Campbeltown Community Council
Minutes of Meeting 10/9/24
held in Campbeltown Town Hall
Present: E Glendinning ( Chair),C Dobbie ( Minutes ), A Baker, A Gallacher, C McCulloch,
E Grabowska, J Martin.
In attendance: Cllr J Armour, Argyll and Bute Council
G Neal, NHS Local Area Manager
S Paterson, Shopper Aide
Apologies: V Nimmo, D Allen, K Gillies, I Mitchell, C Reid, Cllr J Kelly, Cllr T MacPherson
Welcome: E Glendinning welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Declarations of Interest: None
- Minutes of last meeting 13/8/24
The minutes were agreed as accurate and proposed by J Martin, seconded by A Gallacher.
- Matters arising
- Jubilee Coastal Path – didn’t meet criteria for SURF award so no application made.
- E Spence from SKDT has been invited to attend meeting in October.
- Loganair – response received. Very difficult to read and didn’t give stats re cancellations due to weather.
- Stewarton – Scottish Water works completed
- Bus shelters at Meadows and Ralston Rd – email from Cllr MacPherson – to be installed this month
- Campbeltown Community Pharmacy- hearing to be held in November online. Proposed V Nimmo and Cllr Armour attend.
- Public Questions
None
- Police Report
PC A Burton attended meeting but no report was available. He reported an increase in dangerous driving and ongoing general offences. A Baker asked about vehicles parked at Lochend St but unless this is classed as dangerous, Police will not take action.
- Presentations
- a) G Neal from NHS introduced herself and explained her role in charge of hospitals and community staff. There are currently 15 beds available at C’town Hospital and this has been sufficient. There is still a shortage of staff locally and visiting consultants, especially medical clinics, since COVID. Local patients are being encouraged to attend clinics in Glasgow or online. The kidney dialysis unit is still in use in C’town Hospital, currently there are no local patients attending 3 times per week. There are only 2 or 3 of the staff trained remaining out of the 6 or 7 trained and dialysis provision is to be reviewed across Argyll and Bute soon. The plant beds in the Hospital grounds need improving. C Dobbie agreed to find out who is contact for Community Payback scheme and pass on. Gillian would be happy to attend future meetings or answer any queries from CCC. E Glendinning thanked her for attending and wished her well in her role.
- b) S Paterson from ShopperAide informed the meeting that the charity was in financial crisis due to increasing costs and many grant funders changing their criteria in the past year. The charity not only provides a shopping service, but laundry, housekeeping, social groups in C’town, Carradale and Gigha and accompany clients to appointments. They currently employ 13 staff, mostly part-time and the laundry service has recently started to make a profit. ShopperAide is highly regarded locally and further afield and if didn’t exist, the many clients it supports would suffer and more pressure would be put on statutory services. Cllr Armour added that Cllr D McFadyen from HCSP visited ShopperAide 2 weeks ago and is aware of the situation.
Shopper Aide is holding public meetings on Tuesday, 17 September at 2pm in Burnett Building and 7pm in Council Chambers to enlist local support. E Glendinning thanked Susan for attending and CCC will support this worthwhile cause and advertise their meetings.
- Councillor’s Report
Cllr Armour raised the following:
- Bus shelters – see previous.
- HERAS fencing around White Hart Hotel now removed.
- White lining roads including New Quay St to be completed this month
- New stantons to be installed on Quarry Green for waste bins
- Burnside Square – Council looking to use sealant to prevent leakage of rusty water from rusted planters
- Cutting – Cllr Armour to request bollards/ signage to prevent cars driving here
- Flooding outside TOFFS in Main St deep after heavy rainfall – email received from Cllr Armour after meeting to say this work is to be carried out in next few weeks.
- Cycle Path – signage has arrived but a traffic regulation order is needed before they are installed.
CCC members raised the following with Cllr Armour:
- Campbeltown Grammar School’s national exam results were poor resulting in a low position in a recently published league table.
Cllr Armour replied that the Council’s Education Dept was supporting the school.
- The lack of quality assurance for roadworks carried out across the area. This includes the time taken to complete works, the quality of the finish and the lack of co-ordination of road closures.
Cllr Armour in his role as Council lead for roads and infrastructure is meeting with Bear re A83 to improve planning future road closures and roadworks.
- Treasurer’s Report
Main account £16,691.21 ( includes £1152 for replacement of Quesada plaque, £1473 for Town Centre Maintenance materials)
Quesada £510
CCWF £98,064.27
- Correspondence
All correspondence circulated to members.
- AOCB
- Quesada Plaque – G Bennie from Argyll Signs has installed a temporary plaque until the new one ordered arrives.
- Jubilee Coastal Path Maintenance – interest received from several applicants.
- Afternoon tea to mark the end of WW2 in 2025. To be discussed at next meeting.
- Thanks to E Grabowska for updating CCC website
DATE OF NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY 8/10/24 AT 7:30PM IN CAMPBELTOWN TOWN HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.