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Kenmore & District Community Council

Covering Kenmore, Acharn and immediate area

> Council > Meeting Minutes - March 2024

Kenmore and District Community Council Meeting

Kenmore Reading Rooms -28 March 2024

Minutes

  1. Present

KCC Members - Shirley Shearer, Colin Morton, Alex Low

David O Donoghue (General Manager DLC)

Members of the local community:

William Howie, Resident
Kevin McCaughey, Resident
Ann Hunter, Resident
Robert Cochrane, Resident
Lou Oppenheim, Resident
Fiona Smith, non-resident

 

  1. Apologies

Peter Ely, Carol May, Bill Oppenheimer, John Duff, Jon Iddon

  1. Declarations of interest

None

  1. Previous Minutes

Minutes approved – proposed by Shirley Shearer and seconded by Colin Morton

5. Matters arising.

Kerry Orr has resigned from KCC

 

  1. Finance

Update deferred until next meeting as Peter Ely away on holiday.

  1. Planning

Golf Maintenance Building – Taymouth Castle

David O Donoghue (DLC) confirmed planning application for Golf Maintenance building has been withdrawn in light of local feedback.  The original proposal will be reviewed in terms of location, size, light and noise pollution and re-submitted.

Shirley confirmed that DLC had listened to the concerns of the community and KCC maintains good relations with DLC.

Toilets

DLC has renovated the toilet block at Kenmore beach and they are due to re-open 15/4.  These will be the ‘loos with the best views’ in the country.  This bucks the trend of public toilets closing and is very good for visitors.  DLC will arrange for regular cleaning of the toilets.  Lou Oppenheimer asked how they would stop people running out into the road.  David said there is a sign warning that people that they are approaching a busy road and a new gate would be installed to slow children down.

Keep Kenmore Clean

KCC is planning a ‘Keep Kenmore Clean’ initiative and have been involving a number of local businesses.  KCC plans to involve Kenmore primary school in the project.  It is hoped the school children will design a sign for the project.

Kenmore Shop

Due to open shortly.  Shirley S visited the shop 28/3 and was pleased to see progress.  Internal fittings are being chosen next week.  The shop is still expected to open in the spring.  A number of the historical external features/signage will be retained and the interior will have a smart new look.

Old Telephone Exchange building

Planning permission to convert to holiday accommodation was refused by P&K council

Taymouth Marina

Retrospective planning permission for the breakwater is still under review by PKC.

  1. Crannog

Official opening over Easter weekend.  Due to open to the public on 1 April.  All Health and Safety equipment used during construction has now been removed.  Lou and Bill Oppenheimer were invited to a preview and said the new site was very impressive

  1. Taymouth Castle Estate – Kenmore and Loch Tay update

Last liaison meeting with DLC and KCC was held on 14/3.  Notes of the meeting are available on the KCC website.  Topics discussed include those listed and David O’Donoghue provided further updates as below:

  • Toilets – update as above
  • Golf Course – front 9 expected to be ready by Sept 24; back 9 by Spring 25
  • Planning applications – mainly for temporary changes relating to the Golf Course and houses.  2 applications for permanent changes have been submitted.
  • Easter Sunday 11am to 1pm – event at the Reading Rooms being organised by Mairi at DLC
  • Paper Boat – David indicated that there is severe erosion around the land in front of the Paper Boat.  Stanchions have been erected for Health and Safety reasons.  Unfortunately, these are regularly knocked down overnight.  It is unclear who is doing this or why.  They have been erected for safety reasons.
  • Japanese Knotweed – DLC has been working with Native Scotland to remove the last instance of invasive Japanese Knotweed along the banks of the Tay.
  • Kenmore Hotel – designs are close to being finalised.  DLC hopes to start the project to renovate early 2025.  It is expected to be an 18 month project.
  • Taymouth Trading – designs are being finalised for the pub and it is hoped to start work on this project later in 2024.
  • Sand Conveying – work transporting sand from one area to the other is due to come to an end in June/July 2024 which is earlier than originally planned.  Where the land has been disrupted it will be refilled and landscaped.
  • Dry stone wall – work on re-building the wall adjacent to new entrance has started.
  • Inchadney Drainage – drains are checked weekly on Mon and Friday to try and avoid flooding/excess water on the roads.
  • Trees – arborist walk/survey completed and DLC will undertake required work which has been the result of decades of neglect.  Some trees fall within the conservation boundary and these have been tagged.  It will take an additional 6 to 8 weeks to complete the work on those trees in the conservation area.
  • Trees in Taymouth Drive – local inspection arranged for 2 April and DLC will be taking care of this.  Inspection arranged since KCC meeting (added here for info)
  • Highland Games 2024 – DLC will be supporting again through sponsorship and use of the field for parking.
  1. Tay Forest National Park

Submissions to apply for National Park status are due to close mid 2024.  It appears that Perth and Kinross Tay Forest has a good chance of being granted National Park status.  Lou Oppenheimer said that concerns have been raised by the farming community regarding the impact of national park status on their industry.  The experience in the nearby Cairngorms has not been positive for farmers there.  Concerns should be raised during the consultation period by any parties wishing to.

  1. Reading Room Update

The Warm Spaces initiative has been very successful and positively received.  Jon Iddon recently accepted an award from Warm Spaces.

Christmas at Kenmore – first meeting to start planning for 2024 will take place in the Reading Rooms on 2 April at 6.30.  Volunteers will be welcomed.  This event is very important to Kenmore and is very popular and well supported by the community.

  1. Road Safety Update

Road safety sub-committed met and walked around the local area.  Most significant issues raised around the South Loch Tay road with safety issues raised again around Taymouth Marina.  Drainage and condition of the bridge at Acharn have also been raised with PKC.  These are long term on-going discussion and KCC will continue to raise with PKC and stress the importance of concerns being addressed.

  1. Kenmore “Brand” Update

A meeting was held on 8 February with a number of local businesses to discuss the concept of  a generic ‘Brand Kenmore’.  The next meeting will be held after Easter and it is hoped that more local businesses will become involved in the initiative.

  1. AOCB

D-Day 80th Anniversay – June 8th KCC will review what plans Aberfeldy CC has and may co-ordinate with Aberfeldy.  Possible option to buy metal soldier memorial sculpture or commission Keltneyburn Smithy to create a memorial for Kenmore beach.

Bill Howie has been proposed as an associate member of KCC to represent Balnaskeag.  This will be progressed when Peter Ely returns from holiday.  Joanne Howie was also thanked for her excellent support of the Reading Rooms initiatives.

Resilience Centre – a face to face meeting with John Campbell is due to be arranged in April.

  1. Next Meeting

Next KCC Meeting will take place in Acharn on 30 May.

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