Inchture Area Community Council
Serving the parishes of Inchture, Abernyte, Kinnaird and Rait
MINUTE OF INCHTURE AREA COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD AT KINNAIRD ON THURSDAY 7th APRIL 2016
PRESENT A.Bailey, G.McKinlay, D.Henderson, B.Bird
APOLOGIES T.Woodford, L.McFarlane
IN ATTENDANCE M.Roberts
Minutes from the March meeting were available and proposed by G.McKinlay, seconded by B.Bird.
POLICE & FIRE
Police Scotland were not in attendance at the meeting but we did receive a request for feedback on their local priorities for the Carse area for 2015/16. Priorities are currently defined as (from highest to lowest) Speeding, Drug abuse, Antisocial behavior and Theft and housebreaking. It was agreed at the meeting that the Community Council will respond to the effect that local feeling is strongest about housebreaking and antisocial behaviour but that we are by no means the experts and that we appreciate that Police Scotland themselves are in possession of the data to enable them to perform a strategic assessment and to use those outcomes to set the appropriate priorities for the area.
The subject of irresponsible driving, poor parking and speed in the Main Street at Inchture was raised again. It was agreed that the Community Council will use its space in the Inchture Area Newsletter Summer edition to poll local feeling about the idea of a traffic management scheme for the Main Street similar to that present in other villages in the Carse such as Errol which help to define parking areas from crossing places and entrances.
Correction to the minutes of our March meeting: the two thefts from homes in Inchture occurred on 24th February not 24th January as was stated in the minutes.
ROADS AND TRANSPORT
Perth and Kinross Council winter roads maintenance team requested feedback from the Community Council on gritting and snow clearance for the winter 2015/16. It was agreed at the meeting that we would pass feedback from the Inchture Area Newsletter Facebook page by way of asking PKC whether Orchard Way, Meadowview Drive and Moncur Road gritting regimes have been reviewed in light of the fact that those are now through routes serving a considerable number of homes. A.Bailey to submit feedback.
T.Woodford sent his apologies but updated us by email that the 'walker and cyclist friendly' designation of some of the minor roads in the area such as the High Carse Road does not entitle them to any additional maintenance funding and that normal processes apply with regard to reporting potholes and drainage issues.
G.McKinlay highlighted that the Southbound bus stop on the A90 which was relocated some years ago still does not benefit from a continuous path from the village. T.Woodford to contact PKC and/or Transport Scotland about this omission.
EDUCATION
The final design of the MUGA (multi-use games area) at Inchture Primary School is to be decided at a meeting between that committee and PKC on Monday April 11th.
BROADBAND
BT Openreach have constructed a new fibre broadband green cabinet by the A90 turning into the village behind the school. The go-live estimation for the area of the village served by this infrastructure is July 2016 (the old part of the village plus the Muir estate up to about number 30 Orchard Way). Some residents raised a concern that postal codes in the Muir estate that were expected to benefit are not giving any completion estimate. A.Bailey has contacted Digital Scotland (government body part-funding the works) and BT Openreach on this matter which is hopefully just a case of databases not yet being updated.
The estimation for the remainder of the Muir estate to receive its broadband upgrade is stated as October 2016 by BT Openreach and there is little tangible progress to report besides some colourful markings on the road by the green box at the junction of Orchard Way and Lady Apple Close.
PLANNING
The new shop in the village has been constructed 1.4m wider than allowed by its planning consent and therefore it is anticipated that the owner will need to re-apply for planning consent to cover the enlarged size of the shop. Other issues are understood to mean that a Building Standards Completion Certificate has not yet been issued. There is also no sign of the path to Quarryknowe Crescent being provided.
The shop owner has also applied for a license to sell alcohol from the premises. Details of this are available from PKC's licensing team.
The Community Council voted unanimously in favour of taking the following actions:
Update: the planning application for the revised size of the shop was lodged with PKC shortly after the meeting and can be found under reference 16/00622/FLL
The planning application for two new houses at Ballindean which the Community Council previously objected to and which was refused by PKC has gone to a local appeal committee (reference 15/01573). At the meeting we heard from residents of Ballindean that there is still strong feeling against this development in the local area and so we agreed to submit a further objection to the appeal body. A.Bailey to submit (completed since meeting).
TREASURERS REPORT
No update, full accounts are expected to be presented at our next meeting (the AGM).
TREES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
The ivy on the redwood by the school has been dealt with.
TWINNING
Update from T.Woodford: Our colleagues in Fléac tell us that plans are well under way for the Long Weekend Celebrations (25-29 August 2016) to mark the 30th anniversary of the original twinning between Fléac and Marktbreit in Bavaria. About a dozen of us from Inchture Area will be going by air or car. Sadly, our piper, Sandy Smith, well-loved in Fléac, has moved up north, and the Scottish visitors lack a musician. Any budding piper volunteer would receive a very warm welcome in Fléac. (Last minute enthusiasts, please contact our secretary, Suki Stobbs at 01828 686444). This is going to be a Big Occasion with formal and informal activities. Fortunately they have arranged a big split screen in the chateau so that presentations will be available simultaneously in French, German and English. Just hope that the politicians keep it short... Then we will have a short 'seminar' on 'Alternatives to pesticides' where representatives from each partner (Fléac, Marktbreit and Inchture) have been asked to produce a short dossier on our environmentally-friendly approaches to crop protection. Guess who drew the short straw for outlining what we are doing in Scotland? The fun will start on Saturday where a 'rustic village wedding' and feast will be re-enacted, and they hope we will all sport the appropriate gear from the 19th/ early 20th century. I feel a visit to the museum is required. Just to remind everybody, once we get there, everything is taken care of (board, lodging, entertainment) and you won't have any additional expenses.
AOCB
A.Bailey put forward a proposal to add a directory of businesses and tradespeople based within the Inchture area to the Community Council website. Those present generally supported the idea with the proviso that all businesses or tradespeople have some form of accreditation, be that a PKC Trusted Traders mark or other professional certification. Such a listing would be a directory only and not an endorsement by the Community Council. The matter was deferred for further discussion at the AGM in May when more members will be in attendance.
Perth and Kinross Council is seeking feedback on its proposed local housing strategy for the period 2016 - 2021. Those wishing to review this or comment may do so by visiting http://www.pkc.gov.uk/article/13066/LHS-consultation. Comments must be submitted by 19th April.
L.Kay from the church informed us that it is anticipated that construction work on the extension and refurbishment of Inchture church will start in the coming months subject to necessary permissions.
DATES FOR FUTURE MEETINGS
May 12th 2016 - Inchture (AGM)
Serving the parishes of Inchture, Abernyte, Kinnaird and Rait
MINUTE OF INCHTURE AREA COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD AT KINNAIRD ON THURSDAY 7th APRIL 2016
PRESENT A.Bailey, G.McKinlay, D.Henderson, B.Bird
APOLOGIES T.Woodford, L.McFarlane
IN ATTENDANCE M.Roberts
Minutes from the March meeting were available and proposed by G.McKinlay, seconded by B.Bird.
POLICE & FIRE
Police Scotland were not in attendance at the meeting but we did receive a request for feedback on their local priorities for the Carse area for 2015/16. Priorities are currently defined as (from highest to lowest) Speeding, Drug abuse, Antisocial behavior and Theft and housebreaking. It was agreed at the meeting that the Community Council will respond to the effect that local feeling is strongest about housebreaking and antisocial behaviour but that we are by no means the experts and that we appreciate that Police Scotland themselves are in possession of the data to enable them to perform a strategic assessment and to use those outcomes to set the appropriate priorities for the area.
The subject of irresponsible driving, poor parking and speed in the Main Street at Inchture was raised again. It was agreed that the Community Council will use its space in the Inchture Area Newsletter Summer edition to poll local feeling about the idea of a traffic management scheme for the Main Street similar to that present in other villages in the Carse such as Errol which help to define parking areas from crossing places and entrances.
Correction to the minutes of our March meeting: the two thefts from homes in Inchture occurred on 24th February not 24th January as was stated in the minutes.
ROADS AND TRANSPORT
Perth and Kinross Council winter roads maintenance team requested feedback from the Community Council on gritting and snow clearance for the winter 2015/16. It was agreed at the meeting that we would pass feedback from the Inchture Area Newsletter Facebook page by way of asking PKC whether Orchard Way, Meadowview Drive and Moncur Road gritting regimes have been reviewed in light of the fact that those are now through routes serving a considerable number of homes. A.Bailey to submit feedback.
T.Woodford sent his apologies but updated us by email that the 'walker and cyclist friendly' designation of some of the minor roads in the area such as the High Carse Road does not entitle them to any additional maintenance funding and that normal processes apply with regard to reporting potholes and drainage issues.
G.McKinlay highlighted that the Southbound bus stop on the A90 which was relocated some years ago still does not benefit from a continuous path from the village. T.Woodford to contact PKC and/or Transport Scotland about this omission.
EDUCATION
The final design of the MUGA (multi-use games area) at Inchture Primary School is to be decided at a meeting between that committee and PKC on Monday April 11th.
BROADBAND
BT Openreach have constructed a new fibre broadband green cabinet by the A90 turning into the village behind the school. The go-live estimation for the area of the village served by this infrastructure is July 2016 (the old part of the village plus the Muir estate up to about number 30 Orchard Way). Some residents raised a concern that postal codes in the Muir estate that were expected to benefit are not giving any completion estimate. A.Bailey has contacted Digital Scotland (government body part-funding the works) and BT Openreach on this matter which is hopefully just a case of databases not yet being updated.
The estimation for the remainder of the Muir estate to receive its broadband upgrade is stated as October 2016 by BT Openreach and there is little tangible progress to report besides some colourful markings on the road by the green box at the junction of Orchard Way and Lady Apple Close.
PLANNING
The new shop in the village has been constructed 1.4m wider than allowed by its planning consent and therefore it is anticipated that the owner will need to re-apply for planning consent to cover the enlarged size of the shop. Other issues are understood to mean that a Building Standards Completion Certificate has not yet been issued. There is also no sign of the path to Quarryknowe Crescent being provided.
The shop owner has also applied for a license to sell alcohol from the premises. Details of this are available from PKC's licensing team.
The Community Council voted unanimously in favour of taking the following actions:
- Continuing to push the developer/owner/operators of the new shop for the path to be reinstated
- Objecting to the alcohol license on the grounds that a lack of completion certificate will mean that public liability insurance cannot be valid
Update: the planning application for the revised size of the shop was lodged with PKC shortly after the meeting and can be found under reference 16/00622/FLL
The planning application for two new houses at Ballindean which the Community Council previously objected to and which was refused by PKC has gone to a local appeal committee (reference 15/01573). At the meeting we heard from residents of Ballindean that there is still strong feeling against this development in the local area and so we agreed to submit a further objection to the appeal body. A.Bailey to submit (completed since meeting).
TREASURERS REPORT
No update, full accounts are expected to be presented at our next meeting (the AGM).
TREES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
The ivy on the redwood by the school has been dealt with.
TWINNING
Update from T.Woodford: Our colleagues in Fléac tell us that plans are well under way for the Long Weekend Celebrations (25-29 August 2016) to mark the 30th anniversary of the original twinning between Fléac and Marktbreit in Bavaria. About a dozen of us from Inchture Area will be going by air or car. Sadly, our piper, Sandy Smith, well-loved in Fléac, has moved up north, and the Scottish visitors lack a musician. Any budding piper volunteer would receive a very warm welcome in Fléac. (Last minute enthusiasts, please contact our secretary, Suki Stobbs at 01828 686444). This is going to be a Big Occasion with formal and informal activities. Fortunately they have arranged a big split screen in the chateau so that presentations will be available simultaneously in French, German and English. Just hope that the politicians keep it short... Then we will have a short 'seminar' on 'Alternatives to pesticides' where representatives from each partner (Fléac, Marktbreit and Inchture) have been asked to produce a short dossier on our environmentally-friendly approaches to crop protection. Guess who drew the short straw for outlining what we are doing in Scotland? The fun will start on Saturday where a 'rustic village wedding' and feast will be re-enacted, and they hope we will all sport the appropriate gear from the 19th/ early 20th century. I feel a visit to the museum is required. Just to remind everybody, once we get there, everything is taken care of (board, lodging, entertainment) and you won't have any additional expenses.
AOCB
A.Bailey put forward a proposal to add a directory of businesses and tradespeople based within the Inchture area to the Community Council website. Those present generally supported the idea with the proviso that all businesses or tradespeople have some form of accreditation, be that a PKC Trusted Traders mark or other professional certification. Such a listing would be a directory only and not an endorsement by the Community Council. The matter was deferred for further discussion at the AGM in May when more members will be in attendance.
Perth and Kinross Council is seeking feedback on its proposed local housing strategy for the period 2016 - 2021. Those wishing to review this or comment may do so by visiting http://www.pkc.gov.uk/article/13066/LHS-consultation. Comments must be submitted by 19th April.
L.Kay from the church informed us that it is anticipated that construction work on the extension and refurbishment of Inchture church will start in the coming months subject to necessary permissions.
DATES FOR FUTURE MEETINGS
May 12th 2016 - Inchture (AGM)
