Community Council meets 7pm Monday 5th October 1998 in the Burgh Chambers, Queens Gardens.
Apologies received: Ken Crichton, Helen Lawrie, Cynthia Tero
(Anyone who would like to address or question the meeting on a relevant subject please contact the Secretary or Chair before the start of the meeting, if at all possible.)
(read for corrections of substance – harangue the Secretary for minor (spelling etc) mistakes before or after the meeting)
(Action taken or other news relating to last month's meeting)
(September 6.3.7.) This will be sometime early in the new year (‘approximately January’). The meeting is open to members only. To become a member contact Helen Pearson, CARF Headquarters, Unicorn House, Glenrothes KY7 5PD (tel 01592 414225).
(Sep 8.3) A letter was received from Fife Council notifying us of the review of the bye-law and extending time for comment until 30th October. A letter of comment has been sent.
(Sep 6.2.3.) Informal meeting arranged for Thu 8/10/98. Councils approached: Boarhills & Dunino, Cameron, Crail & District, Kingsbarns, Strathkinness.
Who is to attend from St Andrews?
(This change (item 5 was previously Correspondence) is intended to give officers a formal place to report to the Community Council on their activities. Trial agreed at General Purposes Committee)
Workshops on Consultation, the Strategic Study, Tourism, Youth Issues. We're asked for one delegate, though two are needed to cover all the workshops.
(Reports, etc. Now in alphabetical order)
see attached report
See attached report
see attached report
For Consideration and Decision of Council
(i) Does Council wish the series of summer bandstand concerts to continue?
(ii) If so, does Council approve, in the absence of outside sponsorship, application be again made to the St Andrews Common Good Fund for financial support?
see attached report
The National Lottery is supporting a Millenium Festival which will make grants of between £500 and £5000 for local community events. These must conform to the themes of the festival (too numerous to specify in detail here, but I am surewe could comply).
Invitations to apply for funds are to be sent out in January 1999 for reply by March. If St Andrews is to benefit from this fund a pro posal would have to be drawn up by the end of 1998.
Should this be done by the Leisure & Recreation Committee or perhaps by a special subcommittee? A decision would be needed this month if anything is to be done.
Ken Fraser
see attached report
6.6.3. ...investigate the cost of having Community Council sweat shirts printed for members to wear at appropriate functions.
Would CC members wear these if they were produced?
(also tee shirts, lapel badges)
6.6.4. It was agreed that it might be appropriate to have a chain of office for the Chairman of the CC to wear as a distinguishing feature at civic functions.
Does the CC agree that this would be appropriate and should the Publicity Committee investigate further?
see attached report
For Consideration and Decision of Council
(i) To elect three Council members to serve on the Youth Committee.
(ii) To co-opt the Chairman of the Youth Committee, Miss Caroline Jack, as a member of the Community Council. (para 7.1(c) of 'Composition of Community Councils).
(Reports and Questions)
(Any other competent business - where Community Councillors can raise new matters)
Cynthia Tero asks what can be done about the Salvation Army collection outside the Post Office. This (i) blocks the pavement and (ii) appears to target pension day in what could be seen as a form of moral blackmail
Would new business be better handled earlier in the meeting rather than hurridly squeezed in at the end? I suggest that after Matters Arising we take New Business as raised by individual Community Councillors. The final item on the agenda could then be the traditional catch-all Any Other Competant Business.
Pete Lindsay
For Information of Council
The remit of the Youth Committee is (i) to act as a communication link between the youth of St Andrews and the Community Council and (ii) to ascertain the views of the young people of St Andrews and communicate these views to the Community Council.
One of the aims in the setting up of the Youth Committee was to promote community participation within the youth of the town, promote a sense of community spirit, and encourage young people to take an active interest in the business of the Community Council.
A meeting of the youth Committee was held on the 29th September 1998 at which the following office-bearers were elected :
For Consideration and Decision of Council
(i) To elect three Council members to serve on the Youth Committee
(ii) To co-opt the Chairman of the Youth Committee, Miss Caroline Jack, as a member of the Community Council. (pare 7.1(c) of 'Composition of Community Councils').
Archie Strachan
For Information of Council
(i) Of the seventeen concerts scheduled for the Bow Butts Bandstand during the summer, seven were cancelled - one by the band scheduled to perform and six due to inclement weather
No outside sponsorship being available an application for financial assistance was made to the St Andrews Common Good Fund and a grant of up to £2,000 was awarded. Because of the number of cancellations all of this grant was not required and £100.38 was returned to the Fund.
I wish to acknowledge the very generous help given by Clr. Dennis Macdonald in assisting with the practical chores (carrying and setting out of chairs etc.) in preparation for the Sunday concerts.
(ii) As requested by the Council a letter was sent to the Fife Council Area Property Manager on the 18th September 1998 concerning the condition of the Bow Butts Bandstand. To date no reply has been received.
For Consideration and Decision of Council
(i) Does Council wish the series of summer bandstand concerts to continue?
(ii) If so, does Council approve, in the absence of outside sponsorship, application be again made to the St Andrews Common Good Fund for financial support?
Archie Strachan
For Information of Council
The Royal Burgh of St Andrews is often hampered in its efforts to promote activities in the town through lack of funds. The aim of the 200 Club is to provide funds which will enable the Council to support and sponsor events and environmental improvements as well as assist local groups and organisations.
The club operates in a very simple way. Each month the sum of £2.00 is paid into the Council account through Bankers Order by each member of the Club. Half of this amount is used as outlined above; the remainder is used, after the deduction of a small amount for administration expenses, to provide monthly prizes of £50, £30, £20 and £15. A draw is conducted each month at the Council meeting, thereafter cheques are sent to the winners.
The lottery complies with the Lotteries and Amusement Act 1976 and is registered with Fife Council, a fee being paid each year.
Membership is open to all individuals but can also be a business or club membership. A newsletter is sent to each member in April bringing them up to date with the Club's activities.
Unfortunately the number in membership of the Club is down to its lowest for some years, standing at 117, well short of the target 200. In view of this members of Council are invited to assist in the recruiting of new members. Further information and membership application forms may be had from the undersigned.
Archie Strachan
The Young St Andrews Citizen of the Year Award is awarded each year by the Community Council. The regulations for this award are appended along with an advertising poster. Members of Council are kindly requested to assist in the promulgation of the details of the award.
Further information and nomination forms may be had from the undersigned.
Archie Strachan
The presentation for this competition was held in the Beach Ballroom at Aberdeen on Tuesday 22 September. We did not secure a trophy but to have achieved the final was an honour in itself and this is reflected in the framed Certificate you can all see.
This was held in the Council Chambers on Thursday 24 September. Thirty four Trophies and Certificates (all personally signed by our Chairman) were presented to the successful entrants in the presence of a further forty guests. My thanks to the Community Councillors who attended and helped. We had very good publicity for this event a good write up in both papers and excellent photographs in the Courier. All trophies now have to be signed for and an undertaking made to return them to me.
This competition is run by Fife Regional Council. This year we were the winners and Donald Macgregor and myself attended Rothes Halls on Saturday 26 September to receive a certificate and the first ever Gold Medal for this event. The Certificate is now framed which is there for your inspection and also the Gold Medal if the inscription has been completed. I had the pleasure on this occasion to meet Carol Baxter of Beechgrove Garden fame.
Consideration will now have to be given by the Community Council as to where the Certificates and medal may be best displayed and also if the Medal could be framed.
Suggested spots are Library, Museum, Crawford Arts Centre, or the Merchants Association may like to borrow them for temporary display by their members.
This is still ongoing. I gather that we will have a good response but accurate feedback is difficult to obtain. So far all is well and I have had to supply further application forms.
This if consumption of entry forms and telephone requests are anything to go by will be very good. A reprint of adult entry forms is being produced. A request has been made to our MP Menzies Campbell to open this Exhibition. This will be on the Friday evening before the opening and will be strictly by invitation only.
This will be held on Tuesday 15 December at the Students Union. Billy Anderson has agreed to play and that excellent singer Charlie Braid will be there. We will also be hosting a demonstration of Highland Dancing.
This has all now been completed all Prize cheques have been sent and other debts honoured
It was agreed by the five members present that all functions currently overseen by this Committee should continue without change. All aspects were examined but it was decided not to make changes for changes sake. No problems have arisen and none are foreseen.
| Post Office Perth (Freepost) | Requesting free postage for Xmas invites |
| Scotland in Bloom Stirling to Co-ordinator | Thank you letter |
| Scotland in Bloom Stirling to Senior Judge | Thank you letter |
| British Legion Edinburgh | Requesting details of War Mem. Awards |
| Competitors | 42 letters of invitations hand delivered |
| Mr Philip, Woollen Mill | Requesting Tartan lengths |
| Mr Lothian, NEF Lib/Dem | Asking if our MP could open our Art Exhibition |
Bandstand, St. Andrews Citizen of the Year Award by Comm. Councillor Archie Strachan
200 Club
May we have the 200 Club Draw
Next Meeting
The meeting tomorrow (6th October) is cancelled and will be held later in the month.
15th December 1998
DM, IG, FR, KC, PL
Award to be given at Garden Festival in Glenrothes - Ken Crichton to collect, also write (to Alastair Barnard) protest at centralisation - award should be presented in the community being recognised so members of the community can attend easily.
Ken Crichton
Apparently abolished by fiat of Kingdom of Fife Tourism Board. DM to send protest as Chair of Forum.
Donald Macgregor
Report reviewed - largely meets the CC position but concern at suggestion of an unelected consultative forum - seems to infringe Community Council's prerogatives in law of comment on planning matters. Possible trend in centralisation of Best Kept Town Awards, closing of Tourism Forum now this proposal.
Leave on the table for action by interested CC members.
Replace Correspondence with Reports from Officers - Chair, Tres, Sec - on a trial basis.
Sec to arrange meeting with neighbouring CCs to discuss issues of mutual interest (golf developments, etc) - provisional date 8th Oct
Pete Lindsay
Meeting held on Tuesday 22nd September.
1. Dr Frank Riddell agreed to act as convenor for the committee with Mr Craig Barrett acting in his absence.
2. It was agreed that meetings would take place on the evenings of the third Monday in each month. The next meetings would be on 19th October and 16th November.
3. It was agreed to investigate the cost of having Community Council sweat shirts printed for members to wear at appropriate functions.
Would CC members wear these if they were produced?
The cost of tee shirts would also be looked into. Lapel badges could also be used for the purposes of identification of CC members at functions.
4. It was agreed that it might be appropriate to have a chain of office for the Chairman of the CC to wear as a distinguishing feature at civic functions.
Does the CC agree that this would be appropriate and should the Publicity Committee investigate further?
5. Dismay had been expressed at the low turnout in the last CC elections. It was pointed out that the % turnout had been increasing in recent years but that it was still far from satisfactory. To combat this the committee recommends that every effort be made to increase the profile of the CC, that we should endeavour to get poll cards again for the next CC elections and that more material should be fed to the press through the planning and F&GP committees. It was agreed to investigate placing a new notice board inside the boundary wall of the Fife Council Office in St Mary's Place and the possibility of locating new boards on the exterior wall of Boots facing Holy Trinity Church and inside Safeways supermarket.
6. The problem of advertising and copy in a larger "Event" sheet was discussed. It was agreed to attempt to find appropriate rates for advertising. Members agreed on methods to attempt to provide additional copy for the sheet on a monthly basis.
7. Attempts to find a new and appropriate internet service provider for the CC were delegated to Frank and Pete to report to the next committee.
8. Attempts to buy a CC printer were delegated to Pete Lindsay to report to the next committee.
Frank Riddell