Action Note of Aird & Loch Ness Ward Forum – Wednesday 27th June 2007, the Town House, Inverness.
Attendees: Graham Strachan, Ward Manager – Aird & Loch Ness, Highland Council (Chair); Adrian Varwell, Fort Augustus & Glen Moriston Community Council; Tom Davis, Muir of Ord Community Council; Anne Angus, Council of Voluntary Services Inverness; Dick Beech, Chamber of Commerce, Drumnadrochit; Margaret Davidson, Council Member for Ward 13; Hamish Wood, Council Member for Ward 13; Helen Carmichael, Council Member for Ward 13, Drew Hendry, Council Member for Ward 13; David Summers, Transport Development Officer, Highland Council; David Haas, City Manager, Inverness, Highland Council; William Gilfillan, Corporate Manager, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey – Highland Council; Karen Hamilton, Ward Manager – Inverness West & Ness-side, Highland Council; Jimmy Flint, Ward Manager – Inverness Central & Millburn, Highland Council; James Campbell, Beauly Community Council; Serena Fraser, Beauly Community Council; Ron MacLean, Kiltarlity Community Council; Hamish MacLennan, Kiltarlity Community Council; Norman Grant, Kiltarlity Community Council; Annette Sutherland, Strathglass Community Council; Stuart Templeton, Strathglass Community Council; Lilian Gordon, Strathglass Community Council; E Waugh, Strathglass Community Council; John Martin, Dores & Essich Community Council; Ella Macrae, Dores & Essich Community Council; I King; Dores & Essich Community Council; Frank MacWilliams, Inverness West Community Council; Christine Forbes, Inverness West Community Council; Fran Stewart, Inverness West Community Council; Luis Kyle, Inverness West Community Council; G Christie, Inverness West Community Council; Karen Young, Kirkhill & Bunchrew Community Council; Barbara Lynch, Muirtown Community Council; Jane Candlish, Press & Journal; Calum Ross, Inverness Courier; Nikki Gilbert, Partnership for Rural Inverness; Gavin MacLean, Glen Urquhart High School.
Apologies: Iain Wallace, Roads & Community Works Manager, Highland Council; James Gibbs, HIE- Inverness and East Highland; Garry Coutts, NHS Highland; Scott Armstrong, VisitScotland; Supt David O’Connor, Area Commander, Northern Constabulary; Graeme Ambrose, South Loch Ness Tourist Association; Fran Davidson, Destination Loch Ness; Julie Macdonald, Beauly Firth & Glens Trust; Russell Thomson, British Waterways; Youth Voice, Dochgarroch Primary School; John Considine, Inverness Royal Academy.
Agenda
2 Background information on the Forum – Presentation by Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey Corporate Manager, William Gilfillan. No specific actions.
3 Presentation on Rural Public Transport by David Summers (Transport, Environment and Community Services)
Press for improvements to Inverness/Fort Augustus/Fort William service Action: TEC Services
Press for greater availability of ticket sales in villages on A82 Action: TEC Services
Draft development grant application for improvements to Fort William/Inverness route and development of rural transport in ward particularly South Loch Ness Action: TEC Services
Consider changes needed to new dial-a-taxi services and revisit at October Forum. Action: TEC Services
Publicise new dial-a-taxi services Action: TEC Services and promoters
Improved information in Union Street on services to Dores and Foyers Action: TEC Services
Request for early bus service to Inverness from Kirkhill to be investigated. Action: TEC Services
Community Newsletters and Community Council meetings to publicise bus services/subsidised taxis. Action: TECS to supply information. Community Councils and others to publicise
Consider improvements to bus services to better allow tourists to visit rural areas. Action: TEC Services
Rural Transport Forum Meeting in Kirkhill poorly attended, can Forum consider future options to improve attendance Action: Rural Transport Forum
4 Any other business
Location for Forums discussed. Alternate venues with Inverness to include Fort Augustus, Beauly, Drumnadrochit, and occasionally other locations depending on agenda. Programme to be considered at future meeting. Action: Chief Executive's Office
Ward Issues. Programme including priority for public transport, road safety, road maintenance, housing, educational building fabric, youth and community work, adult education and rural development was considered by Ward Councillors. Community Councils and Forum Members to discuss and identify their priorities. Loch Ness from tourism and economic angle was suggested as good item for next agenda – agreed. Action: Community Councils & Forum Members, Chief Executive's Office
Community Safety will be a regular item on the agenda with a report Action: Northern Constabulary
Highland Councillors and Community Councils. Community Councillors to consider how best Highland Councillors from multi-member wards can best serve them and identify preferred options. Members will consider such proposals. Action: Community Councils and Ward Members
Ward Budget. There is no longer a discretionary budget available to individual councillors but a budget of £56,812 available to the Ward. Application forms from the Ward Manager and decisions taken by the Ward Manager, having consulted with Ward members. Decisions will be reported to future Ward Forums. Action: Chief Executive's Office
Ward Profile. At www.highland.gov.uk. Ward Forum members to identify any changes needed and notify at future meetings. Community Councils can arrange to have their minutes attached. Action: Chief Executive's Office and Community Councils
Ward Contact Points. Council Members are considering a rota to attend at locations throughout the area on a regular basis, possibly on Friday evenings from 5-7pm. Details and dates will be advertised in due course. This would replace surgeries where they occurred.
Action: Ward Councillors
5 Date of next meeting. Agreed Wednesday 29th August, venue, Drumnadrochit.
6 Questions from the public.
Questions were raised with regard to the development of housing and limitations of water supply. It was agreed this was a pan-Highland issue and a priority for this area.
Action is at the hands of all representatives attending since this was not an issue specifically for The Highland Council.
There was discussion on planning and whilst it was confirmed that individual planning applications should not be discussed at the Forum, general discussion about planning and community planning could be discussed at a future meeting. It was indicated that it would be helpful for communities to identify what they wish in their communities not just what they would prefer not to have. Priorities from communities awaited as discussed above.
Action: Community Representatives and Chief Executive’s Office
The Ward Manager identified the need for the Forum to be inclusive and for youth to be represented in the Forum. Apologies had been received for this meeting but younger people and representatives of other less well represented communities would be encouraged to attend future meetings.
Action: Chief Executive’s Office
Service Point. In reply to a question regarding the delay in phone answering at Service Points, use of music whilst waiting and delay in feedback William Gilfillan offered to investigate the specific enquiry and clarified general guidance on accessing the Council via the telephone and/or Service Points.
Action: member of public to raise detailed enquiry with Corporate Manager