Kilmelford and Kilninver Community Council 5th February 2002

The community council held an ordinary general meeting on 5th February, 2002 at Kilmelford Village Hall.

The main issues discussed were:

• Timber extraction at Scammadale is ongoing, with some 600 tonnes remaining to be removed. The condition of the road is under review, and repairs will be effected after extraction is complete.
• Planning consent has been granted for the Arduaine campsite application, subject to conditions as requested by the community council.
• There was much discussion over planning procedures, especially regarding neighbour notification and advertising. It was generally considered that a presentation by the Head of the Planning Department would be quite useful. It was agreed that this should take place for the next meeting, and that questions should be submitted to the secretary by the end of February (at the time of writing two people had submitted questions - NJM). It should be noted that the community council receives notice of all planning applications pertinent to the community, and that the community council planning officer, Dorothy Carmichael, obtains detailed plans of each application immediately. The community council can then decide what action should be taken.
• The planning application for five houses at Scammadale was discussed, with general objections on a number of issues. It was finally agreed that the community council would object to the applications as they were in clear contravention of Council guidelines. It was, however, pointed out that blanket objections to planning applications do not allow communities to develop, so careful thought must be given to the grounds for objection, rather than automatic objections.
• Georgina Dalton reported on the current state of play regarding the proposed wind farm at Loch Avich. A map was tabled showing the location and potential visual impact points in the surrounding area. Scottish power have issued a scoping document for local consultation (a copy of which has been available for inspection at the Kilmelford Post Office). There has been no planning application lodged to date. It was pointed out by Cllr Duncan MacIntyre that the government policy is in favour of renewable energy, so any application such as this one couldn’t be rejected purely on visual impact. There was a discussion on the pros and cons of wind energy, where it was clear that further information is required to allow members of the community to form an opinion. It was suggested that one community council member be appointed to set up a sub-committee to focus on this one topic.
• The high incidence of dog fouling in the village was raised. It was suggested that some dogs were allowed to wander unattended, and the chairman agreed to contact the dog warden to investigate action.
• The application by Celtic Sea Ltd for an access road, slipway and shed was due for discussion by the Argyll and Bute Council Area Committee on 6/2/02. The application had been recommended for approval by the Planning Department.
• Finally, Constable Raymond Law announced that he was moving to a new post shortly, and would no longer be our ‘local bobby’. A vote of thanks for his work over the years was offered.

The next meeting of the Community Council, including the Annual General Meeting will be held in May 2002 at Kilmelford Village Hall (exact date to be announced).