ARDENTINNY COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING

www.ardentinnycc.co.uk

ARDENTINNY COMMUNITY COUNCIL ORDINARY MEETING

www.ardentinnycc.co.uk

Minutes of the ordinary meeting held on Tuesday 3rd June 2025 at the Ardentinny Village Hall at 7.30p.m.

Present: John Brint (Convener) Mark Rowthorn (Secretary), Keith Wood (Treasurer), Bill Tierney, Helen West, Danielle Markey and Brian Hillesdon.

Public: Elsbeth Brint, David McDowall, Neil Bennett and Sophie Jaquet Bennett

1. Welcome and introductions

JB thanked everyone for coming.

2. Apologies

Received from Gill Walker (FLS), Michael Cunningham (Police), Colin and Renee Birks, Dougie Menzies, Ken Walker, Jim and Jeanie Urquhart and Anne Wood

3. Declaration of Interest

None.

4. Matters arising not covered on the agenda

None.

5. Minutes of last meeting (4 Mar 2025)

Formally adopted

Proposed: Keith Wood

Seconded: Brian Hillesdon

6. Matters arising from minutes

None.

7. Treasurers Report KW

A detailed breakdown of the financial activity was presented by the treasurer, Keith Wood (KW). He stated that the following had taken place:

Financial Activity From 1st March 25 to 31st May 25

• Opening balance = £2919.20

• Money Credited to account.

1 Payment from Toilet donations contribution box.

Totalling £145.00

• Money Debited from the account

3 payments to Out of Your Hands toilet cleaning £432.00

1 Payment to McCuaig Hygiene Services, Sanitary Disposal £150.00

4 Payments to Stuart Grey for Emergency Team Costs £99.07

3 Payments to Lloyds Bank services charges £12.75

1 Payment Defib Leaflets £30.00

Totalling £723.82

• Closing balance on 31st May 25 = £2340.38

8. Police Report

JB read out a written report on behalf of Police Scotland:

The number of Incidents and Crime Reports respectively are 5 and 2 respectively.

Serious Crime Reports = 0

Aquisitive Crime Reports = 0

Road Safety and Road Crime Reports = 0

Violent Crime Reports = 1 undetected assault, enquiries ongoing

Public Protection Reports = 1 undetected breach of bail, enquiries ongoing

9. Councillor's Report

None received.

10 Forestry Land Scotland Report

In the absence of an FLS representative JB read out the report from Gill Walker FLS dated – 2 Jun 2025

Harvesting: n/a

Forest Management: n/a

Stewardship: Clearance of windblown trees is still ongoing. Please check the FLS website for updates regarding FLS promoted trails.

Environment: Currently awaiting results of a meeting with Nature Scot to approve vegetation clearance on the Carrick link path due to buffer zone around an environmental constraint. Hopefully we will have approval to carry out work post July 2025.

Regarding the windblown trees on the Carrick link path, they are located right on the edge of the buffer, so we now have the okay to get them cleared. This will be added to the contractor work program in the coming months.

Civil Engineering: n/a

Visitor Services: Signage improvements are planned for grass and car park area including installation of new 'site rules' signage to encourage SOAC good practice and additional picnic benches to be installed in grass area to reduce car parking out with bays.

There are currently no events/permissions in area.

Please report any issues of concern regarding fires, antisocial behaviour and illegal motorbike issues to police on 101 (online reporting tool can be found here - Contact Us form | Police Scotland- as an alternative to phoning) and to us via enquiries.central@forestryandland.gov.scot

Issues around fire lighting concerns in April/May have been highlighted to the National Park Authority with a plea that any planned 'days of action' with Scottish Fire and Rescue Services and/or Police Scotland can focus on Ardentinny as an event location during the visitor season.

Estates: Proposed felling plans following windblow after Storm Eowyn attached in the map plan '5

Management proposed

Management Proposed'. FLS is working on getting approvals and confirming timing of works which will be shared further with ACC at a meeting planned for early June at which SSEN will also be present to discuss their transmission and distribution plans

Planning: FLS currently waiting for approval for a Land Management Plan amendment to clear the windblown area above Ardentinny - see attached map ‘1 Overview’ attached shows the two areas. It comes off Scottish Forestry's Public Register on 18th May.

overview

JB then went on to say that Forestry Scotland - requested feedback on amendments to the FLS Glenfinart Land Management Plan - 06-2024, as a result of Storm Eowyn

These are essentially the same maps as presented by FLS for the southern end of the village, with the amended felling locations. The CC support the felling of the Coupe 09128 as these trees posed a threat to properties and life, and put the power lines at risk due to the proximity of the Sitka spruce.

proposed coupes

Note that this was a major feedback topic at the Local Place Plan drop-in sessions where residents wanted the removal of the Sitka spruce and native broadleaved trees re-established in their place.

This is now the intent for the future habitats plan that FLS propose. We are also supportive of the felling of Coupe 09023 as it mitigates the risk to the power lines.

Future plans

We have raised our concerns about Coupe 09024, as there appears to be no intention to fell a clearance corridor either side of the main power line into the village through this coupe until 2043.

We informed Forestry Scotland that we would like to see a further amendment to create such a width of clearance that would reduce the risk of trees striking the power lines. Forestry Scotland did reply that Phase 5 is an indicative felling phase and it may be considered for felling when the land management plan is renewed. It is out of the scope of this particular amendment request but they have passed on the concerns to Forest and Land Scotland. Forestry Scotland also believe that SSE are likely to raise concerns in relation to particular trees/ groups of trees that may impact the network.

We asked if they had amended plans for the northern end of Ardentinny, into Glenfinart itself which includes the Barnacabber - Craighoyle area. - Reply from Forestry Scotland is that FLS may have further amendment requests in the coming months in response to windblow or wider development projects in the area, where the amendment has the potential to impact upon the community in the area Forestry Scotland will ensure to notify the community council when the amendment request is on the public register to allow us to review and make comment. They attached some maps that relate to a small amount of felling related to quarry infrastructure in Glenfinart which is currently on the public register, (we had no comments on this point).

The CC asked if they have a timeframe for when felling may actually commence in Phase 1 - The red area (phase 1) on the attached map denoted as 09128 is the area likely to be felled first with the red area (phase 1) to the south (09023) to follow next year. See Map plan '5 Management Proposed'. Forest and Land Scotland will be in touch with the community council with operational timings in advance of the felling.

It is viewed that this is a positive step to reducing risks to residents' lives and their property and to lower the chance of power cuts in Ardentinny in the future, but we are still left with sections of power lines at risk in the south. Also addresses the desire of residents who want native tree species brought back around the village (reference Local Place Plan feedback) Future Habitats Map from FLS.

11. National Park Report

JB said that the National Park has just invited us to provide feedback to help shape the Local Development Plan of the Park. Our Local place Plan feeds into this, but in this first instance we will provide our feedback to the Area summary boards (in our case Cowal) that they have worked up to ensure they reflect the current status of the village. After a quick review it was noted that Ardentinny still have a shop, active Church and Post Office, which are long gone. So, we have some work to do on this topic prior to July 10th the closing date for the survey.

Action - all CC members to review

12. Ardentinny Community Emergency Team document and equipment feedback

JB reported that the revised version of the Ardentinny Community Emergency Plan was issued on 26 May 2025. We now have successfully stored all emergency equipment in the 20ft Green Container at the Village Hall Car Park. Full details of what is available for use or loan to residents is in the document that is on the CC website, emailed to those on the CC distribution list, as well as a hard copy in the Village Hall.

13. Update on Ardentinny Residents Survey

i) Local Place Plan, Roads, Church Car Park Toilets - JB

The Local Place Plan is being worked on, we have pulled together the feedback from the residents, businesses and charities/groups that took part. We are now asking for quotes from Graphic Design companies who will turn the text, pictures, maps and photos into a colourful document. LLTNP have offered to pay for some of the costs of this phase of the work. The Steering Gorup will review the document in due course prior to it being reviewed by LLTNP and then shared with neighbouring Community Councils, a requirement as part of the issuing process for a Local Place Plan. We estimate that this will take most of the summer to develop a draft document.

Roads department will complete the remaining work that was not undertaken in the first phase at a point in the near future, no formal date given. This includes red panels at Rock Cottage corner and repainting of a slow sign.

Church car park toilets are clearly well used, the donations made in the boxes are greatly appreciated and support the upkeep of the facility and so open for all to use.

ii) Beach Appearance/Benches/Waste Bins

DM reported that the next beach clean is proposed for Sunday 15th June but will confirm this closer to the time.

She said that she planned to try again to get the benches reinstated that had been removed along the Shore Path.

She then confirmed that the Community Council’s request for additional bins has been refused by the Roads Dept. as they said that they cause a mess but said that she would continue to pursue this.

Regarding Climate Change she said that clearly the planned FLS removal of the trees will help avoid future power outages but won’t help climate change. However, she reported that the Ardentinny Outdoor Centre are planning an event in November to plant 200 trees which would go some way in offsetting this. She also said that she planned to try and implement the previously planned idea by Neil Robinson to plant bulbs along the sides of the road all the way through Ardentinny and hoped to be able to get volunteers to do this by public donation (money/bulbs) at the same time as the tree planting.

iii) Charge Point/Climate Change

DM confirmed that she had nothing to report on this at present.

iv) Community Council Web Site/Facebook/Instagram

HR confirmed that she is still regularly updating these and asked the meeting if anyone wanted further information adding to let her know.

v) Gourock Ferry Meeting

BH gave an update to the meeting:

There has been some movement on this since the last meeting. The idea was to see if the local community could take over the link spans currently managed by CMAL. However, CMAL were against giving over the Gourock site. If we were only able to take over the Dunoon side, then the scheme would not be viable.

However, after meeting with Jenni Minto we will try to push forward on the Dunoon link span via the Community Empowerment Act. We have now had a meeting to progress this and plan to get a commercial company to operate the link span. This would then be operated at commercial rates.

This is being progressed on two fronts:

i) starting to take over the link span from Argyle and Bute Council

ii) approaching commercial companies

Interestingly when asked CMAL said they didn’t think there was any issue with the current service and Transport Scotland also said that they currently think that it is ‘fit for purpose’!

vi) MOD update.

BH said that we were asked if it is possible to directly contact the police boat in an emergency, the answer is yes - the police operate on channel 16 and 73 on VHF. However, it is still best to phone the Police Control Room as they can better decide on the most appropriate way to respond to any individual incident.

(It is illegal to operate VHF on land, VHF is only allowed on boats under licence).

14. Updates from groups

i) Ardentinny Renewables Trust

None received.

ii) Ardentinny Hall Management Team

Ken Walker (Chairman) supplied a written report as he was unable to attend the meeting. MR read out the report to the meeting:

Work in progress or identified as needing attention:

Issues relating to heating controls: We are actively looking at separating controls so that the heaters can be operated

Currently the thermostat control isn't suitable as the heaters heat 'surfaces' rather than air space. The thermostat being a 'surface' heats quickly and turns off the heating long before the hall gets warm.

As this has been an ongoing issue, we would urge the regular users to keep us updated as to the effectiveness of our solution

Flat roofing above toilets isn't waterproof at the moment so this is an issue we wish to urgently address. Also, the ceiling needs plaster skimming in places and decorating.

Quotes for this work to be obtained

We are awaiting quotes to re-instate the kitchen area the plan is to reduce the kitchen size with a stud wall enabling us to create a small office/meeting area (accessed through a door where there is currently a curtain) and also fit the kitchen with proper fire doors.

Stage area:

The current wooden slat frontage of the stage is woefully inefficient when it comes to the hall’s insulation. It is suggested that this be replace with moder insulation boards. Quotes will be sought to do this improvement

Stage safety is something else we intend to address, there currently being a large unguarded drop straight off the front of the stage

Hide & Seek: It has been noted that with the changeover to the 'Hydro Electric' system we no longer have an Electricity meter that we are aware of. Obviously, this isn't an acceptable state, we need to know what electricity we are using so we can be assured of covering the costs. So, we are actively seeking our metering and will be looking for frequent statements of usage so we can ensure we are covering costs and only paying for what we use.

Re: Hall Hire: As has already been mentioned in the weekly newsletter we have had to increase the charges for the hire of the hall. We shall also be formalising a terms and conditions 'contract' for all hirers. This will probably include a refundable deposit for 'one off hires' to ensure hirers leave the hall in an acceptable state.

iii) Ardentinny Community Trust (Walled Garden)

None received.

iv) Ardentinny Conservation and Heritage Group

HR said that she had had nothing further to report on this at present.

15. AOB

No other business.

Date of next meeting

Tuesday 2nd Sept 2025, Ordinary Meeting - 7.30pm

and further Ordinary meetings are at 7.30pm on;

Tuesday 2nd September 2025

Tuesday 2nd December 2025

Tuesday 3rd March 2026