April 2024

KILMUN COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Facebook - @shoresweepersandKCC Website - www.kilmuncc.co.uk

MINUTES OF MEETING
9 th April 2024 @ 7.30PM.
Blairmore Hall Blairmore
Meeting Start -7.30pm

The secretary asked the audience if there were any last-minute items to be added within the
agenda. None were submitted.
JH said that all co-opted members were elected at the recent community council election and Mark
Borland was also proposed and elected. We now have a full complement of full members. Steve
Abbott has also agreed to be KCC’s advisor for defibrillator and defib training.
PRESENT; Diane Nicholson (Convenor), Janet Holm (Secretary), Peter Hunter Douglas Lachie
Macquarie, Mandy Grout, Kerris Bone, Lindsey Greer, Mark Borland and Steve Abbott (advisor).
Also Present:
APOLOGIES Lindsay McKenna (Vice Convenor), Graham Revill, Malcom Bird, Gordon Holm, Sue
Rule, Bruce Marshall, Cllr. William Sinclair (Rep ABC and LTNP), Graham Thompson, Jean
Thompson, Helen Giles, Fraser Macdonald (Forestry Land Scotland), Russell Humphreys
(Treasurer), Councillor Gordon Blair (ABC) Councillor Y McNeilly (Argyll and Bute Council) and PC
James Convery (Cowal Police).
This session was recorded for the minutes.
2. DECLARATION OF INTEREST:
None
3. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING:
Correction from previous meeting. Within the flooding section, second line, her should be changed
to he.
The 12 th of March 2024 minutes were:
Proposed: Diane Nicholson
Seconded: Mandy Grout Carried
4. TREASURER’S REPORT
Carried forward £3347.37
Income
Bank Interest £12.45
Expenditure
Defibrillator expenses £225.60
Kilmun Hall expenses £60.00
Totals.
General fund £2482.00
Gardening and Shore Sweepers. £47.54
SSE grant £835.32
Overall total £3317.31
New online bank account should be set up soon.
5. POLICE REPORT

2

No report was received.
6. PLANNING APPLICATIONS
None received.
9. COMMUNITY MATTERS
The Shore Sweepers / Graham’s Point
DN said that there was no further progress at Grahams Point with ACHA. She is going to contact
Bruce Marshall to try get and get information of an up-to-date contact to email ACHA.
JH said that Frank Glover has placed plastic covering over the weeds at the bottom part of the
Strone Brae Garden area and 20 new summer heathers have been planted. Hopefully they will be
able to flourish without having to complete with weeds. Later in the year we hope to add to this with
winter heathers. We are still waiting to see if we are successful with the Highgate Hall application.
Peter mentioned the possible problem of people using barbecues on the plastic table. We may have
to keep an eye on this with neighbourhood watch.
Some discussion was made about what material could be used on top of the sheet. This will still
need to be decided.
There was discussion about clearing the paths and beaches and clearing rubbish. A big thank you to
Pauline and David Webster for clearing the litter off the paths. JH said that if anyone is wanting to
clear an area to contact her and an email can go out to the Shore Sweepers to see if anyone has
time to help.
Highgate Hall
No update
Tyneshandon/Stables at Dunselma
No update. JH said that Councillor Sinclair had suggested community buyout. Mark Borland
volunteered to investigate this and what ABC etc could do to help. He will report back to KCC.
10. DISCUSSIONS A&BC LOCAL COUNCILLOR AND NATIONAL PARK
REPRESENTATIVE,
Argyll & Bute Council
No Councillor present or report received.
DN is going to write to our ABC council representative to see how they are engaging with SEPA and
the Cove Ltd, the owners of the caravan park re the material that was washed down the River Eck
banks and into the Holy Loch during the Autumn storm.
Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Representative
No representative present or report received.
Place plans discussed further down in this report.
Forestry and Land Scotland – Fraser MacDonald
An email report received from Fraser as follows: 3 attachments relevant to this report will be
attached with this report.
Biggest impact on Kilmun will be new harvesting site that will be starting on Kilmun Hill in next
couple of weeks as per attached maps. Civils will be on site carrying out some works to service this
coupe to construct a stacking bench.
Due to environmental constraints on planned coupe, I have had to bring this site forward to keep
contractors working but also to deal with the dying Larch on the hillside.

3

The site will be worked with harvester and forwarder and winch on steeper slopes by same Glennon
Brothers who have carried out the last two sites in this block all timing and haulage
constraints/restrictions are the same.
I won’t be able to attend tonight but will make every effort to make next meeting to answer any
questions.
MB expressed concern about the issues of flooding further down the hill from the forestry work
which can impact on properties below the hill. He would like some reassurance from FLS about what
they are doing to mitigate this issue.
Strone Primary School and Strone Primary Parent Council
Becky Hothersall is contacting the school when they're back after the holidays to check which days
are good for sowing the pea seeds. She also had a meeting with Brian Grout this afternoon who
says he has some seeds for the school.
Kerris informed the PA that Steve Abbott is keen on doing some first aid workshops with the children
if the school is interested in this as he has extensive knowledge and monitors the defibrillators in the
area.
Younger Hall
NTR
Blairmore Hall
NTR
Historic Kilmun
NTR
11 CURRENT ISSUES
Clachaig Water
NTR. This item to be removed from the agenda.
SSE power lines Dunoon 132kV Overhead Line rebuild Project.
NTR.
Right of way / Flooding issues
No update from Councillor Sinclair on this issue. An FOI may be put into ABC and FLS.
Defibrillators / Training
KCC thanked Steve Abbott for all the work he has done to make good progress with having the
defibrillators installed, working and registered. Kilmun Hall defibrillator is now completely operational
and registered. He is just waiting for the infant pads to arrive but will put them the back of the box
when they arrive. On Thursday the defibrillator at the Strone Inn will be installed and registered of
Friday. Kerris asked about the codes. The code at Kilmun is 0000 and is printed on the cabinet. And
the one at Strone will be 999. When you contact the ambulance control, they will know the codes.
Heartstart have been able to recruit Sharon McNab and she will work the work in school and could
be in Strone Primary next term.
Steve has been speaking to ABC and they are thinking about producing a map where all the
defibrillators are. Steve says that the cc’s are in a good position to help with the communications to
make sure that the defibrillators are kept up to date. Steve said that the defibrillator at Blairmore Hall
is not up to date. JH will contact the resident who donated the defibrillator and put them into contact
with Steve. It may also be good for KCC to take over the updates for the Blairmore defibrillator.
JH said that it would not be possible for the KCC to be able to fund the maintenance of the
defibrillators and we need to consider raising funding.

4

Bus timetables/Transport Forum
William Sinclair raised the issue with West Coast Motors on behalf of Kerris and they are interested
in the survey that she did. Kerris needs to collate the findings from the responses from the survey.
KCC committee offered to help and Mark Borland has offered to help Kerris before the next
transport forum meeting on the 18 th June.
DGFAG – Dunoon – Ferry Group
KCC has been invited to another meeting chaired by Mike Breslin at the Queen’s Hall and Mark
Borland and Diane will attend. This meeting will only involve all the Community Councils from the
Cowal Area and Gourock. Mark and Diane will report back next month.
Giants Burn Wind Farm
DN has contacted the company to see if they are prepared to come and send a representative to
come to speak to KCC.
Local Place Plan
DN has contacted Hanna at the NP, and she is willing to come and speak to us. She would prefer an
online meeting during the day, but she is prepared to come to a meeting in person. She has also
sent an example of a questionnaire. Diane has also contacted Ardentinny CC to ask them to come
and speak to KCC. JH said that KCC has had received an email from Sue Rule about why the
development trust are not being involved. In previous years this work was been done by the
Development Trusts and JH thinks that we need to know why this work is being asked of the
community councils.
Update the KCC website.
Mark Borland would like to review of KCC’s website and update into a more up-to-date format. It
needs a complete review of the material on the current website. Mark would like to put together what
we need to drive how we present information etc. Mark will lead a review of the website in
consultation with KCC members and then we can decide how we want to progress further.
Meeting end: 9.07pm.
Next Meeting:
Tuesday May 14th @ Younger Hall @ 7.30pm
Meetings held Second Tuesday each month alternating between Younger & Blairmore Halls.
Kilmun Hall – January, March, May, July (Recess) September, November
Blairmore Hall – February, April, June, August, October, December