Action Note - East Sutherland and Edderton Ward (Ward 5)
21 April 2008
Attending
Cllr. Ian Ross (Chair) - Highland Council
Cllr. Jim McGillivray - Highland Council
Cllr. Deirdre Mackay - Highland Council
Sandy Mackintosh Brora - Community Council
Iain Miller - Golspie Community Council
Evelyn Mackenzie - Helmsdale Community Council
Paul Hoggarth - Edderton Community Council
Gordon Clunie - Dornoch Community Council
Ann Keatinge - VGES
Phil Tomalin - Highland Council
Bob Edwards - Highland Council
Sgt. Garry Cameron - Northern Constabulary
23 Members of the Public
1 Apologies
Ian Hargrave
2 Action Points/ Matters Arising
Correction
Transport issues recorded under Golspie CC business were in fact raised by Gordon Clunie of Dornoch.
Councillor Representation at Community Councils.
Following consultation with Community Councils the following was proposed and accepted:
• Dornoch and Edderton CC’s will be served by Cllr Jim McGillivray
• Golspie, Rogart, Brora and Helmsdale CCs will be served by Cllrs Ian Ross and Deirdre Mackay who will rotate.
• All Councillors are welcome to attend any Community Councils and will frequently do so.
3 Ward Discretionary Budget
A handout of projects supported from 07/08 budget and a pie chart showing proportion of applications from each community was circulated. The lack of applications from Edderton and Rogart was noted.
CC top up of £200 in addition to the approx. £1200 grant CC’s receive from Highland Council was confirmed. The continuation of the School Travel Subsidy, which subsidises fuel costs to school travelling to events outwith Sutherland was also confirmed
The proposed budget for 08/09 was also circulated:
Proposed Ward Discretionary Budget 2008/9
1. Community projects
1.1 Major projects
a. S Brora Playground 8850
b. Other major project(s) 11250
1.2 Local projects 10000
1.3 Environmental / streetscape 10000
Total 40100
2 Partnership/ Ward Projects
2.1 Sutherland Partnership 10000
2.2 Other partnership/ Ward projects 5000
Total 15000
3. Miscellaneous
3.1 CC Top Up 1200
3.3 School travel subsidy 500
Total 1700
TOTAL 56800
4 Youth Issues
Presentations were made by students from Dornoch Academy and Golspie High School on the following topics:
Sutherland Youth Forum
• S2 – 25 year olds involved
• Represents an area or attend as individuals
• Meet every two months
• Run a range of projects:
Pass Plus
• Further training for newly qualified drivers
• Improves confidence and ability
• Reduces insurance premiums
• Grants of £100 towards cost available from Youth Bank
L8One
• Late night bus which meets last bus and train from Inverness at Tain every Saturday
• Runs between Tain and Helmsdale
• Started as a pilot, now run commercially by Stagecoach.
Sutherland Youth Bank
• Grants up to £500
• Project must benefit young people.
• In 2007 31 projects were supported worth total of £10,600
• 187 young people directly benefited with wider group of 440 also deriving some benefit
• Examples inc. go-karting, buddy trips
• Training, social and travel opportunities
Current projects being developed:
• Subsidised Taxi
• Skid pan training
Discussion:
• Pass plus is advertised at schools and at test centres
• Membership of Sutherland Youth Forum is informal (not elected) and anyone can join
• The meetings move around Sutherland, distances are a problem for attendees
• Some Youth Bank projects are 100% funded, others receive funding from other sources
• Police support any initiatives that improve road safety including Pass Plus. They also use enforcement measures inc. ASBOs where encouragement does not have an effect on young drivers.
Highland Youth Voice
• 100 young people (two or three from each secondary school in Highland) attend two conferences per year
• Xec of two reps from each of 8 areas meet every six weeks
• Consult with Council regarding youth issues
• Opportunities to work shadow
• Development of new campaign groups: Schools, Transport, Health, Media.
EASY Project (European Activities to Strengthen Youth)
• Scotland, Spain, Italy, Poland, Germany, Lithuania
• Projects
• Conferences
• Exchange visits
• Dialogue by distance
• link with similar project in Brazil
Art Projects Helmsdale
• Film made with Fin Macrae on lack of youth facilities in Helmsdale. The film was shown to HC which has resulted in funding and development of youth facilities in the village.
• Exchange project with young people in Ireland invoiced workshops and film making
• 17 students were involved in an exchange visit to Orkney
• Ours Project with artist in residence involves 12 young people on a regular basis with others participating in some projects
• Impact of projects include increased confidence, experience, interaction with people from different places, interest in something that is not school work, people are more articulate, should help people live a fuller life
Two main issues for young people in Helmsdale
• Youth club - why is it taking so long to finish the Youth Club project?
• Transport – access to things that are not essential but that people want to go to e.g. dances etc. Transport difficult to organise and expensive
Media Projects Lairg
• Making of film about life in Lairg
• Exchange with young people in Ireland
• Making of video about life in Scotland
• Involvement with the EASY project inc. video link with Brazil and another video currently being made.
• Impacts include increased confidence, awareness of other cultures e.g. Brazil and Ireland
• Opportunity to develop media skills and experience
Comments and discussion
Helmsdale
• Helmsdale CC Chair invited young people to come to talk to Community Council about youth issues.
• HCC was involved with the development of the Youth facility through Rural Services Priority Area funding.
• Helmsdale has a community bus which can be hired to take groups of young people to events. The cost per mile would be small if the bus was full (17 seats). It can also be hired by other communities.
• Sometimes people are not aware of the opportunities that are available.
ACTION PT / ECS to follow up progress with development of Youth Club and identify the reason for any delays.
Transport
• Highland Youth Voice Transport Campaign Group sent a petition signed by 700 young people to the Scottish Government requesting free/reduced transport for Highland students
• It was noted that the Scottish Govt currently provides £30m for concessionary travel for young people which gives a 1/3 discount.
• No Local Authority funding is available for concessionary fares. (except for dial-a-bus and subsidised taxis).
• Any pressure on Scottish Govt to increase funding would be beneficial.
Youth clubs in Dornoch
• Existing clubs in Dornoch are aimed at younger people or religious groups. There is a gap for the older age groups who do not want to be a part of a religious group.
• Problem in Dornoch is lack of suitable facilities.
• Development of Sports Hall in Dornoch part of the work to address this
• Youth club used to be held in Social Club but building in poor state of repair. A new committee is currently working on getting the building up to standard and into use again.
• Transport an issue for these living outside Dornoch town.
• Dornoch could develop a transport scheme similar to that in Helmsdale.
Communications.
• Schools can help promote Highland Youth Voice through assemblies . The Highland Youth Voice Media Campaign Group also has a role to play in promoting the organisation and its activities. Youth Voice also has a new website
Sexual Health
• Issue of confidentiality and confidence in small rural communities
• System of rotating nurses suggested.
• Caithness and Sutherland Sexual Health Group have identified this as an issue and have provided trips to Brook in Inverness. Possibility of outreach service from Brook or similar should be researched
• Youth Development Officers are /have received training in sexual health
• Be safe project – young people identified at risk are making a film about sexual health issues to help promote the safe sex message
• Sexual Health and Relationships Education is delivered by YDO during PSE at Dornoch Academy. Similar will be developed with YDO at Golspie High School.
• YDOs get a good response because they are not teachers
ACTION: Find out current provision and best practice
Opportunity to improve the offering with NHS, ECS and SWS
Young people involvement in Community councils.
• CCs would like greater involvement of young people in Community Councils. Edderton advertised for a young people’s councillor and this has proved effective.
Non sport based activities
• A lot of activities are sport based, but not all young people are sporty, but still enjoy other activities e.g. paint ball.
• Golspie High School Mountain Biking Club is a good example of what can be achieved.
• With energy and patience young people can develop groups to get these activities going – there is plenty of support available from ECS and VGES and others.
5 Police and Community Safety
Sgt Cameron underlined police support for initiatives, including those raised above by young people, that make the roads safer
There were no further issues for the police raised by the Forum.
6 Transport
Feedback on Action Points from previous forum
Rail fares north from Helmsdale to Thurso
These can be reduced through use of family railcard, or through little publicised Highland Railcard, which is available fro £7.50 for Highland residents and halves all train fares within Highland area.
958 Inverness-Scrabster
The last service each day has been reintroduced and Stagecoach have stated that it will not be withdrawn at the end of the summer.
Dornoch Dial-a-ride.
The area of operation was confirmed as Dornoch to Golspie, and Dornoch to Bonar Bridge (inc onward journeys to Ardgay and Migdale)
Journeys can be made for any purpose, however if passengers have an appointment or onward connection, they should mention this when making the booking to ensure that the operator can get them to the appointment.
If there any incidents of the service not being offered and agreed passengers are asked to note the details and get in touch with the Council so that the matter can be investigated.
Role of Highland Council Public Transport Unit
• No obligation to provide transport
• Aims to fill gaps where service not provided by operators
• Limited resources used to subsidise services and occasionally fares
• Involved with Sutherland Partnership Transport Group which lobby regarding transport issues in Sutherland.
7 Voluntary Sector
• Highland Community Care Forum - Funding in place to end Sept. Currently negotiating 3 yr SLA.
• VGES organising CC Training, but little response from CC’s. Letter to be re-sent.
ACTION CC’s to respond to VGES
• Highland Voluntary Sector Compact. List of additional partners inc NHS, HIE, Northern Constabulary, Forestry Commission and looking at engaging other Highland Wellbeing Alliance partners.
• VGES Offer to help with new OSCR accounting requirements for year end accounts.
8 Community Council Issues
Brora
Drummuie running costs were questioned given non-replacement of windows and oil heating. Drummuie is a listed building meaning that windows had to be retained or new ones made to order which would have proved very expensive
Heating system can be replaced with wood chip system in the future
ACTION PT to report final figure to Ward Forum
Dornoch
Question over reported staffing changes at Golspie pool
Management structure is changing, but there will be no compromise of the safety of swimmers
ACTION ECS to clarify staffing changes
Golspie
Gordonbush Community Benefit - initial discussions have taken place and Ian Hargrave is following up with SSE. Section 75 agreement includes a provision for community benefit to be paid.
Strathsteven - The rubbish has been cleared by local effort, Storey Rail will be contacted to recover the costs
9 Issues raised by Councillors
• Beachview - Public meeting to be held in the next couple of weeks
• Women’s Aid is opening an office in Golspie
• Dornoch Sports Council is progressing thanks to considerable effort of Dornoch Academy Parent Council
• Regional Woodland park is being developed. Opportunity to implement local projects and access European funding. CC’s will be consulted in writing and by Cllrs at CC meetings
• Two additional police posts in Sutherland in Lairg and Bettyhill, will have a knock on effect throughout Sutherland.
10 Public Questions
Brora Library photocopier is broken
ACTION Follow up with ECS
Police Cars Speeding
Difficult to know which incident was being attended, but reassured that ultimately Police drivers have to justify driving at speed. Police drivers are trained.
ACTION Police to raise with Inspector MacKinnon
11 Date of Next meeting
The next East Sutherland and Edderton Ward Forum meeting, will take place on 16 June 2008 in Brora Community Centre.