Present: Fiona Bick (chair), John Foulkes (Secretary), Nick Pilbeam, Klaus Wahle, Grant Duguid, Ian MacMaster, Cllr Ron McKail, Cllr Iris Walker, 1 Echt resident
Apologies: Mary Gray, Brian Poppleton, Cllr Alistair McKelvie, Cllr David Aitchison
Minute of last meeting: Approved.
Police Report: No Police report received since the January meeting.
Community Council Elections 2019: Posters and nomination forms have been received from Aberdeenshire Council. John will distribute these around the villages. Nomination forms will be available from the village shops. Fiona will post details on the website. The nomination period is from 1st-22nd May with a ballot on 29th May 6-9pm at Dunecht Hall if there are more candidates than vacancies. There are now 6 vacancies to fill as Brian Poppleton has tendered his resignation since the last meeting. There are 3 confirmed candidates and 1 potential candidate.
CC Scheme of Establishment Light Touch Review: The Council has asked the CCs to consider whether there are minor changes which could be made to improve the new Scheme. There were no comments to pass back.
Other Agenda items:
Skene School Crossing Safety: The speed survey is still to be done outside the school by Roads department. Cllr Ron McKail has also asked for the safety partnership speed monitoring device to be deployed. The Roads department has agreed to repaint the road markings and add a “Slow” sign on the road once the weather warms up.
Garlogie Footpath: The path has been cleared. CLOSED
Garlogie Dog Fouling: Cllr Ron McKail sent the contact details for the Council Dog Warden, who has provided some very useful advice. The trackway where the dog fouling is taking place is considered public land and offenders can be fined. The Dog Warden has written to the known offender to warn that he will be fined if he continues to allow his dog to foul the path without picking up.
Forbes Park Landscaping: John submitted a complaint to Planning Enforcement about non-compliance with the landscaping planning condition and received an auto-reply. He will follow up with Council.
New Planning Applications:
• None
Prior Planning Applications:
• APP/2019/0120 Alterations and Extension to Dwellinghouse – Millstone House, Greystone Road, Dunecht AB32 7BS. REFUSED.
• APP/2019/0083 Use of Land for Class 5 (General Industrial) and erection of fence – South Fornet, Dunecht AB32 7BX. PENDING
• APP/2018/2226 Change of use from Class 6 (Storage) to Class 5 (General Industrial) – South Fornet, Dunecht, Westhill AB32 7BX PENDING
• APP/2018/2681 Change of Use of Agricultural Buildings to Livery Stable and Formation of Manege (retrospective) – Millbuie, Skene AB32 6YP. PENDING
Treasurer’s Report:
No Treasurer’s Report was available.
Receipts have been submitted for payment for the trace heating for Garlogie Hall mains water supply and for the Dunecht Golf Club defibrillator cabinet. The Milne Hall Committee has also sent payment details for its share of funding.
The defibrillator for Lyne of Skene has been costed at £1371.46 plus electric heating supply. Nick Pilbeam is applying for funds from Garioch Partnership of £750 and will coordinate the payment of the ESCC funds when appropriate. The remaining funds will be raised by the residents.
Correspondence/Upcoming Events:
• Aberdeenshire Local Access Forum vacancies – there were no volunteers for this.
• British Heart Foundation CPR Training – a session is arranged for 10th June 2019 6.45-9.15pm Echt Hall. 17 out of 18 places are taken already.
• Hill of Fare Mountain Bike Race will be taking place again this year on 11th August 2019. Fiona will advise that the public convenience in Echt is now closed and they will have to provide portable toilets.
• Community Council Networking Event 28th September 2019 – noted
AOCB:
Doors Open Days 14-15th September 2019 – Fiona passed the details of this to a contact who’s leading a group trying to start a project to re-open the Garlogie Power Mill. (Post-meeting note: Aberdeenshire Museums Department has given the go-ahead for the Power Mill to be part of the event.)
Community Council Grants – The GAC proposes increasing the Base Grant to all CCs and reducing the per capita allowance, which would benefit the smaller CCs like Echt & Skene. The decision on the grant amounts has been deferred for now.
Littering in Echt – The amount of litter in and around Echt was commented on with most of the litter believed to be dropped from passing vehicles. It was noted that a few volunteers in Lyne of Skene had recently collected about 20 black bags of rubbish from the roadside verges near the village. Fiona will write to the Echt Residents Association and Echt School and ask if they might be interested in having the pupils do a litter pick in Echt – equipment is available to borrow from the Council.
GACCF – Recycling is to be a topic at the next meeting. It was noted that paint is not accepted at Westhill Recycling Centre and that the public is also prohibited from taking away usable items. It was suggested that an area should be allocated for re-usable items to be stored to give time for interested parties to remove them. If they are not removed within, say, 7 days they would then be allowed to go to landfill/recycle.
John Foulkes Presentation – John Foulkes was presented with a tankard and whisky to thank him for his 33 years’ service as a Community Councillor for Echt & Skene.
Future meetings:
12th June 2019 (AGM) Lyne of Skene