Welcome to Cromarty
WELCOME to the Cromarty Live website. If you are travelling to the Highlands of Scotland and the Black Isle, you will be delighted with a visit to this charming and unique old town.
If you have links to Cromarty already, you will find news of what’s happening in the local scene.
Our website tells you of Cromarty’s many attractions, amongst which are fine 18th-century merchant houses, an ancient church made famous by being greatly successful in the BBC’s ‘Restoration Village’ programme and a museum honouring the remarkable 19th-century geologist and writer Hugh Miller. There are details of the town’s facilities and its available accommodation should you decide to stay. Hundreds of years of history are waiting for you to explore in its streets and narrow vennels.
Cromarty people are welcoming and always pleased to help.
Cromarty and District Community Council
URGENT NOTICE
IMPORTANT NEWS re NIGG PLANNING APPLICATION
YOU MAY REMEMBER NEWS OF THE PROPOSED HIGH VOLTAGE CABLE MANUFACTURING PLANT ON LAND EAST OF NIGG ENERGY PARK – SITE INVESTIGATIONS PRIOR TO PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF PLANNING APPLICATION Click Here
THIS PLANNING APPLICATION IS NOW SUBMITTED
The Community Council were approached by The Highland Council to comment on application 23/04662/FUL submitted by Global Energy Group Nigg Ltd, for the erection of a high voltage cable manufacturing plant at Nigg. You may recall that Global Energy held two consultations earlier this year at the Victoria Hall. (Note: this planning application sits outside of the Black Isle Ward.)
The Community Council recognise and support the economic benefits that Green Freeport developments bring to the Highlands. At the same time existing operational practices at Nigg impact the lives of some members of the community in a significant, yet preventable way. Most specifically regarding noise, low frequency noise and vibration. The Community Council have liaised with Port of Nigg, Port of Cromarty Firth and The Highland Council over the last 18 months to understand and resolve these issues.
Within the planning application there is no provision for shore power - land-based power systems - that the support vessels, servicing the proposed cabling plant, can plug into. The provision of shore power removes the need for berthed vessels to be burning marine fuel, and eliminates the arising exhaust and noise emissions, the latter affecting a number of persons in the community.
The provision of shore power as a mitigation at source to noise nuisance is well-documented, and adopted in many European ports, seeking to demonstrate their green credentials, and future-proof themselves commercially. Further evidence of this can be assessed in the Project NEPTUNES best practice guide, ‘Mitigation of Noise from Ships at Berth’. A search of the internet will identify the recent adoption of shore power at Port of Aberdeen and Port Leith. Development in the Inverness and Cromarty Firth ‘Green’ Freeport is supposed to be a sector-leading proposition, with environmental credentials.
Following discussion at its meeting on 31st October, the Community Council agreed to object to the planning application in its current format, purely on the basis that no provision has been made for shore power within the submission. The proposed development does not align with the stated requirements for developments within a Green Freeport Zone, as mandated by Scottish Government. The development does not include optimal controls for the mitigation of exhaust and noise emissions generated from berthed vessels, which will service the proposed manufacturing plant, against a background of historic noise complaints, from residents in Cromarty.
The C&DCC welcomes any questions and/or comments from members of the Community, which we will share with Global Energy at the Nigg Energy Park.
Please email us on cromartydistrictcc@gmail.com
PLEASE NOTE
THAT LINKS TO ALL THE LATEST C&DCC AGENDAS, APPROVED MINUTES, REPORTS, PORTFOLIO LISTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE INCLUDING THE
LATEST C&DCC AGENDA - INAUGURAL MEETING
- APPROVED MINUTES - MONTHLY YOUTH CAFE REPORT
plus the YOUTH CAFE 2023 SUMMER PROGRAMME REPORT
**2023 CHAIRWOMAN'S REPORT BELOW**
CROMARTY YOUTH CAFE IS THE 2023 HIGHLAND *THIRD SECTOR ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR*
At the HTSI Annual Awards 2023 Event held at the Strathpeffer Pavilion on 1st September 2023, the Cromarty Youth Cafe won the top award for being the best voluntary sector organisation in the Highlands See www.HighlandTSI.org.uk - #HTSIAWARDS2023
LATEST HIGHLAND COUNCIL UPDATE ON THE CROMARTY FIRTH FREEPORT
FOR THE LATEST HC NEWS ON THEIR PLANS FOR THE CROMARTY FIRTH AREA PLEASE CLICK HERE -
(large document please be patient)
The Harbour Trust's Gate Decision
The C&DCC would like to confirm that we were informed of the Harbour Trust’s decision but, as they are a separate organisation which does not need to seek our permission, it was not our remit to approve or reject their plan. Please also note this discussion was included in our minutes that are always publicly available to everybody (see above), with Agendas posted a week prior to our meetings which all residents of Cromarty & District are welcome to attend.
The C&DCC nominates Trustees to the Harbour Trust Board as per their constitution. Our nominees are currently Colin Dickie and David Kent. Apologies for omitting Colin in our original post. This has now been updated in the C&DCC records.
PORT AUTHORITY TO BE MADE MORE ACCOUNTABLE
Cromarty are this week celebrating a significant legal ruling, achieved by Cromarty Rising's work protecting our interests and local environment.
'Following a successful campaign, the Scottish Information Commissioner has confirmed that the Cromarty Firth Port Authority has been deemed a "Public Authority" for the purposes of the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.
A Public Authority must make environmental information available proactively and members of the public are entitled to request information on subjects such as land development, all forms of pollution, energy production, air quality and waste management. Requests must be handled within 20 days and the public have a right of appeal.
The Information Commissioner's Office has published detailed guidelines which can be found on their website here: What are the Environmental Information Regulations? | ICO
As Cromarty Firth Port Authority is a Scottish Trust Port, this decision should align very well with Nolan Committee Standards for Public Office for those appointed to the Board.
The port has 42 days to appeal the decision.'
More updates will be shared on Cromarty Live, as they happen.
UPDATE
FINAL DRAFT DUE SOON - Details to follow
BLACK ISLE LOCAL PLACE PLAN
On Monday 13th March, from 3.30 to 7.30 p.m., at the West Church Hall, there was a drop in event to seek the views of the community about their priorities for Cromarty. The project is being led by a Project Manager and a Consultant, funded by the Highland Council. Your Community Council is keen for everyone in Cromarty to engage with this process, as outlined by Becky Richmond and Nick Wright below.
The Black Isle Local Place Plan - Your opportunity to help create a Black Isle that we are proud to call home. A Black Isle fit for future generations.
The aim of the plan is to provide a Black Isle wide vision for the future. It will build on existing consultations and surveys and over the next few weeks we will be consulting with communities across the Black Isle to find out what your priorities for the Black Isle might be. There will be eight drop-in events held in Community Council areas across the Black Isle, where we’ll be seeking your views.
What do you want the Black Isle and your communities to be like in the future? What are the changes you would like to see? What kind of voice do we want to have, sitting in the middle of the Greenport bubble?
Your answers will give you and your Community Councils real influence over the future of your community, because they will be the basis of the Black Isle Local Place Plan - a new feature of Scottish planning legislation that influences Council planning policy and public services. To achieve that, the first stage is for you to tell us what really matters to your communities. Please drop in at one of the March events for a chat and a cuppa.
Then, over the next few months, we’ll organise more events with residents, businesses, Community Councils, Highland Council councillors and staff, and other groups and organisations to work out how to tackle what matters to you in the future. The work is being funded by the Council, so we hope it will have a real impact.
Our logo Opportunity Black Isle is in response to the awarding of Greenport status to Opportunity Cromarty Firth. We are not in anyway affiliated to the Greenport. We want to highlight the fact that we’re responsible for creating our own opportunities. The Local Place Plan gives us, the local community, a great opportunity to determine what life on the Black Isle will look like in the coming years. We look forward to working together.
The Community Engagement Events kick off in Cromarty on Monday 13th March, 3.30pm - 7.30pm at the West Church Hall. Come along, enjoy a cup of tea and some cake and share your views with us. We’d like to hear from as many different folk as possible. It’s really important we gather a wide range of views from all sectors of the community.
If you can’t make the event in your local area, you will be warmly welcomed at any of the events across the Black Isle. For further information please contact either myself: becky@blackislestud.co.uk or Nick Wright at: nick@nickwrightplanning.co.uk
Becky Richmond - Project Manager Black Isle Local Place Plan
TO SEE EVENTS FLYER CLICK HERE
ALL HOUSEHOLDS TO HAVE AN EXTRA WHEELIE BIN
All households could soon be having an extra refuse/recycling wheelie bin! After research in to the contents of the Highlands Green Bins destined for landfill, discovered that more than 60% was recyclable!
If the Highland Council's application to the Scottish Government's Improvement Fund is successful, your existing green general waste bin will be converted to collect mixed containers (plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays, cans, tins, foil, cartons, and potentially soft plastics). The existing blue bin currently used for mixed recycling will be converted to collect paper and card only. The new 180 litre bin will then be used for general waste.
The new General Waste Bin will be uplifted fortnightly with your Recycling bins (green and blue) being emptied once a month each in weeks that the General Waste bin is not.
For more details please click on these links -
https://www.highland.gov.uk/news/article/15159/new_arrangements_for_waste_disposal_in_highland
FUTURE OF THE EAST CHURCH HALL
The C&DCC is supporting all sustainable projects for the future use of the East Church Hall that are in the community's interests.
CROMARTY COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
Thursday 2nd June 2022 UPDATE
All costs of this event were covered by personal donations, of volunteering time, benefits in kind and money, from the community folk who also made this such a success. Following the planned auction of the limited edition Jubilee Beacon, we will have raised further funds to spend on Cromarty amenities.
Cromarty folk at their finest! Thank you.
AUCTION COMING SOON. WATCH THIS SPACE.
DO NEED TO REPORT A PROBLEM TO THE HIGHLAND COUNCIL?
Just a brief reminder for residents wishing to report problems to Highland Council.
Preferably use the website link https://www.highland.gov.uk/report or call the Service Centre contact number 01349 886602 to request a repair. This is important as a reference number will be given. If not the resident should insist one is given. This reference number starts an audit trail that relevant departments, such as Housing, can and must follow up. If telephoning, residents may have to wait for their call to be answered or to call back at a different time. But do keep on trying until you get that reference number!
USE OF THE LINKS FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS
As we think positively about being able to organise more community events, we thought it a good idea to remind folk that the C&DCC runs a booking system.
To avoid planning issues, on behalf of the landowner Cromarty Estate, we are allowed to open the Links for a limited number of occasions each year, to facilitate community events.
The booking calendar is managed by Claire Fraser, the new C&DCC Secretary, who can be contacted either directly or on the C&DCC email cromartydistrictcc@gmail.com, with any proposal to hold such an event.
VEHICLE DAMAGE DUE TO POTHOLES
There is an online form on the Highland Council website. You will need the following
* date, time * location * photo * receipts for any work to your car, tyre etc
https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/20005/roads_and_pavements/96/road_faults
Or phone 01349 886601 for an insurance claim form for damage to your car
Latest C&DCC Agenda here.
2023 C&DCC Inaugural Meeting Agenda here.
2023 C&DCC AGM Agenda here.
2023 C&DCC Chairwoman's Annual Report here.
2022 C&DCC Chairwoman's Annual Report here.
2022 C&DCC AGM Approved Minutes here.
2023 C&DCC AGM Approved Audited 2022/23 Financial Statements here.
2022 C&DCC AGM Approved Audited 2021/22 Financial Statements here.
2021 C&DCC AGM Approved Audited 2020/21 Financial Statements here.
Latest C&DCC Ordinary Meeting Approved Minutes here.
Current C&DCC Members' Portfolios List here.
Latest Youth Café Monthly Report here
Youth Café 2021 Summer Programme Report here
Youth Café 2022 Summer Programme Report here
Youth Café 2023 Summer Programme Report here
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