Minutes approved: 04FEB25 Proposed by: MM Seconded by: DC
Drymen Community Council
Ordinary Meeting
Tuesday 03 December 2024
7pm Drymen Village Hall
Meeting chaired by: Rebekah MacDonald [RM]
Present: Rebekah MacDonald [RM], Simon Reid [SR], Jakki Sendall [JS], Maja McTavish [MM], Louise MacFarlane [LM], Fraser Robb [FR]
Apologies: Dawn Connor (DC), Rhona Carmichael [RC]
Agenda
1. Apologies
2. Minutes of the last ordinary Meeting
3. Ask your Councillor
4. Police Matter
5. Village Hall Update
6. Library Update
7. Planning
8. DCDT Update
9. Gala Day Report
10. Treasurer’s Report
11. Roads & general maintenance
12. Community Transport Working Group update
13. Any other competent business
14. Date of next meeting
Minutes of the last ordinary meeting of 05 November 2024 – to be approved at the next meeting
Ask your Councillor
Unfortunately, due to the illness of Councillor Rosemary Fraser (RM), and the unavailability of Councillor McGarvey, there is no Councillor tonight.
RM provided notes:
• News regarding the £12 million gap in Stirling Council funding. Surveys going out amongst council residents regarding their opinion on resolving the funding gap.
• News of new movie location area in Stirling. Stirling Council received levelling up funds to provide buildings and training for movie location area.
Police Matter
No update from the Police this month.
Village Hall Update
• Insurance has been paid, a little bit more than last year due to the building being re-surveyed.
• Reapplied for Robertson fund grant.
• No community mental health wellbeing funding was procured.
• Separately: RM advises of a networking event with other Community Councils as all Community Councils struggling financially.
• Strathblane community club found that by tying in their heating system to their booking system they were able to substantially reduce their heating bill; prudent to consider similar investment in Drymen to save finances.
• Heating and electric bill going up slightly due to winter weather.
Library Update Page 2 of 4 Minutes approved: 04FEB25 Proposed by: MM Seconded by: DC
• Plans to use part of the village hall to run a partly staffed limited Library facility for the community.Setbacks and delays caused by difficulty in acquiring secure internet connection to run the library.
• Clustering Fabric Fun and Book Bug sessions together is conserving funds by
• heating bills.
• As long as the library is just renting the space, insurance will still cover the hall and will not increase in cost.
• Rent of library space could help fund heating bills.
Planning
• Braeside has been granted retrospective planning approval for their office development.
• Garabhand Forest car park, road and West Highland way route will be closed in the New Year for harvesting of wood. No confirmed diversion route. Point noted that a past diversion for West Highland way went along the dangerous pavement on the road to Stirling.
DCC, and neighbours of the development, have been notified that Springfield has submitted a revised planning application for 65 houses for the field off Stirling Road. Points discussed: Reduced number of houses.
Car park design has been changed in application. Places reduced from 88 in the original application to 56. Concerns raised over the reduced footprint of the car park and the use of the car park by campervans and tourists.
Drawings included in revised planning for public toilets, though no plans for funding of public toilets.
Points raised that there is no money in Stirling Council to fund affordable housing included in the application drawings, however, it is also noted that that’s not the builder’s problem so they may be built regardless.
Concerns raised over safety of the junction into the Car park and access road into the housing estate.
Concerns about lack of safe road crossings in planning application drawings.
Concerns raised that the focus should be made on reducing traffic in the village; suggestion that DCC should object to: car park, the access road should not be a loop and the car park closed to increase its capacity.
Concerns also raised over the refuse bin area currently in the car park. The development of the access road and junction would likely lead to these bins having to be moved.
Observations raised that Springfield’s planning applications were always submitted just before Christmas, or over the DCC’s summer recess, resulting in a lack of time to fully discuss opinions amongst the community and submit them.
Discounts for local residents to purchase private housing have disappeared in the new planning application. A discussion took place over the reality of low-cost or affordable housing materialising, especially since the lack of such would be unfair for young or the less-well off of the village.
Point raised that application is unlikely to be seen by the National Park Board until June 2025.
Points also raised about lack of certainty over community benefit. The original application had defined £220,000 cash in benefits. Current application has some vague guarantees over servicing public toilets but no cash sum. Also noted that Springfield has said that their only obligation is to help expand Drymen Primary School capacity. Doubts raised over even this benefit materialising due to the primary school being below full capacity and the housing estate being of smaller size so would not push the school over capacity.
Observation made that the housing development would raise the population of Drymen by ~20%, but without any more local jobs, bus services or benefits and may only lead to more cars in the village.
Conclusively, the course of actions suggested are:
Page 3 of 4 Minutes approved: 04FEB25 Proposed by: MM Seconded by: DC
A. DCC should ask for an extension to the deadline of the 13th December due to the inability to fully gather an accurate opinion of the community within the time of the deadline.
B. Alternatively the DCC should file an objection for: the addition of the second road entrance into the estate next to the carpark, the reduced size of the car park and to advise that community benefit requires to be discussed.
Conclusively the DCC agreed they wish to support the development, especially due to the benefit of an influx of people into the village seen by the recent developments in all other nearby villages. However, have gathered opinions heard at the DCC meeting 03/12/24 that will allow them to aim to put forward views that represent the best interest of the community. The course of action preferred by those present at the meeting, which DCC committed agreed to, was it was felt there was little point in asking for an extension of the deadline and instead to file an objection as outlined in course of action B.
DCDT Update
• Another path clearance occurred in the middle of November, clearing the path that runs on the field-ward side next to the football pitch up to the old schoolhouse.
• The Christmas tree was put up on Saturday 30th November and the lights were lit on Sunday 1st.
• The first of the advent windows are going up across Drymen.
Gala Day Report
Gala day has changed to 21st June, due to changes in availability.
• Proposing to make an application for National Lottery funding.
• Marquee traditionally used has been kindly gifted from the Scouts to the DCC’s ownership. The poles are damaged and will require to be repaired.
• Catering: Drymen Inn has promised to cater again, the availability of ice cream van is up in the air and Base Pizza is hoped to be there.
• Inflatables are booked for the event.
Treasurer’s Report
• Current balance £4,210
• £489.12 credit from Stirling Council
• Expenditure to book Gala Inflatables and to maintain Drymen Village Hall.
Roads & General Maintenance
• Reminder that any resident can submit to Stirling council’s “Report it” to report road defects, but also litter, fly tipping and other issues.
• Road closure on Gartness road.
Community Transport Working Group update
Hospital Patient Transport: Tactrans: awaiting a reply for more information and establishing if Drymen residents are eligible. If we are, we will share info’ and ensure visibility around the community.
Concerns were raised over The Order of Malta not responding to short notice arrangements. A check directly with The Order of Malta was made in advance of tonight’s meeting and they advised that they do work on short notice transport, therefore, residents were advised to continue to contact to arrange hospital patient transport. Noted: St. Johns only provides transport arrangements for Cancer patients.
Connections with other villages: Stirling Council’s Sustainable Transport Team (STT) is forming a Rural Transport Focus group, which we believe will be in January 2025, and anyone is able to attend meetings. We will share details when we hear more. Discussion points raised:
Page 4 of 4 Minutes approved: 04FEB25 Proposed by: MM Seconded by: DC
Demand report transport (DRT): we have asked for an update from the Sustainable Transport Team (STT) as it was agreed at the Connected Communities meeting that a DRT workshop would be held. Note: raised by DCC members who attended the Connected Communities meeting was all communities advised the DRT service did not work.
Concerns raised over the lack of bus transport to Balfron, despite pupils being provided Balfron bus service for School. It was felt an out of school bus service should be run for children and all village residents. Additionally, the only bus service being to Balloch and Balmaha was not felt to be enough. The lack of bus service to Balfron, and by extension Stirling and the wider area, the community is struggling to attend business outside the village.
Point raised that Stirling Council has lost their team leader for the STT. However, a new team leader has been found. It is hoped that this will reinvigorate the STT and lead to more productive communications and involvement with them than in the past.
Any other competent business
No other competent business was raised.
Date of next meeting
Next ordinary DCC meeting will occur on Tuesday 4th February, the first DCC meeting of the new year, 2025.