Iona Community Council

Draft minutes of the quarterly meeting held in Iona Village Hall on 3rd September 2025

Present

Dot Stewart, Jane Martin, Katy Russon, Rob MacManaway, Shiona Ruhemann (chair), Toben Lewis (minutes), 27 members of the public

Apologies

Sarah Akehurst (MICT), Jann Simpson (Iona Housing Partnership)

Minutes from previous meeting – proposed by Rob MacManaway & seconded by Rhona Hastings

Reports from organisations:

Iona Housing Partnership – Katy Russon

IHP has re-mobilised and appointed a Board of Directors. Next step is reviewing memorandum association. Actively looking for everyone resident of Iona to sign up as a member. Forms are available from members of the Board and will be Mailchimped out.

Iona Village Hall Community Trust – Report from Anja Jardine read by Jane Martin

Community consultation

Monday past saw the Community Drop In sessions run by Community Enterprise, a follow up to the survey undertaken earlier this year, that explored key issues like housing, ferries, education, and other. The work also feeds into an evaluation of the Village Hall and it’s impact on the community.

If you have missed Monday’s event but would like to contribute or have questions, please contact Anja.

Outcomes of the survey are available to see in pamphlet form in the hall, and will also be available electronically. Please let us know if you would like a copy.

IVHCT and ICC will work together with Community Enterprise in the autumn to evaluate the outcomes of the survey and drop in sessions, and devise plans of how to address some of the issues raised. We will keep you informed.

Golf disco                 

One of our big annual fundraisers, the golf disco was well attended and raised £815 at door. The takings at the bar were £1909.50.

Thanks to everybody who helped making it happen and who attended.

Little Book Stop

In the beginning of May Neil Bruce kindly mentioned to us that Penguin Random house was giving away 90 Little Book Stops in celebration of it’s 90th Birthday.

Little Book Stops, also known as community bookshelves or book boxes, are book exchange spots that live in neighbourhoods.

Having applied for one of them, we received a positive reply mid June.

Penguin Random House have already sent a selection of books to start the Little Book Stop off. The actual box will arrive soon and will be installed in a sheltered corner on the East side of the hall. We will let people know once the Book Stop is open for you to take or leave books. 

Hall Heating system

Engineers have been working on the heat pumps and plumbing in the past months and will hopefully be able to fix the system so it will work more reliably in the future.

FYI, the heating has not been on during the summer months. High temperatures shown on the thermostats were the actual room temperature, achieved by solar gain and insulation of the building.

Upcoming events for the diary:     

• Menopause cafe, Monday 15th September
  An event run by Rachel Weiss. Open to all ages and genders, residents and tourists, join us for cheese and biscuits and talk menopause together. No need to book, just turn up on the night.
•  Fireworks Night, Friday 7th November
• Christmas craft fair, Saturday 29th November

Iona Renewables – Shiona Ruhemann

As updated at recent meetings, Scottish Government (SG) has been carrying out a review of their assessment of the Iona project:

• Their assessment took 11 months and came out with four conclusions that didn’t have factual basis.
• In October, the lead Minister acceded to our requests for a review and to provide leadership – but 10 months on, we still don’t have a conclusion from SG on their self-review of their assessment of the Iona project, and that Minister is gone.
• We stated at the outset that we anticipated the review would be a self-referencing exercise that won’t meaningfully engage with the reality of Scotland’s communities, particularly remote island communities. We’ve also stated in previous meeting what we think the real barriers are.

The context for the review is that:

• SG is committed to a major increase in heat networks across Scotland.
• Specialists continually recognise the Iona project as a pathbreaker across the UK and wider, particularly for rural areas.
• SG is now actively looking at how to deploy heat networks in rural areas – our technical specialists are closely involved in this, with a great deal of learning from the Iona project.
• For Iona, there are no feasible low carbon heat alternatives on a community scale – the sole possible alternative is individual (i.e. privately installed) Air Source Heat Pumps, which SG’s consultants couldn’t make work as a collective community initiative.
• Ground source is obviously more costly up front than air source.
• Capital costs for projects on Iona are exceptionally high.

Scottish Ministers confirmed the principle – through their direct involvement in this project from 2018 – that island costs alone cannot be the reason that this project doesn’t proceed. A thorough costing exercise in 2025 will be more accurate than a working estimate from 2019 of the cost difference between Iona and the mainland.

So, we don’t have a conclusion to officials’ self-review of their assessment, but our MSP Jenni Minto has followed up with the lead official. The official is citing concerns that:

• The Iona project doesn’t really fit in “the heat network box” – Iona projects don’t generally fit in the box, nor do rural heat networks, nor do innovative projects.
• The cost is high – so we’re back full circle to 2018.

Our MSP is following up with SG. But yet another winter is fast approaching. We find it very hard to see that it’s possible to work with SG. We’re particularly looking to people who can’t endure another winter of waiting for SG and need signposting to individual (not community) ‘business as usual’ schemes (e.g. UK Govt ECO4) and various contractors.

Discussion – Mark Jardine asked if taking up individual options would endanger the future of the project? SR: yes, if customers disappear it does have an impact, but some people can’t keep waiting. The people who need a solution should pursue these options and we can help signpost. Phil Ruhemann: if things changed and enabled the project to go forward we can probably reconfigure clusters and make it work.

Iona Broadband Committee – report from Gordon MacCormick

ADSL Copper Broadband

At the end of June, BT switched off their 20th Century network in this area. The 20th Century network was the technology used to provide our copper broadband services from the Iona exchange.

At that time, there were approximately ten properties still using the copper broadband network and as a result, they all lost service.

All the properties affected, with the exception of a couple of those owned by larger organisations, have now upgraded to Full Fibre, or, are in the final stages of the process.

Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Switch off

The final date for the PSTN switch off, when all UK landline telephones must have been migrated over to the broadband network, is the end of January 2027. In Scotland, the migration has been ongoing in phases since the Summer of 2024, and on Mull and Iona, the switch off date for the PSTN is expected to be the end of December 2025.

There are a number of households on the island whose landline telephones are still on the copper network, although their broadband is now Full Fibre.

Those households should expect to be contacted by their Service Provider, within the next few months, and will be asked to migrate the service over to their broadband network, or risk losing the service, when the PSTN is switched off at the end of December.

Mull and Iona Ferry Committee / Sound of Iona Harbours – Finlay MacDonald

Winter timetable starts on 20 October. Starts with Frisa only early December, should then be two vessel until March when it should be Isle of Mull only. This is subject to change given vessel availability and refit schedules.

27 November and 17 February there will be an early ferry and bus to enable school children to get to Oban after half terms. This may have a knock on effect on the late ferry those days not being able to run.

Scottish Government Island Compensation – Ferry Committee has demonstrated that the islands chosen for receiving this fund does not accurately reflect the islands that have been affected. Multiple other islands including ICC have co-signed a letter by Joe Reade to this effect.

Lots of stone arriving for the breakwater. Another load from Norway is also on the way, as well as other loads from Glensanda. The difference being made is already apparent.

Discussion – Katy Russon: is the winter timetable live for bookings? FM: Not yet. Phil Ruhemann: will the Sunday last sailing still not wait for the bus? FM: No, once that was put in place there appears to be no way to rescind it. Moving the ferry timetable in Oban also does not appear to be an option. Dean Snell: Is there an update on the Craignure Pier? FM: not yet, it’s going through the same processes as the Iona side did. KR: what’s the state of Fionnphort side of works? FM: pre-planning, also going through the same processes. Pal Grant: has ICC approached CalMac about the state of the ferry provision for the school children on Monday mornings and Friday afternoons? As they are always the last ones on the ferry, they are often relegated to the outside seats. Katy Russon: ICC has not but parents have. FM: they are required to provide seats for all passengers. PG: felt the provisions for the children was unacceptable and encouraged ICC to pursue the issue.

National Trust for Scotland – Harrie Burney

Archaeology team have been here this week and will be at Maol tomorrow morning. Welcome to drop in to see what they are doing.

Drystone walling week later this year, still spaces on it if people want to join.

Boardwalk on the way to St Columba will be seen to by the maintenance team later this year. Various gates around the island will also be fixed and replaced.

Livestock will be present in the causeway field around the MacLeod Centre. Signs will go up.

Plans have come back for Maol Cottage, will go for planning soon. They will be distributed for people to see.

Discussion – Rob MacManaway asked if the barn at Maol is included in the current plan of works. HB: yes, and there is hope to also have a second build at the back of Maol Cottage as well, another one bedroom unit. Joss Brace: is there a timeline? HB: not yet, we are trying to push it forward and we will put out a timeline once it’s available. Phil Ruhemann: is there an update on the mink trapping? HB: the company that had been providing the smart traps has gone out of business. If anyone is wanting to trap mink, NTS still able to help.

Iona Community – Caro Penney

Good and very busy summer. It’s taken a few years for numbers to rise back up but have been largely fully booked.

Thank you to everyone that came to the Islander tea, we will do this again.

Council is visiting at the end of this month.

Kathy Galloway, former warden and leader of the community, has sadly died last week. Her funeral will be Tuesday 23 September and will be live-streamed in the Village Hall.

SWMID – Ailidh Lennon

Lots going on but not particular to Iona at the moment.

There is funding available for community events between now and March. If anyone has ideas for a community event please speak to Ailidh. A new staff member is starting next week, which is exciting. Still looking for directors or people to be part of working groups.

MICT – Rob MacManaway

Various projects going on. Moray Finch is retiring later this month. A new CEO is being recruited.

Discussions / Updates

MacLeod Centre project (Iona organisations – ICC, IHP, IVHCT – with MICT) – Shiona Ruhemann

IC has gone through a long and detailed process looking for a sustainable future for the MacLeod Centre, which is a place much loved including by many island residents. Having reached decisions, IC contacted ICC; with IHP, IVHCT and MICT we’ve been working with IC hand in glove on potential for a future as affordable housing. Following the meeting in the Hall with IC in May, we had approval on 13 June for feasibility funding from Argyll and Bute Council, although for this project and six others funding is still to be finalised more than two months on, due to delays on the legals side; the lead official in the Council is excellent. Senior Council management is being briefed on the project and we’re aiming for a meeting imminently. Through our MSP we’re pursuing a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary responsible for addressing the housing crisis as a top SG priority, to communicate the frontline challenges as well as gaps in SG support; MICT is also in contact with SG officials responsible for current live programmes. The Steering Group comprises the Iona organisations and MICT, and the IC project manager has transferred to us. MICT has a Memorandum of Agreement with IC, and we’re meeting with IC Trustees in the Hall on 21 September.

Jenni Minto meeting in August – Shiona Ruhemann

ICC, IVHCT, IHP and Iona Renewables met with Jenni on 14 August particularly re the housing (including the project above) plus Renewables, with brief discussion also on MachairWind, IBRF and septic tanks.

Machair Wind £500 small donation fund – Shiona Ruhemann

MachairWind has asked us to share that they have a small donation fund open with an application deadline of 5 November. We’re used to raising funds on many fronts on Iona, and from that experience this is a very small donation fund of up to £500.

ICC has been discussing that we continue to find it very difficult to get clarity, including on how this huge development is good for Iona, or to have a clear sense of their process despite lots of visits and demands for engagement. We’re aiming to contact other CCs. Communities that have struggled in other contexts have pushed Scottish Government to take responsibility for providing a coherent strategy to manage these massive energy projects and ensure they don't harm remote communities and their fragile settings – rather than forcing that responsibility onto small communities.

Discussion – Mark Jardine: agree, this is pushed to exhausted community bodies. Finlay MacDonald: when’s the next webinar? Recommend people attend those. SR: did you get any clarity from the webinar you attended? FM: No.

Island BUSINESS RESILIENCE FUND

As above, a very good letter has been drafted by Joe Reade on the arbitrary exclusion of islands (including Mull and Iona) from the scheme, which we have signed up to along with other CCs.

Septic tank emptying – Katy Russon

Because of change of regulations at Mull Scottish Water plant, septic tank emptying companies have been having to travel to Oban to empty. Some companies have stopped their services because of this.

Gerry Kangley, the person on Mull that services the Frisa, has agreed to come across to Iona and look at some septic tanks but can’t help the larger ones.

Discussion – Rick Johnston: Andrew Padley may be able to assist with the larger tanks. He said if he is able to he would be happy to empty lots of tanks while here. Rob MacManaway: Enviroclean were on the island earlier this week, don’t know where they were going. As above, ICC raised with Jenni Minto – details sent by Rob.

Mull, Ulva and Iona Sports Association – Jane Martin

We’ve been contacted by the new association to see if we would support the concept of a team for the next island games. We have responded positively.

AOB

Dean Snell: there may be a change upcoming with prescription delivery. It might be that they have to be signed for at the Post Office and picked up there. Still TBD.

 

Date of next meeting – Wednesday 3rd December