News & Minutes
Draft Minutes of Fossoway & District Community Council Meeting
Tuesday 3rd December 2024 -- 7.30pm, Moubray Village Hall
Attending: Community Councillors (CCllrs) Sarah Bruce-Jones, Tony Lamb, Nicola Marchant (Chair), Graham Pye, Kaye Williamson; Perth & Kinross Councillor William Robertson; 14 members of the public (MoP).
Apologies: CCllr Adrian Carter and Angus Cheape; Associate CCllr Carol Farquhar; PKC Cllrs Dave Cuthbert, Neil Freshwater and Richard Watters; PC Ben Samson.
Declarations of Interest: CCllr Marchant declared an interest in planning application 24/01673/FLL; CCllr Cheape declared an interest in land adjacent to Crook Moss.
1. Community Police Report:
Crimes since last meeting - 9th November attempted housebreaking at Powmill shop, person charged; 9th November theft by housebreaking from Powmill Milk Bar, person charged; 15th November Theft of fuel (not paid for) from Fossoway Garage, person charged.
PC Samson has been liaising with the local dog warden about dogs escaping from Crook Moss, he hopes to see improvement soon. CCllr Bruce-Jones reported that there is growing concern from local residents about three dogs wandering unchecked, risking causing a Road Traffic Accident, but also entering private drives and land. Tracy Ramsey, PKC's Traveller liaison officer, has also been informed.
The CC will suggest that PC Sampson should accompany Tracy Ramsey at her next visit to the site.
PC Samson visited Fossoway School on 27th November and allowed their Junior Road Safety Officers to operate speed test equipment.
2. Approval of minutes of the last meeting:
The Minutes of the 5th November meeting were approved without change and signed off.
3. Progress & matters arising:
Craighead Windfarm (search for 24/01193/FLM at: https://planningapps.pkc.gov.uk/online-applications/)
Historic Environment Scotland are objecting due to adverse impact on view of Kinross House and Lochleven Castle, discussions continue about possible changes to number, size and location of turbines. Any revised proposal will not go to Committee before Spring 2025, and PKC won't comment before then.
Brunt Hill Windfarm -- https://www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationDetails.aspx?cr=ECU00004654
PKC and the Energy Consent Unit have both expressed concern about the scale, and the applicant has agreed to reduce the number of turbines from 18 to 13 and vary their location. The application will be resubmitted in March 2025. If the PKC Officers still object to the revised scheme, there will be a public enquiry.
Cumulative Impact of Windfarms
PKC Officers confirmed that they are considering the cumulative impact including the Windburn Farm proposal, even though it is outside PKC's area. The ECU is not intending to call in the Craighead application to review themselves, but they are looking at cumulative impact of all schemes.
Community Development Trust (CDT)
Alongside the survey results the CDT has spoken to other local organisations, businesses, and Fossoway Primary School. The combined results were presented at a community event on the 17th November in Crook of Devon Village Hall. The event attracted 122 residents who were entertained with songs from Fossoway Primary School and dancing by Dillon-Bray School of Highland Dance, with local baking supplied by the Blairingone and Powmill SWI.
The information was collated into a series of themes, each of which had a number of possible projects:
Local Economy and Services
Community Facilities, Activities and Events
Traffic, Transport and Active Travel (Walking and Cycling)
Environment and Heritage
Future Development and Sustainability
During the event residents were able to vote for their priority projects and engage with theme champions to discuss what they would like to see happen to strengthen our community, making it a place where people want to live, work and play.
The top seven priorities, that each received at least 40 votes, were:
1. (76 votes) Retain and develop local shops, cafés, pub
2. (63 votes) Support and develop local village and church halls
3= (52 votes) Reduce speed and volume of traffic
3= (52 votes) Develop parks, green spaces, play areas, for outdoor recreation and socialising
5. (49 votes) Develop and promote the local paths network for outdoor recreation
6. (43 votes) Protect and enhance green spaces
7. (40 votes) Improve and develop active travel routes -- walking and cycling to our other villages and to Dollar and Kinross
The next step is to translate this information into a Local Place Plan (LPP) through engagement with local residents, which is being facilitated by this CC in partnership with the CDT. LPP meetings were held in Moubray Hall on 25th November for Blairingone, Powmill and Rumbling Bridge; 26th November in Crook of Devon Village Hall for Crook of Devon and Drum; and 27th November in Carnbo Village Hall. The outcome of these discussions and our proposed LPP will be presented to the Community at our CC meeting of 7th January, following which the agreed LPP will be submitted to Perth and Kinross Council by the end of January 2025.
More info about the CDT can be found at https://fossowaytrust.com/ or by emailing info@fossowaytrust.com
Road Safety in FDCC area including A977 mitigation measures
A977 Mitigation Measures
Road safety is a theme that has emerged from the CDT survey and will be included in our LPP.
The CC has received correspondence from a MoP regarding reducing speeds on link road between A91 / A977 either by extending the 40mph or adding a pavement. We will add this to our Matrix.
We previously had a request from a MoP to create a footpath to the west of Carnbo. Cllr Robertson asked about this, but Daryl McKeown replied that it was not possible without getting more land. This type of request will be included in list and added to the LPP map.
There will be an open meeting of the Community Transport Forum at 5pm on 19th December, probably online.
Pavement Parking Ban
No update.
Road Improvement Projects
No update.
20mph Limits
Local Councillors are still waiting for a further meeting with Officers to finish reviewing the proposals. Cllr Robertson expressed a hope this would be done by the Spring.
Naemoor Road (U237) Crook of Devon
Will be closed for a week from 6th January 2025 for patching works.
Corb Bridge Culvert, Dunning on the B934 in Dunning Glen
Will be closed for nine weeks from 2^nd^ June 2025 for bridge strengthening works.
Fossoway area transport -- 23 Bus Service & Community Bus
23 service continues to be successful, with many positive reviews. The bus will soon be continuing to Stirling Mills in Tillicoultry.
CCllr Lamb has made an application to PKC for one of their retired buses, but we're not likely to hear until next year. Financial support is looking likely to be obtained, with enough to support the service for a year or maybe three, and possibly even enough to acquire our own bus. CCllr Lamb reported that volunteer drivers are coming forward with one already trained and one in training, others have expressed interest, but more volunteers continue to be welcome. The Glenfarg group has a budget to cover training costs. Volunteers could also drive the 23/55 service if they wished, although this is not compulsory -- but they would get paid for that duty!
Seamab School Construction Work
Construction staff managed to drop a large Xmas tree off the bridge, narrowly avoiding injuring one of the staff, and it landed in one of the neighbour's gardens. The contractor has assured neighbours that this won't happen again. There are also incidences of unloading goods on the roadside, damaging kerbs, and reversing without a banksman even though they are required to use one. Children are still running loose around the site. Reports will be sent to Roddy Ross of PKC's Safer Communities.
Moubray Hall Repairs are needed to the Hall. Powmill SWI have managed it since 1970, but are no longer able to raise enough money, or have enough people to continue running it. Maz Thorn and Sharon Buchanan from the SWI attended the meeting and appealed for local people to form an Association to manage the hall going forward. The CDT are happy to have a Hall Association as a sub-committee, but can't run it themselves. The CDT is prepared to host bookings on its website if that would help.
A MoP observed that incomers to the village don't seem to be aware of, or be interested in, the hall. Mr Thorn noted that a minimum of five people would be needed to form an Association, the three officers would be Trustees and they would take over the legal ownership of the Hall. If no Association is formed, then the ownership of the Hall would return to the descendants of the original owners.
Andy Buy has volunteered to be the first member of the Association, we just need four more! The CC will write to Paula Woods (Headteacher at Fossoway Primary School) and/or the PTA, to try and generate interest. Cllr Robertson suggested writing an article for the Kinross Newsletter, describing the Hall's history and value to the Community. A MoP asked if it was worth contacting CofD Hall for advice, but CCllr Marchant replied that the CDT has a working group with membership of all the halls to enable liaison.
Community Noticeboards Cllr Freshwater had agreed to look into the maintenance issue, and reported that although the boards are the CC's responsibility, there might be a grant available to maintain them. It was suggested that the Kinross Men's Shed should be asked again if they can help. It will be necessary to get a quote for repairs in order to make budget applications.
Crook Moss Travellers Site CCllr Cheape (who owns adjacent land) is arranging for an aerial survey by drone to show that waste materials (probably building waste) are being dumped across the site boundaries onto neighbouring land. The CC will keep Tracy Ramsay informed.
4. Matters arising with no update since last meeting: None.
5. New Business:
Rumbling Bridge Community Fund - The board of Rumbling Bridge Hydro Society have appointed Foundation Scotland to manage the community funding process for the Society. Grants of between £3,000 and £10,000 are made towards charitable activity in the Fossoway and Muckhart CC areas. Priority is given to promoting renewable energy and community spirit. CCllr Pye sits on the panel.
Grants totalling £49,500 were made at a meeting on 11th November to: Crook of Devon Village Hall, Dollar CDT, Muckhart Coronation Hall, Seamab, Muckhart Community Council and Kinross Youth Enterprise. Applications open again in January 2025 with substantial funds still available. The panel would also welcome another volunteer or two to join the panel.
Fossoway Community Benefit Hydro Fund -- Is a scheme operated by the CC making small grants to projects in Fossoway from funds provided by the Rumbling Bridge Community Hydro Society. CCllr Pye represents the CC on the Scheme. Trudy and Jim Duffy have indicated that they would like to handover running of the scheme to someone else. CCllr Pye has agreed to take on the role of Treasurer, but other members are needed to run the Fund -- all volunteers are welcome!
Xmas Bin Collections
No collections 25th/26th December or 1^st^/2^nd^ January, recycling centres will be closed the same days. Collections due 25th December will be collected on 28th; due 26th on 29th; due 1^st^ January on 4th; due 2^nd^ on 5th; No Garden or food waste collections after 22^nd^ December. Normality returns on 6th January.
6. Consultations
The significant workload associated with the wind farm applications means that the CC will not be responding to any consultations before December 2024. However, the Scottish Government have recently announced a consultation about national speed limits on single lane roads throughout Scotland. An option is to lower the speed limit to 50mph on all single lane roads for all vehicles, whilst raising the current limit for HGVs (above 7.5 tons) to 50mph. The consultation is at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/consultation/national-speed-management-review-consultation/proposed-speed-limit-changes/ and the CC urges everyone to submit their own comments.
7. Community Council Business
CC Budget
The additional grant of £150 from PKC arrived in the CC's bank account on 7th November, too late for the accounts to be reviewed at the last CC meeting. The accounts have now been finalised and reviewed by the Independent Examiner and are now ready for approval by this meeting. As previously reported, we spent £302 on hall bookings, £380 on CCllrs expenses and £117 on other items leaving a balance of just under £50. The accounts are available for examination by MoPs if required. The accounts were approved -- Proposed by CCllr Marchant and Seconded by CCllr Lamb.
Meetings Attended
CCllr Bruce-Jones -- 17th November FCDT Community Event; 21^st^ November Kinross‑shire Committee; 26th and 27th November LPP Meetings at Crook of Devon and Carnbo; 14th November Community Energy Workshop (online)
Assoc CCllr Farquhar -- 17th Nov FCDT Community Event
CCllr Lamb -- 17th November FCDT Community Event; 25th November LPP Meeting, Powmill
CCllr Marchant - 6th November LPP Planning with Robert Wills (online); 7th November PKC Planning Training Session, Perth; 17th November FCDT Community Event; 21^st^ November Kinross-shire Committee; 25th, 26th and 27th November LPP Meetings at Powmill, Crook of Devon & Carnbo
CCllr Pye -- 11th November Rumbling Bridge Community Hydro Scheme Fund (online)
CCllr Williamson -- 6th November LPP Planning with Robert Wills (online); 7th November PKC Planning Training Session, Perth; 17th November FCDT Community Event; 25th, 26th and 27th November LPP Meetings at Powmill, Crook of Devon and Carnbo
8. PKC Business -- Councillors reports
William Robertson Asked Sean Patton (Head of Major Applications) why wind farm infrastructure, e.g. cables, etc., isn't shown on application drawing -- it's because it's all allowed by permitted development -- which must result in an impact in rural areas.
Budget meeting tomorrow -- medium term (3 years) financial plan will be discussed, including increases in Council Tax. Of course, all this is dependent on Scottish Government decisions about whether increases will be allowed at all, and the size of the budget given to PKC. Unfortunately, the Scottish Government don't have their own budget in place so PKC are deciding in the dark.
CCllr Marchant asked about the provision of grit bins -- Cllr Robertson will arrange for them if given locations where they are required.
9. Planning Matters
Planning Applications
24/01673/FLL Erection of 4 dwelling houses, formation of SUDS and associated works at Former Craiglaw Poultry Farm, Rumbling Bridge. The CC will make a neutral comment recommending that a detailed site contamination survey be undertaken as suggested in the applicant's consultant's report, followed by necessary decontamination and ongoing groundwater monitoring.
24/01586/FLM S42 application to vary condition 6 (road widening) of permission 08/01561/FLM at Easter Muirhead Blairingone Dollar FK14 7ND. The CC will object to the removal of this condition on the basis that there is no change to the reason for including the condition in the original application.
Planning Decisions None this month.
Local Review Board
23/01619/FLL Formation of access track, erection of stables, siting of caravan, and associated works (temporary period) (in part retrospect), land 250 metres north of The Farmhouse, Easter Muirhead Farm, Blairingone, Dollar. This appeal has been withdrawn.
10. AOCB:
Phil Back, a retired academic is working on a local history project exploring the history of Rumbling Bridge. He would be happy to visit and talk to us about his work. The CC will arrange for this.
Next CC Meeting 7th January 2025 7.00pm
NOTE: Earlier start time for Local Place Plan review!
Crook of Devon Village Hall