ABERNETHY COMMUNITY COUNCIL

The Community Council has returned to in-person meetings with the past two meetings being held in the Masonic Hall. The meetings take place on the last Thursday of the month and we encourage residents to come along.

With Perth and Kinross Community Council elections taking place later this year, ACC is putting out an early call for any interested members of the community. ACC require five committee members to form a community council and can run with a maximum of nine members. Nominations open on the 25th of August 2022 and candidates have 4 weeks to complete and submit nomination forms. If, on closing, there are more nominations than places on ACC, it will go to a postal election to be held on Thursday the 3rd of November 2022. Otherwise candidates would be deemed duly elected without the need for a postal election. The election will be advertised on social media nearer the time.

There is an ask. ACC is without a Secretary. The Secretary role is pivotal to community councils running smoothly. The role involves handling communication, setting meeting agendas and taking meeting minutes. We desperately need a Secretary. Can you help? There is also the option to pay someone to take meeting minutes if a potential Secretary doesn’t come forward. If you or anyone you know of can spare a few hours per month, are interested in getting involved in either the Secretary role, as a paid meeting minute taker or in joining ACC at election time, please get in touch with one of the community council members or by email to abernethycommunitycouncil18@gmail.com

Ritchie and Linda have been busy representing ACC on the Binn Eco Community Wind Farm working group facilitated by Foundation Scotland. The Final Report and Shared Fund Strategy was agreed and signed off last week. Paving the way for a substantial amount of funding heading in our direction, certainly over the next couple of years but, potentially over the period of the community-owned wind turbines’ operational term. The two community turbines at Binn Eco Park have been running under the ownership of Our Community Energy Ltd (OCE), a Community Benefit Society set up at community request. OCE will be looking to recruit 1 (non CC) volunteer director from each of the four communities involved towards the New Year.

The turbines have now generated enough surplus for a Community Benefit Fund to be set up. Auchtermuchty & Strathmiglo, Glenfarg, Earn and Abernethy Community Council areas will benefit from the fund. Earn CC has opted for a different funding strategy whilst the remaining three CC’s decided to adopt a joint funding strategy. A joint funding panel will be formed comprising three representatives from each of the three communities and will sit to consider/recommend community funding applications. The main fund has set criteria and will open to applications from local community constituted groups for one round this year in the Autumn followed by two rounds annually thereafter. In addition to the main fund, the three Community Councils will each manage a small microgrant scheme open to individuals and non-constituted groups. This year’s funding will be about 100k to be split between the four communities. The projected funding for 2023 is around 300k to be shared equally between the four communities. Coming soon: the funding scheme in finer detail/opening to be advertised on Foundation Scotland website, locally in the press and on social media.

Well done to everyone who took part in this year’s successful Hill Race and special thanks to the organisers.

The next community council meeting is Thursday the 25th of August, at 7pm in the Mason Hall. Everyone welcome, as always.

Linda Buchan

ABERNETHY COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING

Thursday 30th June 2022 @ 19:00 – In-person meeting at the Masonic Hall

Members Present:
Linda Buchan, Donna Gillespie, Helena Mcallister, Carol McMahon (minutes), Councillor David Illingworth
Public Present: 8
Total Present: 12

Apologies given: Ritchie Young, Caroline Haxton, Ro Bell, Kathleen Pye, Councillor Frank Smith, Councillor Michelle Frampton

Adoption of Previous Minutes:
Minutes from May 2022 approved.
Helena proposed. Donna Seconded

Matters Discussed

1. Community Benefit Fund

Ritchie and Linda attended a meeting this week. The working group will meet the director of OCC in July and will be looking for a director plus two community councillors and a member of the public from each of the three community councils in the fund. From late August the community benefit fund will be available for online applications from community groups to apply for funding. Foundation Scotland is setting the fund up. The first round will be £70,000 between four community councils. Bridge of Earn community council will do their own thing, which leaves 75% of the fund for the other three community councils. The funds will be awarded in November. In year two of the community benefit fund the money available will be £300,000. Micro grants of up to £500 per application can also be awarded from Abernethy Community Council for community projects or projects that bring benefits to the community.

Harmony Energy will also donate between £5000-£6000 a year from the Jamesfield battery storage facility for Abernethy Community Council to hand out as community funding.

2. Abernethy Community Council Election

Nominations open on Thursday 25th August 2022 and close on Thursday 22nd September 2022. If there are more nominations than vacancies there will be an election on Thursday 3rd November 2022 which will need to be advertised.

Also, there is a need to advertise in the Village Crier for a secretary to take community council meeting minutes. They could be paid £10 per hour.

3. Tower Lights Plaque Unveiling

Jimmy Swan is sending out invitations this week. Mr and Mrs Davis from the US have paid over £2000 to upgrade the tower floodlights. They have a family connection to Abernethy. They will unveil a plaque on Saturday 6th August 2022 at 13:00 and afterwards the invited guests including Abernethy Community Councillors will go to Jamesfield for afternoon tea. Abernethy Community Council will pay about £300 for this on the day.

4. AOB

Linda thanked the organisers of the recent Hill Race.

Theresa Hughes mentioned that there was no core footpath linking Aberargie, Netherton and Carey. She mentioned it to Jamie Morrison who said it was not a right of way. Councillor Illingworth has requested that PKC look at the issue of footpaths and said he will try to resolve the matter.

Helena mentioned drainage ditches around the fields being filled in.

Jimmy Swan asked if Abernethy community council were doing anything to thank former PKC councillor Kathleen Baird for her years of service to the community.

Jimmy Swan asked why Abernethy doesn’t have a 20 mph speed limit like Bridge of Earn. Councillor Illingworth said it was because the main road through Abernethy doesn’t go past local shops.

Jimmy Swan also mentioned pavements not being cleaned and ragwort growing in the local park which is poisonous to dogs. Councillor Illingworth to look at this.

Audrey Clark asked ACC to support her application for a memorial in the village to the three women who were executed in Abernethy for witchcraft. She has applied for funding for the memorial from the Community Heritage Fund. The ACC members present supported her application.