Minute of Meeting of Kinross-shire Committee of 15 May 2025 for Approval
Perth and Kinross Council · 18 September 2025
Back to Kinross-shire Committee — 18 September 2025 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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KINROSS-SHIRE COMMITTEE Minute of hybrid meeting of the Kinross-shire Committee held in Loch Leven Community Campus, Milnathort, on Thursday 15 May 2025 at 5.00pm. Present: Councillors D Cuthbert, N Freshwater and R Watters; N Marchant (Fossoway Community Council); D Smart (Glenfarg Community Council) and F Principe-Gillespie (Cleish and Blairadam Community Council), C Collins (Kinross Community Council) In Attendance: L Haxton (Strategic Planning, People and Resources), D McKeown, B Watt (Environment and Infrastructure) (up to Item 6), S McDonald, E Queen (both Economy, Development and Planning), F MacKay, Sarah Stephen, Jaclyn Meikle (all Education and Learning), A Brown and M Pasternak (Legal and Governance). Apologies: Councillors W Robertson, Milnathort and Orwell Community Council Councillor D Cuthbert, Convener, Presiding. The Convener led the discussion on Items 1-5, and 10, with the Vice-Convener leading the discussion on Items 6-9. 1. Welcome and Apologies The Convener welcomed all present to the meeting. 2. Declarations of Interest There were no Declarations of Interest made in terms of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct. 3. Minute of Previous Meeting The minute of meeting of the Kinross-shire Committee of 20 February 2025 was submitted and approved as a correct record. 4. Outstanding Business Statement Resolved: (i) The contents of the Outstanding Business Statement, be noted. (ii) It be agreed that completed actions would be removed from the Outstanding Business Statement.
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5. Police & Road Safety Update Due to other commitments, Sgt J McDiarmid from Police Scotland’s Road Safety Unit was unable to attend the meeting to deliver his update. Instead, L Haxton provided a brief context following the April committee development session, during which members expressed concerns about road safety issues logged on the PKC website. These concerns were linked to Police Scotland’s approach to attending and reporting collisions in Kinross-shire. He went on to outline Police Scotland’s current approach and their agreement in principle to support a reporting mechanism. This mechanism would enable the PKC Road Safety Team to receive more detailed information, helping to identify priorities more effectively. D McKeown added that the existing reporting mechanism covers a lot of useful information; however, it primarily relates to injury reports, meaning that damage-only reports are often missed. As a result, there are several locations within the road network where potential risks may exist, but the Road Safety Team is unaware of them. He also noted that this type of reporting mechanism is used by all local authorities, not just PKC, and therefore he would welcome this initiative from Police Scotland. Members continued their discussion on road safety issues in Kinross-shire, identifying areas considered to have a higher risk of road accidents. D McKeown addressed several of the points raised and suggested potential measures to improve safety in these locations, including enhanced data collection, better signage, and closer collaboration between the community, the Road Safety Team, and Police Scotland. It was agreed that Committee members would follow up with the Road Safety Team and Police Scotland to determine what information should be collected by the community, and in what format. Councillor R Watters raised a query regarding the traffic lights at one of the identified locations and asked about potential safety improvements for cyclists. In response, D McKeown suggested several possible solutions, including adjustments to the signal timing. B Watt added that the traffic lights should already be equipped to detect cyclists; however, if this is not functioning correctly at the specified location, he would refer the issue to the appropriate team for inspection. Members had a brief discussion in relation to Appendix 1 and projects scheduled for Kinross-shire area. Members thanked D McKeown and B Watt and for their update and noted the contents. 6. Kinross Street Life Campaign E Queen, City and Rural Town Centre Management Officer, delivered a slide- based presentation on the rebrand and refresh of the Perth City and Towns website, including its digital channels and examples of promotional opportunities for
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businesses and visitor attractions. This included the Kinross Street Life campaign, which highlighted local restaurants, cafés, independent shops, and attractions in Kinross and around Loch Leven. The campaign utilized a mix of social media, local newspapers, blogs, and newsletters to boost visibility and engagement. In response to question from D Smart regarding the newsletter, E Queen explained that Kinross-shire has been included as part of the Perth City and Towns newsletter. This serves as both a media outlet and a promotional platform, forming an integral part of the wider campaign. Convener D Cuthbert asked whether the campaign also includes coverage of local events. E Queen confirmed that all events are regularly listed on the website. She also noted that communities are encouraged to tag Perth City and Towns in their Facebook posts to help promote events more widely through social media. D Smart queried whether links to transport are included within the campaign, so people would know how to travel within the area. In response, E Queen confirmed that transport links are included, along with articles regarding free bus travel Saturdays, accommodation, cycling routes etc. In relation to the points made, S McDonald added that the content on the website is not time-sensitive and can be reused on different occasions. He also mentioned the intention to work with communities to build capacity in the Perth and Kinross areas, enabling and supporting businesses to contribute their input on the website. Members thanked E Queen for her presentation and noted the contents. 7. IS Provision F MacKay, Service Manager for Inclusion and Additional Support, and S Stephen, Quality Improvement Officer for the Inclusion Service, delivered a slide- based presentation on the proposal advanced by the Perth and Kinross Education and Learning Service to expand the number of Intensive Support Provisions (ISPs) within the PKC school estate. They outlined the background and consultation process and provided detailed information on the placement and the components of the ISP to be established at Kinross High School. Members expressed their support for the proposal, thanked F MacKay and S Stephen for their presentation and noted the contents. 8. Perth and Kinross Tourism Strategy Action Plan S McDonald, Economic Development Manager for Tourism, Culture and Place, gave a brief overview of the Perth and Kinross Council Tourism Strategy. As part of the consultation process, a session was held in Kinross with local tourism businesses, community representatives, and elected Members, and the feedback gathered during this session has been reflected in the content of the Strategy. During the presentation, S McDonald shared statistical data highlighting key trends and
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figures within the tourism sector across PKC. He also briefed members on the Action Plan, outlining fundamental areas of focus such as promotion and destination marketing, investment, and infrastructure development. Note: The full report Perth and Kinross Tourism Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2030 was submitted to Economy and Infrastructure Committee on 28 May 2025. 9. Culture Strategy Action Plan S McDonald provided Members with an overview of the Culture Strategy Action Plan, outlining the crucial points and proposed activities, and explained how these relate specifically to the Kinross-shire area. Councillor R Watters inquired about the types of support that could be made available to venues such as Backstage at the Green Hotel in Kinross, in the context of the Tourism Strategy. In response, S. McDonald explained that engaging directly with local businesses helps to identify both opportunities and challenges. While the strategy does not focus on individual venues, it aims to secure investment and enhance destination marketing to benefit the wider area. D Smart expressed concern regarding the potential impact of the proposed Visitor Levy, particularly on less vibrant areas with a limited number of tourist accommodations. He emphasised the importance of ensuring that related policies take these into account to avoid negative consequences. In response, S. McDonald confirmed that part of his service’s role is to gather data and capture views on the subject of Visitor Levy. This information will be used to develop a well-informed proposal, which will be presented in the most comprehensive format possible before any final decisions are made. Members thanked S McDonald and noted both updates. Note: The full report Review of Culture Strategy Action Plan will be submitted to Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee on 1 October 2025. 10. Committee Forward Planner Following the development session held on 3 April 2025, L Haxton provided a brief update focused on agenda planning for future committee meetings. He outlined upcoming reports relevant to the Kinross-shire area. Members shared their suggestions with L Haxton regarding topics for discussion at future committee meetings, as well as potential subjects for consultation with officers. ~~~~~~