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

Tuesday 4th October 2022, Crook of Devon Village Hall

Attending: Community councillors (CCllrs) Sarah Bruce-Jones, Angus Cheape, Faiza Hansraj-Jackson, Nicola Marchant and Graham Pye; Perth & Kinross (P&K) Councillors (Clr) David Cuthbert and Neil Freshwater; Seven Members of the Public (MoP).

Apologies: Clrs Richard Watters and William Robertson; CCllr Trudy Duffy, and Assoc. Community CCllr Carol Farquar

Declarations of interest: None

Police report

• Over the previous 4 week period there have been 25 calls to the police from the Fossoway area and 6 crimes recorded on the systems. There were also the following incidents of note:

  • 23/09 to 27/09 vandalism at Adventure Park at Scripture Union, Scotland. No suspects were identified
  • 02/10 Dangerous driving on the A977. Enquiries are ongoing
• Community officers are aware of areas in Fossoway where speeding is regularly reported. These have been added to the police speeding matrix and they will continue to carry out speed checks across the area during their patrols
• Traffic units from Perth have also been carrying out regular speed checks in the area and have issued tickets over the last 4 weeks for speeding and other road traffic offences.
• Constable Samson has visited Fossoway Primary School to carry out engagement and discuss local issues
• MoP report fly tipping off the A977 at Devonshaw which has been reported to the Police, SEPA and PKC
• The community policing team are holding “Coffee with a Cop” on Saturday 15th Oct between 4 and 5.30pm in the Crook of Devon church hall. All are welcome to attend

Minutes of the previous meeting: The minutes of the previous meeting were reviewed and signed off.

Matters Arising

• Noise disturbance linked to play areas at Fossoway Primary School

  • A MoP had reported noise complaints and disturbances linked to the play areas at Fossoway Primary School and after discussions in previous FDCC meetings, a meeting was held to discuss these issues and possible mitigation measures.
  • This meeting was attended by the MoP, the school’s head teacher, representatives from the PTA and representatives from FDCC
  • All present agreed there’s not enough for young people to do in village. The lack of facilities in the community is why local young people use the facilities on school site. It is likely the largest concrete space available locally
  • One possible mitigation measure to reduce the noise disturbance was to investigate the viability of taking the basketball hoop down on weekday evenings and weekends
  • More long-term options include providing written guidelines about what is considered acceptable behaviour at play areas (this would need input from all key stakeholders); moving the basketball hoop to another site that isn’t adjacent to residential properties
  • In the long term, there is a need to provide more play areas for local young people in Fossoway District
  • The local community also need youth groups and sports clubs

  • This group plans to schedule another meeting to discuss next steps and progress. All relevant local stakeholders will be invited

    • Action: Headteacher Paula to report back to FDCC around the feasibility of taking the basketball hoop down out of school hours and at the weekend

• Community Speed watch

  • There has been no update from the police with regards to costs of the community speed watch project and none of the applications by volunteers submitted to the police have been approved.

    • Action: CClr Marchant to follow up with Clr Robertson for an update on community speed watch

• Speeding in F&D area

  • There are still no speed limit signs in Carnbo yet, despite these having been due in March 2021.
  • There is a lack of clarity around whether these measures have not been put into place due to legal issues or operational issues within PKC.
  • MoP report that there are now more school children on the buses and in the area leading to increased concerns around safety of pedestrians.
  • There was discussion around the use of pop-up policemen and where these can be used (this depends on the speed limit - they can only be used for 20mph or 30mph zones) and the timing of speed lines and survey
  • PKC report they are very short staffed for these roles and there is a meeting to carry out prioritisation of tasks.

  • FDCC consider speeding the most important issue to be dealt with by PKC for our community

    • Action: FDCC to write to Constable Samson with regards to the challenges delivering what has been promised
    • Action: Clrs to bring back an update on progress at the next FDCC meeting

• Road Adoptions

  • There is still some uncertainty around road adoptions in Drum and Crook of Devon

    • Action: Clrs have asked that any roads where there is uncertainty should be marked up on a map so they can make enquiries about whether they are, or could be adopted.

• Access to Cash in Kinross-shire

  • CCllr Marchant has had no success in finding a contact in the Bank of Scotland, but has a new list of email addresses to contact.

    • Action: CClr Marchant to email for updates

• Crook and Drum Growing Together

  • The growing group have put in an application with PKC’s Nature Restoration Fund for the extension of the small community orchard.

Consultations

• There are two open consultations for the public to comment on:

  • 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

New Business

• Ditch Management Scheme Drum

  • There has been an email from a MoP enquiring about the lack of a ditch management scheme in Drum.
  • Drum sewage system should be sealed but it’s not; surface water is getting in the system. This may be due to ditches being clogged; however this needs landowner buy-in to clean all the ditches. This may not resolve the flooding issues entirely but should help

  • There have been efforts to set this up as a coordinated approach in the past, but was unsuccessful in getting all local landowners on board

    • Action: Could PKC coordinate this across all the villages to ensure all landowners keep their ditches clear?
    • Action: Consider whether Drum should be considered a flood vulnerable area for all new planning applications? Is this an issue for SEPA?
    • Action: Clrs will enquire and report back to FDCC
    • Action: CClr Marchant will reply to MoP

• Tullibole Mill Farm Sewer Upgrades

  • Scottish Water are upgrading the sewer network in Crook of Devon near the Tullibole mill farm
  • Work is starting on Saturday 10th October, and will involve some road closures

• Constant Dog Barking from Travellers Site

  • MoP emailed reporting constant dog barking from the traveller’s site.

• SSPCA have checked welfare of animals, no issues identified

  • Action: CClr Marchant to provide contact details for PKC’s Environmental Department to the MoP who emailed in.

Community Council Business

Meetings attended: none this month; The next Kinrossshire area committee meeting will be in November 2022

P&K Councillors’ Reports

Clr Freshwater: There have been issues around the Kinross-shire area committee agenda setting and items discussed, and technical issues have proven frustrating. There will be a pre agenda meeting with the convenor and vice convenor to address some of these issues. Clrs encourage items to be added to the agenda which can then be used to refer items to other committees. Clr Freshwater confirmed that there is funding for administration within the ward (there are two pots of money which are the same amount). There were questions around PKC winter preparedness re gritting, salt, yellow grit boxes, replacing boxes that have been moved.

• Action: the FDCC have asked for an update with regards to winter plans and preparedness.

Clr Cuthbert: Clr Cuthbert is leading on the transport forum which is currently on hold. They are aware that local bus services do not interconnect and there is no easy way for the various buses to link up properly. Stagecoach have not yet put their new timetables in place - this is due in November 2022. Other issues with buses include not running at times to enable the local community to use it to commute to work, to get to the community campus, or reach the mobile bank when it is in town. March 2023 is when contracts are due to be renewed; this is a good opportunity to determine the best way forward. The proposal is for all local buses to be looked at afresh to make full use of buses, e.g. school buses which sit empty with a driver during school hours. There needs to be a structured, well thought out approach.

PKC have discussed and passed a motion in full Council which means that an objection to a planning application by a Community Council will lead to the application being discussed by the Placemaking and Planning Committee, rather than being determined by the Officers under delegated powers. It’s not clear when this will come into force.

Many of the COVID-19 measures across P&K have been removed, and consultations which were being carried out online will now once more be held in person for the public to physically attend.

• Action: Carnbo residents to work with FDCC to provide a summary of the discussions around traffic calming measures in Carnbo and send to Clr Cuthbert so this can be taken to the PKC executive committee

Planning Applications

• 22/01240/FLL | Extension to dwellinghouse | 5 Drummond Park Crook Of Devon Kinross KY13 0UX

  • This is a single storey extension to the side of the property.

    • No CC comment

• 22/01467/FLL | Siting of holiday accommodation unit and sauna (in part retrospect) | 1 Barnhill Farm Powmill Dollar FK14 7NS

  • In principle we support the development of tourism and associated accommodation in our community providing the development is sustainable, has no adverse impact on the environment, is sympathetic to the locality and contributes to biodiversity through considered siting of the accommodation and associated planting of native shrubs and trees as per PKC Policies 9, 19 and 41.

  • We recognise that this application is in part retrospective but are concerned that the application has no business case and hence it is not clear whether the application will meet the criteria in Policy 9c. We would therefore suggest that PKC seeks a detailed business case from the applicant before making a decision on this application.

    • CC has submitted the neutral comment above in line with previously submitted comments for applications of this nature

• 22/01482/FLL | Extensions to dwellinghouse, erection of porch and formation of raised decking | Ivybank Drum Kinross KY13 0UN

  • This is a follow up to planning application 22/00556/FLL | Extensions to dwellinghouse, erection of porch and formation of raised decking | Ivybank Drum Kinross KY13 0UN which was refused on the following grounds – the size and height of the extension is imposing and could restrict light to the neighbouring property. The CC had not commented on that application.

    • No CC comment.

Planning Decisions: refused

21/02133/AML | Erection of 10 dwelllinghouses, 6 garages and associated works (approval of matters specified in conditions of 18/01855/IPL) | Land 70 Metres West Of Innerdownie Crook Of Devon

• Application was refused as proposal is contrary to the Local Development Plan 2 (2019), Policies 1A and 1B placemaking, Policy 1B(c) design and density and Policy 17 residential areas.

  • The CC had objected

Planning Decisions: approved

22/00673/FLL Erection of a dwellinghouse (in part retrospect) | Land 20 Metres North West Of Coachhouse Crook Of Devon

• The CC had made no comment

Planning Applications: withdrawn

22/01094/FLL - Change of use, alterations and extension to agricultural building to mixed classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 10, formation of parking area and associated works | Land 55 Metres South East Of Solsgirth Home Farm Solsgirth

• The CC had made a supportive comment

Matters Arising with no update since last meeting: Fossoway and District Community Council Benefit Fund, War Memorial, Community Development Trust (CDT), Rumbling Bridge Gorge Bridge

AOCB: A MoP reported that the Kinross newsletter had an advert with all the local defibrillators but didn’t include the one in Rumbling Bridge.

• Action: CClr Marchant to follow up with the people who installed this to ensure that it’s registered appropriately
• Action: Update the FDCC Facebook page to include list of all defibrillators in the area

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, Kinross Area Committee, PKC Councillors’ Reports, Planning, Correspondence, AOCB

Next Meeting: Tuesday 1st November 7.30pm at Carnbo Village Hall. All welcome!

Following the appointment of Community Councillors for the next term, an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) will

precede this meeting.

More information on the FDCC and meeting dates are available here: https://www.fossoway.org/community-council/

Correspondence September 2022