Draft Minutes pf the Fort Augustus & Glenmoriston Community Council meeting

Held at 7.30 pm on Wednesday, 30^th August 2023, Fort Augustus Memorial Hall

Present:

Deirdre MacKinnon, DM - Chair

Iain MacKnocher, IM - Vice chair

Helen Clay, HC - Secretary

Mike Anderson, MA - Treasurer

Claire Pegrum, CP

Jeff Dymond, JD

Cllr David Fraser, DF

Cllr Chris Ballance, CB

Apologies:

Robert McDonald

1.Minutes: Previous Minutes were proposed and accepted

2. Matters Arising:

Glenmoriston Estates – Stewart Easthaugh of the Highland Council visited the estate on the 11th of July and found that most of the access issues remain around the big house. He was writing to the owners again to ask that they remove the offending signs and padlocks within a month offering to meet and discuss the issue should they want to and if they failed to do anything within that month, he was going to ask his managers to consider taking legal action against the land managers. Numerous complaints about access to these dates have been received and the offices of Kate Forbes and Edward Mountain have expressed an interest in what is happening too.

Scottish Canals – ongoing, HC to email about the frequency of bridge closures, also the fractured pipe down by the viewpoint and the leaking roof at the Memorial Hall

Abertarff Bus Shelter – ongoing. A new bus shelter will not be built until the insurance comes through; in the meantime, the bus stop is outside Farhills.

Dropped kerbs - People have been asked not to park next to the dropped kerbs but sometimes they are still blocked so ongoing.

Oich Road – Ongoing, both David Fraser and Deirdre McKinnon have emailed Shane Manning but have heard nothing back yet.

Village Toilets – ongoing

Minute taker – ongoing

3.Police Report:

The CC are not receiving any kind of police report and we now have no police in the village, the police have to come from Beauly, Inverness, or Fort William

4.Treasurer's Report:

The bank balance is £5591.32 which includes £1000 from Etape.

5.Community Amenity Issues:

Ardachy Road - There are a lot of potholes along the road and blocked drains. Planning to be asked about the weight limit for the bridge.

Food Larder - the community food larder at the Millennium Hall is up and running and the ones in Fort Augustus and Dalchreichart should be ready to go soon but if someone needs help before then please let us know.

Internet Access - Starlink is available but is costly to set up and run. The Community Company do not give out individual grants for things like Internet. David Fraser and Chris Ballance to investigate this further so ongoing.

Inchnacardoch Bay - Helen Clay to bring up with the Community Company again so still ongoing.

A82 – Ongoing

Invermoriston car park - David Fraser contacted Shane Manning and will follow up

Bottle banks - the bottle banks are overflowing and have been for a few weeks as there has been a problem with the company contracted to empty them but will be resolved ASAP

6.Planning and Licensing:

23/03102/FUL – Demolition of building and erection of accommodation at land 90m SW of MOWI

23/03258/FUL - erection of house on land at Ty Rhedyn 95m SE of Pinecroft, Auchterawe

23/ 03461/LNC - Erection of sunroom, construction of walled garden, extension of wall, Invermoriston Lodge, Glenmoriston Lodge Estate

23/03412/FUL - Erection of sunroom, construction of walled garden, extension of wall, Invermoriston Lodge, Glenmoriston Lodge Estate

7.Renewables:

No updates

8.Correspondence:

Emails and pictures have been received about Oich Road and the problems with parking etc – ongoing

9.A.O.C.B:

· Oich Road - After discussion, it was decided that the Community Council should send a letter to all the bus companies asking them not to park down at the turning point

· Speed limit - the 20 mph speed limits through the village will come into force by the end of September, some 30 mph signs are still to be removed

· Housing - there are a few empty houses in the village but sometimes the Highland Council take a long time before allocating although there is a high level of need for local housing.

· A82 layby – the lay-by just past Altsigh is full of potholes, BEAR Scotland to be contacted

Next meeting is on 27^th of September in Fort Augustus Memorial Hall at 7.30 pm