Fairlie Community Council – Monday 11/01/2021, h. 07:30pm, Zoom meeting
Attending:
FCC: Rita Holmes (Chair); Marco Piva (minutes taker); Alan Holden; David Nairn; David Telford; Ian Hunter
NAC: Cllr. Tom Marshall, Cllr. Alan Hill, Cllr. Ian Murdoch
Press: Calum Corral
Police: PC Simon Winsor
7 MoP (including Karla Tully, in charge of A78 issues)
Approval of December minutes: proposed by AHo, seconded by RH
Police report: 08/12/2020 to 11/01/2021: 35 calls of which 2 crimes (last year, 23 calls of which 2 crimes). One persistent caller due to neighbourhood complaints (including Covid19-related issues) increased the number.
The two crimes: 1 instance of vandalism (on Christmas and Boxing Day, paint was thrown on 5 cars parked on the main Road); 1 offence which took place in England but was reported by a local resident; PC Dominic Murphy is dealing with it.
FCC wants to express appreciation to the local Police force for their support in the present situation.
NA Councillors’ update: the Councillors will intervene as the various points are discussed
1: A78 (proposed pedestrian crossing)
Karla Tully has been leading this project since its inception; she gives the following presentation:
Survey has been done in late 2018/early 2019; KT personally met the Transerv Regional Manager in January 2019 and walked with him the length of the Main Street evaluating pros and cons of several possible locations for the new pedestrian crossing. The only site meeting all the possible criteria is at the foot of the so-called “Ho Chi Minh Trail”. Test readings have been done today (11/01), a consultation will be held in the next days. An external road safety consultant will be involved. The school’s PTA has been consulted. The signage in the village will be altered. The lollipop person shouldn’t be impacted (although they depend on NAC).
DN: the whole village should be a 20mph zone at school times
KT: we have been told that this won’t be possible as the A78 is a trunk road.
MoP: the new traffic light would be just past the bus stop; wouldn’t this be an issue with cars overtaking the bus?
MP: could the bus stop be moved 50 yds south?
KT: all this has been mentioned and will be considered
- Synchronous compensator
AHo: a synchronous compensator is about the size of a delivery van, and it’d be housed in a building the size of a normal house designed to keep the noise in, with fan radiators outside; next to it there’d be a second building, roughly the same size, to house everything that’s needed for its operation. It is necessary to maintain the stability of the grid system, once Hunterston stops generating energy. The noise levels should be well under control. The nearest property is the cottage just before the Hunterston roundabout, 400 mt from the site; the owners and residents are aware of the application. Questions were asked as to why no actual real noise data had been provided with the Application for the Synchronous Compensator, as it was available from existing synchronous compensators, and it would be a preferable practice, rather than solely relying on theoretical noise data.
DT: despite reassurances that the noise levels should be low, let’s file a request for a noise monitoring.
AHi: wondering why this project is not being led by the national authority, as it is of national relevance and importance - Peel Ports: application re variation of planning condition
The point Peel are making is that defueling is a part of decommissioning; clarifications have been asked for.
There will be the need for an EIA for the dredging, which can’t be done without compromising the station’s water intake; once the station is not operational, they will still need water but not as much as they do while operational - Hunterston SSG update
The anti-Covid19 measures on site are very strict.
Work at HunterstonA is slow.
Workers who have been on temporary contracts for over 9 years at HuntA are now permanent
HuntB: Reactor 3 should be coming off line at the end of February; 6 more months of energy generation are possible after core inspections if core predictions are correct. Reactor 4 should follow the same cycle 2 weeks later, in March. Electricity will be produced, if possible, until late January 2022 and not later, no further extensions are possible; defueling will take 3 to 5 years, decommissioning will follow. It is unknown whether it will be NDA or EDF taking care of it.
Next SSG on March 4th. - Hunterston Parc/jetty
Drill ships will remain stationed there for some time as they have no jobs to go to at the present time (the company has gone into receivership); the onboard ship generators will need to stay on 24/7 (as they are now) so the ships can remain on the ready. Allegedly, they are paying 8k£ per day in order to remain berthed at Hunterston (which is considered a fair/low price).
Environmental Health had attended and measured noise from the drillships, as several complaints had been received. It was windy the day EH monitored and the noise specialist will return one late evening to measure noise inside properties.
MoP: it is hardly “green” to be using polluting diesel generators to supply the drillships in what is supposed to be Hunterston Parc: Hub for Green Energy.
FCC to write to Peel Ports again to ask about when mains electricity is to be available on the Jetty so we do not have to put up with unnecessary 24/7 noise.
MoP complaining about the light pollution at night. Concerns were voiced over the vessels being at the jetty indefinitely as they did nothing for the scenic value of the area. - Dawn Homes
No news, the building of the flats is ongoing - Coastal Path
The works to N end of Ferry Row have started.
MoP (Ferry Row resident): The Largs & Millport News seemed to be suggesting that the path may be diverted along the existing Ferry Row path; this has never been part of the plan nor it has ever been mentioned. Residents have been questioning this.
Calum Corral (press): the info came from the Community Trust, it has been mentioned in the Church Newsletter
IM will find further information
AOB
Calum C had an accident on his bike, a few weeks ago, in front of the church when a wheel got stuck after a fire hydrant cover fell in a fire hydrant hole, which resulted invisible as it was covered in water. Amey filled it within 24h, but it is something that people should be careful about
The next FCC meeting is on Monday 1st of February 2021 at 07:30 pm by Zoom (link for MoPs will be provided on request; MoPs present at this meeting and those who have already expressed their interest will receive it)