Minute of Meeting of Kinross-shire Committee of 16 November 2023 for Approval
Perth and Kinross Council · 15 February 2024
Back to Kinross-shire Committee — 15 February 2024 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 16 November 2023 at 5.00pm. Present: Councillors D Cuthbert, N Freshwater, W Robertson, and R Watters; S Bruce-Jones (Fossoway Community Council); F Principe-Gillespie (Cleish & Blairdam Community Council); C Willshire (Kinross Community council); D Morris (Portmoak Community Council); N Bingham (Milnathort and Orwell Community Council); and D Smart (Glenfarg Community Council). In Attendance: M Butterworth, L Cassidy, L Haxton and E Williamson (Communities); K Molley, A Brown, and M Pasternak (Corporate and Democratic Services). Councillor D Cuthbert, Convener, Presiding. The Convener led discussion on items 1-6, 8-10 and Vice-Convener on items 7 and 11. 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 Local Committee of 24 August 2023 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. 5. KINROSSSHIRE COMMITTEE –AVAILABLE FUNDING There was submitted a report by Head of Environmental and Consumer Services (23/313) reminding members of the monies available to the committee in the financial year 2023/24. Resolved: The contents of Report 23/313, be noted.
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6. TACTRAN ACTIVE TRAVEL PLAN (TATP) UPDATE Motion (Councillors Cuthbert and Watters) Perth & Kinross Council’s Regional Transport Partner (RTP), Tactran, has recently developed a Regional Active Travel Network. Tactran’s Regional Active Travel Network does not include an active travel route within the Kinross-shire area. Currently, The Scottish Government’s target is to allocate at least £320 million or 10% of the transport budget to active travel by 2024/25, re-affirming its dedication to sustainable and eco-friendly transportation options. It is therefore timely to ensure Perth & Kinross Council is well equipped to receive and deliver a portion of the active travel allocation. The proposal is to budget £40,000 from the Kinross-Shire Committee budget, towards developing active travel projects across the Kinross-shire area (Ward 8). These projects to be prioritised by the members of the Kinross-shire Committee. Resolved: Officers be instructed to submit a report to the Kinross-shire Committee on 15 February 2024 on how the proposal can be delivered. 7. GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT There was submitted a report by Paul Garden – Assistant Operations Manager and Lesley Ann Cassidy – Senior Greenspace Officer (23/311) outlining the nature and extent of potential changes to the Council’s Grassland maintenance operations following the report to the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee on 31 May 2023. L Cassidy, Senior Greenspace Officer, delivered a ten-minute slide-based presentation on proposed changes to the Council’s Grassland maintenance operations and asked for the Committee’s support in engaging with communities. The Convener thanked L Cassidy for her informative presentation. Members emphasised the importance of increasing biodiversity within communities but raised concerns about the ‘No Mow’ approach. The Convener asked for a list of potential sites to be shared with members following the meeting. Resolved: The contents of Report 23/311, be noted.
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8. COMMUNITY TRANSPORT UPDATE There was a verbal update by D Smart, Chairman of Glenfarg Community Transport Group on the work of the Glenfarg Community Transport Group. D Smart advised that public transport started to diminish over recent years and the Community Transport Group were set up to help reduce any gaps in providing community transport for the village. On the 1 April 2023 the Glenfarg Community Transport Group started their own Bus Service with several divisions. The 55 bus service runs between Glenfarg and Kinross with the first bus running from 7am. During school terms, 400 passenger journeys are made a week and the numbers of people who use the service has steadily increased due to word of mouth, reliability, quality of service and the use of social media. D Smart confirmed that the routes have a degree of flexibility depending on passengers’ requests. D Smart added that in January 2024 the Community Transport Group plan to operate a pilot from Perth to Kinross. The route would be an alternative to the motorway and the more scenic option, but the journey would take longer. D Smart advised that the Community Group are looking at opportunities to work with other areas in Kinross-shire. D Smart confirmed that in the first-half of 2024 an app would be launched to allow the public to book, pay for a ticket and track the bus service on their personal devices. D Smart advised that the Community Transport Group had received a lot of positive feedback and support from Communities on their ongoing work in increasing bus services. D Smart added that Perth and Kinross Council and various charities have provided funding towards the initiative but there had been concerns over long- term funding with the increasing fuel costs, payment of drivers and the rental of the buses. 9. BLAIRINGONE PRIMARY SCHOOL There was a verbal update by L Haxton, Community Planning and Policy Team Leader regarding the progress on the Community Asset Transfer Request on Blairingone Primary School. L Haxton confirmed that delays in the process had been due to legal requirements, however, the Fossoway Community Development Trust had now been registered as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation. L Haxton advised that Fossoway Community Development Trust plan to submit a Community Asset Transfer Request and Business Plan by April 2024 and are seeking consultancy support through Development Trust Association Scotland. L Haxton confirmed that an update would be brought to the next Kinross-shire Committee. In response to questions from members, L Haxton advised that information on the building conditions survey of the building and the valuation for full ownership would be shared following the meeting. Resolved: The Committee noted the position.
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10. KINROSSSHIRE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FUND 2023/24 There was a report by Head of Culture and Communities Services (23/312) (1) asking Committee to homologate the decisions made by the Kinross shire Ward Panel for the 2023/24 Community Investment Fund, and (2) summarising the process for a further round of funding to be completed before the end of the 2023/24 financial year. Resolved: (i) The funding decisions taken by the Ward Panel, be homologated. (ii) The process and timescale for a further round of CIF funding in 2023/24, be noted. (iii) It be agreed to organise and hold a further Ward Panel meeting for Kinross-shire in January 2024. L Haxton referred to the joint application from a joint application from MEECOP and Broke not Broken for funding to support engagement and capacity building activity with the traveller community in Kinross-shire which was supported by the Kinross-shire CIF Ward Panel in 2019/20. Lockdown and a change of staffing in the area had impacted the project and only a proportion (approximately 50% of the funding) had been spent. A request had been received a from Broke not Broken to use the remaining funds (approx. £2,500) for a different purpose, but still in support of the traveller community in Kinross-shire. The Committee suggested that the Kinross-shire CIF Ward Panel be contacted via email for their decision. 11. BANINKG HUB The Vice-Convener raised concerns over the closure of several Banking Hubs in Kinross-shire. R Waters referred to the Banking Hub Motion which was approved at the meeting of full Council on 4 October 2023 which asked the Council Leader to write to Cash Access UK, and Link, to support applications for banking hubs in Kinross and other towns where there is a present no banking provision. Members from Link had been to visit the area and a further meeting would be arranged to discuss the final decision of the application. R Watters added that as part of the motion it had been agreed that Council Officers would support Cash Access UK and Link where appropriate, in locating premises that are successful with their banking hub applications. It was agreed for an update to be brought back to the Kinross-shire Committee. ~~~~~~