December 2014

Minutes of Board Meeting held at Pier Hotel 1 December 2014

 

Directors in Attendance:

 

Dinah McDonald               Chair

Pearl Brown                     Treasurer

David McKenzie                 Secretary     

David Eaglesham

Catherine Rae

Victor Sandall

 

Members in Attendance:

 

Gordon Macdonald

 

Apologies:

 

Cllr Bruce Marshall

 

Minutes of Meeting 4 November 2014

 

The draft minutes of the Trust Board meeting of 4 November 2014 were reviewed. The minutes were proposed by David E, seconded by Catherine and adopted.

 

Matters Arising

 

None

 

Business of the Trust

 

Secretary’s Report

 

Trust was represented at the Area Network in Creggans Inn, Strachur on 26 November.

 

Update on membership

 

Nothing to report

 

Treasurer’s Report

 

Pearl reported that the bank balances were as follows:

 

Business Account:        £1200.00 approximately
Savings Account:         £4173.29

 

Dinah advised that the application for an administration grant (£800) and the Soon, Seen, Successful grant (£1500) had been lodged with the National Park. See later under Graham’s Point for details of this latter application.

         

 

Community Action Plan - 2012 

 

Action Status:

 

Theme 1:

 

Priority 1 – Invasive Species:

 

Nothing to report

 

Theme 2:

 

Priority 1 – Blairmore Village Green

 

Next actions, including community consultation, will be in 2015

 

Priority 5 - Village Appearance

 

Public Seating – It was agreed that public seating throughout the shore villages is badly in need of maintenance. The Trust Board agreed an action plan should be developed at a future meeting.

 

Theme 3:

 

Priority 2 – Business Development

 

Nothing to report on Dalinlongart.
Community Market Garden – not yet reviewed with Blairmore Village Trust

 

Priority 3 – Development of potential sites.

 

David M reported on progress with the Community Right-to-Buy (CRTB) office on registering the Trust interest in the site at Strone Point:

CRTB have advised that the current 2003 Trust constitution (Mem & Arts), as registered with Companies House and OSCR, is not acceptable if we wish to use the CRTB process. They have further advised that the latest legal advice is that the Trust will also have to adopt the new format constitution as laid out in the Companies Act 2006. 
The Trust has on-file a draft modified constitution from 2006 prepared by Burness Paull Solicitors, Glasgow. CRTB has advised that this draft constitution is acceptable with minor modifications and adopting the new format.
The Trust would have to adopt the revised constitution by resolution at an EGM with 75% of members attending voting in favour.
Burness Paull have advised that they would charge approximately £700 to prepare and register the new constitution. The Trust Board felt that this was not a justifiable expense.
The Board decided to proceed with creating a new constitution using our own resources and with guidance from CRTB. Dinah will be able to have the proposed new constitution legally reviewed before any EGM.
Target for the EGM is March 2015

 

Claire Munro from Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has provided a pro-forma brief that can be modified and used to apply for funding for a feasibility study on the 4 potential sites already identified for potential sheltered / affordable housing development. David M will prepare a draft brief based on this pro-forma and distribute for comment. Dinah asked if the pro-forma brief could be distributed to the Board – David M will arrange.

 

Theme 4:

 

Priority 1: Sewage facilities upgrade

 

David M raised this issue during the workshop session at the Rural Parliament held in Oban from 6 to 8 November. Yet to be seen if this produces any action.
Gordon asked the Board if any action could be taken to remove discontinued cast iron sewage pipes from the shore in those areas now served by a Scottish Water main sewage service. David M agreed to check with Crown Estates and SEPA. 

 

Priority 2 – Broadband Provision

 

Dinah had attended the workshop on Broadband provision in rural areas at the Rural Parliament. Despite lots of activity from BT, there are still many open questions on who will get broadband provision and when.
The £7.5M fund provided by the Scottish Government to connect communities that will not be served by BT is likely to be used up before many of the affected communities have a workable solution.  
The Trust agreed to write to Michael Russell MSP to ask for action in this area. Dinah will draft. 

 

Priority 3 – Renewable Energy

 

Nothing to report

 

Liaison

 

Forestry

 

Nothing to report

 

Villages in Bloom

 

Nothing to report

 

Graham’s Point Community Park

 

An application to the National Park for a Soon, Seen, Successful grant has been lodged with the objective of carrying out necessary maintenance projects in Graham’s Point. The total cost of these works is anticipated to be £2200, of which it is hoped that £1500 will result from the grant. Projects include:

 

Sand blasting iron work
Re-paint / renovate bus shelter
Repair fence
Replace nets on goals
Preservative wood treatment
Slide on embankment

 

Working Groups / Projects

 

Paths and Access

 

Walking program continues successfully

 

Historic Kilmun / Argyll Mausoleum Ltd (AML)

 

The 15th century effigies have now been returned. Good press coverage resulted.

 

A full review with Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) was carried out on 26 November. In general, it was thought to have been a satisfactory and useful review.

 

AOCB

 

At the Area Network meeting, a consultation was launched by a partnership of the Council and NHS on plans to integrate social and health care for older people in Argyll. Comments are invited.

 

An Economic Summit on the future of Argyll & Bute was held in Dunoon on 29 October. Pessimistic forecasts on population decline were presented. Action, including the formation of an ‘Argyll and Bute Sustainable Economic Forum’, is anticipated.

 

 

Date of next meeting

 

The next meeting of the Trust will be held at 19:30 on Tuesday 20 January 2015. Venue – Pier Hotel. Dinah will arrange venue.