City Forum
Landward Wards- Wards 13, 18 and 20
18th September 2009 in Farr Community Hall, Farr at 7.30pm
Attendees
Cllr Margaret Davidson – Highland Council (Chairperson)
Cllr Drew Hendry – Highland Council
Cllr Roddy Balfour- Highland Council
Cllr Bob Wynd- Highland Council
Cllr Thomas Prag- Highland Council
Cllr Glynis Sinclair- Highland Council
Cllr Roy Pedersen- Highland Council
Cllr Jim Crawford- Highland Council
Cllr John Holden- Highland Council
David Haas- Inverness City Manager
Louise McCaul, Ward Manager – Highland Council
Charles Stephen, Ward Manager- Highland Council
Andrew MacLean – Northern Constabulary
Anne Angus, CVS Inverness
Alan McKinnie-Waste Operations Manager– Highland Council
John Taylor- Community Works Manager- Highland Council
Les Houlker- Technical Manager- Highland Council
John Lee- Environmental Health Manager- Highland Council
Andy Stewart- Transerv
Cathel Macaskill- Customer Service Manager- Scotland Transerv
Norrie Westbrook Scotland Transerv
Representatives from Stratherrick and Foyers Community Council
Representatives from Strathdearn Community Council
Representatives from Strathnairn Community Council
Representatives from Croy Community Council
Representatives from Smithton and Culloden Community Council
Representatives from Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston Community Council
Una Lee- Scottish Natural Heritage
Douglas Meiklejohn- Farr Community Hall Association
Donald Forbes- Foyers Services ltd
Angus Fraser- Angus Fraser Contractors ltd
Parent Council Representatives, Farr Primary
Sheila Lamont- Head Teacher, Farr Primary School
Plus 11 members of the public
Cllr Margaret Davidson in the Chair
TRANSPORT, ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Welcome and introduction – David Haas and Councillor Davidson
1. Apologies: Councillors Helen Carmichael and Hamish Wood.
Note of Previous Forums and discussion – Matters Arising: none
2. Community Safety Update – Chief inspector Andrew Maclean
Chief Inspector Maclean gave an update on policing within the Wards, then took questions from the forum. Crime statistics are now showing that crime levels are half of those in the same period last year. Feedback from the public shows that the further from Inverness that people live, the safer they “feel”. Some local issues had been identified recently, e.g. speeding in the Foyers and Fort Augustus areas. Foyers had also been identified as an area where there was perceived to be a high drugs problem but this doesn’t bear out in crime statistics.
Q: In the Strathnairn area PC Kinnard has retired. Is there a name for the new Police Officer?
A: Constable Rowe is the Community Beat Officer.
Q: Has the A82 speed van been effective?
A: This has been effective and a number of motorists have been caught speeding.
3. Main Forum Theme: Transport, Environmental and Community Services (TEC)
a) Alan McKinnie- Waste Operations Manager, TEC Services
Alan gave a update and presentation on waste collection and the development of recycling activities in landward Inverness since 2005. In 2005 funding for recycling was made available from the Strategic Waste Fund and a kerbside recycling service was rolled out. This has been very successful in diverting tonnages from landfill. The blue bin service is available to rural householders, a 240 litre bin is provided for dry recyclables.
The nearest recycling centre for landward Inverness is Henderson Road, in Inverness. 70% of the waste that comes through the gate at this recycling centre is currently recycled.
Within the wards (13,18,20) there are 24 recycling points, where waste can be recycled. For example, in Daviot last year 13.5 tonnes of waste was collected for recycling. In Inchmore, 51 tonnes of waste for recycling was collected.
It is very expensive to dispose of waste in the Highlands. The Scottish Government have a zero waste policy which started in 2008- the target is to recycle 70% of our waste by 2025.
Q: Do people know where the Henderson Road recycling centre is, there are no decent signs?
A: We accept that signposting could be better and will look into how this can be improved.
Q: Can we get companies to use less packaging?
A: This should be led by the Scottish Government. As a council we are limited I what we can do, but we encourage waste minimisation.
Q: Sometimes when we use the recycling facility there are queues because only one skip is available.
A: There should be two skips available, and also a compactor.
Q: I’m intrigued about the landfill tax, who pays the tax and who does it go to?
A: The Council pays the tax, the tax goes to the Scottish Government, not to Westminster.
b) Andy Fraser, Deputy Network Manager, Scottish Transerv
Andy gave a briefing about Transerv and how they manage the Trunk road network.
All trunk roads in Scotland are treated with pre-wetted salt. A decision making matrix is used to determine when roads are gritted, the matrix is based on road surface temperature, road conditions (e.g. wet/dry) and the forecast weather.
Weather forecasting and road conditions are gathered by a number of means, e.g. electronic data, road sensors and cameras.
Transerv have a number of depots throughout the Highlands where fleet and salt are stored, to give access to the trunk road network. The main patrol routes in the three wards are the A86 and the A9. There are no requirements within the contract to treat pavements.
Transerv also distributed a briefing note about the forthcoming repairs to the Kessock Bridge in 2011 which could cause significant disruption.
Q: What determines how much salt is put out?
A: The matrix determines how much salt is applied to the roads.
Q: There are issues with signage and visibility on the A9, coming south on the A9 there is no signage.
A: Where it relates to safety we have Traffic Safety Engineers who make an assessment.
(NB: a suggested action/request for Transerv to visit the area and observe the problems)
Q: How do you deal with clearing pavements?
A: Category A is precautionary
Category B - snow and ice have to be cleared by 5pm
Category C - have to be cleared by 5pm the next working day
We work closely with Highland Council so that footpaths can be done at the same time.
c) John Taylor, Community Works Manager, TEC Services
John gave an update on the range of activities that TEC Services cover in rural Inverness, focussing on Winter Maintenance. Highland council have a responsibility to treat all A class roads; the legal requirement is to take such steps as are considered reasonable, and have resources to treat to the standards set out in the Council Policy. An overview was also given for burials, Parks and open spaces, grounds maintenance, street cleaning (in the rural area TECS have 7 operatives) grass cutting play parks and public toilets.
Q: Do we have updated gritting routes and maps available?
A: They are not available at this moment, but the policy and priorities are available on the website.
ACTION: TECS to send updated maps to the Community Councils as soon as they are available.
Q: How do you know as an organisation if you are meeting the targets for road surface treatment?
A: The drivers radio in when the routes are completed and we monitor all the time.
Q: What about litter and mess on the A96?
A: with the resources that TECS have available it is difficult to keep on top of the litter. 6 weekly litter picks are done. We are doing all the main routes but the A96 does seem to be a particular problem.
Q: There are two bus stops in Croy that seem to be causing the problem- people get off the buses and leave litter.
Q: We have three questions about issues in Strathdearn:
- The state of the Leys road- lack of signage and passing places
- The damage to the B851 by timber Lorries
- Getting “slow-children” signs up
A: TECS do not get recompense for damage to road by timber Lorries. The rural roads do need significant investment but budgets are under pressure. TECS will look into providing signs, particularly the “Slow- Children” signage.
Q: There is offensive graffiti outside Drumnadrochit on rock faces by the road side will this be removed?
A: We are aware of this and it will be done.
Q: Are single track roads going to be lined?
A: The budgets this year and in coming years will not have funding for white lining of this type.
Q: Housing Policy is encouraging building more housing in the countryside. Is there any policy for widening roads and resurfacing?
A: We do get some funding from planning gain but where just one or two properties are built at a time (e.g. in the countryside) this is not enough to fund road repairs and improvements.
Q: Is there any way that you can put a weight limit on single track roads?
A: We can only put weight limits on roads where we can prove that it is damaging the road or if there are points of weakness, e.g. bridges.
7. Any other business - none
Meeting ended at 9.30pm