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Gartmore Community Council
Minutes of meeting held on Wednesday 5th April, 7.30pm, Gartmore Village Hall
Those Present: Janet Billett (Chair), Wayne Glasse-Davies, Colin Scrimgeour, Chris Webster, Mike Houghton-Evans, Ian Dinwoodie
Apologies: David Mackie (LLTTNP)
In attendance: Cllr Elaine Watterson
Members of the Public: 2
1. Declaration of Interest : No declarations
2. Adoption of previous meeting minutes – Minutes agreed by the members
Proposer – Mike Houghton-Evans
Seconder – Ian Dinwoodie
3. Matters arising:
Shop Update – MHE had been asked for the steering group to give an update of the work to date. Successful coffee mornings/afternoons were continuing, newspapers were collected and delivered to the bus shelter by village volunteers, medications were delivered by Aberfoyle Pharmacy and eggs were still available to buy using an honesty box. Loss of the shop has had a massive impact on people not getting out and about to chat to friends and neighbours so the
coffee mornings started. The original lottery bid for the Hall included that there may be a need
to have a shop in the hall at some point but this has now deemed impractical. The pub has a
requirement to have a hub therefore a bid was placed to Stirling Council for the £500 Get
Together grant scheme and we were fortunate to get it. To assist the pub to fulfil its hub remit,
we will now start holding the coffee mornings on 19th April in the Heritage Room. The volunteers
are happy to continue. There is a briefing on 14th April in the Black Bull to show the volunteers
around and to discuss the way forward. Pub will provide the coffee and tea and charge a payment with volunteers continuing to (legally) make baking in their own homes (free with a tea or coffee) and bring to the pub. It may progress that the volunteers could help with the food in the Black Bull providing/making starters and desserts. A proposal to gather a larger group of ‘general village volunteers’ who could work anywhere has been suggested but this needs coordination. Jean Cowie informed him of a Loneliness Grant and MHE has submitted the bid for Stage 1 on behalf of the Pub and Sandy Phillips, Chair of the Board is fully in support of this. It is clear that we need to have a mix of paid staff and volunteers to make the pub work and if the bid were successful, the grant money would go towards providing paid employees, possibly a Coordinator to arrange volunteers. The maximum bid is for £27,000 paid over 3 years. The deadline for Stage 2 is the end of April so he should hear about the decision on Stage 1 quite soon.
JB thanked the Shop Steering Group for all the work they had done to date.
A member of the public (MOTP) asked what the status of selling groceries in the pub was. MHE
said this was the hope but we were not there yet. The café is the starting point and we hope to
progress as soon as we can.
Police Report – nothing to report.
If there are any issues to discuss, please contact Callander Police Office on 101 or email
TrossachsTeithCPT@scotland.pnn.police.uk
Planning Matters – ID updated the applications to date:
Cromdale Cottage – rear extension has been approved. Work still to start. Forestry
Commission application to upgrade Drum Wood track - work hasn’t started yet.
Gartmore Shop – permission to convert to residential flat was approved. However, the planning
application has a stipulation on it that the outer signage and the front windows have to remain
in any future development. There is one buyer interested who won’t progress his interest with
this proviso in place. The Shop Board contacted the CC and all have agreed that they will object
to this planning application point being enforced. The architect had approached the CC so he is
aware that the CC will back the rejection of the decision to keep the signage and windows. A
MOTP questioned what the buyer wanted to purchase – one part or the whole thing. It was
generally felt that the buyer wanted to buy the whole property.
ACTION : JB
House with holiday accommodation – Fiona Patterson, Crinigart Woods. This proposal is very
near to Judith Gardner’s animals – is this a concern? EW suggested speaking to Martin Earl
asking him to clarify the planning application more fully. ACTION : JB, ID
Development on Aberfoyle Farm – LLTTNP have enforced that the original planning agreement
should stand and the owner cannot build a dwelling property on the site. The CC felt this was
unfair but that there was little they could do.
Treasurer’s Report
The balance of Gartmore Community Council Treasurer account on April 5th 2023 was £2372.11.
This is made up of 3 funds: 1) Community Council; 2) Shop Steering Committee (hosted); 3) SWA damage replacement grant. The SWA grant is £582.00, and will be spent on replanting new
daffodil bulbs later in the year. To date, £1450 has been received for the Shop Steering
Committee from various sources, and £95 of this has been paid for Village Get Together Hall
space rental, leaving £1355 on April 5th. Direct Community Council funds currently stand at
£435.11: Community Council expenditure since the previous Treasurer’s report (February 1st
2023) has been on Hall rental for Community Council meetings (£30), a Minute Taker payment
for February 2022 (£40) and Hall rental for the Shop Steering Committee (£57). There were no
outstanding invoices on 5th April 2023
A report will need to be written regarding the £500 grant that is incorporated in the Shop
Steering Committee funds. MHE will do this. ACTION : MHE
Other Matters:
A MOTP asked to see the change of use response regarding the shop that the CC had approved
and sent to the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (LLTTNP). JB replied that the CC
had agreed the change of use and a verbal reply had been given to the LLTTNP.
A MOTP raised the idling van that CW had mentioned– spoke to the driver and he turned off
the engine. He said two buses had ignored the turn around, continued down the road
causing havoc and that was why he was there.
A MOTP raised the issue of the drains – JB said they were cleared. She said the gully at
Crinigart Lodge was still full of grit and there is an icy area on the road. The MOTP was
advised to contact the Roads Inspector of Stirling Council. JB asked the MOTP if she would
like the CC to report this. The drain near the Manse also needs cleared.
ACTION : JB
AOB
1. Parking in the Square – there is an issue with vehicles double parking and people can’t
drive round the war memorial. CW suggested we could ask the Council to put parking
lines on the road.
Complaints had been received about cars that were being left in the square. The
resident who owns them was contacted and asked to remove them by the end of March.
He has asked for a bit more time to arrange this so two more weeks were agreed. MHE
agreed to speak to him. ACTION : MHE
2. Additional Parking issues in the village – CW reported that parking has got considerably
worse in particular when leaving the hall/pub car park. There is a large vehicle
restricting sightlines. CW asked if the police could be consulted as to what is legal and
not. It was thought that no vehicles should be parked less than 10 metres of a junction.
Leaving Jellicoe Avenue is also an issue. Are yellow lines the answer? Policing would be
required to control this. MHE suggested looking at doing deals with local landowners to
acquire land for parking. The system he mentioned was that each household gets two
licenses. One to park in the street and one to park in the acquired piece of land. The
issue will only get worse so needs addressed. EW agreed that a different approach is
needed as rural areas are not used to having parking permits. There were issues in
Callander as residents objected to buying parking permits.
CW asked about cars that park on the pavement. JB explained that it was illegal to drive
onto a pavement but not illegal to just park there. There are issues for some residents
who use disabled wheelchairs, have double buggies etc, who have to use the road which
is dangerous.
EW said that Traffic regulations come under Stirling Council’s remit and planning issues
with parking are dealt with by the LLTTNP planners. Martin Earl is a good person to
speak to about this as well as the issue regarding yellow lines.
ACTION : JB
WGD said that the Local Place Plan Survey does ask for views on parking in the village.
A MOTP queried that JB had said some exemptions could be granted to Gartmore
residents to allow them to park on the pavements. JB reiterated that she had said other
places had been given exemptions.
There are a number of cars that park in the village hall car park but they are moved
when there are weddings etc at the hall.
JB had previously suggested in a conversation with a member of Stirling Council Roads
Dept that some of the pavements could be narrowed. This was not thought to be
something that would be agreed by the Council.
A MOTP mentioned that there can also be quite a few tourists coming to Gartmore
which adds to the number of vehicles in the village. However, members of the CC
thought that this was a good idea.
3. DRT Services – the historic problem was that the price of fuel rocketed, the main driver
died and the DRT service seemed to come to an end. EW reported that she had been
working hard to get more drivers and develop a package. Aberfoyle and Killin have
volunteer local drivers who take people to doctor or hospital appointments etc. The
pilot in Aberfoyle will be assessed at the end of June to see if this can be developed
further and continued. A MOTP showed a leaflet which suggested that Strathard
Community Trust were offering a similar service but no-one seemed to know about it.
She wondered why the leaflets hadn’t been wider distributed as it specifically mentions
Gartmore. EW knows that there are only 4 drivers so it may be difficult to get a driver
but the MOTP said she had got a booking and more people should know about it before
the decision is made in June as to whether to continue the service or not. A MOTP was
asked to contact the Strathard Community Trust to ask them to advertise it more widely
and members of the CC suggested the MOTP puts the flyer into the Gartmore News.
ACTION : MOTP
4. Local Plan Update -136 surveys have been received out of approx. 402 residents. There
will be focus groups and meetings throughout the summer to which the villagers would
be invited to give their thoughts and views on the topics raised.
5. Speeding in the village – CW briefed the meeting that when the village became 20mph
throughout, it was thought that approx. 90% of the drivers were adhering to this.
However, a few weeks on, this has radically changed and people are now speeding from
the top end of the village at least. There is no pavement on this section of Station Road
either which further necessitates keeping the speed limit at 20mph. JB asked if some
further signage is required for example ‘Slow Down’ signs on the roadside. Buffers going
in and out of the village actually cause vehicles to have to sit and wait causing fumes to
be dispersed therefore not thought to be a good idea. CW and JB thought the flashing
sign (like in Aberfoyle) does slow people down. JB also felt that there should be a 30mph
sign further back from the 20mph sign to assist drivers to start the slowing down
process. JB asked CW to approach Stephen Bly (Community Council Enquiry Coordinator,
Stirling Council) regarding putting up 30 mph signs or other signage. JB does not like
rumble strips. EW agreed we need a buffer zone and asked to be copied into the email
to Stephen Bly. ACTION : CW
A MOTP reported that there was a regular vehicle that drives fast through the village at
2.45 or 3.45am. JB suggested the MOTP reports this to the police as she was the only
person to be aware of it (at this meeting).
EW Update – has been appointed the Older Persons Champion. She reports back to
SOPA – Scottish Older Persons Assembly. Friendship calls, rural isolation, connectivity,
access to digital technology are areas that she can help with. She would like to come
along to the coffee morning on 19th April to chat to those who come along. She can get
info to people regarding insulating their homes, getting pension credit etc. EW is starting
with Trossachs and Teith going round warm spaces clubs, living with dementia groups
etc to ask how she can help. Professor Dawn Skelton from Caledonian University gives
talks on how to prevent falling, improve your balance, improve your core muscles and
produces a newsletter which gives monthly tips. CW mentioned Active Stirling have
similar groups set up too.
6. Bus Service – A MOTP stated that Martin Earl had said at the last meeting that we were
‘lucky to have a bus service’. The MOTP thought the pricing structure to be unfair as a
return bus fare is £3.60 to Aberfoyle but a return to Glasgow is £12.60. EW stated that
most bus travellers get free bus travel and that is the over 60’s and under 25’s. Bus
passes are easy to acquire.
Date of Next Meeting Wednesday 7 June, 7.30pm, Gartmore Village Hall