Action Notes of East Sutherland and Edderton Ward Forum held on 8 Dec 09, Edderton Hall.

Agenda

Present

Cllr. Jim McGillivray (Chair) Highland Council
Cllr. Ian Ross Highland Council
Cllr. Deirdre Mackay Highland Council
Alistair MacIver Rogart Community Council
Yvonne Ross Dornoch Community Council
Iain Miller Golspie Community Council
Paul Hoggarth Edderton Community Council
Kathleen Cunningham Brora Community Council
Ann Keatinge Voluntary Groups East Sutherland
Ch. Insp Matthew Reiss Northern Constabulary (NC)
David Goldie Highland Council
Phil Tomalin Highland Council

7 Members of the Public

1 Apologies

Evelyn Mackenzie (Helmsdale CC), Ian Hargrave (HC), Insp. Ramsay Aitken (NC)

2 Action Points/ Matters Arising

Portgower Helmsdale Stretch of A9 /Helmsdale on road distance signs
• Reply received to letter sent to Transport Scotland (copy sent to Helmsdale CC):
- Work at Garbh Allt culvert to go ahead
- No plans for major works on A9 Helmsdale–Portgower. Accident stats do not indicate requirement
- No plans to alter signage in the area.

Brown Tourist Info road signs - Highland Wildcat, Golspie and Historylinks, Dornoch
• Meeting in Dornoch on Thurs 1 Dec to progress brown sign for Dornoch. Highland Wildcat to follow. Update at next Forum

Brown signs with slide- in panels - Cllrs to discuss with Transerv
• Although good idea there is no precedent for this kind of sign. Transerv not keen

HIE E Sutherland accommodation report.
• Report not yet completed and will be launched at Tourism event on 1 Mar. 2010

Aviemore Adventure Travel World Summit - promote business opportunities
• HC in discussions with organisers to promote event to Highland businesses through reduced rates and fringe events

Skelbo crossroads - Pothole at corner perceived as contributing factor by community.
• The pothole has been repaired by Transerv.

Mound Speed Camera
• Reply received from Northern Safety Camera Partnership detailing evidence of how effective the camera is at that location.
Discussion points:
• Safe stretch for overtaking, different driving conditions to Cambusavie bends
• Speeding is an issue; camera could be put to better use elsewhere
• Police have little control over safety cameras – run by partnership
• Poss. locate camera for 15% of time at non standard locations e.g. outside schools

3 Ward Discretionary Budget

Sheet circulated with details of grants made to date in 2009/10. There were no questions

4 Highland Housing Strategy - David Goldie HC Head of Housing

Introduction
• Each LA required by law to have Housing Strategy.
• HC consulting on strategy 2010 – 2015.
• Strategy consultation until end Dec but submissions accepted in Jan 2010
• Report to Housing and Social Work Cttee in March 2010
• Will be integrated with Highland Local Development Plan

Housing Strategy includes the following
• Housing supply and demand issues
• Housing quality and standards inc. privately owned housing
• New arrangements for disrepair (inc. private sector)
• Homelessness
• Fuel poverty

Housing need determined by Demand Study which includes:
• Housing supply target inc. affordable housing
• Establishes new land requirement
• Sets context for Affordable Housing Policy which determines proportion of new developments required to be affordable housing
• Refers to 10 housing market areas in Highland - Sutherland is one of these areas:
o Wide variation in Sutherland
o Housing relatively affordable by Highland levels but incomes are lower
o Less homelessness than other areas, but varies across Sutherland
o Housing need profile declines to 2016 then rises again to 2021
o Housing pressure measure is ratio of people on housing list to turnover of houses. Highland avg. is 1.8 (1.8 people per house that comes available). Variation in E Sutherland: Dornoch is 2.4; Helmsdale and Brora approx 1.8; remainder of Ward is slightly less

Affordable housing investment
• Scottish Govt investment program likely to be affected by budget pressures
• Targets communities with greatest demand
• Evidence suggests need to redress balance to favour of rented over affordable to buy
• No pressured area status (suspended right to buy) in Sutherland but could be considered for some communities in new strategy

Fuel Poverty
• Scottish Home Condition survey indicates Highland ranks 5th in Scotland
• Fuel poverty index = % of people who are fuel poor (based on proportion of income spent on heating). Brora one of highest in Highland (>20%), Golspie and Rogart 19%
• Lack of mains gas in Highland is an issue, coal and electric heating are less efficient
• Energy Advice Centre offers targeted energy advice and packages to all tenures
• Golspie, Rogart, Brora will be targeted with mail shots and grants info
• Fuel poverty measures include: loft and cavity insulation; air/ ground source pilots (e.g. Embo) woodchip, waste from heat district heating scheme in Portree
• Option appraisal for heating replacement contracts on a contract by contract basis
• The Council aims to target 200 homes per year to use alternate energy sources

Discussion points
• Impact of Budget pressures - Priorities likely to remain the same, but volume of housing likely to reduce from 500 affordable units per year to 350
• Scrappage scheme for older boilers
• Edderton new water waste treatment plant should enable housing to be built in Edderton. Community needs affordable units to support community and school
• Lack of communication between Albyn Housing, Highland Council and HHA
ACTION PT to follow up communication issues between Albyn, HC and HHA
• Fuel poverty schemes are excellent but most needy are elderly and are difficult to target and to convince – requires different and more effective communication
ACTION Future Ward forum on Energy Efficiency
• Community Safety tie-in with police to events to deliver energy efficiency message. East Sutherland CCF similarly able to help.
• Thermal imaging plane proposed by DACIC – looking for support from other communities? Local Councillors have indicated their support.
• Are energy efficiency grants available for agriculture and business
ACTION Cllr Ian Ross has been looking into this and will report back findings.

An individual housing complaint was raised and dealt with separately following the meeting

5 Community Safety – Chief Inspector Matthew Reiss, Area Commander for Caithness, Sutherland and East Ross

Ch Insp. Reiss new in post, but familiar with area having served in NC for 24 years.

• NC review has reduced management and increased officers on the beat - currently 800 officers (up from 650 six years ago)
• NC area has lowest number of officers per population; Caithness and Sutherland command area is largest geographic command.
• However NC area also has lowest crime rate combined with good detection rate
• Vandalism is most prevalent crime
• Drugs and especially alcohol involved in 80% of arrests
• Geography is a challenge when responding to calls
• Current crime concerns include opportunistic theft and heating oil theft

Budget
• Significant challenges ahead
• Redundancies amongst support staff
• No additional recruitment in 2010 – officer numbers will drop slightly due to retirement – retiring officers will not be replaced
• Extensive recent recruitment in 2010 1/3 of Officers with less than 5 yrs experience
• Variable shift arrangements will be protected – these ensure that officers are available at peak times, although impact on quieter times when fewer staff on duty.
• Creative solutions with existing resources e.g. traffic wardens, newsletters etc.

Traffic
• Speeding still identified as a major public concern
• Drink Driving campaign continues to be successful. Prevalence of mobile phones has increased tip-offs, which are an important source of info

Special constables
• NC always looking for more. Info available on NC website or write to NC HR

Discussion points
• Initiatives with young people are welcomed e.g. test purchasing, driving ambitions
• Prisoner transport – prisoners are usually held in Inverness, but when no space prisoners may be transported to and held in Wick. Occasionally duty sergeants may keep short stay prisoners for a couple of hours in local stations such as Dornoch.
• Emergency response – given the geography, officers will respond from all command areas to major emergencies. Airwave radio has revolutionised police communications.

6 Issues raised by Voluntary Sector Ann Keatinge (VGES)

• Sutherland Summit – report available on VGES website
• Highland Vol. Sector Compact – outlines shared principles and values for public and voluntary sector joint working
• Impact of Recession on Voluntary Sector – HIE study focus on Helmsdale
• Community Energy Scotland – village hall energy audits. Workshop in Jan 2010
• LEADER funded training: Personal Safety, Management, Treasurer Training

7 Issues raised by Community Councils

Brora - New CC, grateful for offers of support from other CCs

Golspie
• Trees overhanging A9 between Golspie and Brora
ACTION PT to follow up previous correspondence with Transerv
• Police confirmed close working with Transerv - Police often report issues
• Lay-by at Trawler - no longer bus stop - Police agreed to stop moving drivers on

8 Issues raised by Councillors

Driving Ambitions - All S6 students in Caithness, Sutherland and Tain have attended

HC Budget
• Proposals for some services on 17 Dec, TECS, Social Work and ECS in Feb
• Impact of general election unknown

9 Questions from Members of the Public

Question concerning Cllrs expenses, remuneration and Members catering at HC HQ in Inverness. Cllrs replied with the following points:
• Members Expenditure Group has been set up to monitor expenditure
• Cllrs no longer receive a secretarial allowance (previously £100 per month)
• Use of ICT (e.g. video conferencing) to reduce travel costs
• Catering only provided on Cttee days - more cost effective than lunch allowances
• Expense claims are open to public scrutiny
• Salaries for Cllrs have enabled a wider cross section of society to become Cllrs and subsequent broadening of council priorities e.g. increase in number of women Cllrs has led to greater attention paid to projects supporting vulnerable women
• Cllrs have no role is negotiating salary and allowances – this is determined nationally

A9 electronic signs
• Controlled by Traffic Scotland. Limited range of messages that can be displayed.