This year has again
been a busy one for the Community Council and has seen the Community Council
involved in wide variety of topical issues concerning the community.
One of the Community Councils biggest and
perhaps most contentious matters to have to deal with in this year has been the
money received from Muir Homes.
The Community Council have
been involved from the beginning of the Muir Homes development and have been
very active in following up on all of the changes that have happened from the
original plan to present. Through the efforts of the Community Council making
representation to the planning office and making our comments on the various
changes that occurred throughout known to our local council representative, a
deal to compensate for loss of amenity was struck with Muir Homes. This agreed
sum of £150 000 compensation was eventually handed over to the Community
Council in October 2007. The Community Council took legal advice from Perth and Kinross Council
on how to deal with this fortuitous but unusual situation. Guided by advice
given by Perth
and Kinross Council, the Community Council placed this money in a six month
account until a decision could be made on how the
money could be used to benefit the Inchture community. A special dedicated
meeting was arranged by the Community Council to allow the community to have
their say in how this fund could be managed and used to benefit the Inchture
community. At this meeting it was unanimously decided to lodge this money with Perth and Kinross Quality
of Life Trust. A working committee was set up to agree terms and conditions
with the trust. Once terms have been agreed by all parties the money will be
transferred to the trust who will manage the fund on behalf of Inchture
community. At this stage a body is to be formed consisting of, hopefully a wide
and diverse group of members of the community to work with guidance from
P&K Quality of Life Trust, tasked with deciding how this fund is to be
spent. The Community Council have subsequently re invested the money for a
further six months allowing considered decisions to be made.
Planning
Planning matters have
remained an important part of the functions of the Community Council. We have
not had any large planning developments to comment on within our area over the
past year but we have commented on various small build projects. The Muir Homes development continued to change
throughout this year as plans had to be altered due to archaeological finds
within the site. As work enters its final stage we will have to be watchful
that all of the commitments made by Muir Homes regarding paths and play areas
are installed.
The Community Council
have also forwarded our comments to P&K on proposed developments outside
our boundary that will affect all of us. The new development at Grange, the
Horn and Errol will all put pressure on schooling in the Carse. The next large
planning application to come before the Community Council for comment will be
the Barrett Homes development in Inchture.
Environment and Parks
The long running
matter of the pond area at the park has made some progress on two fronts over
this year. Perth
and Kinross Countryside Trust have funded the digging of a ditch to drain water
away from the roots of the Giant Redwoods and the clearing of some of the dead
trees. The possible extension to the ditch is being looked at as this could
possibly help lower the water level further. The School has applied for a grant through
Breathing Spaces and if successful hope to develop part of the area as an
environmental educational area. This project by the school would require the
help of all quarters of the community. I would hope to see this years progress
maintain its momentum and that the Community Council support the school with
any project making the area safer and better for all.
The Community Council
and the School were each presented with a Giant Redwood by P&K Countryside
Trust as part of their 10th anniversary celebration. One was planted
by the pupils of Inchture
School in the school
grounds and the other at the west end of the Main St. by the Community Council.
The Community Council became
involved in helping the community of Kinnaird with a project to erect a
boundary fence on the common area in Kinnaird village. Members of the Kinnaird
community approached the Community Council with concerns about encroachment of
the boundary and dumping on this common land.
The Community Council were able to help facilitate a successful
application for funding to P&K Quality of Life Trust.
Roads & Transport
The Community Council
have diligently reported to the council any road safety matters that have been
brought to our attention. If it were not for the reporting of road defects and
blocked gulleys by the Community Council some of the repairs to our minor roads
and ditches would possibly not have taken place. The Community Council have
also been involved in making comment on the Core Path routes in our area. We
have had some success in keeping pressure on P&K to enforce the re establishing
of a rite of way at Rait and are still pursuing the council over the removal of
the parking area at Dunsinane Hill.
Police
The police regularly
attend our meetings and at one of our meetings Inspector Dave Barclay informed
the meeting that Perth
and Kinross was in the top three areas to live in terms of low crime and that
Inchture was one of the best with a very low reported crime rate.
Inspector Barclay also
commented that the police were to make more effort in speaking to and making
connections with the younger members of our community. I would hope that with
this commitment by the police and the efforts of our school to instil a sense of
pride and collective community responsibility in our villages that we can
maintain the low level of crime that we currently have.
Schools
The Community Council
working in collaboration with our local councillor have ensured that ramp
access to Abernyte
School is maintained.
The access ramp at Abernyte School has been temporarily re installed
at the rear of the building allowing the council time to plan and install a
permanent access ramp into the building.
P&K Education
Department have agreed with Muir Homes on the sum of £250 000 to be used to
improve the school facilities at Inchture
School. The Head Teacher
at Inchture Miss Lennon is keen to involve the Community Council in becoming
more involved in matters concerning the school. Miss Lennon has indicated that
she would also like to see more use of the school made by the community and has
allowed the Community Council to hold its meetings at the school over the past
year.
Community Council
regulations allow us to have 10 councillors in the Inchture area. We currently
have 8 members. Unfortunately the parties that had shown interest in joining us
last year did not in the end have the time to participate on the council. I
would like to see us this year achieve our full complement of members.
As chairperson I would
like to thank our local councillor Mac Roberts
who has worked closely with the Community Council this year, providing us with
prompt answers to questions raised at our meetings.
I would like to finish
this report by taking this opportunity to thank all of the current members of
the Community Council for the work they have carried out on behalf of the
Inchture area community throughout this past year.
Peter Henderson
Chairperson
