Shared Ownership in the EIS project for the time being. A press release had been received in early October announcing that Statkraft UK had been chosen as a development partner to help progress the project. The full planning application had been submitted, which if successful, should see the project delivered by 2026.
The Community Liaison Group Meeting proposed for the 23rd March had been postponed owing to Covid-19.
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4. ONGOING BUSINESS 4.2 Energy Isles Statkraft (4.3/02/20) The Scottish Government had sent a report regarding the EIS wind farm proposal that had been provided in advance of the submission of Supplementary Environmental Information. The report provided an update on the proposed changes to the proposed development and summarised the design changes which EIS had undertaken to date to address the issues raised during the consultation for the section 36 EIA application. Comments on the Gatecheck consultation had been requested by the 7th April. Noted.
4.3 Shetland Community Benefit Fund (4.4/02/20) Members had previously opted not to have an Observer or Director on the SCBF, mainly owing to work commitments, distance and the time involved. Following changes to the SCBF rules, Mr Bunyan had contacted FCC again and had asked if further consideration could be given to this.
Members agreed it would be useful to approach several folk who have Fetlar connections, but, do not stay on the isle who may be interested in taking up this role.
Action – Clerk to advise SCBF and contact those who may be interested.
4.4 Fetlar Webcam (4.5/02/20) Andy Steven, Shetland Webcams had met with FCC in September to explore ways in which the existing Fetlar webcam could be replaced with a full high definition stream, with due consideration of costs and ways in which the camera could be developed to fully promote the community further. Mr Steven had put together an extensive proposal for discussion on options of who could support the replacement and ongoing running costs via a sponsorship/advertising model.
Following this, Members had unanimously agreed on the positive benefits of having the Fetlar webcam and the Clerk had circulated details of the above, inviting either a local sole sponsor or a few different local businesses to get in touch who may be interested in advertising and supporting the running costs. No response had been received from within the community and a grant application had therefore been submitted to Cooke Aquaculture for financial assistance towards the project, which unfortunately was unsuccessful.
Maurice Henderson, SIC Development had been contacted for suggestions on how a new webcam for Fetlar could be funded, with no response received to date.
Members suggested crowd funding as a possible way forward, similar to what had been used for other webcams in Shetland and everyone felt there could be a number of folk who would be willing to contribute towards the costs both here on the island, folk with Fetlar connections and following the feedback which had been received when the Fetlar webcam was removed.
Action – Clerk to contact Andy Stevens regarding the possibility of crowd funding and for an update on the Fetlar webcam.
4.5 Salmon Farm - Wick of Gruting (4.6/02/20) Suggestions and points which had been made at the Isles event held in September, had included a desire for Fetlar based employment opportunities at the new site proposed for the Wick of Gruting. Councillor Priest had approached Cooke Aquaculture following the event about the potential for the proposed new site being operated from the isle. Cooke had advised him in October, that they were not at the stage of detailed planning of how the site could be serviced and were focusing on getting the site approved, however, had provided assurance that they would be looking into what was required to base operations on the isle.
With planning permission for the site approved recently subject to conditions, Members agreed it would be worthwhile contacting Cooke to see how things are progressing.
Action – Clerk to contact Cooke for an update and for their thoughts on how the site will be serviced and any local employment opportunities that could arise from that. 3
4. ONGOING BUSINESS 4.6 RSPB – new hide and works planned – Mires of Funzie (4.7/02/20) Kevin Kelly, Shetland Sites Manager, RSPB had attended the December Meeting to discuss the new hide and works at the Mires of Funzie. Although work had been stopped during Covid-19, Members had confirmed in between Meetings that they had no objections to the work re-commencing on tidying up the Mires of Funzie in early June when lockdown restrictions had eased.
Following an enquiry about whether there would be any wardens during the summer outwith the newly appointed warden, Mr Kelly had confirmed there would be no other permanent staff living at the Baelens. Prior to Covid-19, it was hoped that some staff would come up through the summer to assist with monitoring as well as hosting colleagues from south up on sabbaticals, with recent circumstances delaying this until it is safe to do so.
Kevin Serginson, SIC Outdoor Access Officer had advised on the review of the SIC’s Core Paths Plan, in particular, the Vord Hill Core Path, which goes from the airstrip towards Vord Hill and then across to Northdale. Mr Serginson had outlined the importance of the area for whimbrel and following initial discussions with the RSPB regarding delineating the path better to avoid nesting sites; this had not been feasible with nesting sites varying each year, all of which are in close proximity to the core path route. The RSPB had therefore asked as the path hasn’t been promoted for several years, if it could be removed, which would not remove the public general right for responsible access from the hill, etc, but would remove the route from publications and promotional materials.
Members felt they would not like to see this removed from Fetlar's core paths and whilst removal of the path from publications and promotion could remove pressure potentially from the sensitive bird population, most of the public who walk on the island are in the main interested in wildlife and birds and therefore are very mindful of nesting sites and birds.
Action – Clerk to advise Mr Serginson accordingly and invite him to the next Meeting to discuss this further.
4.7 Ferries (4.8/02/20) SIC Ferries had held a Meeting on the 10th June which had considered the ferry service for the North Isles. As no one was able to attend from FCC, Ms Browne had raised a point regarding the current emergency timetable - with 3 daily runs from Fetlar which connect to the mainland, being the 0755, 1050 and 1630, the 1630 does not enable a return journey to be made the same day and therefore if residents need to travel to the mainland and return the same day, they only have two options, the 0755 and 1050. The 1050 run connects with the 1245 from Ulsta which is a long wait for travellers. If the 1130 Ulsta run could leave 10 minutes later, this would reduce the waiting time significantly.
Councillor Thomson advised that a Ferry Discussion Meeting was planned for the following week and as the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions ease, the current emergency timetable could change very soon with further consideration of the Summer Timetable taking place (this was due to be implemented in early May, however, was not published or implemented owing to Covid-19). Mr Rendall agreed to join this Meeting.
Ms Browne also agreed to forward on correspondence about a possible revised ferry timetable on Yell Sound whilst the Dagalien is in dry dock.
4.8 Active Travel Strategy – Development of Paths & Cycle Lanes (4.10/02/20) Robina Barton Transport Policy and Projects Officer, SIC Transport Planning had provided an update in early March. Previously, SIC Community Development Officers had worked with Community Councils to compile a list of desirable pathways in their area. SIC Roads were also involved for technical input, with the following areas highlighted for Fetlar:
Stakkafletts to Fetlar Primary Stakkafletts to Fetlar Shop/Post Office (which would also cover/include the Surgery/Clinic) Kirk gate to the entrance door of the Kirk
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4. ONGOING BUSINESS 4.8 Active Travel Strategy – Development of Paths & Cycle Lanes (4.10/02/20) In 2019 ZetTrans secured funding from Sustrans to appoint consultants to develop an Active Travel Strategy and Action Plan for Shetland. Consultants were then appointed to develop the strategy and had begun work in October, to date this has included mapping all the routes proposed by Community Councils to allow them to be referenced against other spatial and transport data to see connections.
Once the Active Travel Strategy and Action Plan is complete, a period of public consultation will then follow on the draft before approval is sought from the ZetTrans Board and SIC Elected Members and will provide a template for future development by prioritising activities and highlighting funding opportunities. Public Engagement on the strategy was proposed for March, which had subsequently been postponed due to Covid-19.
It was therefore agreed this Agenda item could be deferred for the time being.
4.9 Roads It had been reported at the February Meeting, that the pot holes and road from the Southdale brae up to the grid/draw off just before the Bealance is generally in a poor condition.
John Duncan, SIC Roads had advised in early March that the North Isles squad would repair this as soon as possible.
5. FINANCE and ADMINISTRATION 5.1 Financial update, core funding and administration The Clerk summarised FCC’s current restricted funds as circulated via e-mail in between Meetings - FCC’s Core Running budget and Community Development Fund were discussed in detail.
The following invoices were approved for payment: Fetlar Community Association – venue hire – Aug 19 to Feb 20 Meetings - £76.87 (fps) Bridgette Thomason – Quarterly telephone & internet allowance – Jan, Feb & Mar - £30 (fps) Bridgette Thomason – Clerk’s salary – Mar, Apr, May - £810.60 (fps)
The accounts to 31st March 2020 were duly approved for onward submission to Voluntary Action Shetland for independent examination.
Following approval of the Community Council complaints procedure at the Association of Shetland Community Councils (ASCC) meeting in March, the procedure can be found on the SIC website within the guidance documents.
Guidance and various updates had been provided from the ASCC on decision making protocols during Covid-19.
The Community Resilience Forum had been set up to share information & discuss issues with key partners during the response phase of Covid-19. During the earlier stages of the pandemic, the forum had met weekly. Mr Duncan explained his role had been to feed in updates or queries raised by Community Councils, with a series of information briefings developed and published as they are produced on the SIC website. Mr Duncan explained that the Forum were now meeting less regularly as lockdown eases, with the frequency of meetings being kept under review.
5.2 ASCC Meetings The Agenda for the ASCC Meeting held on the 10th March, working papers and Minutes of the previous Meeting had been circulated in between Meetings. Apologies had been forwarded onto the ASCC, as no one from FCC was available to attend.
The ASCC Meeting proposed for the 9th June had been postponed until September owing to Covid-19.
5.3 Da Voar Redd Up 2020 Da 2020 Voar Redd Up had been cancelled owing to Covid-19.
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6. ANY OTHER BUSINESS 6.1 Connecting Scotland Phase 1 Ms Browne had forwarded on details of Connecting Scotland, which is a Scottish Government programme which has been set up in response to Covid-19. The programme aims to connect digitally excluded people across Scotland, so they can access the services and support they need, and keep in contact with their family and friends. Shetland has been allocated devices that have an internet connection and there is also support to help you learn how to use it if needed.
Action – Clerk to email the distribution list to see if anyone in the community feels they would benefit from this.
6.2 Shetland.org – Marinas section entry Robert Thomson had provided a draft of the proposed Marinas section entry for Fetlar on Shetland.org. Mr Thomason advised he had looked over this and forwarded feedback onto Mr Thomson for inclusion on the entry.
6.3 Fetlar Grow Your Own Project Fetlar Community Association had forwarded details of an initial proposal and summary regarding the desire to move forward with the establishment of a Grow Your Own project at the former children’s playground at the Stakkafletts.
Members were fully supportive of the proposals regarding the former playground at the Stakkafletts being used for a Grow Your Own Project.
Action – Clerk to advise FCA accordingly and wish them every success with the project.
7. CORRESPONDENCE 7.1 Fetlar District Nurse - various updates on COVID-19 7.2 Scottish Government - various updates on COVID-19 – Support for Businesses in Scotland 7.3 NHS Shetland, Public Health – various updates and guidance on COVID-19 7.4 Shetland Rape Crisis – Annual Report 7.5 Energy Savings Trust – Electric Vehicle Survey 7.6 Transport Planning – Access to Bikes Survey 7.7 Fetlar Shop - deliveries 7.8 SIC, Community Development – various updates and guidance on funding, third sector support/service delivery & business grants during COVID-19 7.9 Transport Planning – guidance for Outdoor Access and COVID-19 7.10 Scottish Fuels – local fuel delivery during COVID-19 7.11 Shetland Islands Council – Safeguarding Adults & Adult Protection Guidance during COVID-19 7.12 Police Scotland – social distancing government requirements during COVID-19, Survey on policing during lockdown and Policing Report May 20 7.13 Shetland Islands Council – Planning Service – Operational notes & updates during COVID-19 7.14 Voluntary Action Shetland – local volunteers during COVID-19 7.15 Home Energy Scotland – COVID-19 resources 7.16 Shetland Befriending Scheme – new telephone befriending service during COVID-19 7.17 Scottish Community Councils – Planning for Place programme – Reallocating Road Space for Walking & Cycling during COVID-19 and various updates 7.18 Scottish Government – Cyber Resilience 7.19 Scottish Government – Planning – Emergency Measures – Pre Application Guidance 7.20 Proposed Vertical Launch Space Port – Lamba Ness, Unst – Invitation to Public Consultation Event 7.21 Beatrice Wishart MSP – Broadband & Online Patient Consultation 7.22 Shetland Islands Council – Supporting Communities Safely – advice for community groups and volunteer networks during COVID-19 7.23 Fetlar Hall – Supporting Communities Funding Award 7.24 Shetland Islands Council – proposed merger Shetland College, Train Shetland & NAFC Marine Centre 7.25 Planning Aid Scotland – Training Event 7.26 Trading Standards – Scam Alert Bulletins
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7. CORRESPONDENCE 7.27 Planning Applications: Approved - 2019/362/PPF – Planning Applications – Mires of Funzie Bird habitat management maintenance and improvement works Granted subject to conditions - 2020/010/PPF – Planning Applications – Mires of Funzie Demolition of existing bird hide and erect new modern bird hide in same location Approved - 2019/362/DCON1 – Planning Applications – Mires of Funzie To discharge conditions 4 – Archaeological des-based assessment and walk-over survey Granted subject to conditions - 2019/012/MAR – Planning Applications – Wick of Gruting To develop a new Atlantic Salmon Farm comprising 12 x 120m-circumference cages and a 10m- diameter c-cap feed barge
All other correspondence had been circulated in between Meetings.
8. MEETING DATES Proposed Meeting dates for 2020 as follows:
Tuesday, 21st July Tuesday, 1st September Tuesday, 13th October Tuesday, 24th November
The Chairman thanked everyone for joining in the Meeting and since there was no further business the Meeting was brought to a close.
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