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Arran Community Council Minutes

We publish the minutes of the July meeting of the Arran Community Council

Written by Alison Prince
Thursday, 4 September 2008

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Minutes of meeting held on Tuesday July 29th 2008 (having been approved as correct by the following meeting.)

Apologies were received from Harry Davidson, Ian Small and Steve Garraway

Those present were: Campbell Laing, Chair (CL), Brenda Stewart, Treasurer (BS), Alison Prince, Secretary (AP), Howard Driver (HD), Scott McMurray (SM), Neil Arthur (NA), John Inglis (JI), Gillian Langley (GL), Cllr Margie Currie (MC), Sgt Bob McKay (BMk) and PC John Kerr (JK). Kenneth Gibson MSP (KG) was also present.

To take advantage of KG’s presence, routine business was kept to a minimum so that major issues could be addressed. Some amendments to last month’s minutes were requested, and these were noted.

Correspondence

• AP had circulated a notice that the reporter to the Marine Harvest fish farm appeal would be making a site inspection at Clauchlands on Tuesday 12th August. No debate would be entered into, but material observations on the nature of the site would be noted.
• A letter of thanks had been sent to BS for a cheque from ACC supporting the elderly.
• Licence applications are available for scrutiny.
• AP had received a letter pp Nicola Sturgeon in response to ACC concern over the absence of a government grant to Isle of Arran Homes this year. The reply made clear that funds would be available, not as a block grant but in response to individual applications.

Police report

• BMk reported that crime figures had greatly reduced in the first 6 months of 2008, with 6% fewer driving offences and a 70% reduction in assault and disorder cases. Non-criminal enquiries from the public had increased.
• Asked by HD if the new station assistant had proved useful, BMk assented, saying more people now came to the police office and more information was gathered as a result.
• BS said Arran Motocross now had planning permission for its site, which the Forestry had agreed to keep unplanted in case expansion of the facility should be needed. BMk welcomed this.
• KG reported that Dougie Auld, Head of Arran High school, had asked for police help in ensuring that former pupils did not enter the school site, potentially causing damage. BMk said it was not a criminal matter, and should be monitored by the school. NA pointed out that the Astroturf area was available for hire, and should not be used without payment. BMk and JK left after the report concluded.

Affordable housing

• This leading topic was addressed by KG, who said the Government was anxious to see more affordable houses built. Core funding on Arran was higher this year, but related to applications. Second Home Council Tax revenue would be available for affordable housing costs. HD asked what proportion of this would be available to Arran. MC said it had been rumoured that the bulk of it has been earmarked for mainland Ayrshire, but in fact it was destined for the areas from which the moneys had come. KG confirmed that the money, £2.3 million, would all be spent where it was raised, primarily Arran and to a lesser degree Cumbrae and Largs.
• Housing for teachers constitutes a problem, as existing school houses are constantly lost if teachers continued to live in them after retirement. KG said that NAC is looking afresh at Council houses, some of which are proposed to be specifically for teachers.
• KG said 15-20 houses were needed per site to make development economic, as in the Corrie quarry, though smaller developments were also possible.
• He added that HIFAR could not act as a ‘social landlord’ as it was not able to house people on the housing list, and said HIFAR should complement Isle of Arran Homes (IoAH), with no conflict between them. JI asked why ACC members should not be allowed to sit on the IoAH committee, and KG promised to take this forward, saying, ‘there should be no issue about communication.’
• There was extensive discussion on what costs could be considered the minimum for the raising of a mortgage. NA pointed out that the phrase ‘affordable housing’ was meaningless, and should be replaced by ‘locally affordable’, since this more accurately reflected the average wage on Arran.
• KG said the Rural Enquiry was ongoing, but there were no ‘tablets of stone’. Development under the H1 rule allowed for small increases. Everyone on the island should have an input of opinion. MC said there was no reason why a development of 20 houses should not be pleasant and varied — it was time to ‘think outside the box.’
• JI asked if IoAH was equipped to buy holiday houses for social occupancy now that prices were falling. Both MC and KG supported the suggestion.

Arran High School

• KG had attended a meeting at the High School. Some ongoing technical faults were reported. Curriculum costs per pupil on Arran are nearly double those on the mainland.

Planning

• CL commented on the ‘tunnel vision’ of NAC, which did not consider the overall needs of the island. KG said more flexibility was being talked about, and drew attention to the Planning Aid meeting to be held at the Ormidale Pavilion on 12th September, for which he was co-ordinating attendees. Not more than 45 were sought for an inter-active day of work on ideas and possibilities.
• NA, having first declared an interest, stressed the need for industrial storage and small workshop accommodation on Arran, preferably on the west of the island, Market Road being effectively fully used. He pointed to the anomaly that farmers are permitted to accommodate workshop machinery, but the dispensation does not extend to such people as joiners. MC agreed that there should be a clause covering this necessity.
• KG said in answer to a question from AP that there should be a broader remit on planning, to encourage the formation of business development and the setting up of Community Investment Companies.

COAST

• There had been 645 responses to the further consultation on the Lamlash No Take Zone. However, resistance was still being voiced by some groups of fishermen.

Post Office closures

• At present, no closures were expected on Arran.

Association of Community Councils

• KG said John Swinney had promised a statement on new proposals regarding the powers of Community Councils.

Tourism

• KG felt that the new NAC Ayrshire and Arran tourism body was ‘woolly’, giving very general, non-specific answers to queries.
• Public toilets were felt to be a serious question, CL describing them as being in a ‘dreadful state’ on Arran. KG had assumed these to be provided by NAC, but on learning that they were not, promised to raise the matter.
• KG thought the days of the mid-range hotel were numbered, with a polarisation developing between the large, top-range hotel and self-catering or B&B. HD felt that B&Bs were threatened by increasing regulations and the lack of winter income. MC said outdoor tourism was of major importance, but involved high upkeep costs. KG said Arran’s access paths were excellent, and NAC was keen to support that initiative.

Fuel

• Asked by NA what the Government intended to do about fuel costs, KG said the Scottish Government wanted derogation for remote areas, as has been agreed across Europe — but not in Britain, where the fuel tax is highest. NA asked how increasing tourism could be supported in the face of oil cost rises and the threat of recession. AP suggested that there was some sense in the Transition movement that sought ways in which Arran could become more self-sufficient.

AOCB

• The subjects of knotweed, E-coli pollution in Lamlash and the future of St George’s church were raised by BS, but the meeting was already running overtime, and these were dealt with briefly. KG was thanked for his attendance.

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