Minutes of the meeting held on 9th April 2025
- Present/apologies for absence:
Present: Michele Bennett (Chair), Hendy Spence (Secretary), Jackie Garvie, Ronnie
Garvie
Gerry McGarvey (Stirling Councillor)
Apologies: Moira Mackay (Treasurer), Ian Rodger (Vice Chair)
- Declaration of interest in any items of business
There were no declarations of interest.
III. Approval of Minutes of last meeting
The previous minutes were approved.
- Stir lin g C ounc il lo r’s R eport
The main issue facing Stirling Council at the moment is regarding the Health and
Social Care Partnership (HSCP). The constituent bodies—Stirling Council,
Clackmannanshire Council, and NHS Forth Valley—have been unable to agree on a
funding allocation to cover the 2024/25 year-end and the projected budget deficit for
2025/26. Without an agreed budget, HSCP will need to develop a Recovery Plan to
address an £8 million deficit. Existing commitments will be honoured and any
changes to commissioned services will be carefully considered during this time. A
meeting is scheduled for 10/04/25 between the Scottish Government and senior
officers. This will probably lead to a dispute situation where the three parties involved
will meet with a mediator. This will not be a quick process but will result in a
resolution. Stirling Council has done all it can to prevent this situation from arising
and it could result in a new relationship being developed between Stirling Council and
NHS Forth Valley. Councillor McGarvey emphasised that existing services will not be
affected.
MB raised a concern about Stirling Council’s Facebook page. It is not updated
regularly with useful information. Councillor McGarvey agreed with this and asked MB
to email him about it so that he could look into it.
- Police Re port
Forth and Endrick, Community Council Police Report compiled by PC Matt
McCammon. Reporting Period: February 2025.
PC Matt McCammon PC Laura Newlands are the Ward Officers for the Forth and
Endrick area. They are based at Balfron Police Office and can be contacted at the
office, on 101, or at ForthEndrickCPT@scotland.police.uk. It is recommended that
this email address is used by the local community for email contact however this
should not be used to report crimes.
Please remember that we regularly publish useful information and updates on social
media, including appeals for information, updates about road closures and crime
prevention advice. Our Facebook and Twitter pages can be found at;
https://www.facebook.com/PoliceScotlandForthValley
https://www.facebook.com/PoliceScotland
X - @PSOSForthValley
X - @PoliceScotland
ARNPRIOR: No Crimes or Incidents of note
BALFRON: Assault & Communication offence - A resident was struck to the head by a
family member causing slight injury. The victim thereafter received a threatening
phone call from an unknown person. This incident remains undetected due to
insufficient evidence and uncooperative victim.
Incidents of note - Reports received of livestock and fallen trees on our road
network. Please take care when driving in the area.
BUCHLYVIE: Fraud - Victim has lost £700 to a scam. They were contacted by
telephone by a person purporting to be from the Ministry of Justice advising that the
victims bank account had been compromised. The suspect then told the victim that
‘Officers’ were on the way and to transfer money to a ‘solicitors’ bank account and
provided the account information to them. Enquiries are still ongoing.
CROFTAMIE: Anti-social behaviour - A male was arrested and released on Police
undertaking to appear at Court at a later date after shouting, swearing, and issuing
threats to a resident.
A person was issued with a recorded Police warning for theft after removing a
quantity of wooden logs from private land.
DRYMEN: Theft - A theft has been recorded after £2000 cash within an envelope
went missing from a commercial premises in the village. Unfortunately, there are no
further lines of enquiry, and the theft remains undetected.
Theft - An unattended parked vehicle had its rear window smashed and a quantity of
tools taken from within. Enquiries are still ongoing.
Another unattended parked vehicle had its passenger window smashed and a
handbag was taken from within. Enquires are still ongoing.
Please remember do not keep valuable items in vehicles or if unavoidable keep them
out of sight.
Mountain rescue - A walker required the assistance of Lomond Mountain rescue after
falling and spraining their ankle near the top of Ben Lomond. Fortunately, the walker
made it safely off the hill and was checked over by the team before being returned
to his car.
FINTRY: No Crimes recorded
Incidents of note: A report was received of a fallen tree blocking an access lane. The
tree was removed prior to Police attendance. Please be careful when driving in the
area, especially in poor weather conditions.
GARGUNNOCK: Anti-Social Behaviour, Assault, Threatening behaviour, Breach of Bail
- Police attended the village in response to a disturbance in the street following a
neighbour dispute between residents. Details of persons involved where noted.
recorded police warnings were issued as a result. The dispute then escalated with
persons being arrested for assault and threatening & abusive behaviour. One person
was released with undertaking conditions and has thereafter breached said
conditions resulting in them being arrested again and held as a custody for court the
next day. Multiple reports have been submitted to the procurator Fiscal for
consideration.
KILLEARN: Anti-Social Behaviour, Vandalism - A number of youths from out with the
area attended Killearn and damaged the home address and vehicle belong to the
resident they have taken issue with. Unfortunately, damage was caused to a picnic
table and bench from the Nursery. Enquiries are ongoing The youths were traced by
Police, their details noted and returned to their home respective addresses. One
person will be reported for the damage caused to property and another arrested and
charged with threatening behaviour and resisting arrest. Another youth received a
recorded Police Warning regarding their conduct towards police. Enquiries are still
ongoing.
Theft: Two persons were arrested and charged for theft after they entered the Cala
Homes housing development compound and loaded their van with various items of
building equipment. A report will be submitted to the Court and all items have been
returned to the builder.
KIPPEN: Road Safety - A driver has been reported to the Courts for speeding on the
A811 near to Kippen.
STRATHBLANE: Assault - An assault has been recorded within Mugdock Country Park
after a walker was ‘bumped’ to the ground by another walker with a dog. The victim
was offered help to their feet but declined this as they believed it to be a deliberate
act. The Victim did not sustain any injuries, and the suspect left the area. Enquiries
are ongoing.
Theft: A theft has been recorded after an exercise bike was taken from outside a
property in the village. The owner of the bike posted this on social media and the
exercise bike was later returned. No further line of enquiry.
Road Safety: A driver has been arrested and reported for Drink Driving, Provisional
licence and no insurance after being involved in a one vehicle collision on the A81,
near to Glengoyne distillery. The vehicle was recovered and debris cleared.
Fortunately, there were no other vehicles involved and no injuries as a result.
Where to Report Scams
In Scotland, report all scams to Advice Direct Scotland by calling 0808 164 6000
(Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or online at www.consumeradvice.scot
Fraud
If you have been the victim of fraud, report it to Police Scotland on 101 or 999 in an
emergency.
Suspicious Emails
You can forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and send links from
websites which you think are trying to scam the public to the National Cyber Security
Centre's scam website reporting service at www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-thiswebsite/
report-scam-website
Suspicious Text Messages
If you receive a suspicious text message you can forward it to 7726. The free-ofcharge
‘7726’ service enables your provider to investigate and take action if
malicious content is found.
ADVICE
What basic steps can I take to protect my home?
Having your home broken into is not common. There are however many ways that
you can help secure your home. They don’t all cost money – some are common
sense and good housekeeping.
First, think about basic good housekeeping routines that aren’t expensive:
- Keep your home locked at all times
- Many thieves do not need to break in at all because a door or window has
been left open or unlocked
- Don’t leave keys on the inside of door locks, under mats or anywhere else
they can be easily found
- If you have a ‘thumb turn’ lock on the inside of a door, ensure that it cannot
be accessed from outside
- See details on letter-plates, glazing and adjacent windows advice below
- Don't put your name or room number on your keyring if you live in shared
accommodation, if it is lost or stolen, the thief will have information that could direct
them there
- Don’t keep house keys and car keys on the same key ring
- Don't keep a lot of cash in the house
- Mark your property with a UV marker pen or Security DNA marking Kit - these
can be bought online or in some stores
- Look for the Secured By Design accreditation on the product and register -
you can place an invisible imprint of your postcode and house number on your
possessions
- You can record and register details of your valuables, serial numbers and
features or marks, on devices on the national mobile property register on the
immobilise website - this includes mobile phones, cameras, laptops and tablets
- Don’t leave valuables where they can be seen through a window - for
example, around the tree at Christmas time
- If you have a wall calendar, avoid having it shown near a window from where
appointments can be seen - people may see when there will be no one in.
What should I do when I go on holiday?
When you go on holiday there are a few steps you should take for security.
- Get to know your neighbours, if you trust them they might keep an eye on
your home, draw curtains and remove mail from behind the door
- Consider using Royal Mail’s Keepsafe service, they will keep your mail for up
to 66 days
- Make sure you cancel any regular deliveries such as milk or newspapers
- Use timers on lights, make sure your alarm is set
- Don’t post on social media that you’re going on holiday - criminals can search
for this kind of information to identify empty houses.
Some other tips include:
- Doors should be fitted with a 5 lever mortice deadlock to BS 3621 standard or
a Euro Profile Cylinder lock to TS007 3 star standard
- Door frames should be strong enough to support the door, hinges and lock.
- If the door is not a ‘multi – point locking’ door, fit mortice bolts at the top and
bottom of the door and hinge-bolts give additional resistance
- External timber doors should be solid core and a minimum of 45 mm thick.
- UPVC doors should be to PAS024:2016 standard as below
- New / replacement doors should be manufactured and installed to meet
standards PAS 024:2016 or equivalent
- Glazed panels within or adjacent to the door should have laminated glass in at
least the inner pane to standards P1A
- Letterboxes should have an internal cover plate and not be at floor level. This
means that mail drops down and can't be taken from outside
- If you are replacing your letter-plate, look to replace it with a letter-plate to
TS008 standard
- Fit a door viewer and a door chain
- Don’t leave keys in the door. They could be turned or stolen through the
letter-plate if a standard letter plate is fitted
- Think about having your door reinforced with a security door bar
- Ask the manufacturer/supplier before fitting any extra locks to double glazed
windows or doors
- Windows should have internal beading to avoid the glass being removed from
the outside. Some systems which have external beading are secure because the
glass is adhered to the frame or secured by special tamper-proof clips. This can be
checked by consulting the manufacturer
- New / replacement windows should be manufactured and installed to
PAS024:2016 or equivalent. This indicates set specific standards of design and
security for windows.
What if I’m making home improvements or even carrying out routine maintenance?
Your property can be more vulnerable whilst you’re carrying out home
improvements.
- Don't give keys to workers as they can make copies quickly and easily
- Let your neighbours know about work being carried out, where workers are
likely to be and who they are
- Scaffolding may allow an intruder access to areas they wouldn’t normally be
able to access
- Remember to lock all accessible windows.
It was noted that the Community Officers have not attended FCC meetings for some
time. This is probably due to their shift patterns.
- Planning
The building warrant has been approved for an alteration to the internal layout,
single storey rear and side extension and to alter the rear elevation to install bi-fold
doors at 15 Menzies Avenue.
The building warrant has been approved for the conversion of two flats into one two
storey dwellinghouse, the installation of an air source heat pump and the installation
of solar panels on the south facing roof at rear of 81, Main Street.
MB confirmed that a second letter of support had been sent to Stirling Council on
behalf of FCC with regard to a retrospective application for change of use of the land
for the use of a woodworking business and ancillary storage; including an improved
access, the addition of hardstanding for parking and the storage of materials and
machinery, and the addition of buildings, including a machine store, workshop, tool
stores, furniture store, and a caravan on land 340M north of Provanston Farm.
The Housing Department have indicated that they would be willing to meet members
of FCC regarding the possible development of affordable housing in Fintry. HS will
contact them to arrange this.
VII. Finance
A grant application from Fintry Primary School for £250 for gardening equipment
was approved.
A grant application for driving lessons was approved.
FCC insurance has been paid by Stirling Council.
VIII. Resilience update
SEPA have asked for permission to use FCC’s resilience video again. This was
agreed.
An application for funding for the third phase of the Leaky Dams project has been
made to the Scottish Lottery.
Work has started on the second phase of the Leaky Dams project.
The planned open day for the Leaky Dams project will probably be around the end
of May/beginning of June.
An application for funding for improvements to the community garden and other
community areas was approved.
- Roads/paths
The final plan for the extension to Cicely’s Way have been completed and will be sent to
the land-owner for their approval.
The B822 Fintry Road from its junction with the B8037 to its junction with the B818 will be
closed from 0900 hours until 1600 hours, Monday to Friday, from 7-4-25 until 18-4-25 to
facilitate the replacement of a collapsed road culvert.
- Correspondence
Information about a proposed visitors levy scheme has been received: In May 2024, the
Scottish Parliament passed the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act. This Act gives local authorities
the ability to charge a set percentage on overnight accommodation paid by visitors and
tourists. In December 2024, Stirling Council agreed to start a period of public consultation to
understand whether and how a visitor levy could be implemented in the region. The results
of this engagement will help shape what any visitor levy would look like, and the resulting
'scheme' will be put to Council in December 2025 for a final decision on whether to introduce
the levy.
It is estimated the introduction of a one per cent visitor levy in Stirling could generate
between £1.5m and £2.3m annually. A five per cent visitor levy could generate between
£5m and £7.5m. These figures are subject to revision. All money raised would be reinvested
locally on facilities and services that are used by, or substantially for, leisure and business
visitors. This includes infrastructure, events and culture, as well as improvements to
destinations that enhance the visitor experience. Because residents and visitors use many of
the same things, the visitor levy has the potential to improve life for residents as well as
visitors. A drop-in session is being held on Wednesday 16 April, Drymen Village Hall, 11am
to 6pm.
Correspondence was received from Stirling Council to highlight the fact that Stirling has been
named the top Scottish visitor destination by Lonely Planet.
- Any other business
FCC were informed that rubbish had been left in the graveyard. Several residents were upset
by this and found it disrespectful. It transpired that a resident had been carrying out a litter
pick along the roadsides around Fintry and had left black bin bags of rubbish in the
graveyard for collection by Stirling Council. FCC informed the Land Services team who were
unaware of the situation but arranged for the bags to be uplifted the same day.
A resident has asked if anything can be done to improve the piece of land on Main Street
near the cross. It used to have rose bushes and then wildflowers but has now been left as
patchy grass. There was discussion of the possibility of siting a bench with planters at each
side of it. JG will investigate prices.
The work at the play park is still ongoing. Installation of the flying fox is still waiting to be
done as well as the repainting of the existing equipment. Repairs are also needed – this has
been raised with Stirling Council on several occasions as there are concerns about safety.
Councillor McGarvey asked MB to email him about this and he will look into it.
A resident has reported an unsafe tree behind the Menzies Hall. MB will report it to Land
Services.
XII. Date of next meeting
The next FCC meeting will be held on Wednesday 14th May at 7.30 p.m.