Draft minutes Carron Valley & District Community Council
Wednesday 7 July 2021 meeting, via TEAMS @ 7.30pm

Margaret Porter, Councillor, MP Peter Hayward, Chair PH
Dorothy Breckenridge, Sec, DB David Petch, Councillor, DP
Nicolas Sinclair, Treasurer, NS Sara Smith, Councillor, SS

Gill Hay, Scottish Water, GH Morag Holdsworth, resident MH
Susan Young, visitor SY Helen Bang, clerk, HB

1. 1.1 Introductions and welcome

   The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting, especially Gill Hay from Scottish
   Water and resident Morag Holdsworth and Susan Young who is the leading light
   with the Friends of North Third group..

    

   1. Apologies – PC Ross Barclay, PC Pam King, Iain Macfarlane.

       

      Elected councillors to be asked why not attending. ACTION DB.

       

   2. Gill Hay, Scottish Water’s plans and consultation plans for Carron Valley & North
      Third Reservoirs.

       

      Gill had a trip to North Third a few weeks ago. She works in Responsible Business
      Team, in charge of enabling access pilot programme. In 2020 they launched a new
      strategic plan looking to support Scotland. The plan is on their website
      https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/About-Us/What-We-Do/Our-Future-Together. This
      looks at enabling access to reservoirs. They are keen to support health and
      wellbeing. Reservoirs have been operational assets so have focused on this in the
      past, but a new focus includes looking at supporting visitor experience as part of
      Scottish Water’s management of public assets

       

      Pilot study. This will last for two years. The focus is to learn about who visits the
      reservoirs, how these are used, helping to manage the reservoirs. Scottish Water
      reservoirs are many and varied and the pilot sites were chosen to represent

      this. Pilot test sites include Carron Valley & North Third as being rural but popular
      and accessible..

       

      Signage. There was no process of updating signage when the different Water
      Boards became Scottish Water, need to change this.

       

      Looking to learn who visitors are and how to provide good information and help to
      enjoy their visit responsibly. Different reservoirs will require different actions, the
      pilot is a good learning experience for what works best at which site. For example
      awareness of dangers of deep water, what is special about the site, signage,
      campaigns etc. For example, ways to support canoeists could include seeking to
      raise their awareness of biohazard risks - cleaning boats before using.

       

      There will be surveys for locals and visitors to comment and work with local groups,
      adjacent land managers and interested parties to develop interpretation and
      signage, etc.

       

      Questions

       

       

      Draft minutes CVDCC meeting 7 July 2021

      SS – first concern - are you looking at increasing visitor numbers where this is
      already an issue as the area is being overrun with visitors owing to Covid, this has
      now settled down.

       

      Answer – looking at what small things can be done to support responsible access.
      Have had an issue with the recent increase in visitors.

      Safety campaigns – risks around swimming in reservoirs etc. Scottish Water do not
      encourage swimming, but this may have to take into account the recent increase in
      interest in wild swimming, however the current approach is to emphasise safety.

       

      MH Conscious of number of people now accessing the countryside – this is good
      but do need to encourage responsible use. Have issue with dirty camping and
      people leaving rubbish, toileting, etc.

       

      SY – education required eg. regarding toileting responsibly in the outdoors, leave
      no trace etc..

      GH – targeting different groups with different messages.
      DB – have you engaged with festival organisers?

      SY – speaking with retailers, who sell cheap tents, can they do something in their
      communications to prevent items being just dumped after use? PH or mark tent with
      barcode so purchaser can be traced. PH thanked residents and the “Friends” for
      cleaning up North Third.

       

      DP – situation has got much worse since Covid with regard to irresponsible visitors.
      Abuse of access rights but not taking responsibility.

       

      GH – problem at other reservoirs and National Parks. Concern about water safety.

       

      DB – signage should say that this is drinking water for many people and possibly
      the water supply for the visitor!

       

      SY – also need to communicate with anglers. North Third isn’t drinking water but
      Carron Valley is.

       

      MH – owns fishing rights. There should be no fishing at North Third, but they cannot
      police it.

       

      GH – has police connections. They can provide support, but they are stretched as
      well. Could ask them to increase patrols. Also issues with fishing and poaching at
      Carron Valley reservoir.

       

      GH works with interpretative board designers. They will visit site, talk to local
      residents, figure out themes. Would welcome feedback on this. Also please submit
      any questions for their customer survey.

       

      Would appreciate help with getting this to people who use the sites locally.

       

      SY – after last event there was less litter than there had been previously. MH was
      misidentified as mounted police.

       

      GH and SY left the meeting at this point. ACTION ALL – think about questions for
      the SW survey.

       

      Draft minutes CVDCC meeting 7 July 2021

   3. Declarations of interest for items on agenda

   4. Items raised by members of the public for inclusion in agenda, MP defibrillators
      under AOB

       

2. Community Police report

   1. PC Pam King and PC Ross Barclay could not attend but will take note of comments.
      Attached as Appendix I

       

   2. If contacting 101 to mention PC King and Barclay in call / email so that information
      goes directly to them.

    

   Could go into newsletter.

    

3. Minutes of previous meeting on 2 June 2021

3.1 NB this meeting was not quorate, so no decisions were taken.
Proposed DP. Seconded PH.

Minutes of May meeting to be circulated again and then proposed/seconded and
sent to SC.

claim – has delayed submitting to clarify items which will be included.

Draft minutes CVDCC meeting 7 July 2021

8.2 Proposal: VRG would bill CVDCC for a percentage of the newsletter costs and
website hosting.

Does CC want to reclaim this from Stirling Council? After a discussion it was
proposed to apply for £1000 in the first instance. (Item 15.1 also agreed to include
defibrillator insurance of £37.54 so total to be £1037.54.)

DECISION – agreed unanimously. ACTION NS

1. Stirling Councillor report

   1. No report received.

       

2. Valley Renewables Group report [NS]

   1. The Board met on 6 July.

   2. Cost recovery for newsletter etc. discussed. See item 8.2

   3. Trustee/Director apprenticeship scheme – people aged between 18-24 invited to
      get training. Would get training from Stirling Voluntary Services. If successful would
      be a Trustee for the next year.

   4. Libi Newell, Project Development Officer, is not continuing with her contract after
      September as she wishes to concentrate on her core activity. However, she will still
      be doing work on project-by-project basis.

       

      The Project Development subgroup will be meeting shortly to discuss this.

   5. The New Venture Fund has gone live – grant and interest free loans to
      support self-sufficiency. More information on this here:
      https://www.valleyrenewables.co.uk/new-venture-fund/

   6. Red squirrel project – have a number of residents participating in this project,
      feeder boxes are to be delivered shortly and training provided. PH recently saw a
      red squirrel in his front garden.

   7. The Carron Growers polytunnel project is progressing.

   8. Several new families have moved into the area which is great news. There was a
      Children and Parents/Carers event in the Woodland. This was very successful and
      should form a new community group using the area.

   9. Strategy – creating subgroup to move this forward. Want to involve CC in this. PH
      has agreed to join subgroup. SS and Carol Brown have also joined. Members to
      recruit other residents into this process.

       

3. VRG Investment Fund [DP]

   1. See Appendix II. £25K to be invested in legacy fund.

      DECISION unanimous agreement. ACTION DB to advise RF.

       

4. Woodland Group report [DB]

   1. Volunteer day on July 17. Building hibernaculum near the pond which would be a
      great childrens project.. Check planted trees for damage, replacing stakes, etc..

   2. Wood fuel weekend end of September/October

   3. Pomona tree day in October, perhaps with apple press. All events Covid restriction
      dependent.

   4. Red squirrels – Mary Anne contacting people who have expressed an interest,
      issuing feeder boxes for August – September survey. There will be a Training Day
      24 July for participants at 11am at Woodland Cabin. Very goo zoom talk about the
      project.

      DP – recommends check eaves are secure so no squirrels are nesting there.

       

5. Roads report

    

   Draft minutes CVDCC meeting 7 July 2021

   PH emailed Stephen Bly asking it he could advise what was happening with road
   closures on C10. Email from Roads Department in June headed ‘notice to be put
   in Stirling Observer’

    

   No reply, just has sent spreadsheet from Council which gives no details.

    

   DP delivery vans aren’t coming because of ‘Road Closed’ signs. This is
   completely unacceptable to residents. Hopefully C10 can be reopened by end of
   the week.

    

   SS big issue with flooding has been dealt with following attendance of Roads.

    

   HB reported that Cambusbarron Community Council was advised

   of sad deaths and long-term sickness in the Roads Dept due to Covid 19. There
   was also a discussion re the new terms and conditions for Council / Community
   Council interaction, these were felt to be unworkable in their present form. The
   Cambusbarron Chair planned to contact other CC Chairs to discuss this.

    

   NS could we collaborate with other Community Councils – rather than just
   complaining. Go directly to Chief Executive.

    

   DB the Roads Dept have done some good things recently – have resurfaced some
   roads, also work on B818, flooding issue, etc. But appear to be ignoring some

   long-standing items which are of serious safety concerns to residents, eg Cauld
   Barns crossroads on the C10.

    

6. Planning report

   1. Glamping pods rejected again.

       

7. AOB

   1. Defibrillators MP

      Have finally been sent two defibrillators and cabinets. On same day MP contacted
      installer but he is on leave. Insurance – has been in touch regarding it being added
      to Community assets. £37.54 will insure both.

       

      A Zoom training session was held attended by MH, MP & DB. It is hoped to do this
      again.

       

      PH thanked MP for pursuing this for more than two years.

       

8. Date of next CC meeting – Tuesday 4 August 2021 at 7:30pm via TEAMS.

    

9. ACTIONS

   1. Elected representatives to be asked re non-attendance DB

   2. Action – think about questions for the SW survey. All

   3.2 Approved June minutes to DB for Stirling Council HB

   7.1 Roads issues to be sent via portal PH

   8.2 Request £1000 towards newsletters/website NS

   11.1 Investment Fund proposal agreed DB

    

10. DECISIONS

8.2 Cost recovery for joint VRG/CVDCC newsletter and website approved NS

11.1 £25K transfer to investment fund approved

The meeting closed at 9pm

Draft minutes CVDCC meeting 7 July 2021

Appendix I Police Report

Draft minutes CVDCC meeting 7 July 2021

Draft minutes CVDCC meeting 7 July 2021

Appendix II Investment Fund from VRG report

8. Transfer into the Legacy Fund

We shall have four grant deposits during the 2021/22 FY amounting to
about £102,500, giving us over £225,000 as working capital for the 2021/22
FY. Our projected expenditure for the 2021/22 FY is £105,799.

To retain large cash balances in the bank current accounts is not sound
financial practice when interest rates are as low as currently and inflation is
on the rise.

It is the recommendation of the Investment Subgroup that we transfer

£25,000 into the Legacy Fund. This is slightly more than the amount
proposed in the original Investment Fund forecast. 50% from Restricted and
50% from Unrestricted funds.This will leave £200,000 as working capital for
the new FY.

The Board’s approval is requested to this transfer. If approved, this will
be referred to the Community Council for its agreement.

RF for VRG

Draft minutes CVDCC meeting 7 July 2021