Action notes - Ward Forum - Isle of Skye (Ward 11)
Meeting held on 2nd February 2009
Agenda
Attendees:
Councillor Ian Renwick (Chair)
Councillor John Laing
Councillor Drew Millar
Councillor Hamish Fraser
Anne Sikorski, SLCVO
David Ashford, Lochalsh Youth Action Liaison Committee
Judith Wallace, Sconser Community Council
Maressa Munro, Dunvegan Community Council
David Taylor Uig Community Council
Linda Armstrong, Beinn Na Caillich Café/ Broadford Post Office
Una Macleod, Member of the Public
Jim Rennie, Skeabost and District Community Council
Roger Cottis, Wildlife Consultant
Janet Macdonald, Member of the Public
Gordon Bushnell, Torrin Community Association
Duncan Maclean, Northern Constabulary
Stan Donaldson, Broadford Environmental Group
Alan Duffield, Broadford and Strath Community Company
Alistair McPherson, Broadford and Strath Community Company
John Gordon, Portree Community Council
Irene Hepburn, Portree Community Council
Denis Gould, Broadford and Strath Community Council/ Bayview Crescent Residents Association
Caroline Gould, Broadford and Strath Community Council/ Bayview Crescent Residents Association
Joan F Turkington, SLAP & LSHA
Mike Taylor, Kyleakin and Kylerhea Community Council
Roderick Murray, Member of the Public, Tarskavaig
Member of the public, Tarskavaig
Officials in Attendance:
Jan Laing - Ward Manager
Jim Tolmie, TEC Services
Gordon Macdonald, TEC Services
Apologies:
Staffin Community Council
Nick Duffill
Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association
Chrisanne Macdonald, SLCVO
Listed below is the action required and the outcomes resulting from discussion at the Eilean a’ Cheò Ward Forum meeting on 3rd November 2008 held at Portree Community Centre, Portree.
1.0 Councillor Renwick welcomed everyone to the Ward Forum Meeting.
2.0 Action Notes from Previous Meeting.
The action note from the meeting of 3rd November 2008 was noted and the followed up actions from last meeting circulated.
It was noted that Councillor Fraser has no further update as regards the closure of the Bank of Scotland in Broadford on a Thursday but would be monitoring the situation in terms of further cuts in the service. An issue was also raised regarding the accessibility of the Royal Bank in Kyle of Lochalsh, which Councillor Fraser also agreed to pursue.
3.0 Presentation from BT and Openreach
Ian Shanks, Head of Scottish Affairs
Robert Morrison, Service Operations Manager, Openreach
John Nicol, Planning Manager Openreach
Zander Watson, Operational Manager Skye, OpenreachMr Ian Shanks explained that BT and Openreach are two separate entities with Openreach being the operational side of the business.
Notified Questions:
What can BT do to improve the line between the Broadford telephone exchange and Torrin? It is apparently at full capacity which means that a new broadband applicant in Torrin has to wait until an existing user terminates their contract before getting a connection. Also the line can be very slow (at best it is only 0.5 million megabytes per second) even although we are charged for much higher speeds by ISPs
It is my understanding is that Torrin customers are served from Broadford exchange - and there are no capacity issues - it may be that some people cannot get a service or get very low speed because of their distance from the exchange. I do not understand the point about people having to wait until someone gives up service before they can apply ( this is the situation in a few Exchange Activate exchanges - but not Broadford
Why are our broadband speeds slower than the rest of the country when we are paying the same as everyone else? And when do they hope to implement the improvements?
On the question from Mrs Turkington - the answer is that the charge is for the broadband service - we cannot guarantee a particular speed. On exchanges which will deliver speeds of up to 8Mbps the speed decreases the further people are from the exchange - this is down to the Laws of Physics and not BT/ Openreach it doesn't cost Openreach any less to provide a 1Mb service compared to an 8Mb service - in fast it probably costs more because the cable length is longer and costs serving rural areas would tend to be higher. For people served by 'Exchange Activate' exchanges - the 0.5Mb speed available on these exchanges is the best which can currently be delivered. In general speeds have increased whilst prices have not ( although of course different ISPs will have different offerings)
When are people in the Staffin area going to be allowed freedom of choice
with regard to broadband provision as opposed to the BT only situation which
currently exists.
On Mr Downes question on Staffin - people there are served by an Exchange Activate Exchange - it would not have been economically viable to provide a broadband service at all to small exchanges like Staffin, however the Scottish Government went out to tender and the result was that BT entered into a partnership arrangement where the government contributed £16.5 million to ensure that a broadband service was offered from every telephone exchange (with the exception of 17in the Western Isles where a wireless broadband service operates) and BT contributed a similar amount.. Because of the limited funds available it was not possible to provide what we call a 'full platform' broadband service to all exchanges and in 148 of the smaller exchanges an 'Exchange activate' service was provided. The benefit of Exchange Activate was that we were able to put broadband equipment into the exchange but did not have to increase the backhaul (the cable capacity from the exchange to the network). As you will appreciate laying miles of new cables from each of 148 exchanges back into our core network would have been immensely expensive and the cost could not be covered by the funding available at that time.
What are BT doing about the current broadband provision which I understand
is so slow as to be rendered useless at times.
There is currently an issue over some of the Exchange Activate exchanges. Demand has been higher than anticipated and some exchanges are at or near their capacity. As mentioned at the meeting we are currently engaged in discussions with the Scottish Government and hope to be able to make an announcement in the coming weeks
Could you obtain a contact name and number from the BT rep so that we can
take up some issues in a more direct manner.
Robert Morrison (Openreach) was happy that people contact him direct relating to operational issues – tel: 01397 702100, 07889 861082
There is a BT public phone box near the end of the Fiscavaig road. The phone box is not immediately adjacent to the road and passers by on the road can be quite unaware of it. The phone box needs some sort of direction sign at the roadside as it is unable to serve its purpose effectively when most people do not know that it exists. The Highland Council say that such signage is not their responsibility. Can the BT man at the meeting please be asked whether BT can please provide the necessary signage?
On Mr Towers question - My payphone colleagues tell me that they do not put up directional signs. The cost of erecting ( including obtaining the necessary permissions) and maintaining signage would be greater than any additional revenue obtained from kiosks. Currently over 60% of payphones are loss making ( mainly due to the increase in mobile usage) and BT payphones are doing what they can to reduce costs - they will not take action which will result in additional costs been incurred. They have, of course, no objection to the Community Council or the Local Authority putting up their own sign directing people to the payphone.
4.0 Kerbside Recycling – Phil Dewar Highland Council
Phil gave a comprehensive presentation to the Ward Forum Members
Following the presentation a number of issues were raised as follows:
• The plastic waste is transported to Falkirk for processing.
• Some plastics are not able to be recycled. Only types one and two plastics are suitable. The symbol/ markings are on the bottom of the containers – HDE/ PTE Symbols.
• Items not suitable include – Glass, food trays, tetra packs (the wax cartons), plastic trays, aerosols or plastic bags
• Wherever possible plastic bottles and tins should be squashed
• The lids off milk cartons should be removed – these can be recycled separately. There is a company in Stornoway who uses this type of plastic There are collection facilities at Broadford School and Kyle Pharmacy.
• The different coloured lids need to be kept separately.
• There is not yet any facility on the island for recycling batteries.
• Business recycling will be introduced at a later date.
• There will be a facility in Portree soon in respect of low energy light bulb recycling.
• It was noted that the paper recycling container is often overflowing- PD will feed this information back.
5.0 Community Council Matters.
It was reported by JL that the training pack for Community Councils is being developed for use as a CD. This work is being done with SLCVO and it is on schedule to be ready as indicated in the spring.
Mr Taylor rasied an issue regarding the notification of planning applications as the Kyleakin Community Council had not received any notification of the planning application in relation to the former youth hostel. It was noted that Community Councils should get the lists of planning applications but not detailed plans. Further clarification will be sought.
6.0 Ward Discretionary Budget Update
A paper detailing the monitoring of the Ward Discretionary Budget was circulated to the Forum for information.
7.0 Issues/Speakers for the next Ward Forum on the 16th March 2009:
It was noted that there was a desire to move to Ward Forums ‘themed’ around particular issues or subjects. It was therefore agreed to theme the next Ward Forum around Housing Policy.
8.0 Questions from the floor
Bayview Crescent Residents Association
"Given that the Council has been well aware, for over 20 years, of the problems in relation to the road Bayview Crescent in Broadford, and given the further exacerbation of these problems by the recent building of 48 new houses in close proximity, many of whose residents are now frequently using Bayview Crescent for vehicular and pedestrian access, and given that recent meetings to discuss the problem with the Residents Association and other agents now appears to have stalled, we would like to know what action Highland Council is going to take to ensure a speedy and satisfactory resolution (i.e. a road of an adoptable standard) to this long outstanding problem? Furthermore, what assurances are we to be given that the Residents Association, and thereby all the residents of Bayview Crescent, will be kept abreast of all developments and play an active part in the decision making process, regarding the resolution of this problem?"
Following discussions it was agreed that the Ward Manager would attempt to facilitate a meeting of all parties in order to resolve this ongoing issue.
9.0 Date of Next Meeting
Monday 16th March 2009. 2PM Tigh na Sgire