Minutes TCC March 2025 public meeting

TIREE COMMUNITY COUNCIL

DRAFT MINUTES MARCH PUBLIC MEETING

7pm, 12 March 2025

Held online on Zoom and Facebook

  1. Present: Gerard McGoogan (chair), Dr John Holliday, Frances Khetrat, Tim Arkless. Cllr Amanda Hampsey from Argyll and Bute Council.
  2. Apologies: John MacCaskill. Aran Khetrat has resigned from the community council due to his college commitments. We are grateful for his contributions and the perspectives he was able to bring to our discussions. There are two places for new co-opted members on the community council. We welcome applications. The chair pointed out that some people have been using Facebook to contact TCC. As they may have noticed, we have not not been routinely monitoring the Facebook page. If anyone wants to talk urgently, it is better to contact us directly.
  3. Minutes of last meeting: these were agreed, though due to an error by the chair a formal proposer and seconder were not called for.
  4. Closure of Tiree Library: TCC had become aware that Live Argyll had decided to close Tiree’s library. TCC invited Paul Ashworth, Service and Support Manager from Live Argyll to attend the meeting. This section lasted 45 minutes and only the key points are listed below:

Timeline:

Nov 2024 TCC meeting. Concern was raised about council shutting Tiree’s library as assistant librarian retiring.

Jan 2024 TCC meeting          Frustration noted by TCC secretary about Live Argyll’s failure to answer emails.

                                  Councillor Amanda to ask for update from Live Argyll

January 31st              Closing date for Library assistant Job.

February 19th            TCC learn of librarian Assistant Job being withdrawn from a member of the community.

February 22nd                        A&BC voted for 9.9% council tax rise; as a result funding from A&BC was not cut.

February 27th            A&BC’s “Revenue budget overview” noted “reduction of library services”.

2024/2025                Live Argyll was budgeted to spend £18,000 on Tiree last year, although there was an underspend due to library closing in November 2024.

2025/2026                Projected Live Argyll on Tiree spending approximately £0.

Summary of Live Argyll’s viewpoint:

Live Argyll stated that Argyll and Bute Council kept their 2025/26 funding the same as 2024/25. Live Argyll has calculated this as effectively meant a real term cut of £211,000, primarily due to nationally agreed pay settlements and unavoidable NI cost pressures.

TCC’s Position:

TCC voiced frustration about the lack of timely information and the lack of consultation. TCC emphasized the importance of considering the value of the library to the community, rather than just focusing on costs.  TCC argued that the cost of the librarian was a small percentage of the overall budget and emphasized the importance of libraries in education. The councillors felt Live Argyll were not spending a proportionate amount of money on Tiree. Moving forward it will be virtually zero.

TCC were surprised Live Argyll had not conducted an Islands Community Impact Assessment.

Cllr Hampsey expressed disappointment and frustration at the lack of prior warning or updates from Live Argyll.

Actions:

  • Paul to update Live Argyll’s management team on community feedback and get back to TCC with answers to points raised.
  • Dr John: To send the library consultation letter to all Argyll and Bute councillors.
  • Councillor Amanda: Discuss Tiree Library concerns with Councillor Julie Mackenzie
  1. Matters arising from minutes: SSEN presentation on new Coll-Tiree cable. SSEN have:
    1. Contacted Tiree’s countryside ranger about wildlife disturbance.
    2. Contacted Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust re disturbance of basking sharks, etc.
    3. Sent some of the underwater footage of seabed to TCC so we can check for sea grass, etc.
    4. Is the cable between Coll to Mull duplicated (Currently No))
    5. Is Mull to mainland duplicated (Yes, three off).
    6. What is the power caring capacity of the cable (7.8MW but limited to 4.47MW elsewhere).
    7. Concern over future of Tiree power station: There is a long-term plan to decarbonise power generation and this would mean reducing the use of Tiree power station. However, this would not happen till there is a second Coll/Mull cable and a number of other enhancements. It is all part of a contract between SSE and the SG.

https://www.ssen.co.uk/about-ssen/our-works/whole-system-energy-solutions-for-the-scottish-islands/

TCC was impressed that we they had answered all seven questions we had sent them, swiftly and informatively.

  1. Correspondence:
  • National speed limit consultation 50mph. TCC has not responded to this
  • Phyl Myers has sent invoices regarding the Community Garden planning permission and website costs. TCC to review
  • JH had been chasing another manager at Live Argyll, Alex Edmundston about the all weather pitch. We have now received a reply. Negotiations with the executive head teacher at Tiree school about exactly how any arrangement might work are ongoing
  • Letter about litter in the Scarinish ‘commercial district’. JH to follow up
  1. Meeting reports: there were none.
  2. Transport:
  3. LOTI staying on. Probable cancellations. Clansman is back from its annual maintenance, but is filling in for the Hebrides and will not be back on the Tiree route till the 8 April. This will impact Tiree as the LOTI has less capacity and will mean passenger cancellation. This will be exacerbated if the Isle of Mull (limit 45 passengers) is put on our route. There will be no desk space pilot on these days. We’re also losing the Clansman in the middle of April, 23 April until 10 May. (We will be getting the LOTI with no Barra connections on the Wednesdays).
  4. We have now got double sailings on the two Saturdays of the Tiree Wave Classic event in October.
  5. Tony McInnes, who’s on the Calmac Communities Board facilitated a meeting here in Tiree on 7 We were pleased that the Tiree school had been asked to have a representative at this this meeting and Mckenzie MacArthur went and spoke very eloquently on behalf of the youth of Tiree. He should be congratulated for his contributions to the meeting. The main point that he raised, a very valid point, is the need for subsidised youth ferry fares concessions. This has been taken on by Calmac Community Board.
  6. Start work at marshalling area at the pier this September.
  • GMc to update current loading graphs for Summer 2025 to website.
  1. A&BC budget:

6% increase on fees across the board

25% uplift on retrospective applications

  Cllr Hampsey to send TCC the breakdown of A&BCs spending overall and for Tiree.

  1. Visitor Levy: we have submitted our letter opposing this. Await A&BC vote.
  2. R100 update: Openreach have now reached 182 premises, with 32 more planned for w/c 10 March. This will take them to over 200 total homes. Openreach met with a representative of Nature Scot and went over the remaining works near the bird nesting areas, and she has agreed that the works can continue after March. They have part built the fibre for Hynish up to the solid rock sections. With the above relaxation, the remainder of this fibre should be laid by first few weeks of April. Though final connections will be a bit after that. Openreach will be continuing after March with the roll-out to the east side of the island as they are not affected by the bird nesting areas.

Note: if your address is not listed under R100, you are not a priority, even if the fibre passes the front of your house. People should register on the Openreach website to be kept informed of full fibre availability. You can do this by using our postcode checker on the main page www.openreach.com/fibre-checker.

  1. Planning: there were two minor modifications to existing applications, neither of which were significant.
  • Tiree Business Centre moved solar panels to the ground.
  • House at Heanish move some windows to rooflights.
  1. AOCB: There was a discussion on the broken “flying fix” ride at Crossapol play park. Cllr Hampsey to contact ACHA.
  2. Date of next meeting : 9 April 2025. This will be online.

Gerard McGoogan and Dr John. Holliday 27 March 2025