SPEAN BRIDGE, ROY BRIDGE AND ACHNACARRY
Spean Bridge, Roy Bridge and Achnacarry Community Council held its October meeting recently at Kilmonivaig Church Hall when the following topics were discussed (taken from the minutes):
Police: Sgt Nick Hough stressed the importance of engaging with the community. Speeding and risky overtaking on the straight at Inverroy on the A86 continues to cause significant concerns for local residents. Despite requests Transport Scotland have repeatedly failed to produce the much awaited Inverroy Road Safety Report so the chairman has initiated a Freedom of Information enquiry and Kate Forbes MSP has contacted the chief executive so hopefully the Inverroy residents will finally get to see the long-awaited report. In the meantime Sgt Hough will speak to the Road Policing Unit and ask them to target the area in the hope that increased surveillance reduces the risks to local residents.
Planning: As statutory consultees the community council is only given 14 days to make representations after applications are published. This has meant that its sub-committee has to regularly examine the Highland Council Planning Website, research, take advice, prepare, circulate and then submit its contributions all within the time limits. Community Council chairman John Fotheringham commented: ‘I am extremely grateful to successive sub-committees and indeed to all my fellow councillors for their support and comments to aid our work. It is a testimony to their diligence that on the rare occasions that we have submitted an objection they are invariably unanimous. Although we have had a number of kind comments from both the planners and Highland councillors, our diligence has rarely met with a positive conclusion as the planning system continues to favour developers. We are heartened that the Scottish Government is moving to empower communities so change is coming.’
Matters arising: Highland Council – Councillor Ben Thompson had followed up the broken drain cover in Bohenie Road near to its junction with the A86 in Roybridge, but found it was in the trunk road curtilage, so it is BEAR Scotland’s responsibility and it is dealing with it. Following a complaint from a resident the community council reported a noise issue at Highbridge. The trees on the path between the A82 and Altour Gardens have been pruned. Concerns by a local resident about the care and maintenance of the Roy Bridge Primary School Building have been passed to Highland Council, but the decision to use the building as the Roy Bridge polling station suggested that the building was being maintained. The chairman has thanked the staff at Carr’s Corner and Charles Kennedy House for their support and assistance over the past four years. The chairman has thanked BEAR Scotland and Transport Scotland representatives for their engagement and assistance over the past four years.
Street naming – Highland Council has decided following a consultation with the residents of West Tirindrish that the proposal to change the name of the street from the A86 to the Shinty Pitch will not now take place. Changing a street name is an unique and challenging operation and it appears that everyone involved has learnt valuable lessons. The Community Council has been approached by the HSCHT and Highland Council about street naming at Tigh Aran. The communtiy council has put forward various names, but Highland Council has insisted on one name only. Accordingly the community council selected Ferguson Court as its agreed name honouring the founder of Ferguson Transport. This was unanimously approved.