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Minutes of emergency private meeting 18th March 2021 re lockdown timetable consultation

MINUTES OF EMERGENCY PRIVATE MEETING OF TIREE COMMUNITY COUNCIL

18 March 2021 7.30 pm

By Zoom

 

  1. Present: Dr John Holliday (chair), Phyl Meyer, Gerard McGoogan, Alison Clark, Iona Campbell and Stewart Carr
  2. Apologies: John Patience and Louise Reid
  3. Basis of meeting: Tiree Community Council had been asked by Pippa Milne, the chief executive of Argyll and Bute Council, to provide feedback to the Leader of the Council, Robin Currie, by 1530 19 March. This feedback was the island’s view concerning the choice of level next month. There would be a further opportunity to submit feedback no later than the morning of Monday 21st March.
  4. Basis of the choice on offer: whether to move from Level 3 to what appears to be a modified Level 2 on 26 April with a restriction on travel between the mainland and Tiree, or to remain in Level 3 but have unrestricted travel to and from the mainland. We acknowledged that the situation was fast-moving and complex, and it was difficult to be sure that we had understood every possible implication. The discussion centred on the risk of importing Covid to the island, the protection offered by the vaccination programme to date, the economic effects of several further weeks of restricted travel on island tourism businesses that had already endured twelve months of reduced trading, the benefits of being in “Level 2” versus being in “Level 3” (thought to be relatively small), and the ability of island families to travel. Councillors had received a handful of emails already, mainly from islanders who owned or ran tourism-related businesses.
  5. Framing of a decision at this meeting: we decided, after some discussion, that we should have a vote so that the community council could present a voice from the island if necessary. We also decided to set up a digital survey on the matter which, if successful, would inform the final position we would take.
  6. Vote on a recommendation for the Level: we voted 5-0 to support “Level 3 with unrestricted travel” at this time, but agreed to review a final position after the survey.
  7. Survey: we agreed that PM and IC would work on the wording of a survey overnight. We will present the outcome of this, with all its caveats, to Cllr Currie before his meeting on Monday with the Scottish Government.

The meeting ended at 8.45 pm

Dr John Holliday