Minutes of Staffin Community Council held in Staffin School on 3 rd May 2005
Present: Les Downes (Chairperson/treasurer)
Sylvia Porter (Minutes secretary)
Sheena MacLeod
Janet Lamont
Angus MacLeod
Isobel MacDonald
Tim Stott (Visitor H/C local plan)
Apologies: Norma Young
Iain MacDonald (Councillor)
The meeting opened with Les welcoming Tim Stott to the meeting and he spoke about the new local plan.
The local plan is made up of policy words and maps. It is a framework for planning consent. The new planning areas are largely made up of crofting township boundaries. These boundaries are not the original croft boundaries, but boundaries where the council would be supportive of new development. He is not aware of any large development sites in our council area (i.e. Housing estates of industrial units) but there are single dwellings in the pipeline.
Last time there was any change in the planning regulations was in the mid 90's. As then, there will be public consultations in order to safeguard areas and for opinions of new development. This time it will be in the form of a workshop and consultation. This will be open to the public for approx 2 hrs prior to the meeting for any input and comments, and then follow with a meeting with an invited audience and a table of 10 or 12 delegates, which will be made up from trust and council members, landowners and township/grazing clerks.
To clarify, development is a building, not roads or services. The private sector will be helping with the funding for roads and services (e.g. housing association). Even with single dwelling plots the developer will have to help with funding for improvement of public roads, water mains, wastewater etc.
It is hoped that within the new planning regulations that there will be only 2 dwellings per croft, but planners will get written comments from the grazing clerks for the area.
The formal draft will be in the autumn. Our local plan has to comply with the national plan, although national authorities have no idea how plans work locally. It is anticipated that it will be late August early September when we have site workshops in our area. In the meantime if we have any ideas for sites for development Tim Stott will have a look at it, test the waters, and speak with local crofters.
At 8-30pm Tim Stott left the meeting and the main meeting started.
The minutes of the previous meeting were proposed by Janet and seconded by Sheena.
Treasurers Report:
£630-43 in the bank at present
Planning:
As a matter of course the CC do not object to individual planning notices, only if it affects the whole community e.g. a casino in the village centre!!
Planning notices have gone in for
Flodigarry footpath, Car Park Brogaig (Museum of the environment), and ½ 8 Clachan: No objections to any of them
SNH: map of the new area of SSSI
H/C Minutes:
All the agendas and minutes are on line and available to anyone web address
The budget brief: Nothing that affects the community
Fuel Poverty:
Meeting at Alness on 6 th May about the fuel poverty and grants available. No takers due to distance to travel
Skye and Lochalsh area Forum:
Wanting nominations with a community interest. Angus taken to have a look at
Scottish exec:
Leaflets explaining the role of the Scottish Exec. Angus taken to look at
Roads:
A855 in particular. The Oban times have done a follow up story after the petition for the upgrade of the A855 from single to double track road (The petition was done approx 4 years ago). As a result Les wrote to Charles Kennedy, who in turn passed the letter to John Farquar Munro. He has replied that the matter has now been passed to Nichol Stevens (Transport Minister).
From Iain MacDonald – the single-track road will be re-surfaced, not just patched, in the near future.
Other correspondence and Newsletters:
Highland Fire service: Spoken to David Gill (Area Commander) regarding the proposed temporary and permanent fire station for Staffin. There is going to be a meeting between Fire Master and planning Dept o find out where we stand with the temporary building, never mind the permanent one. This has been going on for 8yrs now
Anti social leaflets and awards: Isobel putting up on community notice board.
Scottish civic forum: no takers
High School Minutes: Isobel taken
Skips: Dunans – by the Cattle grid
Valtos – bottom of Janet Lamonts driveway
Scottish Coop: Sheena taken
Morris Nichol awards: Sylvia to do letter regarding nomination … but reading the information the closing date was week before this meeting – perhaps next year!
Digging Deep: Isobel taken
Skye and Lochalsh care forum: no takers
Leader + and the Donegal exchange: Les to do response as he had attended the Staffin meeting
Housing Newsletter: Sheena taken
NHS Update: Isobel taken
Innis newsletter: No takers
Water customers: No takers
Calor Awards: Angus taken
AOCB:
1. Bones at Cille a Bhealach cemetery - inform the council again. Not a lot can be done as it is thought that it is carrion left by birds of prey and foxes.
2. State of car park at Sartle Cemetery: Sylvia to do letter
3. Plane crash site at Ben Edra: Discussion about acknowledging the death of American servicemen in the plane crash and the possibility of erecting a monument or plaque of some sort as there is still a lot of wreckage left. Something to discuss later, and perhaps the Trust can be involved in as they are able to access funding.
Les Downes (Chair) Sylvia Porter (minutes secretary)
Copies to:
All members (7)
PC Dolina Martin
Brogaig Post Office
Staffin Bay Stores
Columba 1400
Radio Nan Gaidheal
File
MacKenzie Stores
John MacDonald H/C
Community Notice Board