Action notes - Ward Forum - Black Isle (Ward 10)
Meeting held on 17 April 2008 in Munlochy Village Hall Munlochy
Present: Councillors Isobel McCallum (Chair), David Alston, Billy Barclay and Craig Fraser, Donna Haldane, Resolis Community Council, Hamish MacCulloch, David Scott, Joy Winnick, Ferintosh Community Council, Tim Meredith and David Skinner, Avoch and Killen Community Council, Owen Smith and Hamish Gatt, Knockbain Community Council, Anne C Mackay, Killearnan Community Council, , Elizabeth Brown, James Cornwall and Gwyn Philips, Fortrose and Rosemarkie Community Council, Anne Short, Cromarty and District Community Council, Sue Scott Dickins, Black Isle Team Leader (NHS Highland), Kurtis Toy, Youth Representative, Wanda Mackay, representing the Voluntary Youth Sector, Chief Inspector Paul Eddington and Inspector Mathew Reiss (Northern Constabulary).
Invited Guests and Officials in attendance: Dafydd Jones, Area Planning and Building Standards Manager, Ross, Skye and Lochaber and Brian Mackenzie, Senior Planner, Development Plans Team and Diane Agnew, Ward Manager – Black Isle.
Apologies: Susan Russell (NHS)
For Action:
Good news items
Action: All to contact Ward Manager or any Local Members should there be any good news items they would like mentioned and noted at the Forum
Action: All to note. Congratulations to
- Callum MacIver (13 years old) from Avoch and a member of the Chanonry Sailing Club. Callum has been awarded the prestigious Royal Yachting Association Scotland Young Sailor of the Year Award.
- Wanda Mackay who was shortlisted for the 2008 Moray Firth Contribution to the Community Award
Action to date: Wanda Mackay won the Moray Firth Award for Contribution to the Community 2008 for her inspirational work with the community.
Item 2
Action Notes from previous Ward Forum
Updated action notes which included actions to date were circulated and approved.
Working Group – Services for Young People – Kurtis Toy (Chair of Working Group) and Wanda Mackay gave an update on the progress of this very productive group. The key points of note were:
- priority identified as having permanent venue for young people
- have circulated Black Isle Youth Services Questionnaire (106kb) to young people on the Black Isle seeking their views and aspirations of youth services on the Black Isle - survey on Services for Young People complete
- Youth Group now meeting on Tuesdays in Culbokie new Primary School
- Youth Group now has a Committee and is Constituted
- Volunteers have come forward and training is being set up on Child Protection
- continue to investigate the availability of venues for hire for use by youth group
- actively applying for funding
- funding applications have been successful
Action: Ward Manager, Local Members, Community Councillors and Youth Development Officer to work closely with group re venue and attracting funding.
Working Group – Services for Older People – Councillor David Alston (Chair of Working Group) gave an update on the progress to date of this very focused group. The progress made and key points of note were:
- Group would like to:
- improve Services for Older Adults
- identify need – carry out a needs analysis – identify gaps in provision
- look at roles of public, private and voluntary sector
- Working Group had held several very productive meetings
- purpose of the Group would be to produce a Strategic Plan for the Black Isle for Services for Older People.
- questionnaire on Services for Older People was almost complete
- questionnaires would be circulated to all Black Isle Community Councils who would co-ordinate responses for their geographical areas
- questionnaires would also be available to anyone wishing to complete
- findings of survey would be reported back to future Ward Forum
Action: Ward Manager /Working Group to finalise questionnaire and circulate to Community Councils, post on Ward web site and circulate to partners and interested parties.
Action to Date: Questionnaire complete, circulated to Community Councils, posted on Ward web site BI Services for Older Adults - Questionnaire (27kb) HAT Diagram (17kb)
• Item 3
Main Topic: Planning Matters
Brian Mackenzie, Senior Planner gave a resume of
Action: Ward Manager to put links to various Planning web site information on the Black Isle Ward web site. /yourenvironment/planning/default.htm Community Benefit Leaflet /livinghere/communityplanning/communitybenefit/– Community Toolkit Community Toolkit - main text
Action to Date: Links now in place.
Dafydd Jones, Area Planning and Building Standards Manager, Ross, Skye and Lochaber presented a paper and led the Forum on discussion on Planning and New Changes.
Members of the Forum highlighted that they would wish the Local Plan to be available at more accessible venues.
Action: Ward Manager, Dafydd Jones and Brian Mackenzie (Planning and Development) to look into having the local plan available to view at Village Halls, Schools, Post Offices as well as on line and at Service Points.
There was a request that the plans be numbered.
Action: Dafydd Jones (Planning and Development) agreed to check on this.
The Chair, Isobel McCallum and members of the Forum and public thanked Dafydd Jones and Brian Mackenzie for their detailed presentations which they ound interesting and informative.
Item 4
Community Safety
Chief Inspector Paul Eddington who is now the Area Commander for the Ross and Cromarty area gave an update on the restructure of the command area.
Chief Inspector Paul Eddington highlighted that there will be amended shift patterns in the Black Isle.
Detection rates continue to be 64% which in UK terms is very high.
Serious crime has reduced by 30%.
Overall crime in the Ross and Cromarty area has dropped by 11%.
Drink Driving (varying age groups) in the Black Isle is a concern.
Highlighted that theft of heating oil from tanks within home grounds is growing and all should ensure they padlock their heating oil tanks.
Action: All to ensure news gets around that members of the public should padlock their oil storage tanks.
Public Question and Answer Session
Concerns were raised, with developments such as the North Kessock Housing Development, that Fortrose Academy would not be able to cope with the increased numbers of pupils. Cllr Billy Barclay advised that Education, Culture and Sport Service of the Highland Council were reviewing the school capabilities.
Action: Ward Manager and Local Members to arrange future Ward Forum on Education Services within the Black Isle where subject of capacity of Fortrose Academy could be discussed. Future topics suggested were Licensing
Item 6
Dates, venues and topics for future Ward Forums
Action: All to note. The next Ward Forum will be held on Thursday 12 June 2008 with the Topic for discussion being Funding.