March 2014

Minutes of Board Meeting held at Kilmun Hall 12 March 2014

 

Directors in Attendance:

 

Dinah McDonald               Chair

Pearl Brown                     Treasurer

David McKenzie                 Secretary     

David Eaglesham

Victor Sandall        

 

Members in Attendance:

 

Cllr Bruce Marshall

 

Apologies:

 

None

 

Minutes of Meeting 29 January  2014

 

The draft minutes of the Trust Board meeting of 29 January 2014 were reviewed. The minutes were proposed by David E, seconded by Dinah and adopted.

 

Matters Arising

 

None

 

Business of the Trust

 

Secretary’s Report

 

Nothing to report  

 

Update on membership

 

Nothing to report

 

Treasurer’s Report

 

Pearl reported that the bank balances were as follows:

 

Business Account:        £3397.33
Savings Account:         £4171.65     

 

Outstanding cheques not yet processed included:

 

Purchase of slabs for Invereck           -        £164.88
Ringland (Invasive Species course)    -        £4184.73

 

Cheques yet to be paid in included fees from Invasive Species course attendees

 

 

Community Action Plan - 2012 

 

Action Status:

 

Theme 1:

 

Priority 1 – Invasive Species:

 

The Trust agreed to spend £230 for purchase of additional treatment chemicals
David Petro from Kilmun CC has offered to provide suitable storage for equipment and chemicals  - Dinah will follow-up
The last tranche of the grant from Paths-for-All towards the cost of the course / equipment is expected.    

 

Priority 2 – Coastal Path:

 

On hold

 

Priority 3 – Develop Powder Mill site

 

On hold

 

Priority 4 – Improved Signage

 

The Trust discussed replacement of the community notice board at Younger Hall, Kilmun which had been destroyed by recent weather. It was agreed that a better location for a community notice board would be adjacent to the Post Office.
Bruce will check if the Post Office is willing to host the community notice board; Dinah will check costs of both options and a decision will be made as to which location will be used.  

 

Theme 2:

 

Priority 1 – Blairmore Village Green

 

Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has now advised Blairmore Village Trust that an award of £80,000 has been approved for the purchase of the Blairmore Village Green and other properties.
A meeting to present the final report from 7N architects and the National Park on the recommended plans for the Village Green will be held in Blairmore Hall on 22 March.

 

Priority 2 – Strone Pier

 

David M and Dinah met with Ailsa Raeburn from SLF regarding the possibility of obtaining funds for the purchase of the former John Brown site adjacent to Strone pier for retirement homes or similar. Ailsa was positive about the proposal. The proposal may also extend to include the Strone Pier and is as follows:

 

The project as described may meet the conditions of SLF for a 95% grant, although obviously nothing is committed at this point.
The first step is to advise the land owner of our interest and to ensure that a bid from the Trust would be entertained. It may be necessary to involve the Right-to-Buy team.
Once we have the clarification that the land is available, we can apply for a small grant from SLF for initial architect / engineering survey and outline plans and to run a community consultation.
When the community has expressed its consensus on how the site should be developed, we can then explore how we move forward to get the funds to acquire and develop the site.

 

Dinah and Pearl will contact the land owner to see if an offer to purchase by the Trust would be accepted.

 

Priority 5 - Village Appearance

 

Seating at Strone Pier needs maintenance. In the first instance, Bruce will contact Allan MacDonald from the Council to see if they will carry out the work. Failing that, the Community Service team may help.
Beach / river clean-up – to be discussed later.
Status of Squirrel Hide – Dinah to check with Benmore Gardens  

 

Theme 3:

 

Priority 2 – Business Development

 

Dalinlongart construction is still planned to start at the end of the year.

 

Theme 4:

 

Priority 1: Sewage facilities upgrade

 

Following on from initiative taken by Kilmun CC, a meeting was held with SEPA and the National Park on 26 February. Robert Aldam from Kilmun CC and David M attended. The minutes of the meeting are attached as an appendix. Subsequent to this meeting, Michael Russell has indicated that there may be an opportunity to discuss the Cowal Multi Utility Proposal at the planned Rural Parliament in the autumn. 
A discussion was held about the need or otherwise to repair the public toilets at the Kilmun Pier, given the clarification given by SEPA (see Appendix). It was agreed that the Trust would support the alternative plan of an upgrade to the public toilets in the cemetery, as long as the upgrade included signage from the main road.

 

Priority 2 – Broadband Provision

 

The Trust remains concerned that provision of fast Broadband services will bypass the Cowal Shores area. It was agreed to continue to support the National Park in their drive to have Broadband extended to all Park communities.    

 

Priority 3 – Renewable Energy

 

A request has been received from Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) seeking registration of any community interest in local renewable energy schemes. It was agreed to register our interest in a potential hydro opportunity on the stream adjacent to Kilmun Church. David M to action. Note due date to respond is 14 March.
David E will check on whether a commercial supplier might be interested in constructing a solar PV farm on Kilmun Hill on land recently cleared by FCS.

 

Liaison

 

Forestry

 

Bruce advised that he had recently met with Syd House of FCS. Lottery money is being made available to enhance tree collections. In our area, it is expected that Benmore Gardens, Puck’s Glen and the Arboretum will benefit.

 

Villages in Bloom

 

Bruce asked if the Trust would pay for the replacement of a flower tub at the Church. This was agreed.

 

Graham’s Point Community Park

 

Inspection and certification of play equipment – a contractor has been engaged and the required repair work has been completed. The Trust thanked Mike McDonald for his efforts and agreed to pay £100 for the parts.

 

The Trust further agreed to fund the replacement of two picnic tables and to cover the costs for the repair of fencing. Dinah to arrange.

 

Work was still needed to maintain the Willow Tunnel, benches and planters. David M will check with the NP to see if volunteers might be available.

 

Working Groups / Projects

 

Paths and Access

 

Nothing to report

 

Historic Kilmun / Argyll Mausoleum Ltd (AML)

 

The Visitor Centre is now open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

 

An antiques fund raising event- Loot in the Loft – will be held in the Burgh Hall at 19:30 on 31 March

 

Other fund raising events are planned in the Burgh Hall through spring.

 

AOCB

 

Billy King has resigned as a Director of the Trust. It was agreed that Dinah should write to him to thank him for his service to the community.

 

Future Meetings / Date of next meeting

 

The next meeting of the Trust Board will be held at 19:30 on Tuesday 6 May. Venue – Uig Hall.  

 

 

APPENDIX

 

Minutes of meeting between LLTNP, SEPA & KCC held at LLTNP offices, Balloch on Wednesday 26th February 2014 at 12.30pm.

 

 

 

Present:         Jim Frame              SEPA

                             June Dawson          SEPA

                             Iain Nicolson          LLTNP

                             David McKenzie       LLTNP

                             Robert Aldam                   KCC

       

 

 

Public Toilets at Kilmun Pier

 

SEPA were advised that the waste pipe, which discharged directly into the Loch, had broken in a storm a couple of years ago. The owners – Argyll & Bute Council – are unwilling to make repairs because they have been advised that they will need now to connect to the main sewage pipe, which is in the road and which will require a pump. A figure of £80K was mentioned. It was agreed that this doesn’t make much sense because the mains sewage pipe also discharges untreated into the Loch. SEPA advised that, as this was a repair, there was no regulatory requirement to connect to the main sewage pipe, and simply restoring the waste pipe to the status it was before it was broken would be acceptable to them. Provided the outfall was reinstated to discharge below low water mark, SEPA would regard the reinstatement of the Kilmun Pier public toilet outfall as a maintenance issue.  SEPA have found that the discharge from the public toilets is already authorised (authorisation reference number CD9598_WPC/W/10909, issued to the former Argyll & Bute District Council in August 1991).  They would not seek to apply any upgrade requirements without prior discussion and agreement with Argyll & Bute Council, pending any developments from Scottish Water in respect of the existing sewer networks in the area. 

 

Sewage pipes between Kilmun & Strone.

 

     RA raised the issue about the mains sewage pipe or pipes that run through parts of Kilmun and Strone. These pipes discharge untreated sewage into the Holy Loch, albeit at some distance from the shore. However, Scottish Water has not been requiring the installation of septic tanks or obtaining SEPA consents for new or substantially renovated properties that can attach to this mains sewage. In contrast, similar properties in other parts of the Cowal Shores which are not able to connect to the mains sewage pipe but discharge directly into the Loch do require septic tanks / SEPA consents. SEPA accepted that this appears illogical, but two points were made:

 

Because it is expected that, over time, the mains sewage pipe will become part of the Scottish Water network, the preference is that as many properties as possible do connect as they will eventually be linked to full sewage treatment services. There are existing sections of adopted (i.e. ‘mains’) sewers serving parts of Strone and Kilmun; SEPA would expect all new properties to connect into these where it is practicable to do so. SEPA understands that these sections are identified in Scottish Water’s ‘SR15’ investment programme for the period 2015 to 2020.  SEPA would therefore expect action to be taken by Scottish Water to scope and identify opportunities for improvement and upgrade with a view to provision of appropriate treatment.  ‘Common sense’ would suggest strongly that these should be connected into a single collection and treatment system to serve the area and that is the view that will be conveyed to SEPA’s Quality and Standards (Q&S) unit for discussion with Scottish Water.

 

While it is at Scottish Water’s discretion whether to place a condition on  a householder requiring a septic tank on a new / substantially renovated property that attaches to the mains sewage pipe, it would be expected that, assuming that the pipe was not near capacity or other technical reasons, such a condition would not normally be required. This would be for Scottish Water to confirm, but this is not a standard condition

 

 

Future Plans for sewage.

 

 SEPA have checked with Scottish Water plans and have identified that the Kilmun area is in the 2015 – 2020 capital plan. That would normally mean that, in 2015, Scottish Water will start scoping the work to be done and the actual construction would take place prior to 2020. SEPA will get in touch with Scottish Water to ensure that the plan being considered will include all the Cowal Shores properties.  SEPA understands that the sections of existing sewer in Strone / Kilmun area are included in Scottish Water’s SR15 investment programme.  SEPA will seek further clarification on the scope from SEPA’s Q&S unit, who maintain regular liaison with Scottish Water.

 

RA and DM asked if SEPA could ensure that the scoping carried out by Scottish Water will include all properties in the Cowal Shores, not just those already connected to adopted sewers.  JF responded that he will strongly recommend this to his colleagues in our Q&S unit but can’t ensure that Scottish Water will take this on board. However, they will clarify as soon as they know any more.

 

 

Cowal Multi-Utility proposal.

 

The status of the Cowal Multi-Utility proposal was discussed and the notion of an agency with community participation providing all utility services to rural communities. SEPA confirmed that it was supportive of the proposal. It remains with Benmore & Kilmun Community Development Trust to get political support to take this further. SEPA would support such a proposal in principle and would seek to minimise any regulatory intervention insofar as their statutory responsibilities allow.