Spean Bridge
SPEAN Bridge, Roy Bridge and Achnacarry Community Council held its December meeting at Kilmonivaig Parish Church hall last week.
❚ Presentation by Andy Gregory of SSE about plans for a Coire Glas pump storage scheme (see page three).
❚ In a reply to Kate Forbes MSP, BEAR has agreed to carry out a speed survey on the A86 at Inverroy, which it is hoped will be a first step to getting the required traffic calming measures requested.
BEAR is actively pursuing the 20mph warning light repair at Spean Bridge School; the carriageway repairs at the A82/A86 junction; the drainage issues at the bridge over the A86 and the deletion of reference to toilets on road signs. They have escalated verge repairs to Category 2, issued a works notice to remove the 20mph signs in Roy Bridge and permanently repaired the carriageway on the A82.
❚ Highland Council – Temporary repairs have been carried out on the B8004 at the Commando Memorial with permanent resurfacing to be undertaken as a priority in the next financial year.
Grit boxes have been installed at Braeroy Road and Kilmonivaig Church and the roads department is examining measures to restrict parking at the junction of Altour Road and Morrison Avenue.
❚ Ward discretionary funding – The chairman outlined the correspondence between Highland Council over its refusal to accept the application for funds for seven Christmas parties (see page one for full story).
❚ Affordable housing – The SCIO has held a preliminary meeting with John Macdonald of HIE to discuss community land purchase. The chairman has corresponded with the development planning team to determine what level of development would be permitted outwith the local development plan. He will pass the correspondence to the SCIO for their information.
❚ Resilience committee – Ian Langley produced an exploratory document, and he, Amy, and the chairman had met to discuss it and decide on priorities. The absence of a community council area website was considered a drawback that we should seek to address. Further work will be undertaken before the next meeting early in the new year followed by a community consultation.
❚ Rik Eppens has identified a Christmas tree for Spean Bridge and the fire and rescue service will assist with erection. Roy Bridge is making its own arrangements.
❚ Staff at the Spar shop are endeavouring to keep the area around the shop tidy, but their efforts are hampered by coaches depositing rubbish in their bins.
❚ Liz Fotheringham discussed recent developments on the Lochaber Health and Social Care redesign including plans for the new Belford Hospital.
❚ Correspondence – A complaint about fly-tipping and litter adjacent to the Brackletter travellers’ site had been passed to Highland councillors, and in turn to the housing manager, but no permanent solution to the problem appeared likely in the short term.
❚ Sgt Deborah McCartney said Police Scotland was aware of the increasing impact that large and wide loads were having on the infrastructure, and other road users. The roads unit is active in tackling speeding motorists.
❚ The next meeting will be moved from January 2 to January 9. It was agreed that if Liz would provide catering for future meetings at Kilmonivaig Church Hall, the community council would make a small donation to Lochaber Foodbank.