Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 1, Kilmory, Lochgilphead

Contact: Lynsey Innis, Senior Area Committee Assistant; Tel: 01546 604338 

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and general introductions were made. 

 

Apologies for absence were intimated by:-

 

Jim Frame, SEPA

Ben Tustin, SEPA

David Jardine, Forestry Commission

Sharon Cole, Fyne Homes

Mary Smyth, Craignish Community Council

Jim Malcolm, Dunadd Community Council

Fred Bruce, West Lochfyne Community Council

Mary MacCallum Sullivan, Ardrishaig Community Council

Mike Masters, Furnace Community Council

2.

Minutes

2a

Minute of the previous meeting of the Mid Argyll Partnership (MAP) held on 13 December 2016 pdf icon PDF 98 KB

Minutes:

The Minute of the previous meeting of the Mid Argyll Partnership (MAP) held on 13 December 2017 was approved as a true record. 

2b

Minute of the previous meeting of the Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Community Planning Group held on 8 February 2017 pdf icon PDF 95 KB

Minutes:

The Partnership agreed to note the Minute of the Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Community Planning Group held on 8 February 2017. 

3.

Matters Arising

Minutes:

There were no matters arising.

4.

Proposed New Ways of Working

Verbal update by Community Governance Manager, Argyll and Bute Council

Minutes:

The Partnership gave consideration to a verbal update from the Community Governance Manager who advised that she had circulated the report, which had been presented at  the previous meeting of the Partnership to all Community Council’s with a request that the matter be discussed at their meetings.  Mrs Elliott advised that she had received responses from three Community Council’s, Dunadd, West Lochfyne and Lochgilphead, all of whom expressed a strong feeling that a caucus style arrangement was not viable and that the status quo should remain.  She further advised of a restructuring exercise within the Governance and Law Department of the Council and the forthcoming local government elections on 4 May 2017, which may have an impact on decisions going forward.  Councillor Taylor spoke on behalf of the Convenor of Furnace Community Council and conveyed that they also favoured the status quo  and advised that it was their opinion that the Community Planning Group do not offer a strong enough voice for Community Councils and that replacing the Mid Argyll Partnership with a caucus would fail as there would be no administrative support from the Council. 

 

General discussion took place in respect of the level of administrative support provided; the travel aspects involved for Community Council’s wishing to attend meetings; the need for Community Council’s to proactively assist in the setting of agendas and the possibility that evening meetings may encourage better participation from people who worked during the day. 

 

Outcome:

 

The Partnership agreed that the group would continue to function as is in the short term and that the possibility of hosting an evening meeting to test fuller participation could potentially be explored. 

5.

Partner Updates

Minutes:

Inspector Julie McLeish of Police Scotland advised that they had recently undertaken a restructuring exercise of officers who attend Community Council meetings, for the purposes of providing a better service.  She advised that this had been a successful exercise which had encouraged good two way engagement.  Inspector McLeish provided further information on the planning for summer events; the continuation of the  property review; the addition of five seconded officers to the wider MAKI area for the summer months and the 2026 Policing document, which details how Police Scotland will serve a changing Scotland.  Further information can be found at http://www.scotland.police.uk/about-us/policing-2026. 

 

Discussion took place in respect of the office rationalisation programme and the effects this has on Tarbert in particular, with Inspector McLeish outlining the policing strategies in place for areas where there are no longer police offices.  Inspector McLeish provided assurances that policing levels had not been affected by office closures and that the savings made, would provide additional resources in other areas of policing.

 

Betty Rhodick of Lochgilphead Community Council spoke of the events being run in Lochgilphead over the summer months.  They included the Bikers weekend in May; Armed Forces Day in June and the Celtic Pictish Festival in August. 

 

Councillor Horn spoke of a successful meeting with Scottish Water where plans have been put in place to alleviate the flooding issues in Tarbert.  She was hopeful that works would progress within 18 months.  Councillor Horn also spoke of issues on the Glen Road, Tarbert which had recently seen an accident involving a school bus and a van travelling at speed.  She highlighted the need for better road safety awareness on single track roads.  The Chair advised that he would raise this as an issue which could be encompassed with the campervan issues going to the Community Planning Group and the Management Committee, at their next meetings.

 

Andy MacClure of Scottish Fire and Rescue spoke of the successful recruitment drives for both retained and full time crews, and the importance that the young firefighter schemes within the wider MAKI area played in this regard.  Discussion took place in respect of the difficulties of ensuring full crews in retained stations, with Mr MacClure outlining measures put in place to ensure a full complement where possible. 

 

The Chair, Andy Buntin of Lochgilphead Community Council raised the matter of the vast number of vacant shop premises in the Lochgilphead and Ardrishaig communities and the issues posed by this.  He advised that these issues are to be brought to the attention of the Community Planning Partnership Management Committee at its meeting in March.  Mr Buntin further advised that the Community Council are still progressing plans for the return of the Lochgilphead Coat of Arms and that fundraising efforts are continuing in this regard. 

 

 

 

 

 

6.

Any Other Business

Minutes:

Dave Kent of South Knapdale Community Council spoke of issues on the B8024, part of which is a designated timber haul road.  He advised of verge erosion and enquired as to whether any of the Partners could advise who he should speak to about the repair at the conclusion of the ongoing deforestation works.  The Chair advised Mr Kent to make contact with the Forestry Commission office in Lochgilphead to raise the issue with Argyll Timber Transport Forum. 

7.

Date of Next Meeting

Minutes:

Partners noted that the date for the next meeting of the Mid Argyll Partnership was yet to be confirmed.