February 2025 Minutes

Approved Minutes Carron Valley & District Community Council

Tuesday 11 February meeting at 7.30pm, via ZOOM

 

               In attendance

               Peter Hayward, Chair, PH                        Dorothy Breckenridge, Sec., DB                

               Margaret Porter, MP                                  Maureen Berry, MB 

               Morag Holdsworth, MH                             David Petch, DP                                            

               Jen Preston, Elected rep, JP                   Helen Bang, minute clerk, HB

 

• Introductions and welcome
  • The Chair welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the year, now the first Tuesday of     the month.
  • Apologies – police.
  • Declarations of interest for items on agenda - none.
  • Items raised by members of the public for inclusion - fly-tipping.

 

• Community Police report
  • No report was received prior to the meeting. Now attached as Appendix I.

 

• Minutes of previous meeting held on 4 December 2024
  • Proposed PH, seconded MB. ACTION HB to send to DB for Stirling Council and put on    CC area of VRG website.

 

• Matters arising from the December meeting:

               Actions

• Approved November minutes and draft December minutes             closed

11.3       Articles for February newsletter                                                                          ongoing

12.1       Post about Christmas tree day                                                                            closed

                                                                                                                                                             

• Chair’s report (PH)
  • Nothing except concerns about pot holes on C10 which are very bad. PH has reported through SC pothole website. 

               Agreed to raise through CC enquiries. ACTION PH.

               MB - a resident got a flat tyre only today after hitting a pot hole.

DP – creating an entrance at the farm may have caused road damage and subsequent pothole.

 

• DB - this is about more than potholes, it's the whole state of the C10. Last year holes were patched, they have all disintegrated. Much of the problem is owing to poor drainage  which has not been remedied. It needs the drainage addressing and the road  resurfacing as it is a very important route for the community. It has been raised  repeatedly over the past decade and more.

 

• MB they are doing drainage from junction at North Third towards Carron Valley. They are digging out the trench but piling soil at the side of the road and this will just collapse.  Drivers go up onto the verge because it is a single track road. They will push it back into  the ditch.

 

• DP - the patching/repairs do not work. It hides the problem for a few months but then they reappear. 

 

• PH is not aware of other roads in Stirling which are in such a bad condition as those in our district.
• Storm Eowyn caused considerable damage in the area. Some properties were without electricity for several days. Trees had brought down power lines.

 

• Resilience - a generator would have been useful. A local resident in a terminal condition in a hospital bed in his house and was without power for three days. 

 DP understood a generator should have been supplied in these circumstances.  JP - communication around the area - you can register with Scottish Power and the  water company as a vulnerable person. There was information in a recent newsletter.  PH was impressed with the electricity engineers who were working in difficult weather  conditions.

 

• DB we could invest in a generator and dehumidifier which could be distributed if required. MP - this could come under restricted fund for a VRG application. DP raised the issue of maintenance. It would require a maintenance schedule. Petrol tanks need draining and replenishing etc. However, if multiple properties were affected by power cuts, one generator will be insufficient. ACTION DB to investigate.

 

• When the Community Hall is finished, it could be a place for people to congregate if there are major power cuts affecting the community.

 

• The readiness of neighbours to help is a major factor in resilience, and the Carron Valley benefits from good relations between residents. This was demonstrated during the  Covid lockdowns.

 

• The reliance on electric vehicles is an issue because they are unsuitable for rural roads and four wheel drives are not available. It has already been an issue with carers being  unable to charge electric cars. JP has raised this before. Stirling Council has a limited  number of vehicles that can handle these conditions.

 Adaptation strategy - how to deal with climate change, storms etc. Stirling Council is  consulting on this currently.

 

• Secretary’s report (DB)
  • DB has circulated information which has come in. We are now meeting on the second Tuesday of the month.

 

• We are receiving regular updates from Stirling Council on various matters.

             

• Treasurer’s report (MH)
  • Attached as Appendix I

               This was circulated prior to the meeting.

              £518.32 income from Stirling Council 

              Expenditure £310  

               Bank balance £1266.79

             

• Stirling Councillor report (JP)
  • Storm issues             -           adaptation     strategy          is         being consulted          

https://engage.stirling.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/comment-on-the-climate-adaptation-strategy

 

• 27 February.  £13 million budget gap. Some extra moneys from the Scottish

               Government. Anticipated cuts and possible council ta

             

 

• C10 JP met with head of Roads Garry Neil after the last meeting. He had promised to look into this. PH had been speaking to Robert Fleming. ACTION JP to approach Roads  Please can all residents continue to report pot holes. Put on Facebook with link

               ACTION HB.

 

• Local Place Plan (MB)
  • Progress has been made. MB attended a meeting in January at Stirling Council. Found out what they were doing with the census. Carron Valley is linked with Plean - 'Plean and South East Stirlingshire.' With small areas individuals would be identifiable with data so won't report on less than 500 of a population which is why Carron Valley is linked with 

 

               MB going to compare with Fintry and Cambusbarron as they have some similarities.

 

 MB hopes to meet with them at some point to find out how to distinguish between Plean  and ourselves whilst maintaining anonymity.

 

 MB has started doing interviews around the geography and the industry in Carron  Valley. We have 24 farms in the area, how have they changed - some have become  much smaller, others much bigger, some have diversified into other areas. MB has  spoken to Alistair McPhee regarding research unit for the fishing. Has done some work  on forestry. Is going to explore windfarms.

 

 There are 9 lochs and reservoirs in the area. MB has identified who does what with  regard to fishing etc.

 

 In relation to the map with the boundaries, there was a lot of debate with residents. MB  asked the farmers to mark where the farms are located but demarcation on the west  side of the CV is through the reservoir, not through the road. 

 

9.2 Ownership of the reservoir is an important issue.  Scottish Water are doing work at north end of the reservoir - a biodiverse garden. MB has some details on this project. It is going to have benches and pathways. Concerns were expressed about birds nesting in this area.

 

9.3 DB there is a Scottish Ranger allocated to the area. Forest Land Scotland hosts them.  If we get in touch with them, they were at the Flower and Produce Day, they should have  more information on this. ACTION DB/MB. 

 

            The previous census was just for CV area. It did provide data which has been used as    a baseline for a number of things. If we are going to be in with Plean we won't be able        to compare like with like. Plean is also undergoing considerable development with new            housing etc.

 

 MB has had very positive response from the residents who she has spoken to - they are  pleased to have been asked about these issues.

 

9.4         MB would like previous census data. ACTION DB

 

               MH - the map for our area is not interactive on Stirling Council website.

 

9.5        DB requested an update for the newsletter, approx 150 words by 14 February. ACTION

1.  

 

               PH thanked MB for all her work on this.

 

• Valley Renewables Group report (MP) 1 The Board met last week.

 

• Subgroup reports - £35K has been drawn down for Community Hall. More will be drawn  down as the hall is built.  

 

• £6K Nadara solar panel grant on its way. Craigengelt and Earlsburn windfarm payments are due in next few months.

 

• Grants - the correct amount has been available it has just been allocated early this year. The money for the hall could not be spent on individual grants.

 

Information on grants – 120 households in the CV have received a grant of some kind since 2014.

 

In the current financial year so far VRG has awarded:

             

               7 Bursaries £3500

               1 ebike grant £500

               20 Energy efficiency grants £39,240

               6 Get the valley growing £2049

            19 Warm up/costs down £3606     23 Young person/children’s grants £7300

 

               There is still some money in the Get the valley growing grant budget.

 

               The grants Subgroup is holding a meeting to brainstorm possible solutions.

 

• Woodland storm damage - some replanting is required. Some windfall wood will be          

 

• Saturday 15 February is woodland maintenance day.

 

• Foundations of community Hall being laid this week. The car park has been relocated owing to the poor state of ground on the original site.

 

 There will be fees associated with the engineer confirming this. However less earth shifting will be required.

 

• Energy efficiency - followup visits by Ronan and Shirley are going well. Feedback has been positive.

 

• Community Hall - a management group has been formed, more volunteers would be          

 

• Outside funding - Alan Findlay is heading up the quest to track up outside funding. All of our current funds are allocated. There are other schemes out there, some could suit  our needs.
• Newsletter - being produced shortly. More articles are required. ACTION ALL.

10.2 Councillor's report as part of the newsletter. JP is happy with this but we would also need to invite other elected reps: Neil Benny and Scott Farmer.

 

• Woodland Group report (DB)
  • Covered in VRG report item

 

• Roads report (PH)
  • MH Road past North Third to Cambusbarron is in a dangerous state of repair. Forestry            lorries have caused more damage.

 

• Trees damaged in storm are sitting dangerously on telephone wires. MH has tried reporting these to BT no result so far.  Some residents have pacemakers etc.    ACTION JP to raise with Stirling Council.

              

• Planning report (PH)
  • Nothing new to report.

 

• AOB
  • Resident - without woodburning stove would have been very cold when electricity cut Opposition to woodburning stoves (particulates concerns) should not apply to rural  properties. 

 

• Fly-tipping. MH there has been a noticeable increase on road to North Third. When contacted Stirling Council were informed that it is on Tillhill's ground and not their  MH has had no reply from Tillhill.

 

 MP should the CC provide written support to Tillhill so they take their responsibilities  for it. It was agreed that this would be useful.  ACTION DB to contact.

 

 MB same in Carron Valley. Large bags of rubbish have been dumped from Easter  Buckieburn to Carronbridge House/ Tak me doon crossroads.

 New system at the council dump - this was raised with elected representatives about  booking system and we were told there was no correlation with increased fly-tipping. 

 

               JP it is illegal. Reporting to the police would mean there was a record. 

 

              DB it sounds more like house clearances than individuals. 

 

• MB concerns about wild camping were raised, anti social behaviour, MH concurred.

 

• MH new email to be circulated. ACTION MH.

             

 

• Date of next CC meeting Tuesday 11 March 2025 at 7.30pm via Zoom.

             

               The meeting closed at 9pm.

 

• ACTIONS

3.1         Approved December minutes to DB and website, draft February minutes              HB

5.1         Potholes/ Roads CC enquiries                                                                                        PH

5.8         Look into practicalities of generator for the community                                               DB

8.3         Roads issues                                                                                                                JP/HB

9.3         Biodiverse garden at reservoir, contact Ranger                                                     DB/MB

10.11 Newsletter - articles requested.                                                                                          DB

12.2       Concern with trees on telephone wires                                                                          JP

14.2       Flytipping contact Tillhill                                                                                                    DB

14.4       MH new email to be circulated                                                                                        MH

             

Appendix I Police Report

 

Name of                            11/02/2025 – Carron Valley Community Council

Community

Council

 Our priorities in the Carron Valley area continue to be Anti-Social Behaviour, Drug misuse/Drug dealing, Road

Safety and Community Engagement and Reassurance.

 

          

 

 

          

 

 

             

Appendix II