Action Note of East Sutherland and Edderton Ward Forum held on Monday 27th October 2008

Agenda

1. APOLOGIES

Phil Tomalin
Albert Fraser – Edderton Community Council
Bill Faassen-de-Heer – Brora Community Council.

2. ACTION POINTS FROM THE LAST FORUM

As reported, re the wind turbine route for Gordonbush. Landowners appear to be the problem. Could a letter be sent to the various landowners to ask for their support and co-operation, and to further discuss with SSE?
ACTION: Ian Hargrave and Councillors.
• Lighting on Drummuie Path: Ian Hargrave stated it will be addressed soon, and vegetation management is in hand for next year.
• Grants for training – still awaiting an answer.
• Clarify THC phone numbers – no progress to report at this meeting.
• Level crossing at Helmsdale – gated crossing requested by the Community Council. May be replaced in 5 – 6 years by a gated crossing. Additional signage and vegetation removal are being discussed with rail operator, plus speed of trains at the crossing.

3. WARD DISCRETIONARY BUDGET

Approximately £4.5K uncommitted.

4. LEADER FEEDBACK – William Sutherland

• Funding programme to 2013. 4th tranche of Leader Funding to the area – targeted at rural communities. Public matched-funding is required. LAG at Highland level. In Sutherland will disburse a 6 figure sum: the two wards will work collectively to deliver. Leader Development Officer in post: Fiona Cameron – 01408 635215. Decisions by local area partnership (LAP), The LAP must have 50%+ community representatives [through the Sutherland Partnership].
• Progress to date: the intervention rate still not known, and no application form yet.
• Highland LAG meets on 29 Oct and will perhaps decide this.
• Draft Development Plan for Sutherland has been consulted on until 26th September 2008. Final draft will go to the Sutherland Partnership board for approval on 3rd November 2008.
• Nominations for Sutherland LAP – no decisions made yet. WS suggested the possibility of a Community Council representative.
• A Leader Enquiry form is available. A small database of potential projects is being compiled.
• Sutherland Partnership hopes to develop an Action Plan from the Development Plan and the Highland SOA. William Sutherland listed the seven key themes of Leader and the prioritisation of these in Sutherland from the consultation work at the two Ward Forums. Facilities, activities and services came first in both East Sutherland and the North West.

Discussion Points
LAP could be making decisions by late November/early December and could co-opt members if necessary. According to WS Councillors are classed as Community Representatives. Sutherland Partnership Manager and two Ward Managers will act as advisers and not decision-makers.

5. HIGHLAND COUNCIL BUDGET – Brian Porter, Corporate Finance Manager

• Facts and figures 2008/2009. Revenue £852m. Capital £87m. Employees = 9,700 FTE. Fixed assets £1.4 billion (schools, Social Work facilities, roads etc). UK budget – Comprehensive spending review – Scottish block determined by Barnett formula. Scottish Government determines allocation of Scottish block. Scottish Government – Local Government £11.1 billion (about a third). The Highland Council 18% from Council Tax and rest from Scottish Government. One-fifth of budget met by Council Tax – can result in disproportionate impact on Council Tax to fund the budget. Budget process: budget agreed February every year. Process starts in August. Cash limited budget. Incremental budget approach. Adjusting for growth and savings. Saving targets set. Efficiency targets set.
• Determining spending priorities: concordat, service plans, service pressures, legal and statutory requirements, community and stakeholder views.
• Services: Education, Culture and Sport 39%, Social Work 17%, TECS 11%
• Major costs: employee costs 42%, supplies and services 21% serving Council Debts 8%,
• Current challenges – current economic position, inflation, energy and fuel rises, income.
• Efficiency Strategy: delivering services more efficiently; targets set by Government 2% per annum.
• Annual Report - £18m delivered efficient savings past 3 years [e.g. asset management, Drummuie – admin savings etc].

Discussion Points
• Question – must be a point when all possible efficiencies have been achieved. After that, would it impact on services? Answer: Looking at savings through IT and new working practices and technologies. Yes, efficiencies become more challenging after time.
• Question: Balance between efficient saving and driving staff too hard to get through workload? Drummuie saving £250k per year
• Question: can we spend our way out of recession at local level? Answer: possible acceleration in affordable housing spend [not an increase]. Mixed funding proposal for capital perhaps.
• Common Good funds are separate but managed by the Council through Ward Managers, in consultation with Corporate Manager and Community Councils.
• Question: Leeway for pensioner service? Answer: Rising elderly population – a budgetary priority – greater demand.
• Question: Reducing budget and Council Tax freeze? Scottish Government makes compensation for Council Tax freeze.
• Question: review of properties’ banding? Scottish Government wants to introduce local income tax instead of Council Tax. Current figures based on valuations from 1992.
• Question: Any more information on local income tax? DM - has to be reasonable and fair. Scottish Government still has a lot of work to do to make it workable. IR – Liberal Democrats support local income tax in principle, but a funding gap identified. Sums don’t add up at present.
• No HC money in Icelandic banks
• Education, Culture and Sport 39% of budget - most of this school based.
• Social Work budget is increasing.
• Question: efficiency savings sought from public agencies working together to purchase energy? Yes, work in hand to progress.

6. COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Camore Bus Shelter
Presentation by Gordon Clunie, Dornoch Community Council: Bus stop/shelter requested for years. Community Council now doing it for themselves – materials from various suppliers, plus volunteers for measurements; paying for stonemasons and drystone dykers. Cost so far £250 (instead of £20k). Landowner gave land for free. Tremendous support. All will be invited to the official opening.

Golspie Big Burn
Presentation by Allan Barclay, Golspie Community Council: Big Burn Project, Golspie. Now a presentable car park alongside Sutherland Stoneworks. By 2000 only 3 volunteers left to maintain paths. Access Officer did a safety audit and following that ILM were contracted to do some upgrade work. Funding from Quarries 2006 Fund for safety fencing and upgrade of paths and steps. Storms of 2006 made more work necessary. SNH and Ward budget provided funding. Accessible path round pond £10k from Awards for All, plus SNH, Sutherland Estates and HIE. Next target: signage, leaflets and mapping.

Question: Community Service Workers? Contact – Jamie Sinclair at Drummuie.

7. POLICE

No-one present from Northern Constabulary. Police committed to supporting Ward Forums.
ACTION: Attendance at Community Council Meetings to be confirmed.

8. VOLUNTARY SECTOR

• Children In Need Workshop publicised – will take place on Friday 7th November at the Ferrycroft Centre, Lairg, from 10 am to midday. Opportunities for 1-to-1 sessions with the rep from Children in Need.
• Building a Highland Compact Road-show to take place on Wed 26th November, Lairg Community Centre, from 11am to 3pm. The event will look at building a Highland Compact between the public agencies and the voluntary sector: how to define and manage our working relationships. It will also look at how the voluntary sector can participate in the Highland Single Outcome Agreement (SOA) process.

9. COMMUNITY COUNCILS

• Dornoch
Extensive damage to the Cathedral over the weekend by vandals. Repairs from Cathedral funds not likely as not insured for vandalism. Planning to start a restoration fund. Some broken windows but not the stained glass. It is part of Sutherland heritage – appeal to other Sutherland Community Councils to assist in fundraising. Cost of Cathedral reparation not known at present. N.B. Gordon was going to talk about the public toilets in the Square in Dornoch – used by bus passengers as a comfort stop – toilets need an upgrade. He will raise this issue next time.

• Golspie
the bus service after Dornoch takes longer to get to Inverness. It was noted that a letter from Sutherland Partnership to Stagecoach has been sent – hopes to meet with representative from them at the SP Transport Forum.
Congratulations to William Sutherland for lobbying for no increase in charges to RNLI and East Sutherland Rescue Service.

10. COUNCILLOR ISSUES

None.

11. QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC

Question in absentia from Albert Fraser:
No support from Councilors to date for Highland Council employees in their pay dispute with The Highland Council. Replies: Jim McGillivray – support for Council employees in principle, as a long-term trade unionist. Deirdre Mackay – negotiations are on-going, not an easy situation. Ian Ross – limited budget and no new monies available. If they go beyond budget there will be repercussions.

Forward Scotland funds now paid directly to the Council – is it still available?
ACTION Ian Ross said he would find out.