Draft Minutes of Fossoway & District Community Council Meeting

Tuesday 5th November 2024 – 7.30pm, Carnbo Village Hall

Attending: Community Councillors (CCllrs) Sarah Bruce-Jones, Angus Cheape, Tony Lamb, Nicola Marchant (Chair), Graham Pye, Kaye Williamson; Associate CCllr Carol Farquhar; Perth & Kinross Councillors Neil Freshwater and Richard Watters; Ten members of the public (MoP).

Apologies: CCllr Adrian Carter; PKC Cllrs Dave Cuthbert and William Robertson; PC Samson.

Declarations of Interest: CCllr Cheape – LRB review of Planning Application 24/00744/FLL.

1. Community Police Report: Since 1st October 2024 (last meeting) there have been approximately 50 calls to Police from the Fossoway area and two crimes recorded on Police systems. On 13th October there was an incident of wilful fire raising at a layby on A823 near Castlehill reservoir where a caravan was set on fire. This is subject to a live investigation.

2. Approval of minutes of the last meeting: The Minutes of the 1st October meeting were approved and signed off.

3. Progress & matters arising:

Craighead Windfarm (search for 24/01193/FLM at: https://planningapps.pkc.gov.uk/online-applications/)
The CC’s agreed response was submitted to PKC. Galileo want to engage with local businesses, who can register their interest in commercial opportunities at http://www.craigheadwindfarm.co.uk/

Brunt Hill Windfarm – https://www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationDetails.aspx?cr=ECU00004654
The CC has been advised by PKC Planning and Development that the Brunt Hill Windfarm will not be on the agenda of the 13th November 2024 Planning and Placemaking Committee.

Friends of the Ochils have asked the CC if we would join them in a discussion on the way forward in relation to the windfarm applications. CC Members have discussed this and decided not to get involved.

Kilbagie 250MW Battery Storage Scheme
CCllrs Bruce-Jones, Marchant, Pye and Williamson attended an online presentation of this proposal on 23rd October. The application is at an early stage, and may be delayed due to objections to a proposed sub-station in the area which is needed to make the scheme’s connection to the grid. Although this scheme is outside our area, increased traffic on the A977 during construction is a concern.

Community Development Trust (CDT)
The Survey is now complete and there were over 310 responses from 855 delivered surveys equating to 36%. The results will be used to create the Community Action Plan and inform both LDP3 and our new Local Place Plan. The analysis of the responses will be shared at a Community Drop-in Event between 2 and 5pm on 17th November in Crook of Devon Village Hall, where the community will vote on priority projects for consideration by the Trust.

CCllr Williamson is leading on the development of the LPP, which needs to be registered with PKC by 31st Jan 2025. The CC will be holding settlement discussions in November and December:
Blairingone – Powmill Moubray Hall, 7 to 8pm 25th November.
Powmill and Rumbling Bridge – Powmill Moubray Hall, 8 to 9pm 25th November.
Crook of Devon & Drum – Crook of Devon Village Hall, 7 to 8pm 26th November.
Carnbo – Carnbo Village Hall, 7 to 8pm 27th November.
Final approval of the LPP by the community will take place during the CC meeting on 7th January.

The Trust will be holding its first AGM on 20th Nov in the Elizabeth Wilkie Hall at 7pm.

Road Safety in FDCC area including A977 mitigation measures
A977 Mitigation Measures
Road safety is a theme that has emerged from the FCDT survey and will be included in our LPP.

Pavement Parking Ban The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 prohibits pavement parking, double parking, and parking across dropped kerbs. The national ban was introduced by the Scottish Government in December 2023 and Local Authorities are in different stages of implementing enforcement. The law aims to improve the safety of pedestrians, and protect, pavements which are not designed to bear the weight of vehicles.

PKC now have the power to enforce this law, and will begin issuing fines through Penalty Charge Notices of £100, reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days, from 6th January 2025. However, a period of soft enforcement with polite notices started on 1st November 2024, to allow drivers and residents to be educated before any fines are issued.

Independent consultants carried out a “desk assessment”, i.e., using satellite imagery and street view, of around 2000 streets in PKC to assess the different levels of pavement parking, and PKC have written to residents in streets that have been identified as having a significant pavement parking problem. The roads identified in our area are:
Main Street, Blairingone
Main Street, Crook of Devon
Drummond Park, Crook of Devon

Further information can be found on the Perth and Kinross website.

There will be some places where it’s impossible not to park on the pavement without blocking the road, and where the alternative parking would be a long distance away; anyone who is affected by this should contact PKC Officers directly – there is a new option on the MyPKC website - but also inform the Local Councillors too.

There was some discussion about the dropped kerb outside the Powmill shop which is often used by HGVs collecting items; the general view was that it would be a significant problem if the shop was to lose the majority of its trade if parking was forbidden. Cllrs Freshwater and Watters agreed to take this up with PKC Officers.

Road Improvement Projects:

PKC Project Officers have advised that the requested footway west of Carnbo to the Gelvan Road cannot currently be delivered.  The scheme had not been scored or ranked as there is no land available within the road boundary to construct it.  The verge is wide but slopes down to the field which lies below the level of the road.  PKC would require additional ground to create a side-slope or construct a retaining feature, both of which may make the scheme cost-prohibitive.  MoP notes that this piece of ground was defined as a pavement by PKC during lockdown.

PKC also noted that while it is encouraging to have the input of the Community Councils, it can raise unrealistic expectations of what they can deliver.

Road improvement projects will be discussed further at the next Kinross-shire Committee meeting on the 21st November. 

20mph Limits: Local Cllrs have started discussing this with the Officers, but the review is not complete and it’s not clear whether our comments on the original plans have been accepted. There was extensive discussion about whether Carnbo will receive any 20mph sections at all and what should be done to address speeding through the village.

Fossoway area transport – 23 Bus Service & Community Bus
The 23/55 service is running well and is very well received, approximately 400 journeys on the 23 service and 1100 on the 55 service are being taken every week. Minor timetable changes will take place in January, including removing the 15-minute stop at the Park & Ride. CCllr Lamb has made an application for one of PKC’s “retired” minibuses, which if successful will be transferred free of charge. If anyone interested in becoming a volunteer driver for the Community Bus, they should contact CCllr Lamb for further information.

Seamab School Construction Work
All neighbour concerns are falling on deaf ears regardless of who is approached. There is no indication of whether the new building will allow the number and age of the children to increase. The CC stressed that reporting problems to Roddy Ross (SCT@pkc.gov.uk) is the only way forward.

Neighbours report that the site gates are not kept closed, and children are cycling round the site – this is likely to be contrary to Condition 3 of the Decision Notice to 21/01467/FLL which required a Construction Exclusion Zone to be defined, although if this plan has actually been created and approved it does not appear on the Planning website.

There was also concern about the impact to the bridge on the access track to the school. There doesn’t appear to be any mention of this in the Decision Notice, however there is a requirement for the old train route, currently under the temporary car park, to be protected during construction and returned to its original state afterwards.

PKC’s Planning Enforcement officers need to be told if planning conditions are ignored: Call 01738 75300 or email PlanningEnforcement@pkc.gov.uk.

MoPs present informed the meeting that the Seamab project is currently £500k short of the estimated project cost, and hence it was suggested that this could mean that the developers will not finish off landscaping, removal of the temporary car park, etc. at the end of the development.

Crook Moss Travellers Site The abandoned vehicle is on private land and therefore will not be removed by either Police or PKC.

Warm Space Fund Coffee and Chats, organised by Maureen Lamb on behalf of the Trust, are being run in both Moubray Hall from 10-12 on Thursdays 31st October, 28th November, 19th December, 30th January, 27th February and 27th March and in Carnbo from 10-12 on Wednesdays 16th October, 13th November, 11th December, 8th January, 12th February and 12th March. All are welcome – approximately 18 people attended the first meeting at Moubray Hall.

Moubray Hall Repairs are needed to the Hall, which is a Category C listed building. The Hall is owned by the Community and Powmill SWI have managed it on behalf of the Community since 1910, but are no longer able to do so. The SWI are arranging a meeting with Powmill residents regarding the future of the Hall, ideally the creation of a Hall Association to run it, and they will provide an update at the CC meeting on 3rd December.

Community Noticeboards in Blairingone, Rumbling Bridge, Crook of Devon and Carnbo – all are in a dangerous condition, and need serious maintenance. It’s not clear who owns them – could it be PKC? Cllr Freshwater will enquire, and if there is a budget for their upkeep?

4. Matters arising with no update since last meeting: Power capacity in Fossoway District.

5. New Business:

Active Dollar (Dollar Trust Working Group) are seeking funding to map out cycle and footpaths in FK14 and KY13. The Fossoway Trust is supporting the project as it aligns with outcome of their Big Place Conversations and some of the early findings of their survey. The Trust involvement will be supplying local knowledge on cycle routes and walking routes and they will have two representatives on the working group – Maureen Lamb and Trudy Duffy. CCllr Marchant has asked them to reach out to the Kinross Trishaw and Community Cycling Charity who are planning on doing a similar project, as ideally both will link producing maps that cover the entire route along the Ochils from Clacks to Kinross. The CC have been asked if we would support the project, and have agreed to do so.

Cllr Watters noted that the Kinross-shire Active Travel plan includes something similar, and combining with this would enable the whole of Kinross-shire to be covered – Cllr Watters suggested that he be involved.

New Cycle Parking at Kinross Park & Ride: PKC is planning to install a mix of secure and open cycle parking, incorporating a new bus stop on the north side of Junction Road. The bus stop on the south side of Junction Road will be replaced and moved back onto the current grassy area, so that it will no longer block part of the footway. The secure bicycle parking will be bookable online for a nominal charge, likely to be £1 per day. 

Remembrance Service: Will take place on Sunday 10th November 2024 at 9.30am in Crook of Devon Village Hall. Refreshments will be available afterwards. The church will be laying a wreath on behalf of the community and Cllr Dave Cuthbert will be laying a wreath on behalf of PKC.

CC Budget: PKC have awarded the CC an additional £150 administration grant, although as of the date of this meeting it had not yet arrived in our account. Consequently, closing the CC’s accounts will have to wait until next month. Going forward, the CC is likely to have a similar shortfall in the current year. We also need a new printer, and since this cannot be funded from our administration grant, we will need to seek funding elsewhere.

CCllr Bruce-Jones noted that all CCs are having to do more Community Engagement, e.g., preparation of LPPs and intends to raise this at the Kinross-shire Community to try and get funding.

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.

7. Community Council Business – meetings attended

CCllrs Bruce-Jones, Marchant, Pye and Williamson – 23rd October Kilbagie Battery Storage Scheme (online.)
CCllr Lamb – 3rd October Glenfarg CTG monthly update; 29th October Glenfarg CTG Trustees Meeting.

8. PKC Business – Councillors reports

Richard Watters: Kinross-shire Committee will be receiving a presentation on tourism strategy at the next meeting, what does the CC think about that? The budget process is starting again, and pressures seem to be increasing every year – savings needed are now resulting in things not being done at all rather than simply being cut back.

Neil Freshwater: Nothing not already covered.

9. Planning Matters

Planning Applications

None this month.

Withdrawal of Application

24/01049/IPL Mixed use development comprising erection of retail/manufacturing/warehouse, mixed use business/commercial units, community garden and hut, vehicular access and parking, SUDS pond and associated works (in principle) Land 90 metres south-west of Garvellach, Drum, Kinross KY13 0PR for County Fabrics. The application has been withdrawn by the applicant/agent.

Planning Decisions

24/01194/IPL Renewal of permission 21/01177/IPL (residential development (in principle)) Land 40 metres north-west of Ladieshall, Vicars Bridge Road, Blairingone. The Application was approved, the CC had made no comment.

Local Review Body

24/00744/FLL Erection of a dwellinghouse and associated works, land 250 metres south-west of Broomhill House, Station Road, Crook of Devon, Kinross. The Appointed Officer’s decision was overturned at the review on 14th October 2024.

23/01275/FLL Erection of 5 holiday accommodation units, a managers accommodation unit and workshop/garage, formation of vehicular, parking areas, landscaping and associated works, land 150 metres north west of Barnhill Farm, Powmill, Dollar. The Appointed Officer’s decision was upheld at the review on 14th October 2024.

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.

As reported last month, the CC had submitted an objection to the LRB on the grounds of road access, Insufficient information to demonstrate accordance with LDP2 Policy 53E Water Supply. However, an alternative application for the same site without the onsite caravan (24/00974/FLL) had been approved and hence the CC added a further objection to the LRB stating that we believe there is no business requirement for a residential caravan.

10. AOCB: CCllr Bruce-Jones reported that PKC will install a power socket in the Drum triangle so that the residents can power the street Xmas lights. The residents have collectively funded this work themselves.

Next CC Meeting 3rd December 2024 7.30pm
Moubray Village Hall