January 2010 Minutes

Val Turner thanked the Community Council for inviting her to the meeting. She explained that the original plan, 20 years ago, was for the Longhouse to be built at Jarlshof, but for a variety of reasons this didn’t happen. One of these reasons was that at that time no one knew what a Shetland Longhouse looked like. There have been three longhouses excavated in Unst and these are all of different designs. The replica Longhouse to be built in Haroldswick is mainly based on the design of the Longhouse at Hamar but incorporates features from Underhoull and Belmont. Ms Turner explained that the Amenity Trust was still waiting for planning permission to be granted, but that should be through shortly. The detail of the Longhouse has been designed by Design Line Architects who have previous experience of building replica Longhouses. Ms Turner showed a short presentation of how the Longhouse would be built. The building will have a timber frame and a curved roof made from Norwegian wood. There will be no nails used in building it. It will be built mainly by the Amenity Trust squads, with help from volunteers. There is a possibility that there could be three skilled volunteers coming over from Norway to help, this will depend on the timing suiting them. Also a group of Conservation volunteers could come up for two weeks to help. The Longhouse should be built by the end of June 2010.

Ms Turner was asked if the Living History folk, Keith and Tony, would be employed again this year. She explained that there weren’t any funds available for that so the Amenity Trust wouldn’t be bringing folk up from south as part of the Viking Unst project. However, the Trust hopes to engage the folk from Unst who have been learning Living History skills over the past two years. When asked if there would be interpretation boards around the site Ms Turner said it hadn’t been decided how that would be dealt with. The attraction has to “wash its face”, at Scatness you can buy a ticket which lasts all season. There was a concern raised that if the Living History team didn’t come up there would be a lack of props/set dressing for people to see. Ms Turner said that there can be a sharing of items with Scatness. She believes that there could be as many as 50 Longhouses on Unst.

Ms Turner explained that in the longer term Viking Unst phase two planned to look at religion – chapels and graves, although nothing can be done about this until phase one has been completed. In phase two more things could also be developed at the Longhouse site. She said that it is important to keep the site different from what’s at Scatness.

Laurence asked about the condition of the Skidbladner, as it seems to be in a poor condition on the outside. Ms Turner said that it has been treated on the inside, which is well preserved, and that the next stage is to treat the outside.

Members felt that the site was poorly advertised last year at the airport with many tourists only realising it was there when they “stumbled” onto the site. Ms Turner said that there will be a lot more advertising this year but hoped that some people would always find it “by accident”. Members believed that it had proved a big boost to tourism in Unst and that it catered for all ages.

Laurence thanked Val Turner for attending the meeting, she then left.

Fiona Dally, Tall Ships Races 2011

Fiona Dally explained that a private company has been set up to deliver the Tall Ships event in Shetland. The webpage is www.tallshipsraceslerwick.com. The Tall Ships are in Lerwick from the 21^st – 24^th July 2011. There are five guest harbours in Shetland that are hoping to attract some of the Tall ships to visit in transit. These are Fair Isles, Scalloway, Cullivoe, Unst and Whalsay. There are no guarantees that the ships will visit either the guest harbours or the host ports. There are a lot of factors which have to be taken into account e.g. weather, size, whether the ships are heading to Shetland at all. Ruth Scott, who is Unst’s representative on the Cruise in Company, has been helping to promote Unst as a destination. She will be in Hartlepoole later in the year which is the last port of this years tall ships race. Ruth also has close links with the Swan Trust. Ms Dally explained that they are trying to get as many of the community involved and that the committee need a lot of volunteers to help out in Lerwick. She said that it is better if communities in the guest ports organise events which will run anyway whether the ships get in or not. The Baltasail event, which was held in 1999, attracted 4 tall ships. Unst held a very successful series of events. It is hoped that this will encourage more ships to visit Unst in 2011. The next stage is for the Community of Unst to decide which community group will take this forward. Ms Dally will come up and meet with this group as soon as it has been decided.

Laurence thanked Fiona Dally for attending the meeting, she then left the meeting.

Matters Arising from last minutes

Unst Based Roadman

Laurence contacted Gordon Greenhill who assured him that there will be at least two Unst Based roadmen employed by the Council.

Hangar at airport

It was agreed to write to the Isles Ward Councillors to suggest that the hangar at the airport should be used as a base for the North Isles, instead of building a new place in Mid Yell.

Setters Hill Estate (SHE) Properties

The Clerk is to write and ask Mr Yates, Defence Estates, what progress has been made with the sale of the properties at Setters Hill Estate.

Roads

Alan Stevenson, SIC Roads, replied to our letter and said that the Council will inspect and assess the roads we wrote about and then allocate them to their work schedule as required. He also explained that there is no set width to an “A” road and in the Shetland context roads in this class vary from 3 metres to 7.3 metres in width. The Clerk is to write about the road at Whalayre which has been damaged with the last gale. The sea has torn the grass at the side of the road away so members are worried that the next heavy seas will damage the road.

Ferry Terminal at Belmont

There has been no reply from the Ferries Department about repairing the waiting area at the terminal at Belmont or the Community Council’s suggestions for changing the lanes. The Clerk is to write about this again.

SIC Blueprint for Education – Update and set date for SIC Senior Officer to attend meeting

The meeting with pupils, parents and staff of Baltasound School and the Council was held last night. There was a massive opinion against the closure of Baltasound School. There was anger at how the figures had been worked out. The one off costs of refurbishing the Youth Centre after the fire had been included in the costs. It was agreed to suggest either the 2^nd or the 9^th March as possible dates for senior officials from the Council to feed back to the Community Council on their informal meetings with Baltasound and Uyeasound Schools’ pupils, parents and teachers. A copy of a letter from the Uyeasound School parent Council was circulated for information.

Unst Partnership Update

The feasibility study has now ended. Alan Caldwell and Phil Brown, the consultants from Development Trust Association Scotland have been contracted by Highlands and Islands Enterprise to take the proposals to the next stage. The plan is to set up a community interest company which aims to provide services to existing and new businesses; to help with promoting companies, marketing and selling products, and to help with business development. It also aims to provide a “shop front” area or building where products can be exhibited. There will also be desk space and administration assistance. This company will not be competing with other companies. The Partnership is looking for more members to sign up to the Partnership. There is no financial obligation. Mike Smith and Gordon Thomson are going to meet with Patrick Ross-Smith, Community Energy Scotland to discuss renewable energy projects. The application for funding for a feasibility study into the Spinning Mill has been submitted to the Big Lottery Fund. UP should hear whether this has been successful by the beginning of March.

Application for Donation

There were no applications for donation.

Application for Planning

To site one 100m circumference cage at an existing marine fish farm, South of Holm of Heogland, Uyeasound, Unst by Lakeland Unst Ltd

This was approved.

Erect 10kW wind turbine on 12 metre mast, Hagdale Industrial Estate, Baltasound, Unst by J W Barclay

This was approved.

Community Council Finances

A breakdown of expenditure to date was tabled. It was agreed to advertise that there is funding available for Community Groups. Applications need to be with the Clerk by Friday 26^th February 2010.

A.O.C.B.

ASCC Special meeting – Wind Farm Community Benefit Funds 15-01-10

Peter Walker, Chairman of the Hadyard Hill Community Benefit Fund in South Ayrshire, gave a presentation to the ASCC about the Community benefit Fund. It was agreed at the meeting that the Shetland communities had to be ready to enter into negotiations with the energy suppliers, whether or not the wind farm, or any other alternative energy is given planning permission. This will be discussed further at the ASCC meeting in April.

SIC – Analysis of the Community Council Roads Performance Survey

This was noted.

Skips

There is still a problem with household rubbish being put in the skips. The skip in Baltasound had a lot of black bags in it when it was changed at the beginning of last week. Jonathan Emptage, SIC Environmental Services, is to put an advert in the Shetland Times to remind everyone what can and can’t be put into the skips.

ASCC Suggested layout of Minutes

After a discussion it was agreed to keep the format of minutes the same as what is used at present.

Da Soond O’ Shetlan’

Da Soond O’ Shetlan’ committee invited two Community Councillors to the launch of its talking book on Friday 22^nd January in the Library, Lerwick.

Late Ferries

There has been no update from the Ferries Department on the problems with community ferry hires. The Clerk is to write and ask about this. Fetlar Community Council has asked if Unst Community Council will share information of future hires with them and vice versa, so that both communities have the opportunity to benefit from the hires. Members agreed that to do this.

NHS Shetland – Annual Report

The annual report is now available on www.shb.scot.nhs.uk The report will not be circulated with the Shetland Times in the interests of economy and trying to be more environmentally friendly.

North Isles Childcare (NIC)

The Big Lottery turned this application down. NIC has been told to apply to another fund. Because the Big Lottery didn’t award funding the SRDP didn’t fund them either. The committee is meeting on Monday to decide what to do next. The funders were very positive about the application.

NHS Shetland and Bluemull Development Group have both asked to attend a meeting in future. It was decided to invite them for the April meeting.

The next meeting will be held on either Tuesday 2^nd or 9^th March 2010 at 7pm in the Baltasound School