Ward 8 –Tain and Easter Ross Ward Forum
Meeting held on Wednesday 19 August 2009
in the Nigg Village Hall
Present:
Cllr Richard Durham (Chair)
Alice Smith, Balintore and Hilton Community Council
George Dobbie, Kilmuir and Logie Easter Community Council
Richard Cross, Nigg and Shandwick Community Council
Hamish Mackenzie, Tarbat Community Council
Simon Hindson, HC Graduate Planner
Philip Waite, HC Access Officer
Marion Rhind, Ross-shire Voluntary Action
Ian Hargrave, HC Corporate Manager, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Carol Elliot, HC Ward Manager Tain and Easter Ross
12 members of the public
1 members of the press
Apologies:
Cllr Alan Torrance
Cllr Alasdair Rhind
John Scott, Fearn Community Council
Peter Whiteley, Tain Community Council
Maureen Ross, Seaboard Memorial Hall
Fiona Robertson, Tain Initiative Group
1. Welcome and Introductions
Cllr Durham welcomed everyone to the Forum.
2. Apologies for Absence
As listed above.
3. Community Safety/Police report – Northern Constabulary
No report
4. Ross-shire Voluntary Action – outreach. Marion Rhind.
Ross-shire Voluntary Action is running local Community Breakfasts on a Saturday morning (10am – 12noon) for community groups and interested individuals to access the CVS (Council for Voluntary Services) network.
Events have already been run in Invergordon, what shape they take will depend on the needs/queries of those attending. They have covered things such as: marketing and communications.
Community Breakfasts will be running in the Ward soon supported by the Ward Discretionary Budget.
5. Ward Update and feedback from the previous Ward Forum.
The Tain & Easter Ross LEADER Local Area Partnership has allocated £53,447.00 of the £303,580.00 available over the next 3 years to eligible projects.
The Notes from the previous Ward Forum are attached to the agenda.
Following the June Ward Forum on Tourism an open meeting is being held on Tuesday 22 September in Tain Royal Academy Community Complex at 7.30pm, to discuss the possibility of setting up a group to take forward tourism in the Ward. This is an open meeting which everyone is welcome to attend.
As well as the Highland wide Local Development Plan consultation which is one of our agenda items, the Council is currently consulting on its draft Allotments Policy until 11 September. You can get more information on this from the Ward Manager or by visiting the HC web site.
6. Update on the Core Paths in the Ward – Phil Waite, Access Officer.
The core paths in the Ward have been identified after public consultation. These are the paths that are now a priority for the Highland Council. They are more likely to receive maintenance and will receive greater protection or consideration if affected by other developments.
The remaining objections made to the draft Core Paths Plan are now subject to local public inquiry by the Scottish Government. No objections were received concerning paths in the Easter Ross wards.
Part of the Council’s duty is to make the core path network more widely known so signposting has started with a number of considerations being taken into account. Examples of signs and pictures of various locations were shown.
Some minor works have already been completed by The Council, Forestry Commission and some community groups. Future work is subject to budgets. The Planning & Development Service hopes to apply for LEADER funding to allow additional works.
Q – Can motorcycles access the paths?
A – The Land Reform Act does not permit access to motorised users including motorcycles. They can be used by horse riders and cyclists if acting responsibly.
Q – Feel the siting of signs in Balintore is pointing to the obvious. The post is 7ft high and added to other items such as litter bins, ropes, life rings, it clutters the view.
A – The Balintore seafront was developed through a community project many years ago. The siting of the sign was to try to fit in but may not have achieved that. A first time visitor may not know that the path goes all the way along to the harbour despite being able to see the harbour. The height of the signpost could be reduced. ACTION 1: Phil to get contractor to reduce the height of the pole.
Q – Feel the cliff path from Shandwick to Nigg is impassable, what can be done?
A – This was considered in the core path planning but was assessed not to be suitable. It requires a lot of work initially and then to maintain it. It was originally way marked by the Seaboard Initiative but not maintained. However sections at both ends of the route are included within the core paths plan. Nigg and Shandwick Community Council are in the early stages of looking at this as a project and have already provided a good example of what a community group can do at Bishops Walk.
Q – It is difficult to get funding to maintain paths developed as community projects.
A – The Planning & Development Service is aware this is an issue and will try to ensure some maintenance is done on some core paths every year. The team is keen to work with communities as they can access funding that the Council can’t.
Q – Why is the distance on the path signs measured in kilometres when the national measure is miles? Some paths follow roads which are measured in miles. OS maps use both measures, tourist maps also use miles.
A – OS maps are in kilometre grid squares thus making it easier to gauge a distance in kilometres. The metric system has been taught since the early 1970’s thus an ever larger proportion of the population is familiar with this simpler system, not to mention foreign visitors.
Q – Were walkers consulted?
A – There are 3 access user bodies represented on the Local Access Forum and all the Access Officers are walkers. Using kilometres is a Highland decision and not a national one.
Q – Is there scope for a grading system so less able people are clear if they can manage a path?
A - The Planning & Development Service is working with the Ross and Cromarty Disability Access Panel who are looking at producing a booklet of suitable walks.
Q – Could an icon be used on the signs to indicate motorbikes are not permitted?
A – These signs are destination signs only not advisory. However we have considered this issue and feel that motor bikers would ignore such signs and probably know they shouldn’t be there. Thus we have placed signs asking legal users to inform the police if motorbikes are an issue, this has been effective in some locations already.
7. Consultation on the Highland wide Local Development Plan. Simon Hindson. The Highland Council is consulting on its Highland wide Local Development Plan. This will update and replace parts of the Highland Structure Plan as well as 27 Local Plans which all needed updated every 5 years.
Nationally, the Scottish Government has been leading on what they want to see progressed through the plan. It should look at the economy; environment and fragile areas and services.
Within the new Highland wide Local Development Plan there will be 4 smaller area plans focusing on people, places and local issues. The Inner Moray Firth Plan will cover this Ward. It will also set out: the spatial strategy and vision for the area; clear policy guidance for development of all types; the development principles of key areas (including the A96 Corridor).
In Easter Ross it is thought that Fearn and Kildary have the potential for settlement growth; Tain for commercial growth; and Nigg for business growth.
Lots of different Policies are in the plan covering such things as housing, transport, retail, and crofting.
The preparation of this new Local Development Plan will assist with the delivery of economic development for the area, whilst making sure that the quality of the built environment in Highland matches that of the natural environment.
At the same time the Council is consulting on its Coastal Development Strategy, Local Transport Strategy and Local Housing Strategy.
The Council is consulting on the Main issues of the plan and has produced a report outlining these.
The purpose of this Main Issues Report is to highlight the choices that can be taken in planning for the development of the Highland area over the next twenty years. It is seeking the views of the community, the development industry and other interested parties as to the options for how development can be delivered in a way which fits with an overall vision and strategy. In doing so, the Main Issues Report seeks to address the issues where the Council is seeking help in finding the best way forward.
The Main Issues Report and associated documents can be viewed online at /developmentplans. You will also be able to view and make comment on the Council’s Coastal Development Strategy, Local Transport Strategy and Local Housing Strategy here.
Q – Why has there been no consultation on if we should move from 27 to only 4 plans?
A – There always has to be a starting point for consultation which is why we are at the Ward Forum.
Q – Past approaches seem to have been bottom up; this seems to be top down. What assumptions is the Council using about things such as population?
A – The Council is using information from various sources such as Government migration scenarios, Community Partnerships, etc.
Q – What about areas that have not been highlighted? Part of what the Council is doing can affect migration. But inward investment is needed in rural areas as well as Inverness. A – We completely agree and that is why we are working with our partners especially Highlands and Islands Enterprise to ensure that the investment is secured for these areas as well.
Q – A suggestion for improvement is to look at poor internet connections which affect small businesses and the self employed. Adding to unemployment.
A – The Council has already been doing work on broadband provision.
Q – Nigg and Shandwick Community Council has been through the draft Nigg Master Plan consultation round. Various possibilities have now been proposed for the site not all of which they feel are suitable. Once the Master Plan is adopted it becomes part of the Local Development Plan so the area could end up with inappropriate industry. The concern is that Councillors will debate the Master Plan and adopt it as a whole rather than look at the parts.
A – Geoff Robson is leading on the Master Plan consultation. The Local Development Plan sets out the principle for development at Nigg. A strategic environmental assessment is being done for both plans taking the SSSI in to account.
Q - Nigg and Shandwick Community Council feels its many concerns have not been responded to in the Master Plan report.
A – It is suggested the Community Council write to Geoff Robson and request a fuller response.
Q – The figures the Council is using are based on predictions provided by the Scottish Government which may not be accurate. The profile of the population also needs to be considered.
A – The plan will be reviewed every 5 years to keep it up to date. Changes in economy means predictions can change.
Q - Feel principles of housing allocations on a fairer basis should be part of the plan.
A – ACTION 2: Simon to pass comment back to Housing. The Housing Strategy is being looked at over the same time.
Q – Is the Council speaking to major employers as part of the work to create more stable employment to stop professionals moving away and skills being lost?
A – The Council is working with major employers such as NHS, Scottish Water, Transport Scotland, and SNH. We are also working closely with Dounreay to ensure jobs are available and industries will grow out of the decommissioning of the power plant.
Q – Why has the plan been divided into 4 local geographical areas? It might have been better to align areas with common issues, was this considered?
A – The 4 areas are based on travel to work areas and other issues such as fragile areas. The areas also generally work with Ward boundaries where possible.
The public consultation launches on 31 August and runs until 5pm on 9 November 2009.
There will be a drop in day in Tain on 16 September from 10am – 6pm at the Duthac Centre, with representatives from various services attending.
All Community Councils will also be getting an information pack with copies of the Main Issues Report.
Comments can also be fed back via the internet at our website /developmentplans or via our blog at http://hwldp.blogspot.com. Comments from this Ward Forum will be published there for further input.
8. Date, location and topic of next Ward Forum
Wednesday 7 October 7pm for 7.30pm. Tain Youth Cafe. The host Community Council will be Tain.
Theme: Youth Work in the Ward.
As always – Can Community Councils and other Ward Forum member groups ensure you gather views from your communities on these items via your own agendas to feed into discussions.
9. Public Question and Answer session.
Taken as part of Local Development Plan discussions.
10. Thanks for attending.
Cllr Durham thanked everyone for their attendance, Thanks to Nigg and Shandwick Community Council for hosting refreshments.