Minutes – ECC meeting Thursday 26th January 7:30 Community Hall (Kitchen)
Present: Stewart Whatley, Alistair Danter, Roddy Gillies, Roddy Macfarlan, Ian Brown, Billy Shanks
Apologies: Sandra Wilson, John Macrae
Special Guests: Bob Paul, Eric Marr
- Minutes of last meeting – Minutes of last meeting 28:11:11 approved
- Current applications:
-Footpath link to top road - £1,290 + VAT 100% applied for from ECC - Approved
-Community Hall Application - £2,600 for Capital (kitchen Equipment) + Social events77% applied for from ECC – Approved
ACTIONS:
- SW to notify applicants of decision
-SW to review VAT issues to see if passing the expenditure through the Community Council would enable non payment of VAT.
-AD to check with Donald Kennedy, Footpaths Officer HC if passing the expenditure through the Highland Council would enable non payment of VAT.
- Village “centre” recycle bins relocation, layout etc
Following last meeting Carol Walker had been invited to submit a proposal for community allotments, due to family circumstances Carol is no longer able to take this initiative, committee felt that it is worthwhile pursuing the idea + RG agreed to speak with Carol to see if she had identified anyother interested individuals who may be willing to take the proposal forward in order that they could be invited to a discussion with ECC.
Meeting agreed that the issue of the recycling bins should be left until the allotment proposal is either taken forward or abandoned.
ACTION:
RG to contact Carol Walker, in event of an individual (s) being identified IB will pass on information relevant to establishing an allotment organisation.
- Dunvegan Tourist office joint initiative with Dunvegan, Struan, Waternish, Glendale.
Following earlier meeting with rep from Dunvegan Trust ECC has been invited to send a representative to meet with all other Trusts in NW Skye to take forward proposal to establish a Tourist Information Office + café / arts and crafts shop in Dunvegan. RG agreed to attend on behalf of ECC.
ACTION:
AD to pass RGs contact details onto Donald Budge, Dunvegan Trust
- Funding for Tertiary education – update – AD has been intouch with ECC lawyer who is considering the matter, a detailed update should be available for next meeting. AD will continue to push issue along.
- War memorial update – RG reported that contacts had been made with Hector Nicolson who has almost completed a detailed drawing and costing, this should be available for the next meeting. Agreed that the current list of names to go onto the memorial should be posted on the ECC website + a notice asking the public to check for spelling and inclusion to be placed in the West Highland Free Press. AD confirmed discussion with the Planning Department that planning permission would be required + that it would be appropriate to make a submission through the new Community Council.
ACTION:
RG to liaise with Hector Nicolson to ensure that there is a final design + cost for the next meeting.
RG to pass on names to Bob Paul + ask him to put them onto the website + prepare a notice for the WHFP.
IB to research availability of slabs for seats through his “contacts”
- Play park
HC have come back stating that the current proposal is not of a scale that they would be able to support, not clear if the fact that the construction is timber is also an issue. Meeting agreed to request a meeting with Douglas Miles – Tec Services to clarify issues related to scale, materials, maintenance, VAT and insurance. AD confirmed a discussion with the Planning Department that planning permission would be required + that it would be appropriate to make a submission through the new Community Council.
ACTION:
AD to arrange meeting with Douglas Miles, once date agreed, BS to liaise with rep from “Russel Play” to get them to attend as well.
- Gifted Pairc / Scottish Water / HC – AD reported that HC are happy to transfer the current lease for the Gifted Pairc from Edinbane Development Group to ECC and in addition to consider passing payment made by Scottish Water for ground purchase for a new septic tank on to ECC (less any costs incurred by HC).
ACTION:
AD to follow up, pass on constitutional details etc to Colin Anderson HC Property manager.
- Gesto - Ruaraidh Hilleary (RH) has requested that ECC take up the case of Gesto Hospital as the current organisation feels it can go no further. The meeting agreed that responsibility for Gesto is wider (Skye wide) that the remit of ECC (Edinbane – Suledale to Greshornish wide) and thus it would not be appropriate to take on the project. The meeting noted that RH had been told on numerous occasions that ECC would be happy to contribute towards the costs of any feasibility studies for the possible future use of Gesto.
ACTION:
SW to write to RH informing him of ECC’s position.
- Footpath updates:
a)Windfarm / Coishletter footpath SW to write to Vattenfall following meeting prior to AGM explaining footpath proposal, likely footfall + requesting support for materials – financial or in kind.
b)Common Grazings have not responded to proposal BS + RM to take forward
c)Meeting to be held with Scottish Woodland (David Robertson), agent for Coishletter owners to clarify requests for – Cemetry footpath, windfarm link path and old road link path , all of which pass through the Coishletter forest. Wednesday 8th February.
d)Old Road links ups – Donald Kennedy (DK), HC Footpath officer, has forwarded proposal for 1 section of old road link up (Edinbane village onto old Greshornish section – Angus Beaton’s ground). Meeting noted that this was just one section of the proposed link up scheme that can be worked on over time.
e)Old road link ups – SW & IB have investigated the Fanks end of the old road + noted that while a narrow path could possibly be constructed next to the main road it could also be moved up the bank with the use of some “cut & fill”.
ACTION:
AD to liaise with DK + take forward funding application for old road link up + to ask for clarification on possibility of constructing a “narrow” path using cut and fill on the road side bank at the “Fanks” road end.
- Parents meeting re funding for education / buying houses in Edinbane.
Meeting agreed that once there was clarity on the issue of funding local people for tertiary education a meeting should be called to update parents on availability of funding, application process for all educational initiatives including the apprenticeship scheme.
Meeting agreed to invite a representative of Skye & Lochalsh Housing Assc to attend a meeting to discuss housing issues within the Edinbane community + possible involvement of ECC in any initiatives.
ACTION:
AD to contact S&L Housing Assc.
- Membership + communication issues
No new members recruited in last couple of months, agreed that a newsletter would be prepared once some of the current projects had moved into a more “visible” stage.
- Contacts with new Community Council
Meeting noted formation of new Community Council + fact that RM has replaced RG on the committee. Agreed that contact should be made.
ACTION:
SW to find letter sent to old CC + update it + send it to the new CC contact:
Isobel McQueer
Bethsaida
4 Knott
Iv57 9NZ
01470582269
- Financial Updates – SW presented current state of bank accounts (healthy) meeting agreed to update projected cash flow prepared last year to take account of projects for which there are now budgets.
ACTION:
AD to update for next meeting.
- AOCB
IB reported that he had contacted both the local MSP and MP in an attempt to move the issue of mobile reception on in response to a Vodafone initiative asking communities to nominate themselves for enhanced coverage. Watch this space!
Meeting agreed to consider employment of paid secretarial support given that the number of projects is increasing, action points from meetings are growing etc. In addition meeting noted that as Directors are volunteers who can only serve for a limited period of time, it is important to have a central repository of information, records and decisions. Possible names to be brought to next meeting.
- DONM – Thursday 23rd Feb