Draft Minutes for Fossoway and District Community Council (FDCC) meeting

Tuesday 6th December 2022, Moubray Village Hall

Attending: Community Councillors Sarah Bruce-Jones, Assoc. CCllr Carol Farquar, Nicola Marchant and Graham Pye; Perth & Kinross (P&K) Councillor Neil Freshwater; Eight Members of the Public (MoP).

Apologies: Cllrs David Cuthbert, William Robertson and Richard Watters; CCllrs Angus Cheape, Trudy Duffy and Faiza Hansraj-Jackson;

Declarations of interest: None

Police report

• Apologies were received from Local Police Officers. The Police Report includes: Speeding checks have been done around our area, and the A977 and A91 are now on the matrix for regular checks. Five speeders in Carnbo, and also some in CofD were stopped and given official warnings. A MoP asked why these were only warnings and CCllr Marchant agreed to ask the Police. Fossoway Primary School has been lent a pop-up cop (Kirsty) and the older children are deploying it in various locations. There were 39 calls to the Police from the Fossoway area this month. The fire at the Crook Moss site has been investigated and was not suspicious, and there were no injuries. Speed Watch applicants are being processed.
• Police Scotland has issued guidance in relation to housebreakings and security advice as we come into the winter months: https://www.scotland.police.uk/advice-and-information/your-home/your-house/

Minutes of the previous meeting: The minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed and signed off with an amendment that whilst there had been a discussion of the possible provision of a crossing and absence of paths, the main concern of Carnbo residents was to continue to stress that the speed reductions promised for March 2002 and other mitigation measures have still not been implemented and to try and establish when they might be.

Matters Arising

• Road Safety in FDCC Area (Including A977 Mitigation and Carnbo)

  • PKC have provided the CC with a list of outstanding work in Kinross-shire. Following discussion at the last meeting the CC have proposed a matrix to categorise the work and used this to prioritise the list provided. The prioritised list was made available at the meeting for CCllrs and MoP, who were asked to mail any comments to the CC.
  • The CC wrote to PKC officials on 10th November complaining about the lack of information on the timeline for delivering agreed road safety measures, especially in Carnbo, and has received no response. Members of the CC, along with other Kinrossshire Community organisations, will attend a meeting with PKC CEO Thomas Glen and Senior Executives on 13th December and personally raise this with them. CCllr Bruce-Jones noted that this issue was also mentioned at the Kinross-shire Local Area Committee. Cllr Cuthbert had shared with Kinross-shire CCs PKC’s Member Briefing Note containing a prioritised programme of Vehicle Activated Sign actions. Regrettably this list does not include any in our areas, in spite of our frequent requests.
  • A Carnbo resident expressed thanks to the CC for their continued efforts to try and escalate these issues.
  • A MoP had raised concerns with the CC on the speed of traffic going through Crook of Devon. CCllr Duffy had responded and invited them to volunteer for our Community Speed Watch project.
  • CCllr Bruce-Jones noted that the absence of a VOSA check point on the A977 and A91 is why the goods vehicles use them, and perhaps this would be the only effective solution.

• Drum Flooding

  • Cllr Freshwater said that PKC haven’t supported community ditch clearing programmes since 2013 when the funding was removed. CCllr Bruce-Jones replied that Scottish Water had indicated that they might help fund a programme.

• Community Development Trust

  • Members of the CDT met on 19th November at Blairingone School to start clearing the inside of the building.

• Crook and Drum Growing Together

  • The first stage of the community orchard: planning native pollinator-friendly plants and native daffodils, has been completed. The next stage of planting trees will be done in March.

• Seamab School Floodlights

  • At the last meeting of this CC a MoP raised concerns about floodlights being continuously lit at Seamab School, the CC contacted the school and a local resident also pointed out that fund raisers may not be too impressed by the money being wasted. The lights have now been switched off outside normal hours.

Matters arising with no update since last meeting: Fossoway Area Transport, Noise disturbance linked to play areas at Fossoway Primary School, Community Speed watch, Blairingone War Memorial.

Consultations

• There are three consultations still open for the public to comment on, and one new one:

  • Cycling Framework for Active Travel: Cycling framework for active travel - Scottish Government - Citizen Space (consult.gov.scot) Closes 19th Dec 2022
  • Your Police 2022-2023: https://consult.scotland.police.uk/strategy-insight-and-innovation/your-police-2022-2023/ Closes 31st March 2023
  • Scottish Government - Small Landholdings Modernisation: https://consult.gov.scot/agriculture-and-rural-economy/small-landholdings-modernisation/ Closes 14th January 2023

On 14th November 2022, Epower Ltd on behalf of Brunt Hill Ltd (the Applicant) submitted a request for a scoping opinion from the Scottish Ministers for the proposed Brunt Hill Wind Farm. The application area covers forests including Innerdouny Hill, North Hill and Black Hill located approximately 5km North of Carnbo and 4.5km north-west of Kinross. The proposal is for up to 26 wind turbines with an estimated blade tip height of 220 metres, and associated infrastructure. The CC has been asked by the Scottish Government to respond to this request and comments are due by the 9th Jan 2023. At the request of Carnbo residents the details will be sent to them, and a combined response will be discussed in detail at the next CC meeting. The documents are available at: https://www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationDetails.aspx?cr=ECU00004654

New Business

• There is a call for the setting up of a paths group in Fossoway. There is money, help and equipment for loan available. This would be a group that keeps paths open to the public by cutting back vegetation and generally improving accessibility of our walk-ways. Would anyone (public or CC) be interested in taking the lead on this? Cllr Robertson can explain the details. The cycle path from Aldie Road to Drum and the “Walk Around Lovely Crook” both have overgrown vegetation and would be good candidates for such a group.
• PKC has notified the CC of Holiday waste and recycling arrangements. The flyer will be added to Facebook.
• A MoP shared with the CC a letter from RTS Forestry including a scoping proposal for new woodland at Barnhill. The 32.5 hectare site will be mostly diverse conifers with some native broadleaf species.

Community Council Business - Meetings attended

• CCllr Bruce-Jones attended the Kinross-shire Local Area Committee meeting, at which the following items were discussed.
• Road safety: Particular emphasis to be made on outstanding projects within the area due to lack of human resources. CCs were asked to submit their top three priority items for their area from PKC’s list of outstanding projects.
• Blairingone School: PKC are supportive of the proposal for the CDT to acquire it.
• Proposed Constituency Boundary Changes: PKC’s position is that they should be left as they are.
• Presentation by CATCH Loch Leven regarding renewable energy and sourcing heat from the Loch.
• Serviced employment land is needed in Kinrossshire to create job opportunities – this will be included in LDP3.
• Kinross Common Good fund: Grants have been made to “Light Up Kinross” and to residents for a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. It was suggested that applications be made for local pop-up cops.
• Next meeting will be in January.
• CCllr Cheape attended a meeting of the Kinross Fund yesterday evening – there was only one grant application and £5000 was awarded to the Milnathort Guide Hall towards renovation of the roof.

P&K Councillors’ Reports

Neil Freshwater: Cllr Freshwater noted that the Budget process was under way, which prompted the CC to ask Cllr Freshwater if there would be any publication of results from the survey into PKC’s budget choices, and he undertook to find out.

Grant applications to the Community Investment Fund are currently being reviewed. Hopefully the application for Speed Watch equipment will be approved.

There is a proposal to create a retail park in Kinross.

Planning Applications

22/01842/FLL Erection of a dwelling house at land 160 metres northeast of Solsgirth House, Solsgirth. No CC Comment

22/01695/FLL Erection of 2 holiday accommodation units at land 15 metres northwest of Ivy Cottage, Gartwhinzean Road, Powmill. Ivy cottage is the, until recently derelict, single storey cottage on the A977 in Powmill which has now been restored. No CC Comment

Planning Decisions

22/01009/IPL Erection of a dwelling house and garage (in principle) at land 35 metres southwest of Tethyknowe House, Blairingone. The application was refused; the CC had made a neutral comment.

22/01010/IPL Erection of a dwelling house (in principle) at land 40 metres southeast of Tethyknowe House, Blairingone.

The application was refused; the CC had made a neutral comment.

22/01240/FLL Extension to dwelling house and formation of decking at 5 Drummond Park, Crook of Devon, Kinross KY13 0UX.

The application was approved; the CC had made no comment.

21/01755/FLL Erection of three dwelling houses, three garages and associated works at land 30 metres northeast of Rantrie Knowe, Drum. Three residents from Drum made representations at the Planning Committee, on the grounds of increased flooding and that the land is still contaminated. The Officers stated that the new SUDS was designed to capture all extra water and would slowly release it into the burn. PKC Cllrs accepted this argument and unanimously voted to accept the application. The CC had also objected on the same grounds.

22/01599/FLL Alterations and extensions to dwelling house at High Station, Rumbling Bridge, Kinross KY13 0PT. The Application was approved; the CC had made no comment.

Local Review Board

21/00001/FLL S42 application to delete condition 6 (access upgrade) of permission 20/01319/FLL at land 180 metres southwest of Powmill Cottage, Rumbling Bridge.

The applicant had proposed that he should only be required to upgrade the road in front of his plot and not the entirety of Craigton Farm Lane as per S42 condition 6. The CC had objected to this as there would be no guarantee that owners of the other plots would also upgrade the road in front of their houses and this would not be done together. Nor would there be any passing places created. The appeal was upheld by a majority of PKC Cllrs.

CC Planning Objections

At the last meeting of this CC, Cllr Cuthbert informed us about a new rule recently passed by the Council, which would direct Applications directly to the Planning Committee if there was a material planning objection from a CC. This rule is now active, as it has been approved by the Scottish Government as a change to delegation rules.

Development of LDP3

CCllrs Duffy and Marchant attended a meeting with PKC where they discussed the development of LDP3 and PKC’s Big Conversation programme. It has been agreed that the CDT will work with the CC to engage the Fossoway District in the development of Local Place Plans which will then be registered with PKC to inform the development of LDP3. This will be supported by PKC.

CCllr Marchant described the new National Planning Framework 4 which sits above individual Council LDPs, and hence its contents will take precedence over PKC’s LDP and Policies.

Correspondence: PKC’s Leadership Team, including the Chief Executive, will hold their regular meeting in Kinross in December. The CC had been invited to attend – CCllrs Marchant and Duffy have accepted the invitation.

AOCB: Drummond Park Adoption – Mike Barnacle is meeting residents to review some issues. CClr Farquhar reported that the Crook Moss site merits improvement to the embankment area – Could the Bloom group do this?

The hedge at Muckhart has now been cut, although the Muckhart CC never replied to this CC’s emails.

Draft Agenda for Next CC Meeting: Declarations of Interest,** Community Policing, Minutes of last meeting. Matters arising: Access to Cash in Kinross, Community Development Trust, Fossoway Area Transport, A977 Mitigation, Crook Moss, Carnbo Speeding, Speedwatch, Community Council Business, PKC Councillors’ Reports, Planning, Correspondence, AOCB

Next Meeting: Tuesday 3rd January 2023

Crook of Devon Village Hall

Correspondence November 2022