Draft Minutes – Kilfinan Community Council Meeting 30th September 2025

1. Present

Ed Pybus, Nicola Greenall, John Butcher, John McColl, Vicky Wince

Apologies: Robin Webster

2. Minutes of August 2025 Meeting

Agreed.

3. Declarations of Interest

NG is employed by Abcan as is EP partner.

4. Matters Arising

Bins: Update on request to Council. Negative response received. CR to ask Councillor Sinclair to intervene.

Roads session with Council: Update from Area Committee. Councillor Blair committed to progress but nothing in place so far, CR to follow up. EP proposed that we have a focus on roads, including speed limits for our November meeting. We can publicise this and invite people to write in with issues and to attend the meeting. Community councillors can also use their networks. We would invite A and B Councillors and roads officer to attend CR. We already know there are community concerns about resurfacing needed, pavements and speed limits.

Community Resilience: Emergency Planning session is booked 3/10/25 – report will come to the next meeting EP. Correspondence from a resident highlighted ambulance delays and communication issues. We will consider this at the emergency planning session and let the resident know that. CR.

LAG members: List was circulated with the meeting papers. Agreed that it is disappointing the group does not include any CC representative. CR to raise concerns with A and B Council.

Broadband update: The national project team have indicated that late 2026 may be the deadline for superfast access. This is not acceptable. CR to take up offer to attend a future KCC meeting and ask for more detailed information.

Mull Car Club update on complaint: No further action required.

Rally economic analysis: Councillor Sinclair was to obtain further information from Council Officers. CR to chase.

Pontoon TDDT: TDDT have agreed to take responsibility. Noted that it would be useful to get TDDT agendas and minutes in advance so we are sighted on potential crossover issues. EP to contact TDDT chair to discuss ways to collaborate.

Road debris and overhanging trees: Include in developing roads discussion. CR.

5. West Cowal Habitat Regeneration Project

Iain Dow, Woodland coordinator, attended and gave an interesting overview of the project working across Argyll, with two areas identified as priorities: West Cowal (covering the KCC area) and Knapdale. The aim was to tackle issues damaging the rainforest including species invasion and deer control.

Iain highlighted opportunities around forestry and deer management, with synergy between challenges to the rainforest and challenges for rural communities. ACT have succeeded in getting funding for the Glendarual deer larder. Iain emphasised close work with existing larders, employment and training opportunities. Iain to flag when the planning application is lodged so that KCC can respond.

CCs should be interested in deer management given forestry, accidents, community impact, and food security. There is a positive opportunity in reducing deer numbers. Iain described the work of the Cowal Deer Management Group (CDMG). KCC would like to be represented on the CDMG and on the larder group. JB expressed an interest.

Iain described issues with damage to special biodiversity around the Kilfinan Burn area and lack of response from landowners and forestry managers. Agreed that KCC can lobby on these issues, Iain to provide details.

KCC are a statutory consultee on forestry plans. Agreed KCC should set up a sub-group and look for support from Forestry Scotland. EP. Iain to provide a short flier that we could use to publicise the work of the project.

6. Local Place Plan Proposal

NG updated: proposal is to launch the local place plan at the producers’ market for 28 days consultation to be finalised by end January. KCC members need to have the opportunity to review the draft plan before launch. NG to come back with suggestions.

7. Improving Our Villages

Discussion next meeting linked to Local Place Plan. CR.

8. Speed Limits and Road Safety

Dealt with under item 4.

9. Forestry Consultation

Dealt with under item 5. EP.

10. CC Scheme of Establishment Consultation

Feedback and next stage. Opportunity for KCC to contribute. Agreed we would suggest Community Councils use business email addresses for official business, noting how confusion can arise if personal emails are used to represent CC positions. CR to raise.

11. AGM 2025 Draft Minutes

Noted.

12. Rally Update

The meeting endorsed our interim response and noted that MCC had submitted their route proposals to UK Motor Sport before the meeting with KCC. These had no changes to reflect the issues raised in the consultation for the KCC area. The recommendations in the discussion paper were agreed:

• Liaise with Colglen Community Council to establish what action they propose to take given their objections to repeated stages on the same routes have not been accommodated.
• Complain to UK Motorsport that MCC have failed in the requirement to engage with communities in developing route proposals.
• Write to A and B Council setting out how KCC have tried to engage with MCC but to no effect and seeking their intervention.
• Develop alternative route proposals using our criteria.

Email response from A and B Council on the Road Traffic Act had been circulated by EP. Agreed that the response did not clearly answer the question we had put about pedestrian access and we need to ask for a direct and clear answer so that we can convey that to residents on closed roads. CR to draft response to AB and C.

13. Meetings

• Area Committee – Noted.
• TDDT – Noted.

14. Planning Applications

CR to check how they can be obtained.

15. Parish Online

Subscription £60 per annum for mapping software agreed.

16. AOCB

None recorded.

17. Future Meeting Dates (all at Kames Hall)

• 28/10 – 18.00
• 25/11 – 15.00

Meeting dates for first half of 2026 (times to be agreed):

30th June and AGM

27th January

24th February

31st March

28th April

26th May