Action Note of Tain and Easter Ross Ward Forum held on Thursday 28 August 2008
in Seaboard Memorial Hall, Balintore
Present:
Cllr Alasdair Rhind (Chair)
Cllr Alan Torrance
Hamish Mackenzie – Tarbat Community Council
George Dobbie, Kilmuir and Logie Easter Community Council
Angus Scobbie - Balintore and Hilton Community Council
Liz Whiteford - Fearn Peninsula Partnership
Peter Whiteley – Tain Community Council
Fiona Robertson, Tain Initiative Group
Sarah Lumb - Inver Community Council
Acting Inspector Peter Allan - Northern Constabulary
Rose Hazell - Kilmuir and Logie Easter Action Group
Maureen Ross - Seaboard Initiative
Isabell McLaughlan – Milton Housing Forum
Robert James – Balintore Residents Group
Ian Hargrave, Corporate Manager – Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Nicola Ewing – Highland LEADER Programme Manager
Fiona Cameron – Highland LEADER Development Officer
Carol Elliot - Ward Manager Tain & Easter Ross
6 Members of the Public
Apologies Cllr Richard Durham
1. Welcome and Introductions
Cllr Rhind welcomed everyone to the Forum. A special welcome was given to Acting Inspector Peter Allan in place of Inspector Neil MacKinnon, who has been seconded to another post. Also to Balintore Residents Group and the Milton Housing Forum who join the Ward Forum as representatives of the two Registered Tenants Organisations in the Ward, and to Carol Elliot, the new Ward Manager for the Tain & Easter Ross Ward.
2. Apologies for Absence
Cllr Richard Durham.
3 Community Safety/Police report – Northern Constabulary
Action from last Ward Forum - Acting Insp Peter Allan reported that there is 1 police officer for every 398 head of population in the Highland area. This is lower than some other areas but the crime rate in the Highlands is also lower.
A Force review has led to increased recruitment, 80 plus recruits are going through the Police Academy at the moment. Six new staff will arrive in the Highland area by Xmas.
A Traffic Warden from another area will be used to cover Tain on a part-time temporary basis.
There was concern that road closures for work by Scottish Water in various locations would be difficult for harvest lorries leaving farms on affected roads.
ACTION 1 - concerns to be raised with Les Christie, Transport, Environment & Community Services (TECS) Technician.
The contractor has already spoken to a local farmer when they were notified of his concern. The Police confirmed that traffic management plans are in hand to avoid blockages.
4. Ward Update
New Ward Manager in post – Carol Elliot
Community Councils are invited to nominate Highland Council staff (either individuals or teams) for the ‘CC’s nomination for Employee of the Year’ category of the Councils own Quality Awards. The closing date is Friday 10 Oct.
5. Feedback on action points from previous Ward Forum
• Copies of the ‘Action Points Raised at previous Tain and Easter Ross Ward Forums’ sheet were available.
• Copies of the response from the letter sent to the Ministry of Defence requesting statistical information relating to Tain & Easter Ross were available.
• Information on ratio of Police to people - covered in Police Report already.
6. Presentation – Highland LEADER Programme 2007 – 2013
Nicola Ewing, Highland LEADER Programme Manager gave an outline on LEADER. The full brief is attached at appendix 1 (PDF).
The Highland LEADER programme has not been launched yet. This will happen once the Scottish Government confirm their final allocation.
LEADER projects must have economic benefit and must be matched pound for pound with public money. Fiona Cameron can help with applications. Contact details and more information can be found at www.highlandleader.com
ACTION 2 – Nicola Ewing to define ‘economic benefit’ for the purposes of LEADER.
Applications under £50k will be considered by Local Area Partnerships where they exist. These will be made up of representatives from the Tain and Easter Ross Ward area and should have no more than 50% public membership and at least 50% private/community membership. Community Councils are considered to be public membership. Where there is no Local Area Partnership (LAP) in operation, applications will be considered by the strategic Leader Area Group (LAG). There will be approx £65k per annum (until 2013) available for the Tain and Easter Ross Ward area. The 2007 allocation will be carried forward to use.
It was agreed that Ward Forum members form the Steering LAP for the Ward to take the project forward locally.
Fiona Cameron encouraged anyone with any questions to get in touch. Fiona is based in Golspie and covers from Caithness to the Cromarty Firth. She will be supporting Local Area Partnerships.
7. Members feedback from HC HQ Committees
In light of the feedback from the Ward Forum review conducted with our Forum members on 3 July and to allow more time for the main purpose of the Ward Forum to scrutinise Council Services, Local Members and The Corporate Manager agreed that it was more appropriate to report on this at individual Community Council meetings should each CC want to give agenda time to it rather than repeat information that is already easily accessed on the Highland Council’s web site - www.highland.gov.uk under ‘minutes and agendas’. Anyone can find the same information on the summary of the reports to Council and further details of the main points there.
A report is going to Committee on 4 Sept to suggest improvements to Ward Forums and to improve genuine scrutiny.
8. Date, location and topic of next Ward Forum
2 Oct, 7pm for 7.30pm in Tain Royal Academy Community Complex. Sandy Park, The Convener of The Highland Council and, Alistair Dodds, The Highland Council’s Chief Executive will be attending. They are trying to visit all Ward Forums and are keen to engage in conversation. The question that has been sent to them by local Members and following feedback from the Ward Forum review is: How can we influence and improve Council services at a local level. They will also participate in a Question and Answer session.
9. Public Question and Answer session.
Q Chair of Tarbat CC – still feels questions about Housing figures for Portmahomack remain unanswered.
A Tina Luxton’s response is in the ‘Response to Action Points Raised at previous Tain and Easter Ross Ward Forums’ from the last meeting which has been sent with an e-mail from the Ward Manager to try and help clarify the response. Waiting list information is only one factor involved in identifying housing demand in any area. There are other methods available for measuring housing needs at a community level and David Goldie, Head of Housing, has advised he would be happy to discuss how that might be taken forward should the Tarbat CC want to pursue this at their own meeting.
Q The Highland Housing Register application form category for ‘Seaboard Villages’ isn’t clear and it was felt wrongly defines the area as a category for ‘Balintore/Hilton’ already exists. Suggestions for another title were requested to feedback to Housing.
A Cllrs will progress.
Q Can a Local Lettings Initiative be looked at for Portmahomack?
A It was suggested the Community Council speak to Albyn Housing Society about this.
Q At the Nigg Fabrication Yard meeting, the 2 consultants attending promised information would be fed back but there has been nothing back yet.
A There is nothing more to report at the moment until the report comes out. Consultants are working on the Master Plan. ACTION 3 - Get update.
Q Can training/events be organised for all Community Councils in the area?
A To be considered. Christine Ross, Voluntary Groups East Sutherland (VGES), sent out info to CCs requesting training needs some time ago.
It was agreed a vote of thanks be passed to Caroline MacAskill for her work in the Ward.
10. Thanks for attending
Notes from all meetings are available on The Highland Council website under ‘Council Wards’. For an update on ‘ACTIONS’ see appendix 2.