Action Note – Caol and Mallaig (Ward 12) held on Tuesday 30 August 2011
Present: Councillors Eddie Hunter, Allan Henderson, Bill Clark; Arisaig Community Council; Mallaig Community Council; Morar Community Council; Arisaig Community Trust; Kilmallie Community Council; 2 members of the public
Officials in attendance: Dot Ferguson (CE); Mark Crowe, Andy Tuckwood (TECS)
For Action
Chief Executive’s (CE)
Education, Culture and Sport (ECS)
Finance (F)
Housing and Property (H & P)
Planning and Development (P & D)
Social Work (SW)
TEC Services
Listed below is the action required as a result of the decisions/discussions taken by the Lochaber North Ward Forum at their meeting held on Tuesday 30 August 2011 in Astley Hall, Arisaig.
Please arrange to take the required action on the basis of this Action
1. Welcome and apologies – Tracey Ligema, Joanna Hynd, Ian Jackson
and Maureen MacColl
2. Action sheet from 24 May 2011 – noted
3. Community Safety update
Inspector Donald Campbell updated the meeting with regard to local issues. Local staffing changes have now been implemented with the new Area Commander (Ch Insp David Bushell) taking up post as of 29 August. There has been a slight decline in the detection rate to 59% for Lochaber and Skye. Overall recorded crime has dropped by around 5%.
Police continue to be proactive in all areas and a court case regarding significant drugs offences will now be heard in October/November. With regard to road safety, there is a continuing campaign to meet the demands of increased numbers of people in the area and to reduce accidents. The camera van will now be based in Fort William and additional sites are being identified for its use. Serious road accidents and fatalities are slightly down on last year, but there has been a small increase in the number of collisions.
Street League football has again worked well this year with the final being played on 10 September at the BA Park. All community councils were encouraged to contact Insp Campbell if they are not getting police representation at their meetings.
Issues raised included concern that staffing was depleted in Mallaig and that there had been some vandalism at a housing development site in Arisaig. In response, Insp Campbell said that one vacancy was about to be filled in Mallaig and that they are trying to get stability into staffing. With regard to the vandalism, police will ensure a visible presence in the area.
4. TEC Services update – roads – waste – litter
This item took the form of a question and answer session with Mark Crowe, Acting Area Roads and Community Works Manager and Andy Tuckwood, Waste Operations Manager. Issues raised were as follows:
Q. Seagulls making a mess – can gull-proof bags be used and could Mallaig get a compactor wheelie bin like the one on trial in Inverness?
A - Gull-proof bags are not used in Highland and not proposed. Compacting bins is being trialled. Outcome of trial awaited, but even if it proves to be successful, they cost £3,500 each to purchase on top of maintenance costs.
Q. Staffing levels are poor, particularly at weekends when litter is at its worst.
A - his is being looked at as part of a wider review. Review will look at hours / shift patterns etc and hopefully will be able to resolve some of these issues, however the review is also looking to save £500,000 across Highland in the next two years. Lack of a street cleaner in Arisaig will form part of the review. In terms of removal of litter, HC is guided by the approved code of practice based upon the Environmental Protection Act which gives response times for various types of land. These response times dictate the resources each area has allocated.
Q. Commercial or household use of litter bins for waste are filling bins meant for litter.
A – TECS would like to work with businesses to help them deal with the waste their business generates eg polystyrene fish and chip containers etc. Households should only be using their own wheelie bins or recycling centres to get rid of domestic waste.
Q. Rural skip is a great loss – can it be replaced ?
A – Skip service won’t be replaced and was only available in two areas of Highland. The purpose in removing the service was to encourage more recycling. Pilots are being attempted elsewhere to help the communities manage a small recycling area and the Council is happy to work with any community to try to achieve this.
Q. The strategy to increase recycling should have been supported with a strong education element.
A – Council’s Waste Aware team go to all the schools in the area and exhibit at Highland Games, shows etc. If the community would like them to attend any specific event, just need to let the Council know.
Q. Visitors don’t know the recycling ‘rules’ as they vary from area to area within the UK and abroad – could there be clearer signage?
A - This can be considered including signposting to other local recycling facilities including Claggan.
Q. Flyposting by itinerant traders is a habitual problem – how can it be controlled?
A – Flyposting is a form of littering, but it is often difficult to catch the offender. It was agreed that MC would look further into this and licensing regulations would also be checked to see if there are any controls.
Q. Education needs to be more proactive.
A – Enforcement is difficult as it needs two council officials to observe someone dropping litter and to fine them However, it was agreed that there should be greater awareness of the possible consequences of dropping litter and that it is an offence. However it was also acknowledged that cultural change takes a great deal of time and it is hoped that the work being done with school pupils now will bear fruit over time.
Q. Frustration is caused by the split between waste and litter functions within HC.
A – This is being resolved as street cleaning/litter will come under waste from April. However, it is often down to how ‘corporate’ individual workers are and they should be reporting any mess etc seen even if it is not their job to deal with it at the time.
Q. Outcome of monitoring of changes to the waste collection / recycling etc needs to be fed back to the communities.
A – AT undertook to check how the relevant info can be fed back in a user-friendly format
Q. Smaller litter bins are preferred, as larger ones are abused.
A – people should be asking for a bulky uplift if it is for something which cannot be taken to the recycling centre at Claggan (£15 for three items). This should be promoted more often.
Q. How is ragwort controlled ?
A – HC has no policy to eradicate it, but will work with landowners who are trying to treat it by treating adjoining verges, with priority given in areas where horses and cattle graze.
Q. Coastal route road sign is too close to Canon Gillies Place – relocation of the sign had already been agreed with TECS, but not actioned.
A – MC to follow up
Q. Bilingual signage for Kings Way and Victoria Place (leading to Marine Place) needs to be erected.
A – MC to pursue
Q. NADICS board indicating “Works at Kinlocheil” needs to be changed.
A –DF to contact Transerv
Q. Children’s play area in Loch Nevis Crescent - staggered exit has been removed and should be replaced for safety reasons. Arisaig play area has small gap between wall and fence which young children can squeeze through.
A – MC to investigate both of these issues.
5. AOCB
MC informed the meeting that resurfacing would begin on the Back of Keppoch road in October
Concerns were raised by the community about bank vacancies not being filled and a resulting cut in opening hours
Cllr Henderson informed the forum West Highland Museum Trustees would be meeting with Arisaig Community Council to discuss ‘the Arisaig painting’