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Minute of the Meeting of Shapinsay Community Council

held in the Clubrooms, Shapinsay Community School on Thursday, 25 June 2026 at 18:30

Present:

Mrs L Bews, Mr C Leslie, Mrs E Chaney, Mrs E Phillips and Mr G Rendall.

In Attendance:

  • Councillor S Clackson.
  • Councillor H Woodbridge (via Teams).
  • Mr K MacPherson, Head of Property and Asset Management.
  • Mrs J McGrath, Community Council Liaison Officer.
  • Mrs E Wragg, Clerk.

Order of Business

  1. Apologies — 2
  2. Adoption of Minutes — 2
  3. Matters Arising — 2
  4. Correspondence — 5
  5. Consultation Documents — 5
  6. Financial Statements — 6
  7. Financial Requests — 7
  8. Reports from Representatives — 8
  9. Publications — 9
  10. Any Other Competent Business - Pier at Balfour — 9
  11. Date of Next Meeting — 9
  12. Conclusion of Meeting — 9

1. Apologies

Resolved to note that apologies for absence had been received from Mrs J Noble.

2. Adoption of Minutes

The minutes of the meeting of Shapinsay Community Council held on 23 April 2026 were adopted, being proposed by Mr C Leslie and seconded by Mr G Rendall.

3. Matters Arising

A. Funding for Pathways – School Path

The Community Council Liaison Officer advised members that the situation remained the same meantime due to staffing shortages however it was hoped that this would be addressed as soon as possible, and it was:

Resolved to note the content of the report.

B. Bike Shelter at School

The Community Council Liaison Officer was waiting for confirmation from Orkney Islands Council and the School regarding future usage, and it was:

Resolved to keep this item on the agenda.

C. Floodgates – Kirkwall Pier

Resolved to note that there was no update.

D. Shapinsay Waiting Room – Kirkwall Pier

The Community Council Liaison Officer advised members that the Community Service Team had a look at the waiting room toilets however they were unable to undertake the work. Members advised the Head of Property and Asset Management that the toilets were disgusting and that it was long overdue for some maintenance, and it was:

Resolved:

  1. To note that the Head of Property and Asset Management would take the information back to his team about what options may be available along with whether there was available budget.
  2. That the Community Council Liaison Officer would forward the email chain with the relevant information to the Head of Property and Asset Management.

E. Flooding at Shapinsay School

The Head of Property and Asset Management advised members that the flooding at Shapinsay School may be prioritised, but that no dates have been given yet. He also advised that the replacement of the grate was also included in the work. Mr C Leslie advised that it would be preferable for the work to be undertaken in the summer months as access would have to be through a neighbouring field. There were also concerns around land spoiling and that a garage in the area had been flooded, and it was:

Resolved to note the content of the report and that the item should remain on the agenda.

F. Land Below Helliar View

The Chair advised that the Chair of Shapinsay Development Trust had spoken to Councillor H Woodbridge regarding the land with a view to buying it. It had become apparent that various groups within the islands were interested in improving the area of land. The area of land was currently earmarked for housing, but OIC may consider selling as there were no immediate plans for development, and it was:

Resolved:

  1. To invite tenders with a closing date of 16 July 2026 for the area to be fenced, planted with wildflowers and cut once in the back end.
  2. That the tenders would be emailed to members following the closing date.

G. Parking at Shapinsay Slip – Kirkwall Pier

The Community Council Liaison Officer advised that the new sign was up with the word “only” added. Members advised that there were still some vehicles and boats which appear to be abandoned, and it was:

Resolved to advise that there appeared to be a few abandoned vehicles remaining at the pier.

H. Toilets at Gatehouse

The meeting was informed that there was a question over the future of the building prior to making any repairs. This was causing concern as it was the island’s only public toilet. It was reported that there were some issues with the fabric, in particular that rain was coming through the roof, and it was:

Resolved:

  1. That the Community Council Liaison Officer would forward the email chain to the Head of Property and Asset Management.
  2. That the Head of Property and Asset Management would look into the matter.

I. Abandoned Vehicles – Shapinsay Pier

Concerns were raised regarding a van which appeared to be abandoned at the pier. The Community Council Liaison Officer advised that Environmental Health had recorded this in the system but could not provide a timeline for the removal, and it was:

Resolved to note the content of the report.

J. Winter Maintenance Plan

Following consideration of the Winter Maintenance Plan and the invitation for contractors to tender for winter maintenance, it was:

Resolved to note that members were happy to advertise locally when tenders are being invited for the winter maintenance work.

K. Road Conditions

Members were advised that their concerns had been passed on to relevant officers and they were being considered for future work. Mr C Leslie advised that it was difficult to capture the actual condition of the road in a photograph to provide evidence. It was noted that new Give Way sign for the junction at the war memorial had been received but had not been put up yet, and it was:

Resolved to note the content of the report.

L. Waste and Recycling

Members considered correspondence advising that residual waste collected from all locations across Orkney, including Shapinsay, was processed (baled) at Chinglebraes and sent to the Energy from Waste plant in Lerwick. Recyclable materials were similarly processed and then sent south for recovery and reprocessing. This included all materials collected separately at the kerbside. Reprocessing technologies vary but would generally involve heat so as to break the materials down and combine them, but this was not incineration, and it was:

Resolved to note the content of the correspondence.

M. Verge Cutting

Ms E Chaney advised members that although the verges were nice for wildflowers and wildlife it was dangerous for pedestrians in various areas. The Community Council Liaison Officer advised that that safety cuts are being done currently, including Elwick Brae by the war memorial. It was also suggested that the verge at Harbour View should be included as a safety cut, and it was:

Resolved to request a safety cut around Harbour View.

N. CC Bike Shelter at Pier

The Chair advised that it appeared that three bikes may be abandoned at the bike shelter. It was suggested that if they were not removed before the next large items collection then they would be collected at that point, and it was:

Resolved to put a post on Facebook saying that if the bikes were not removed, they would be included in the next large items collection.

4. Correspondence

A. Annual Grants 2026/2027

Following consideration of a letter from Democratic Services, which had previously been circulated to members, advising of the annual grant amounts being awarded to community councils for financial year 2026/2027 and the CCGS capping limits, it was:

Resolved to note that Shapinsay Community Council would be receiving an annual grant of £4,161.51 for 2026/2027.

B. Invite – Equality Delivery Group Meeting

Following consideration of an invitation to the Equality Delivery Group, which had been emailed to members, it was:

Resolved to note that the deadline had passed.

C. Orkney Local Development Plan

Following consideration of an email from the Development and Marine Planning Team, which had previously been circulated to members, providing an update on the review of the Orkney Local Development Plan, it was:

Resolved to note the content of the correspondence and that Shapinsay Development Trust were in the process of producing a Local Place Plan.

5. Consultation Documents

A. Shapinsay Place Plan – Shapinsay Development Trust (SDT)

The draft Local Plan for Shapinsay had been distributed, and feedback should be sent to the Chair within the week, and it will be passed back to the consultant who was developing the Plan. A summary document appears on the SDT webpage and in the Shapinsay Sound newsletter. The Chair felt some points were repeated and has fed this back to the SDT chair. Points were also raised re clear usage of the name Balfour (whether referring to the island or village), housing, transport, connectivity and tourism, and it was:

Resolved to pass feedback to the Chair which would be passed on to SDT.

B. Draft Summer Ferry Timetables

Members noted the proposed timetable was the same as last year and that the excursions had only had light usage although it was pointed out that it was not school summer holiday yet. Mrs E Chaney would mention at next transport meeting that excursions should be publicised more widely. Mrs E Phillips asked whether increased prices may have reduced usage. The Chair suggested that excursions being regularly on the first Sunday in the month might be easier for people to remember, and it was:

Resolved:

  1. To note that the draft timetable was the same as last year and that no changes were required.
  2. That a request be submitted asking for the excursions to be the first Sunday of each month.
  3. That Mrs E Chaney would ask at the Transport Forum if the excursions could be advertised more widely.

6. Financial Statements

A. General Finance

Following consideration of the General Fund statement as at 15 June 2026, it was:

Resolved to note the estimated balance of £11,506.31.

B. Community Council Grant Scheme

1. 2025-2026

After consideration of the Grant Scheme statement as at 15 June 2026, it was:

Resolved:

  1. To note the balance remaining for approval was £687.42 in the main capping limit and £690.12 and £755 in the additional categories.
  2. That members agreed not to pay a grant where the applicant had not claimed the road scheme award in 2025/26 but had asked if consideration could be given to paying the grant in 2026/27 financial year.

2. 2026-2027

After consideration of the Grant Scheme statement as at 15 June 2026, it was:

Resolved to note the balance remaining for approval was £3570.89 in the main capping limit and £719.14 and £770 in the additional categories.

C. Community Development Fund

Following consideration of the Community Development Fund statement as at 15 June 2026, it was:

Resolved to note that £8,627.53 remained for allocation.

D. Seed Corn Fund

Following consideration of the Seed Corn Fund statement as at 15 June 2026, it was:

Resolved to note the balance remaining for allocation of £3,400.

7. Financial Requests

A. Road Scheme

Following discussion regarding ten road scheme applications it was suggested that Community Council Grant Scheme should applied for on a cost of £2400 split equally using D1 and T1 categories for aggregates and haulage. Applications were checked against the criteria following which eight applications were awarded funding. Members also suggested that for future applications the actual road being applied for should be identified clearly, and it was:

Resolved:

  1. That each successful application would be awarded £150 towards the purchase of aggregate and £150 towards the haulage costs.
  2. That eight applications would be awarded funding of £300 each.
  3. That Community Council Grant Scheme should be applied for on a cost of £1200 for the purchase of road scheme aggregates.
  4. That Community Council Grant Scheme should be applied for on a cost of £1200 for the haulage of aggregates.
  5. To note that applicants must submit their claims for funding before 31 December 2026.
  6. To note that any claims submitted after 31 December 2026 will not be honoured.
  7. That for future road scheme applications the actual road being applied for should be identified clearly by the applicant.

B. Tern 360

Mrs E Chaney declared an interest in this item and was not present during discussion.

Following consideration of a request from Mr J Chaney fromTern360 Ltd, copies which had previously been circulated, for financial assistance to purchase a filament extruder, it was:

Resolved:

  1. To award a grant of £500.
  2. To apply for Seed Corn funding for the total award of £500.

C. Shapinsay Picnic Committee

Mrs E Chaney and Mrs L Bews declared an interest in this item and were not present during discussion.

Following consideration of a request from Shapinsay Picnic Committee, copies of which had previously been circulated, for financial assistance to cover the cost of £68.15 for travel for the band on the Shapinsay Ferry and for the cost of £128 for insurance for the event, it was:

Resolved:

  1. To award funding for the insurance and travel for the event, subject to the agreement of Mrs J Noble.
  2. That Community Council Grant Scheme assistance should be applied for on the costs of £68.15 for travel and £128 for insurance.

8. Reports from Representatives

A. Transport

Islander discount was subject to ongoing discussions and Councillor H Woodbridge had advised this was on the agenda, and that other transport representatives are raising the same issue. Members went on to discuss Phase 2 of the ferry replacements and the summer timetables being available locally for comment, and it was:

Resolved:

  1. To ask that Orkney Ferries if prior notification of upcoming fare increases could be posted locally.
  2. That the Transport Representative should check at the Forum that the Island discount had not been forgotten and request information regarding ferry usage.
  3. That the Transport Representative should advise that it is hoped that Island engagement is undertaken regarding Phase 2 of the ferry replacement as this had been agreed for February 2026 but had not taken place yet.
  4. To post the draft timetables inviting comments before the deadline.

B. Planning

Resolved to note that there was nothing to report.

C. Shapinsay Development Trust (SDT)

The Chair provided an update on behalf of the Trust advising that the draft place plan was available for local comment on Facebook, SDT website and Shapinsay Sound. SDT were looking into resilience for Shapinsay and would like to include all the relevant groups on the island, and it was:

Resolved that the Chair and/or Vice Chair would attend the resilience meeting.

D. Health and Care

The Health and Care representative advised that the last Islands Health and Care meeting was held on 4 June with David Miller, Carer Lead, attending. He was trying to create a carer forum for Orkney and had spoken to the SDT Chair on the subject. Current adverts for carers are generic and don’t attract applications but a specific poster for Shapinsay might be more successful and had subsequently been requested by the Trust. An open day had been set up in North Ronaldsay, but this attracted no attendees. Members felt that it was possible the same would happen in Shapinsay. Information had been provided on last year’s NHS lost 942 days of cover across isles and that 40% of this number was due to vacancies with temporary cover achieved for all but 76 days. Following the update, it was:

Resolved to note the content of the report and that the next meeting was due to be held on 29 September 2026.

9. Publications

The following publications had all previously been emailed to members and were noted:

  • VAO Newsletter – May and June 2026.
  • VAO Training and Funding Update – May and June 2026.
  • Letter from School Place – May 2026.
  • Orkney Ferries Statistics – April and May 2026.
  • Free Webinar for CCs – Overview of Community Wealth Building.
  • SRA Newsletter – May 2026.
  • Island Conversations – Exploring New National Islands Plan.

10. Any Other Competent Business - Pier at Balfour

Mr C Leslie raised concerns regarding the condition of old pier at Balfour as parts of the Shapinsay pier was slippy and treacherous, especially for users of small boats. It was noted that there was also lots of visiting boats at the pier as well. The Community Council Liaison Officer advised that this should be fed into the Orkney Harbour Master plan, and it was:

Resolved that this would be passed on to the relevant department.

11. Date of Next Meeting

Resolved that the next meeting would be held on Wednesday, 16 September 2026 at 18:45.

12. Conclusion of Meeting

As there was no further business for discussion the meeting was closed at 20:35.