Wick Ward Forum
Action Note of meeting held Tuesday 11th March 2008
Forum Members attending
Cllr Graeme Smith (Chair)
Cllr Willie Mackay –Landward Ward Member
David Dunnett – Pulteneytown Peoples Project
Coreen Campbell – Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council
Catherine Patterson – Tannach & District Community Council
Acting Inspector Lorraine Patterson – Northern Constabulary
Gordon Sinclair – Transport Scotland, Area Manager (North)
Edwin Stewart – Scotland TranServ, Area Manager (North)
John MacFadzean – Scotland TranServ, P.R. Manager
David Sutherland – Caithness Wards Manager, Highland Council
Robbie Mackintosh – Ward Manager’s Team, Highland Council
Alex Macmanus – Ward Manager’s Team, Highland Council
7 members of general public along with Noel Donaldson, Reporter JOG Journal
Apologies
Cllr Katrina MacNab
Cllr Bill Fernie
Alister Traill – Rector, Wick High School
South Road and Pedestrian crossing at Thurso St, Cliff Road, etc discussed by speakers and noted further on at page 2.
Trees at Union St and Argyle Square – Arboriculture Report now received with its recommendations agreed by Wick Members, Wick Community Council and Argyle Square Residents Association. TECS to be instructed to proceed with work as soon as possible following the recommendations of the report.
Wick CCTV – Operator training is progressing. System should be up and running by end of month. More volunteers to man system would be more than welcome.
North Head Sewage Plant – No reports to date on further problems with smells. However this may be due to present weather conditions and may change once this improves.
ACTION POINT – WARD MANAGER’S TEAM TO PERIODICALLY MONITOR.
Community Safety
1. Site visit to Oldwick Road area carried out. Footpaths will be provided on South School side of road joining up with paths from Kennedy Terrace.
2. Cemetery corner onto A99 looking at making this one way off the A99 but leave as two way to private houses. This should help with funeral traffic and also avoidance of the blind exit onto the A99. ScotlandTranserv are still to be advised of this as the A99 at the junction is their responsibility.
Housing – No contact made yet with Cairn Housing. It is intended that all housing associations be invited to a Ward Forum and to have housing as the main topic for discussion.
Harmsworth Park Changing Rooms – This work had now been completed with advices received the day after the Forum on 14th November 2007. It has been noted now that the portacabins at the all weather pitch at WHS are not open when the park is open.
ACTION POINT – WARD MANAGERS TEAM TO CHECK ON THIS.
Staxigoe & Papigoe School Transport – Meeting due with Rapsons was cancelled due to weather conditions. New meeting now arranged for 11th April in Inverness. Option to request reorganising time table but also parents to keep pressure on Rapson s over this issue.
Scotland Transerve (ST) and Transport Scotland (TS)
Gordon Sinclair, Area Manager (North) Transport Scotland
Transport Scotland (TS) was established in January 2006 as part of Scottish Executive (SE).
They divided Scottish Trunk Road into four areas of which North West is one.
Their purpose is to support delivery of the SE vision for sustainable transport in Scotland.
TS appreciate the patience being shown by the residents of South Road over the flooding issues. TS acknowledge that they had not been very active over this issue. High expectations had been given by TS by never followed up and the severity of the problem in South Road had been understated.
ST had identified the problem through survey work and had hoped to also solve the underlying problem. Scottish water (SW) had been in the frame for the cemetery drain but following cctv inspection and the ruling set in a previous court case SW were not responsible.
TS have now accepted full responsibility for South Road works.
A seven figure sum has been estimated to get the work done and TS are endeavouring to get the funding together.
The drains are deep at between 2 to 3 meters down and will require excavating.
Resurfacing will continue at this time to keep road at an acceptable condition.
Public exhibition of plans will be carried out
ST will endeavour to keep disruption to a minimum once work starts.
South Road is a high priority issue with both ST & TS
Timescale to have work completed is difficult to estimate.
‘one more flooding is one flooding too many’.
Temporary repairs carried out at Lidls as TS have a duty to maintain road at acceptable level.
Northcote Street to discharge pipe at MacKay’s Hotel seems ok.
New crossing at Thurso Road/Dempster Street – This is an ongoing project which was due for completion by end of March. This will not happen by that date but earmarked to start after April now. .
Edwin Stewart – Area Manager (North) Scotland TranServ
From 1st April 2006 Transport Scotland appointed Scotland TranServ (ST) as the Operating Company responsible for these roads – A9 from Perth to Scrabster & A99 Latheron to Wick crossroads at Dempster St/Thurso Rd/Cliff Rd/Francis St. This was previously covered by Bear Scotland
Scotland TranServ is a joint venture between Balfour Beatty and Mouchel Parkman.
Work includes winter salting and snow clearance, routine inspections, verge and landscape maintenance and traffic management.
In a five year contract and entering the third stage.
ST has a huge area to cover which is roughly the size of Belgium.
Pot holes at Ousdale had been inherited from Council.
Usage of salt had increased from last year indicating that the winter had not been that mild.
Works on the A82 had been determined by the number of road traffic accidents over the last couple of years. A local action group had been set up.
ST has a three year wish list but this can regularly change. This is not published but could be obtained using freedom of information act.
Why was the camber on parts of the A99 so high? This was within guidelines. All work is audited. Workforce is local and all have the interests of the area at heart.
It is acknowledged that there is only one road in and out of the county but a lot of money had been spent on works at Forse, Lybster, Hempriggs and also the present works being carried out at Navidale.
Q. Has ST looked at the flooding caused by small pipes at the Telford Laidh as overflow water is running into Cemetery drains?
A. ST are not familiar with this but will consult with questioner for full details.
Q. What diversion will be used once works start on South Road?
A. This will be consulted at public meeting.
Q. Why was grass verge not removed at Watten?
A. This is not a ST road and not their responsibility. This was part of the Safer Routes for School which put in the new footpath.
It was requested that any problems with ST trunk roads that Ward Manager be contacted and used as a link to ST.
Community Safety – cont
Caithness Community Safety Action Team meets every three months.
CCTV system in Wick is imminent for operation. Problems had been encountered with focusing but now all is ready to go. Training is on track and more volunteers are being sought particular for weekends.
Vandalism is a problem. Police now have dedicated patrols on the go to help prevent this and figures are showing a reduction. Retribution vandalism can prevent the reporting of crime
Alcohol abuse is a problem
Discretionary Budget
2007/2008 budget has now all been allocated. £56k had assisted with £146k of project costs during the fiscal year. It was believed that budget for 2008/2009 would be £56k plus 2%. Landward member Willie Mackay was pleased to see such a wide range of organisations receiving assistance during the year.
Local Action Fund (LAF)
2007/2008 budget of £8k had all been allocated. 2008/2009 budget would hopefully be announced earlier in the fiscal year and would have a higher public profile within the Ward (s)
D.O.N.M.
Tuesday 13th May 2008 at 7.00pm in Mowat Room, Assembly Rooms, Wick.
AOB
Wick High School – Full press coverage of the present campaign being organised to highlight condition of school.
Review of Ward Forums – A questionnaire had been circulated to all forum members for their completion.
Trinkie road – TECS have estimated cost of barrier at this site to be £15k. Forum felt that this was a large amount. Also could the speed limit out to the Trinkie not be sign controlled.
Northern Constabulary - advised that a new Area Chief Inspector, Andy Brown, would be in post on 31st March 2008. It was also understood that C.I. Liz Goskirk from Thurso would start to attend Ward Forums with effect from 1st Aprils 2008 Wick Committee Council had requested that the police have a presence at their monthly meetings.
Pulteneytown Post Office – Congratulations were given to all who had organised the petition, public meeting, etc. The Post Office will be remaining open in the meantime..
Questions and Answers.
Q. -Why has Highland Council insisted on imposing Gaelic signs in the County?
A- Eight of the ten Caithness Members tabled a motion to allow Gaelic free signs in the County. As this was Highland Council policy the motion was debated in Chambers and the voting went against the motion therefore the policy must be implemented Pan Highland.
Q – I understand that £3m had been ring fenced by the Scottish Government to allow recruitment of Gaelic Teachers. In view of the Highland Council Policy will some of these funds be applied for to recruit Gaelic Teachers to Caithness schools?
A. This would be unlikely as there does not appear to be a demand for Gaelic teachers.
Q – Wick High School needs to be replaced. The Highland Council policy on capital spends looks to be inadequate and the budget too small. In light of the scoring system which favours growth in local population as a key element how can Wick ever hope to be placed as a high priority?
A. – Local members have questioned the scoring system and will continue to do this with Glenurquhart Road to allow a more equitable system to be introduced.
Q – Why have Council Officials been allowed to overrule the motion on Gaelic signs?
A – It was not the Officials but the Council Members, at debate, who overruled the motion presented by eight of the Caithness Members. Although the vote was lost by six votes with eighteen abstentions their fight is not over.
Q – The Wick Bridge Street Church is due to close in July 2009 and to be amalgamated with the Parish Church. The building will then be surplus to requirements. As there are already several buildings boarded up in the town the congregation are keen that this does not happen to this church. Can the Forum members come forward with any ideas on how this building can be preserved?
A – The bottom line with this is naturally funding. The size of the building would indicate that this would be a substantial liability to up keep for any potential owner(s)/ user(s). The Forum Members will think about potential uses of building and pass onto Church Board. Ward Manager will also alert the Council Property Board.
Q – I am a representative of the Haven. Several of the Haven attendees make use of the swimming pool in the High School. With the present uncertainty surrounding the school it has been advised that the swimming pool has been closed. Does this now mean that no one will be able to make use of this facility again?
A – The swimming pool in the High School has been closed due to various problems including broken floor tiles. The pool is rarely now used by school pupils since the pool opened at Martha Terrace. It is proposed that the pool will be taken out of commission and the area used as a dance studio.
Q - Has PPP2 been included in Community Charge and not disappeared into a black hole?
A – The Director of Finance has reassured members that this has been taken into account.