FOSSOWAY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT TRUST LIMITED
16th Meeting of the Trust
20th August 2024 19:00-21:30, Crook of Devon Village Hall
Present
Chair/Director – Marion Anness (MA), Secretary – Nicola Marchant (NM)
Trust Members – Trudy Duffy-Wigman, Carol Farquhar, Alan Harper, Alistair Lavery, Jan Dixon, John Buick, Jim Pritchard
Apologies – Mike Barnacle, Sarah Bruce-Jones, Tony & Maureen Lamb, Diane McMillan, Richenda Peason
Introduction – Marion Anness
Welcomed members to the 16th meeting of the FCDT
Minutes of the 14th May 2024 were approved.
Item 1 – Update on Business – Nicola Marchant
Bank account currently stands at £2607.30 as of 7th August 2024. This is made up of £212.16 remaining of the £275 subscriptions (including £15 donations) and £2395.14 of the £5000 community engagement fund we received from PKC. Monies have been spent to set up website, email and community engagement, including printing and stationary, hall rentals and net equipment/training.
New email is info@fossowaytrust.com and website https://fossowaytrust.com/
We still require a Treasurer, Vice Chair and another Director to take over from BT if you are interested please email us at info@fossowaytrust.com.
Item 2 – Development and Funding of Community Action Plan (CAP)/Local Place Plan Creation of Working Group & Dates of Initial Events – Nicola Marchant
PKC have provided us with £15000 funding for external consultant to facilitate and support us through the CAP process, which is well underway.
CAP Process
- Review and summarise current information – Big Place Conversation, previous surveys.
- Fossoway district household survey – aim for 40% return.
- Stakeholder conversations – approx. 20 meetings
- Obtain community profile from PKC.
- Final opportunity to get suveys completed at 7th Sept Fossoway Gathering where Trust has a stall
- Outcome of survey and stakeholder engagement displayed at a community event n the 17th November.
- Community votes for priority projects
CAP Timeline
- Seek external funding for CAP project from PKC – completed
- Engage STAR consultant – May 2024
- Run CAP process – May – Sept 2024
- Consultant analyses survey results and produces draft CAT report (16-18 pages) for sign off by CDT – Oct 2024
- LPP produced by CC Nov 2024 and submitted to PKC Dec 2024
Progress to date
Stakeholder meetings and contacts update – carried out so far
- Solsgirth House
- Blairingone group
- Powmill Bloomers
- Moubray Hall and SWI
- Fossoway Primary School
- Crook of Devon Hall
- Crook and Drum Growing Together (incl rep from Penneys Wood)
- Carnbo Village Hall
- Fossoway Trust
- Fossoway and District Community Council
- Cameron Brown (Heritage info)
- Trudy Duffy
- PKC (Robert Wills, Planning)
- PKC (Greenspace team)
To be done
- Mothers and Toddlers (Friday 30th)
- Church Hall (Friday 30th)
- PTA just waiting for date from them…
Please complete the survey which will be delivered to your household. It is essential that we get 400 responses to clearly demonstrate to potential funders that we represent the voice of the Community.
MA will approach Kinross High School to ask if they can hold a short session with children from our district and ask them to complete the survey. Trudy is visiting the school to give a talk on Know Your Community and will ask them to reach out to MA. Trudy will also give the school some survey forms for children in our district.
Local Place Plan
This is being led by the Kaye Williamson from the Community Council using software Community Map Scotland.
Item 3 – Progress on Blairingone School Business Case and Community Asset Transfer Feasibility Study – Marion Anness
PKC have provided a valuation of the school and schoolhouse as well as a survey report. They are willing to sell the school building for a £1 providing it is only used for community benefit. The schoolhouse has been valued at £70,000 as we wish to gain an income from the property. We have received £5000 from PKC vacant property fund and a further £13,000 from SLF. These monies are being used to engage SKS consultancy to carry out a feasibility study on the future financial sustainability of the buildings. They are working with the Blairingone project group. We hope to receive their report by end of the year which will enable the Trust to make an informed decision on purchase of the school buildings.
MoP noted that PKC should ensure that the schoolhouse does not further deteriorate. It was agreed that the CC ask our Cllrs to raise this with PKC and ensure that it is maintained through the winter.
MA has again been contacted by the press for an update on the CAT. The valuation was supposedly discussed at the Kinross-shire Committee meeting which is on YouTube. NM will listen to the meeting recording and agree with MA and MB on content of article.
Item 4 – Progress on Community Bus – Nicola Marchant
Tony Lamb has reported after the best part of a year campaigning to get improvements to the 202 Stagecoach Service, following regular discussions between the Community Council, our elected Ward Councillors and PKC Transport, the Trust is pleased to confirm that there will be a new bus service for Fossoway this year!
With effect from the 2nd September, the award winning Glenfarg Community Transport Group will be taking over the route. Full details of the new 23 service will be published in due course, but the intention is to provide an hourly service which will connect Tillicoultry to the 52 service on to Alloa and Stirling and in Kinross to the 55 service to Perth via the Community Campus.
We are really excited about this positive development for public transport in Fossoway and hope that everyone in the community will support this venture.
Tony Lamb, on behalf of the Fossoway Community Development Trust, has formally registered an interest in bidding for one of PKC’s surplus minibuses to become a Community Outings Bus. If successful this will need volunteer drivers, in possession of the D1 category on their licences. Email us if you’re interested.
We hope to have promotional leaflets for the Fossoway Gathering.
Item 5 – Progress on the Replacement Bridge Over the River Devon – Nicola Marchant
Discussions are ongoing with regard to the possible siting of the replacement bridge. Next steps are to view the Rennie Mackintosh bridge in a hangar in Scotlandwell. This will allow the Trust to ensure that all parts are there and the condition of the bridge to facilitate negotiation of price.
MoP raised a concern that monies from the Rumbling Hydro scheme have already been used to evaluate a siting and engineering reports and these may go to waste. The original funds were £50,000 and sit within the Fossoway Community Benefit fund. It is around £50,000. MoP suggested we invite Cameron Brown to be included in the visit to view the bridge.
Item 6 – Progress on Waulkmill Park and Fossoway Primary School Design Competition – Trudy Duffy and Marion Anness
The children had a free for all on what they would like in Waulkmill Park. In phase 2 PKC provided maps of the park and Trudy wrote a design brief and provided scaled images of football pitches etc. The children then worked in groups to design a new park. MA then judged the final posters and a winner from each group was awarded vouchers from the Trust. MA presented prizes at the leavers event.
Trudy reported that high on the list was picnic benches and more accessible play equipment as well as improved access to the park. Trudy has obtained quotes for this work. It was agreed that Trudy and NM should apply for funds with a view to having an open day picnic in the park in May.
Trudy reported that Fife council has installed bike repair stations. This is a great idea. Trudy will send the Trust details.
Item 7 – AOCB, Date of next meeting – Nicola Marchant
MA proposed that we raise funds to renew noticeboards in settlements. Trudy suggested the Kinross-shire Community Benefit fund may be an option and she will email me details.
Next meeting will be October which will include AGM.