Minutes of
Mull Community Council (MCC) Meeting held on Tuesday 13th
October 2009
Present:
Linda Cameron (Chair), Fiona Brown (Pennyghael/Tiroran), Ronnie
Campbell (Bunessan), Bert
Leitch (Ulva Ferry), Tony Proud (Dervaig, Treasurer),
Steve Willis (Salen), Cllr. Gordon Chalmers, Sgt.
Angela MacDonald, James hilder (MICT), John Clare
Minute/Correspondence Secretary).
1.0
Apologies:
Jim Corbett (Lochbuie), Cllr. Mary Jean Devon.
Action
2.0
Police
Matters:
2.01
Finlay
Christine’s replacement, PC Stephen Brown, should be in post by
the end of October.
2.02
Prior
notice of one week should be given of requirements for police
support at organised events.
2.03
Amnesty for police cones
– An appeal for return of any police cones comes following the
destruction of the island’s supply at the Mull Rugby 7’s this year.
2.04
There
is now a regular link with the Northern Constabulary on a range
of issues including the Mull Rally and poaching.
2.05
Mull Rally
– No disorder or anti-social behaviour issues. Chair had been
asked to call for a meeting between representatives of the Mull NFU,
MCC, rally organisers and police following the incident where acow
was hit by a rally car. Also because of the aftermath: rally
organisers appear to have a general lack of understanding about the
difficulties of keeping stock off the roads. The issue must be
sorted out prior to the 2010 rally.
An incident report will be
provided.
Sgt. MacDonald
2.06
Community policing and Crimestoppers posters and leaflets
distributed.
3.0
Minutes
of the meeting held 8th September 2009:
The minutes were proposed by Tony Proud and seconded
by Ronnie Campbell.
3.01 Outstanding Action Points:
Reporting Road Damage:
Revised map not yet on website.
Chair
Community
Engagement Meeting:
No feedback received. Cllr.
Devon
(Cllr.
Chalmers did not attend the meeting)
Scottish Water:
Problems ongoing. MCC to write to Scottish Water to express concerns
and ask that the Tobermory water supply be improved.
Sec/Chair
4.0 Correspondence Received:
4.01
West Highland Housing Association:
Naming of housing scheme could be decided by a competition at
Tobermory School.
Sec/Chair
4.02
Sound of Mull Working Group:
16th October meeting cancelled.
4.03
Resignation of Susan Royle from MCC and as MICT
representative.
4.04
Community Council Conference:
Steve Willis to register if attending.
4.05
Notification of 2010 public holiday dates for
Tobermory and Oban.
4.06
Planning Application for housing at Inverlussa:
Permission granted.
5.0
Housing
& Development:
All items discussed elsewhere.
6.0
Cal-Mac:
6.01
Ferries are being damaged on the Iona slipway. The
company who
implemented
the repairs went bankrupt, but ways of carrying out
remedial work
are being investigated.
7.0
MICT
Report
- James Hilder reported:
7.01
Energy information point is now open on Fridays in
Bunessan.
A public meeting will be held on 9th
November at 7.30pm as part of
the MICT AGM to discuss electricity generation from
renewable sources
to benefit the community.
7.02
Island Castaways Bunessan will host a fashion show on
21st November.
7.03
Applications are being sought from community projects
for the £4,000 remaining from eagle hide visiting.
7.04 MICT AGM - There
are director vacancies, contact MICT for a nomination form.
8.0
Roads &
Transport:
8.01
Ronnie Campbell bemoaned the appalling state of local
roads and
the lack of remedial action. He also queried how
much A & B Council
were paid by the Mull Rally organisers and why none
of this money
seemed to be spent on Mull. Fiona Brown confirmed
that the potholes
had not been filled with hot tar as promised.
8.02
Keep Mull Moving:
Chair confirmed that a KMM representative had
attended the meeting on 2nd October in
Oban with Jim Matther,
but that MCC had not been invited. Jim Matther is
agrreing to show
more commitment to fighting the Mull roads cause.
A meeting is to be heldd by KMM with invited people
in the fight for
better roads and an e-petition is to be prepared.
Stuart Stevenson has still not replied from the
September meeting.
George Lyon MEP is disappointed at the lack of
progress and has
asked for an update.
No further updates had been received on the road
maintenance
programme. Cllr. Chalmers to
chase.
Cllr. Chalmers
8.03
Tar Plant:
Cllr Chalmers confirmed that the A & B Executive had
approved the tar plant proposition, which would be
owned by them,
but run by a contractor. The mobile plant would be
shared between
Mull and islay and available for 3 or 6 months in
alternate years.
Tenders are being sought at present and it is hoped
it would be in
operation by 2010.
9.0
Councillors Reports
– Cllr. Chalmers reported:
9.01
A meeting was held with the A & B Business Gateway
Officer who is
able to give
business advice but has no project funding. He has been
appointed to
fill the void left after the end of the Highlands & Islands
Enterprise
Scheme.
9.02
Cllr. Chalmers has asked that road management be
taken into
consideration
by the Audit Committee, which looks at asset management
but not the
roads strategy.
9.03
Tobermory Toilets
– Cllr. Chalmers has stepped down from the community-
run management
group because of a lack of feedback, but is hoping to speak
to the
managers of the toilet to remedy the situation. A & B Council have
the ability to
seek someone else to run the toilets if a solution cannot be found.
10.0
Finance
Report:
Closing Balance of £ 2,231-10. (£1,000 has been
transferred to investment account.)
11.0
Any
Other Business
(including Area Reports from Community Councillors):
11.01
Child Protection Legislation
– Training
workshop will be held on 29th
October to assist with disclosure paperwork.
11.02
Planning Applications for Wind Turbines:
Chair gave details of the
five applications for 12 turbines on the Ross of Mull
and stated that
the applications had been made by a private
speculator and that she
had no vested interest. The deadline for comment had
been
extended to 27th October. The
applications obviously do not generate
any benefit to the community. One letter expressing
concerns about
the applications from a local resident was read out.
Fiona Brown
stated that the applications had not been advertised
and that the
A & B planning application website is very difficult
to access. There
is no link with Mull Renewables and a grid analysis
has established
that, if successful, the turbines in the current
applications will use the
capacity for selling electricity back into the grid
from an area west of
Pennyghael and thus preclude the opportunity of
residents on the Ross
gaining an income from electricity generation.
Cllr. Chalmers agreed to send a copy of the Local
Plan criteria used for
determining such applications to MCC.
Cllr. Chalmers
It was agreed that the applications were unacceptable
as they stood
and that the applicant should be invited to attend
the next MCC meeting
to clarify his proposals. A letter is to be sent to
A & B to that effect. Sec/Chair
Dervaig Wind Farm:
Tony Proud confirmed that the vote of the public
meeting had gone strongly against the proposals. All
of the schemes,
which each had considerable community benefits, have
now been
rejected, leaving the way open for a private scheme
that may not.
11.03
Community Council Elections
– Only five councillors had registered
(eight minimum
required, a possible sixteen places are available) –
poor
advertising and short timescales by A & B Council partially to
blame.
Because the
minimum of eight was not achieved a by-election is to be
held – details
were circulated including posters to be displayed around
the island.
Nominations must be returned by 5th November (voters
numbers are
available from Ken MacDonald of A & B Council). Chair
confirmed that
she is stepping down from MCC after more than ten
years due to
work commitments and lack of a Vice-Chair, but reinforced
the importance
of the Community Council and its potential as a powerful
body for the
island. Information regarding by-election to be prepared
for Round &
About, Am Muileach and Oban Times.
Sec/Chair
James Hilder
to circulate details of by-election (to be approved by Chair).
11.04
Steve Willis (Salen):
Recycling bins - complaints of noise, flies, smell, etc.
ongoing.
Issues regarding relocation of the bins to be clarified further.
Steve Willis
11.05
Bert Leitch (Ulva Ferry):
Cleaning out of ditches, off-shutes, etc. has
still not been
carried out but the verge cutting carried out by a private
contractor was
excellent. Cllr. Chalmers will talk to Stuart Clark to get
action.
Cllr. Chalmers
11.06
Ronnie Campbell (Bunessan):
Asked if the possibility of Highland
Regional
Council taking over the responsibility for Mull could be
investigated
because of a complete dissatisfaction with Argyll & Bute
Council.
Confirmed dangerous state of Uisken road that was overdue
for
resurfacing. Cllr. Chalmers to investigate delay.
Cllr. Chalmers
11.07
Fiona Brown (Pennyghael):
Work on the replacement bridge at
Pennyghael,
which was due to start April 2009, has still not commenced.
Cllr. Chalmers
confirmed that work was on hold pending establishment
of land
ownership.
11.08
Linda Cameron (Chair):
Asked Cllr. Chalmers why there was very little
feedback from
Councillors from the Oban meetings and stated that
because of
this it was not clear how and when Mull Councillors were
fighting for
the Island. Cllr. Chalmers responded that they were and
that he will
try to ensure a better feedback in future.
11.0 Next meeting: 7:30pm Wednesday 11th*
NOVEMBER 2009 at Craignure Hall
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