Agendas, reports and minutes

Minute of the Meeting of Skye and Lochalsh Local Access Forum held in Tigh Na Sgire, Park Lane, Portree, on Friday 29 August 2014 at 2.00pm.

Present:

Mr Brian Linington, Mr Bruce Taylor, Mr Jim Towers and Mr Robert Ware

Also in attendance:

Mr Alaisdair H Mackenzie, Legal Manager, Highland Council (Clerk)
Mr Donald Kennedy, Access Officer, Highland Council
Mr John Phillips, Senior Countryside Ranger, Highland Council

(In the Chair – Mr Brian Linington)

1. Apologies for Absence

Mr Peter Elford, Mr John Gordon, Mr Ally Macaskill, Ms Nicola Rust and Mrs Audrey Sinclair.

2. Confirmation of Minute

The minutes of the meetings of the Local Access Forum held on 28 February 2014 and 10 April 2014, copies of which had been circulated, were approved subject to the following amendments to the minute of 28 February:

Item 5.5 Walking Strategy for Scotland

The following sentence should be added: “Township roads are often not safe for walking on.”

Item 6 date of next meeting

The date of the meeting was subsequently changed to 29 August.

Action by:  AHM

3. Highland Core Path Implementation Programme Update

The Access Officer made a presentation to the Forum as follows:

HCPIP Programme of Works Progress

Phase 1 (2010-11)
Idrigill, Uig	£2,160.00
Uig Woodland	£1,982.00
Rubha Hunish	£15,282.00
Phase 2 (2011-12)
Elgol Circular	£9,201.80
Inverinate Forest	£9,348.00
Struan Link	£2,273.25
Kyleakin Salt Marsh Path	£2,247.30
Phase 3 (2012-13)
Healaval Forest, Dunvegan	£7,764.00
Edinbane to Greshornish	£3,892.00
Corran ROW, Glenelg	£6,947.00
Talisker to Fiskavaig ROW	£7,564.00
HCPIP 1 closed down
HCPIP2
Balmacqueen Coastal	£4,613.00
Earlish to Cuidrach ROW	£3,979.00

The Access Officer reported as follows:

HCPIP 2 – Extension of time

(a)   Final Invoices had to be in by the end of August;
(b)   Only projects approved by the Council’s Planning and Economic Development Committee could be considered;
(c)   All path projects are completed in Skye and Lochalsh but it was hoped to carry out work on the Dalavil path
       which had been held as a reserve. The work would involve re-aligning the path to avoid four burn crossing
       points;
(d)   The Corran Information Panel was included and completed.

Beyond HCPIP - Skye and Lochalsh Path Priority Work

The next LEADER progamme is still to be launched and the Highland Council Access Team will put together another core paths improvement funding bid.

In the meantime:-
• All six access areas will be putting forward projects to be funded by the remaining  access revenue budget
• Preferred projects will be on core paths or linked to core paths but other routes will be considered.

The following information on Skye and Lochalsh Core Path Proposals August 2014 was circulated to the meeting:- 

Path No.	Title	Current Condition	Proposed Upgrading Work	Cost	Priority
SL07.01*	Greshornish Forest	Forest track, forest corridor and historic paths over grazing land.  Forest corridor overgrown and historic path poorly drained	Clear corridor of vegetation and replace broken stile at Loch Duibaig with kissing gate.  Small sections of path work along grazing section	£9,750.00	3
SL27.01*	Idrigill Path, Uig	Path  linking village into wider network and circular route opportunities when combined with quiet roads	Raised path section through problem drainage area (50m)	£1,300.00	2
SL21.03	Lump Path, Portree	Dangerous cross radients down to shore with no barrier/fencing	Install steel post anchored fencing along exposed sections (180m)	£3,000.00	1
SL16.02*	Sneosdal Heribusta circular	Paths and tracks promoted by local community	Requires short sections of pathwork, additional waymarkers and drainage (180m)	£3,600.00	3
SL23.04*	Borve circular route	Route combining track, old road and quiet road.  Link required to link agricultural track with old road	New footpath work, waymarkers and specialist design input as new works cross trunk road (60m)	£1,600.00	1
SL24.02*	Ord	Uneven sections of path and variety of desire lines along coastal section	Install new aggregate path and waymarkers (150m)	£4,500.00	3
SL23.03 SL24.04	Skeabost Borve Core Path Link	Encroaching vegetation on old road and missing link between old roads	Clear vegetation and install new path to link the roads	£9,000.00	1
SL22.05	Inverarish to Clachan	Uneven and muddy sections through woodland section	Install aggregate path through woodland section (150m)	£3,000.00	2
SL07.04	Tayinloan to Fanks Road End	Sections where encroaching gorse and other vegetation are blocking the road	Create clear tunnel through affected sections (250m)	£875.00	1
SL21.08	Torvaig to Bile	Uneven section through poorly drained boulder field	Install path and cross path drainage (100m)	£2,000.00	1
SL04.04	Fairy Pools path	Braiding either side of path due to substantial increase in numbers	Refurbish and widen path	£20,000.00	1

* Approved at previous Form Meeting.

The Forum noted the position and agreed that the Access Officer should e-mail the above list to all members of the Forum asking for other proposals to be sent to him by Friday 17 October 2014.

Action by:  DK

4. Local Access Issues

There had been circulated Report No. SLLAF-01-14 by the Access Officer detailing local access issues in Skye and Lochalsh as follows:-

SL24.02/01 Public Access at Ord House

Background

Since buying Ord House in 2011, the current owners have disputed the right of members of the public to be on a short linking path within their grounds with measures to discourage access deployed at various times since then. The owners submitted proposals to the Access Officer involving a different route through their grounds which would afford them more privacy. A meeting of the Forum, following a site visit to look at the proposals, established that the proposed route was too great a diversion and that there would be privacy issues for residents close to the new line just as significant as what was being experienced currently by the owners of Ord House. An alternative route was identified at the site visit. This is close to the existing line but outside the deer fence surrounding the grounds. With steep cross slopes and protruding bedrock, establishing this route requires hand building a benched path into the slope to create walking conditions to a similar standard to the rest of the route.

Current Status

• The contractor has completed the work.
• There was a problem with a gate which should be resolved in the next week or two.
• The whole section of new path was not constructed of aggregate as it was not considered necessary.

The Forum noted the position.

Action by: DK

SL11.01/01 Public Access, Ramasaig to Lorgill

Background

The Access Officer received a complaint from a member of the public regarding unacceptable walking conditions due to deep slurry at the start of the route near the farm steadings.

Current Status

The Access Officer is in discussion with the estate looking at ways of diverting the general public around the farm management areas.

The Forum noted the position.

Action by: DK

SL16.08 Public Access to Cave of Gold, Borneskitaig

Background

Further to issues regarding this route raised at previous forum meetings the land manager has contacted the AO to ascertain what measures could be taken to alleviate problems of visitors disturbing livestock.

Current Status

Signage encouraging visitors wanting to access the headland to follow a way marked route was agreed between the AO and the land manager. Posts and signage have been installed.

The Forum noted the position.

Action by: DK

 SL04.13/01 Sanitation and Litter Issues, Fairy Pools Car Park

Background

The Access Officer received an enquiry from Minginish Community Council regarding lack of toilet facilities and associated problems at the Fairy Pool car park.

Current Status

The Access Officer is in discussion with other council services to explore measures that might alleviate the problem.

The Access Officer advised the Forum of the numbers of visitors to the Fairy Pools from people counter data. The numbers indicate passes, actual visitor numbers are approximately half these figures.

Fairy Pools 2002			Fairy Pools 2014
	Month	Total	Month	Total
	January	450	January	0
	February	441	February	728
	March	884	March	3,804
	April	1,538	April	14,454
	May	2,953	May	17,645
	June	3,644	June	20,355
	July	5,073	July	31,720
	August	5,474	August	30,436	Projected from 27/08
	September	3,469	September	15,000	Projected
	October	1,566	October	7,000	Projected
	November	458	November	0
	December	529	December	0
Totals		26,479		141,142

During discussion of this issue the following points were made:

Bruce Taylor
• The upper part of the glen would benefit from the construction of toilets.
• The car park was overused.
• He supported the idea of inter-agency working to improve toilet and parking facilities.
• There should be a litter pick-up.

 Jim Towers
• Minginish Community Council would be submitting a written question to the next Ward Forum which will cite the Fairy Pools issues as an example as to why there was a need for a strategy for attracting tourists to the area.
• Interpretation was required.

Brian Linington
• Improving the path and stepping stones would help people not to get stuck and should therefore help to improve matters from a mountain rescue team perspective.
• The Forum should do what it can but only within the confines of its own remit and powers. All interested parties should be notified that this problem was not one which the Forum alone could resolve.

The Forum noted the position and agreed to write to the Highland Council’s Ward Manager for Eilean a’ Cheo, Willie MacKinnon, expressing the Forum’s concerns at the situation and suggesting that a meeting of all stakeholders be arranged.

Action by: DK/AHM

5. AOCB

5.1  Sleat Primary School Path

Rob Ware advised the Forum that Sleat Community Council supported the formation of a new access path from the school to the shore. The school has set up a working group. 

The Forum noted the position.

5.2  Access Audit

John Phillips advised that Skye & Lochalsh Disabled Ramblers had carried out a disabled access audit in Lochalsh.

The Forum noted the position.

5.3  Storr Woods Footpath

The Access Officer advised that an additional path with an easier gradient had been completed. This new path left the main path near the bottom and looped around rejoining near the top. He and John Phillips had taken a mobility scooter up the new path.

The Forum noted the position.

5.4  Membership

Brian Linington announced that he was moving away from the area at the end of the month and would therefore be resigning both as a Forum member and Chairman. He had enjoyed his time as a member and chairman.

The Forum expressed their gratitude to Brian for his contribution to the Forum both as a member and as chairman.

The Forum noted that the Access Officer would take steps to organise a replacement member of the Forum and agreed to appoint a new Chairman at their next meeting.

Action by:  DK

6. Date of Next Meeting

The Forum agreed that the next Meeting be held in Broadford in February 2015 on a date to be agreed by the Clerk.  (Subsequently fixed for 2.00pm on Friday 27 February 2015)

Action by: AHM

The meeting closed at 1530 hrs.