Minutes of the Garve & District Community Council ordinary meeting held on Tuesday 12th May 2026 on webcam / hybrid at Garve Public Hall

Community Council elected members present: Bob Moir (Chair) Caroline Gamble (Treasurer) and Sadie-Michaela Harris (Secretary)

Community Council co-opted members present: Simon Friend, Alistair Meikle

Also present: Tina Hartley GDDC, Cllr Kraft from 7:15pm 

Apologies: None

The Chairman opened the meeting at 7:00pm and welcomed everyone.  He also confirmed that this meeting would be recorded as per the agenda and will be archived and available for viewing thereafter.  He reminded members of the public that although our meetings are not public meetings, they were still very welcome to attend Community Council meetings even on webcam and take part in the discussions under his guidance (see section 12 of the Constitution) and that phones should be on silent.  Those who cannot attend our meetings can, as always, write to us by post or email with any issues they wish raised at Our website gdcc.scot continues to receive a high volume of visitors per month as does our Facebook page.  The Community Council area covers from Garve to Aultguish and from Garve to Achnasheen and is the only organisation that represents the whole community.  We are elected by the community every four years or so and usually meet once a month.  Draft minutes and a list of current members of the Community Council can be viewed at our website.  We are also on social media - www.facebook.com/GarveCC

The Chair informed of the passing of Garve residents Mr Peter Hollingdale and Mrs Janet Miller. Condolences to their families.

Declarations of Interest – the Chairman is a Garve Public Hall Trustee, a Friend of Garve War Memorial, a LCT elected Director and a member of the GD CORe land panel.  The Treasurer noted she is a landowner with regards to the SSEN underground cable from the Western Isles to Beauly and Community Council elected member Sadie-Michaela Harris is a member of the Wyvis Natural Playpark group and Wester Ross Biosphere as is co-opted member Simon Friend.  Cllr Kraft is a member of the North Planning Applications Committee at The Highland Council.  

 

Community Council elected members confirmed that they had read all documents due to be discussed tonight before the start of this meeting.

Approval of draft minutes of the ordinary meeting held on Tuesday 14th April 2026 via webcam were proposed without amendment by Caroline Gamble and seconded by Alistair Meikle, unanimously agreed.  Minutes are available at Garve Post Office, on our website or via email.  Hard/electronic copies are also available on request.  Minutes were signed by our Chairman and Treasurer.

The presentation slides regarding Glasa Wind Farm which could not be shown at our last meeting are now on our website. Link for Glasa proposed wind farm slide deck https://bit.ly/Glasa-Presentation-14April2026 

Matters arising – 

Boralex windfarm – https://www.boralex.com – The Highland Council North Planning Applications Committee notes that the application was approved by them in January 2023.  Details for the satisfaction of pre-start planning conditions are pending consideration by the planning department.  No further update.

Proposed Boralex Lochluichart East BESS - https://www.boralex.com/en/projects-and-sites/storage-lochluichart-east-bess - No further update.

Kirkan Windfarm – http://www.kirkanwindfarm.co.uk - as reported previously, they are still in the phase of considering options for Kirkan and working through the various planning conditions.  The Highland Council North Planning Applications Committee notes the Scottish Government issued consent on 25 July 2023 and are now awaiting submission of pre-development planning condition requirements. No further update.

Proposed Tarvie windfarm – www.tarviewindfarm.com – No further update.

Proposed SSE Fairburn windfarm extension – https://www.sserenewables.com/onshore-wind/in-development/fairburn-extension  No further update.

SSEN Spittal – Beauly 400kV project - https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects/project-map/spittal--loch-buidhe--beauly-400kv-connection - 3D modelling of the proposed route can be viewed - https://www.3dwtech.co.uk/dashboard/ssen/spittal-to-beauly/portal-update/ which show they are still thinking routing the line east of Contin rather than east of Garve.  SSEN plan to submit a section 37 planning application to the Energy Consents Unit in spring 2025. No further update.

 

SSEN underground cable from the Western Isles to Beauly – https://www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/projects/project-map/western-isles No further update received. 

Reports of test holes being dug along the route speculation this is to establish position of utilities.  

Field Corriemoillie – www.fieldcorriemoillie.co.uk  

Following the North Planning Applications Committee meeting where no objection was raised GDCC have submitted a written complaint regarding inaccuracies and our concerns. This has been send to both NPAC and ECU. It is available on our website and we await a reply.

Proposed Carn Fearna windfarm – https://projects.statkraft.co.uk/Carn-Fearna 

No further update.

In related news - www.ssen-transmission.co.uk/carn-fearna-wind-farm-connection. This is dependent on Carn Fearna approval.

The EDF Corriemoillie Education & Training Fund details can be found at https://www.foundationscotland.org.uk/corriemoillie-education-training  

 

The Highland Council updates – www.highland.gov.uk – None. See matters arising.

Achnasheen Hall

Regular meetings are being held internally with HIC regarding options and feasibility studies that have so far not resulted in any tangible action.

Cllr Kraft was informed of repeated incidents of the fire alarm sounding and said she had already reported.

The Highland Council notes that residents should report issues directly to them by calling The Highland Council’s Call Centre on 01349 886606 or via www.highland.gov.uk/report  In all cases, you will be given a reference number.  The Highland Council also appreciates photos showing the actual problem.  

A835 Trunk Road issues - 

Works continue CRC update on our webpage. Drone footage from George much appreciated by all. 

Many reports of failure of the traffic lights leading to vehicles meeting on the single carriageway. Bear Scotland have been informed. Post meeting the lights are to be manned from 16th May.

 Still no data received from recent surveys at Garve and Gorstan, Maree Todd office pursuing.

Faults on the Trunk Road (A835) should be reported via www.bearscot.com/report-a-defect/ or 0800 028 1414.  Members of the public can live track gritters on the trunk road network using Transport Scotland’s online ‘trunk road gritter tracker’.  It displays the current location of gritters and where they have recently treated.

Garve & District Community Council currently has vacancies on the Community Council.  The Community Council elected members consider it to be very important to have as broad a representation of our community as possible, as we cover a wide variety of community issues and to do this well, we would like members from all corners of our large area.  We usually meet on the first Tuesday of the month.  If you are aged 16 or over, live in the Community Council area and are on the electoral roll and would like to be considered for co-option onto the Community Council, please email mailto:contact@gdcc.scotwith your name and contact details.  This update has already appeared on our online channels.  LCT and the Development Company also have vacancies, contact them directly for more details.  

WRB - Wester Ross Biosphere re-designed sign has been finalised by WRB, being progressed with Transport Scotland -TS for final approval.

TS - Have agreed design in principle

Next steps - absolute approval, co-ordinate; manufacture, delivery and installation.

Police update - as reported at previous Community Council meetings, anyone who wishes to raise an issue with the police are asked to call them directly on 101 at the time of the incident and make a witness statement.  Video, dashcam or photo evidence is also welcomed, indeed encouraged by the police.  The police can also be contacted on www.scotland.police.uk/secureforms/contact/. Last quarterly meeting was cancelled due to scheduling issues, no date received for next meeting.

 

Treasurer’s report – No change.

Bank balance £1,956.52

Within this figure: -

·        Wreath account £377.30

·        Community Fund £1,452.42

·        Treasurer Fund £125.80

Annual accounts have been audited Marion Taylor, thank you. These will be presented at our AGM on 2nd June.

There were no questions for the Treasurer.

AOB from Community Council members – 

Help with heating for those who are dependent on oil and LPG for heating is now available.

Website www.homeheatingadvice.scot and via our webpage.

HIC have published plans for cemetery car park Garve. We have written to them advising there is no specific designated car park for the cemetery. The area they refer to is used by school and recycling etc. A response was received post meeting and will be published on our website.

New gate at new cemetery fitted and entrance tidied up.

Blackwater Bridge No change awaiting feedback from supplier.

Station yard

Some work been done on cleaning etc. but more needed.

Logging

THC have given FLS permission to instal passing places along the road. A hard standing area has been formed behind Strathgarve Lodge of FLS land.

Issues reported during walk around with Ian Moncrieff, THC Roads.

·        Playing field Fence and goalposts. This has been forwarded to housing who are responsible for the land. 

·        20MPH markings. This has been passed to Road safety who confirm it is on work list. 

·        Wyvis playpark signs. Chair in contact with Kevin Fulton who is now responsible for roads in our area. They are meeting on site Thursday to discuss. Meeting went ahead wording and locations agreed. Signs now on order.

·        Bridge no update

 

Visitor levy – new proposals from Scottish Government so further consultation required after election.

Air BnB – hotel. Advert withdrawn.

THC new website. Lots of issues reported.

Sadie continuing working on Resilience with MRCPP / other communities working on sharing knowledge and best practice.

Strathpeffer Medical meeting postponed to June.

Social Value Charter SVC called a meeting weeks ago to us and other local CCs - No cancellation notice was given, CCs were chasing info prior to meeting to learn from Nick - SVC  had tried contacting SSEN multiple time and had had zero response and Nick said he had nothing else to update on to apologised at the time the meeting was due to start.

 

Neighbourhood Watch.

·        Reports of noise disturbance. This was a one off as resident was upgrading garden. A reminder to keep noise down in the evening.

·        Do not give bank details to doorstop callers. Caller in this instance was genuine, but advice is to give details online or by post.

·        Reports of theft of satnav and GPS equipment from farm vehicles

·        Be aware of potential thefts of heating oil – fit an alarm.

Comment on poor quality of re-seeding at site of demolished former hotel staff block. 

Wade Walk on again this year. Saturday 6th June.

https://www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk/news/step-up-for-wade-walk-call-as-iconic-ross-shire-challenge-re-430504/

AOB from members of the public – No members of public present.  Those who cannot attend our meetings can, as always, write to us by post or email with any issues they wish raised at contact@gdcc.scot

 

Screening reports, scoping reports and consultations – 

All Highland Council consultations are available at https://consult.highland.gov.uk/portal  All Scottish Government consultations are available at https://consult.gov.scot/consultation_finder  

 

Building warrants, planning issues and licensing issues - 

There are no new building warrants currently being shown on The Highland Council website for our area.

No previous planning applications have been determined by The Highland Council since our last ordinary meeting.

 

There are currently planning applications awaiting determination by The Highland Council for our area. 

House Silverbridge. From chair; applicant has had resubmit many documents etc. 

Bell mouths four in total now planned in conjunction with underground cable works. No traffic management or restoration works in the applications. Also, very short response time given.

A possible planning breach can be reported at https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/180/planning_-_applications_warrants_and_certificates/170/planning_enforcement/2

All planning applications can be viewed at www.highland.gov.uk/info/180/planning_-_applications_warrants_and_certificates/143/planning_permission/4  

 

There were no new licensing issues for us to consider this evening.

Dates of future meetings: Tuesday 2nd June 2026, 7pm, Also AGM hybrid.  

Future meetings may be held on first Tuesday of the month tbc.

 

Other dates to note – Ceilidh in Garve Hall Friday 12th June 7pm.

 

As usual, our Chairman started to draw the meeting to a close by asking all present if anyone had any final questions or thoughts on anything they had heard this evening, a question he often asks throughout the meeting too.  Nobody had any final questions or thoughts.  Although our meetings are not public meetings, members of the public are still very welcome to attend Community Council meetings and take part in the discussions under the guidance of the Chairman (see section 12 of the Constitution).  A copy of our Constitution is available in the library section of our own website and hard/electronic copies are available on request.  Those who cannot attend our meetings can, as always, write to us by post or email with any issues they wish raised at contact@gdcc.scot

 

The Chairman thanked everyone for attending.  He also thanked Community Council member Sadie-Michaela Harris for hosting the webcam session.  The Chairman closed the meeting at 8:32pm.

Downloadable version of these minutes