Inaugural SCC meeting 4th April 2024
Added at 10:48 on 08 April 2024
The new Sleat Community Council held its inaugural meeting on Thursday night at Ardvasar Hall, with a good public presence. Ward 10 Councillor Ruraidh Stewart opened the meeting and explained the role of community councils. He oversaw the appointment of office bearers for the term ahead, who are:
· Andy Williamson, Chair
· Janet MacDonald, Vice Chair
· Rob Ware, Secretary
· Duncan MacInnes, Treasurer
The new Chair thanked Tim Shone for chairing the previous community council and recognised those who stepped down last term, as well as candidates in this election.
The meeting discussed the development of a Local Place Plan for Sleat. Though technically about planning, this is a chance to develop shared aspirations about the future of Sleat. Members agreed they would work with the Sleat Community Trust on this, inviting others to join them. They stressed the importance of engaging with as many people and organisations as possible.
The meeting touched on making the community council more accessible and extending its reach. We’ll develop a plan for engaging young people and look at bringing youth members onboard. New councillor Mairead MacDougall will lead this. We’ll also look at organising community forums in addition to our regular meetings.
We discussed sharing information and broadening the reach of community council to hear from more people in the community. Members and public felt that social media was the best mechanism, but not everyone uses it. We’re going to look at repairing the network of notice boards around Sleat and getting information in both Armadale Stores and An Crùbh. Duncan MacInnes will explore adding a community council section to the Sleat Community Trust newsletter.
There were several road-related issues raised. Mostly, these are about the rapidly deteriorating state of our local roads. Residents in Camuscross have written to the The Highland Council informed us about their own there and we noted the state of the A851, particularly through Teangue. The junction with the A851 and the Ardvasar road remains an issue, with poor signage and no clear road markings. These matters are being referred to Highland Council. We will also request a ‘passing place’ sign for the Ardvasar road, close to the junction, follow up on the poor condition of the footpath near Mill Bridge and the ongoing delays in updating the school’s 20mph signage.
For further information please read our two-part News Updates on the Facebook page.
Please join us at An Crùbh on 7th May at 19:30 for the next meeting. We encourage as many of you as possible to attend.