Minutes of meeting held on Wednesday 11^th July 2001
in Castletown Drill Hall at 7.30pm

Present

J.Crowden, A.Macdonald (HC Councillor), M.Cormack, E.Geddes, W.Stark, G.Firth, I.Moodie (Village Officer), A.Hill

Apologies

W.Swanson, G.Ewing (Northern Constabulary), I.Calder

1/ LAST MINUTES AND MATTERS ARISING FROM THEM

The last minutes of the 14 and 27^th June were read and agreed as a true record.

Mins 14^th June Item 3 Letter sent

Item 5 Covered in agenda

Item 6 NHSCHT letter sent

Calor Info Received

Local Plan covered in agenda

Mins 27^th June Item 1 Complete

Item 2 Letter sent

Item 3 Info passed on

2/ Local Plan Objections

Having written to the Highland Council with objections about the zoning of Murkle Bay as industrial and expressing our concerns and aspirations for the Stannergill housing, replies were received from the council on both matters. They explained the councils position and why Murkle was zoned for industry (to comply with the Highland Structure Plan) and also included some suggested changes to the wording of the housing sections to cover our concerns as best they can. It was agreed that the housing changes were sufficient and also now we had a contact with the consultants we should accept the proposed changes. We agreed to include a written submission on the Murkle Bay zoning and to contact KLM Consultants with a view to setting up a meeting.

Action: JC

3/ VILLAGE OFFICER UPDATE

The position of the insurance for the village officer was still unclear. M.C. was to contact A.Ferrier of Wick to see if further information could be obtained.

The village officer gave a run down of what he had been doing so far and the problems he had encountered. Good comments had been received about the difference the work was making to the look of the village. The officer was in desperate need of a strimmer and the mower to ease the cost and problems he was having with equipment failure. He highlighted the problems with a shortage of litter bins at the harbour and the small size of the one at the sand end. A.M. agreed to ask about a bin for the harbour area and a larger bin for the sand end. The officer was also having trouble with the strong growth of grass at the sand end car park and some other areas around the harbour. A.M. was to ask to see if we could get permission from the council to use the verge cutting machine for a time some night to tackle the worst areas. Scalping were also required at the sand end car park and along the far end of the Jesan�s path. A.M. would check up if it was possible to obtain some from the council if we spread them ourselves. The putting green shed was also in grave need of repair to the lower sections. As the council had already priced this work at over �3000, and unlikely to be completed before 2003 it was felt it may be possible to carry out a temporary repair to extend its life. The village officer would look in this. J.C. would chase up the mower and funding for the strimmer. The shed at the rear of the toilets was now in the hands of the community council.

Action J.C., A.M., I.M.

4/ Correspondences

The latest batch of letters was gone through with none of note.

6/ AOCB

Scrap Cars

Information was passed on to A.M. with reference to a number of scrap cars lying around the village. A.M. was to pass on the info to the relevant department.

Action A.M.

BCTV Footpaths

A letter and booklet from the British Conservation Trust Volunteers was received inviting us to suggest some works for its volunteers to undertake or advice it could give. It was agreed to write and ask about any help they could give on improving the battery walk.

Action J.C

Comment was made about how choked the burn was below the bridge on the Wick road. It was trapping rubbish and becoming totally overgrown with no real route for the burn to take. A.M. would enquire with the landowner if any thing could be done before it caused a real problem.

Action A.M.

Being no further business the date of the next meeting was set for Thursday 23^rd August 2001 at 7.30pm in the Castletown Drill Hall.

Being no further business the meeting closed at 20.40hrs