Landward Caithness Ward Forum
Action Note of Meeting 2nd October 2007
Attending:
Cllr David Bremner (Chair)
Cllr Robert Coghill
Cllr Willie Mackay
Irene Hendry Dunnet & Canisbay CC
John Green Dunnet & Canisbay CC
Bill Brown Caithness West CC
D Fraser Castletown CC
Liz Geddes Castletown CC
Andrew Gunn Lybster & Latheron CC
Neil Buchannan Berriedale & Dunbeath CC
Elizabeth Cameron Berriedale & Dunbeath CC
Billy Manson Halkirk CC
Janet Mowat Halkirk CC
Donald Henderson Tannach & District CC
Alan Roberts Bower CC
Ian Hargarave Corporate Manager, Highland Council
David Sutherland, Ward Manager, Highland Council
Alec Macmanus, Ward Managers Team, Highland Council
Robbie McIntosh, Ward Managers Team, Highland Council
June Ross, Principal Waste Management Officer (Strategy), Highland Council
Acting Inspector Lorraine Paterson, Northern Constabulary.
Apologies
Clr David Flear, Colin Sutherland Lybster& Latheron CC, Nial Smith CVG. Elizabeth Henderson Tannach & District CC.
Action Note
Cllr David Bremner opened the meeting and welcomed everybody to the first meeting of the Landward Caithness Ward Forum. He hoped the forums would provide a new and exciting way of communicating and interacting with the public.
Ian Hargrave, The Corporate Manager for Caithness Sutherland & Easter Ross gave a brief overview on how the forums were expected to work. He introduced Alec Macmanus & Robbie McIntosh to the forum. Robbie & Alec would form part of the Ward Mangers team.
Agenda Items
• Recycling – June Ross gave a presentation on recycling and how the councils policy was delivered on the ground. She outlined the inititaives that the council was progressing with plastic recycling and the local arrangements that were to be entered into in Caithness.
Junk mail was mentioned as being an obvious waste of resources and June supplied the telephone number for the public to register with to get individual junk mail stopped. The Number is 0845 703 4599 or visit www.mpsonline.org.uk. To stop mail that is delivered through the Royal Mail Door to Door Service a letter requires to be written to Royal Mail Door to Door, Freepost, Beaumont House, OX4 5BR
The Service can also supply to schools ‘Compost the Cow’ who will relay the message and benefits of recyling to youngsters. ‘She’ can be contacted at 01349 868583. There is also an Educators Pack available here. Contact details for recycling enquiries/requests can be made to 01349 868439 or email at recycle@highland.gov.uk Enquiries about business waste/recycling can be made to Mike Milner, BEP (Business Environment Partnership) on 07971 238 020. David Bryan, who is based in Golspie, is the contact point for Community Recycling for this area of Scotland. He can be contacted on 07887 758012.
• Forum members expressed there concerns that some of the Community Recycling Bins (Castletown, Halkirk, Thurso) were not being emptyied in time and that they were overflowing.
June agreed to speak to the contract holders about this unsatisfactory issue and also would arrange to have the relevant contact number applied to all these Community Bins to enable instant reporting of overflowing.
Members were also concerned about grass cuttings being dumped into drainage ditches and blocking them resulting in flooding during wet weather.
June advised that there were gas heating trials ongoing and that a flare stack at Seattor would soon be operating.
• Mr Holmes, from the audience, enquired why there were no brown bins issued at the bottom of Braal Road and he was advised that this area was outwith the 30mph signs and as such did not qualify.
• Community Safety - This would be a stranding order item at all Ward Forums. CC Green confirmed that he was happy with the 20/30 speed limits now in force at Canisbay.
Forum members were concerned about the speeds being experienced at Bower through the 40mph stretch on the B876 and that any police check on speeding was usually done around about 9am when anecdotal evidence suggested that 8am was the time that the speedsters were operating.
Watten Forum Members were also evidencing speeding and overtaking through the school 20mph stretch on the A882. Inspector Paterson advised that she would speak to her colleagues but also suggested that members take the licence plate number of offenders so a record was kept and these people could be spoken too at a later date.
Concerns were raised about cars overtaking at the Haster Bridge on the A882 after 5pm when buses were stopped at the bus stop. Could the bus stop not be moved back towards the Watten direction and be complemented with a lay-by?
CC Fraser expressed concerns about young folk playing football at nights in the main car park beside the shop. Also there were issues over trees and bushes in the village of Castletown obstructing the roads and footpaths.
It was believed that this was a private individual matter and that the Council would have to serve notice to get this work done.
An issue was raised concerning the limit of the 30mph signs to the three main entries to Castletown. Could these not be moved out further in particular at the Wick and Dunnett sides? Speeding also an issue at Couper Cottages, Barrock.
ACTION POINT – David to speak to TECS services about trees etc.
• Ward Updates – David Sutherland Ward Manager will provide the forum with updates on issue raised by elected members and the community council. E.g. the conditions of all the cemeteries would be looked at with TECS services with the intention of having them improved during the year
• Ward Discretionary Budget – Spreadsheets were handed out by Ward Manager to meeting. Cllr Mackay encouraged all in attendance to apply via this Budget for support with any suitable projects. In response to a question re village officers CC Fraser confirmed that they are funded via the Community Councils
A comment from the floor suggested that although the publication, Caithness Explorer 2007, was an excellent brochure it should be published much earlier in the season. This year was June which was felt is far too late to catch the tourist market.
ACTION POINT – Ward Manager’s Team to contact Scottish Provincial Press to see if earlier publication for 2008 and forthcoming years can be realised.
• Dates of future meetings – It was agreed that forums will be held on the following dates – Tuesday 11th December 2007 in Ross Institute, Halkirk & Tuesday 5th February 2008 with venue still to be arranged.
• AOCB – CC Roberts, Bower, raised issue over lack of public transport. Is there subsidised transport such as taxis available as he understands that Wick can get this?
ACTION POINT – David to consult with Caithness Transport Forum who are due to meet on 2nd November 2007 in Thurso.
Question and Answer Session (PDF 39kb)