Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council
Agenda March 2000
There will be a meeting of the Community Council at 7pm Monday 6th March in the Burgh Chambers of the Town Hall. There will be a 10 minute break at about 8pm.
1. Apologies for Absence
Received: Maries Cassells, Archie Strachan.
2. Contributions from Members of the Public
(for anyone who wishes to address the meeting on a matter relevant to St Andrews. Please contact the Secretary or Chair at or before the meeting).
2.1. Police
2.2. General
2.3. Fife Councillors
3. Minutes of previous meeting
(Read for corrections of substance - harangue the Secretary for minor (spelling etc) mistakes outwith the meeting).
4. Matters arising from previous meetings
4.1. Friends of St Andrews Report
(Feb 4.1.) Appendix B
4.2. Reception of Visitors to St Andrews
(Jan 5.2.) Appendix A part 1.
4.3. Bus Service Changes
Transportation Service have replied to the concerns raised in January (2.3.2). They apologise for the short notice to Community Councils and promise to do better. They explain some of the difficulty over (lack of) notices in bus stations, adding that Fife Council is taking responsibility for timetable information in St Andrews and will also be trying to expand the number and variety of outlets receiving notices. Similarly the logistics of updating notice boards - 4 staff members take 2.5 days to update all the boards in Fife. They are looking to improve this. Finally they confirm that there are post-mortem discussions underway with Stagecoach to avoid a repetition.
5. New Business
(New items of business should be passed to the Secretary in time for inclusion in the agenda otherwise they will be taken under 8. AOCB)
5.1. Amenity Centre
Murdo Macdonald proposes an active campaign to get St Andrews an "Amenity centre or at least a couple of skips for the early part of the year for garden rubbish".
6. Officers' Reports
6.1. Chair
6.2. Treasurer
Appendix C & Coat of Arms Appendix D
6.2. Secretary
6.2.1. Membership of the Association of Scottish Community Councils - renewal due - £12.
6.2.2. Community Safety Seminar - hosted by Fife Rural Partnership and Fife Community Safety Partnership, 7/3 10am-1pm, JP Courtroom Cupar. Will be covering Community Safety Grants which has funded projects for young people, lighting schemes and home security schemes.
Can anyone attend on our behalf?
6.2.3. Buses - Stagecoach staff were canvassing passengers opinions on a route change to the 95 to Dundee which currently leaves 7:53am from South Street. They are looking at collecting around the town.
6.2.4. HeartStart Roadshow - Wed 15th March - Ken Fraser & Cynthia Tero to attend. If anyone else wants to learn (or refresh) about CPR contact local organisers Helen Smith (476840) or Linda McLauchlan (477117) to see if they can fit you in.
6.2.5. APRS Winter Newsletter - Calor awards, Community of the Year, Protecting your community's [internet] domain name, Taransay: what defines a community? Tea in Troon, Post Offices, Web pages for free, Young Community Councillor of the year [under 40! - PL].
6.2.6. APRS Council Meeting - guest speaker Martin Cox of the Scottish Coastal Forum, explaining its remit. 10am-12.30pm 7/3 Quaker Meeting House, Edinburgh £7 includes lunch.
6.2.7. Local Transport Strategy Consultation - questionnaire for circulation - there was a public consultation in St Andrews 25/2 - advertised in The Citizen (but not to us). There will be 3 discussion workshops, the closest to us being Cupar 30/3 - no time given yet.
6.2.8. Pier Project - Nan Taylor reminds us of the special fund-raising weekend 10-12 March, offers of assistance and donations for the Bring & Buy Sale (11th, 9.30 Victory Memorial Hall), gratefully received on 472588.
6.2.9. VONEF Newsletter February - end of Barings Foundation funding in Scotland, Lottery Charities Board surgeries, 5th Voluntary Sector Conference 21 March in Dunfermline, Letters, Lobbies & Legislation - a guide to parliamentary campaigning in Scotland, VONEF services, Christmas charities market 2000, Romania links, Radio Tay FM promotional opportunities.
7. Committee Reports
7.1. General Purposes
Appendix A
7.2. Golf
7.3. Health, Education & Welfare
Appendix G
7.4. Millennium
Appendix H
7.5. Planning
7.6. Publicity
7.6.1. Notice board - a reply has been received from Planning Service indicating that a site in front of the library would not be acceptable, but a vertically orientated sign by Boots probably would.
Who will take this forward?
7.7. Recreation
Appendix F
7.8. Youth
8. Any Other Competent Business
Appendix A - Minutes of GP Committee
10/2/00 39 Kilrymont Rd
Present: Archie Strachan, Murdo Macdonald, Pete Lindsay.
Apologies: Lindsay Murray, Ken Crichton.
Down Under: FGR
1. Civic Receptions
Having looked into the relevant guidelines from Fife Council and current practice there is no reason in principle why Community Council should not decide to honour visiting dignitaries with a civic reception or similar, to uphold the good name of St Andrews hospitality.
Obviously the decision of who should be so honoured and to what extent must be the decision of Council.
Propose that a policy of undertaking a civic receptions when appropriate be adopted as a policy of Community Council.
2. Meeting Format
Discussed problems of meeting overrunning, due to the steady increase in business.
PL to prepare proposed amended standing orders on
i) Presentations by members of the public - strict limits of time and debate, differentiate between invitees, pre-notified presentations and casual 'just turn up' appearances.
ii) reports from committees - require them written, submitted to Sec for inclusion in agenda (which will have the advantage of including them in the CC archives). Exception for urgently required decisions by council - others put off until following month for written submission.
At meeting assume all CC members have read agenda - no more reading out of reports.
3. AOCB
i) presentation to Andrew Neil, incoming Lord Rector of the university at the rectorial drag (12/2/00). PL has a spare arms scroll. MM to get tube etc.
ii) discussed preparing a index of CC decisions and debates for better back reference.
Pete Lindsay
See Appendix I for further ideas under consideration.
Appendix B - Friend of St Andrews
Report of Meeting of ad hoc committee (D. Macdonald, C. Tero, K. Crichton and A. Strachan) assigned to consider and make recommendations on the 'Friend of St. Andrews' proposal.
The committee met on the 25th February 2000 and, after due consideration of the remit, now report as follows.
1. The committee was in full agreement that some such honour should be instituted and, after considering several proposed titles (including 'Friend of St Andrews'), recommend that it be titled
a) 'Honorary Citizen of the Royal Burgh of St. Andrews' when bestowed on any non-resident of St. Andrews, and
b) 'Honoured Citizen of the Royal Burgh of St. Andrews' when bestowed on any resident of St. Andrews.
2. The committee was of the opinion that such an award should only be bestowed on very worthy candidates and then only on rare occasions so that the high status of the award may be maintained.
3. Bestowal of the award must have the approval of the majority at a full Council meeting.
4. Recipients of the award should receive a suitably inscribed parchment and also perhaps a Coat of Arms medallion of some kind.
Archie Strachan
Appendix C - Treasurer's Report
1. State of Funds as at 1st March 2000 :-
| Administration Account |
2,492.11 |
| General Account |
£967.55 |
| Millennium Account |
£2,499.45 |
| Youth Com. Account |
£50.00 |
| St. Andrews Day Account |
£252.84 |
| Sen. Cit. Xmas Party |
£2,244.33 |
| Bandstand Concerts Acc. |
£3,489.56 |
| Upper Arlington Acc. |
£216.41 |
| Coat of Arms Account |
£165.35 |
| Total Balance |
£12,377.60 |
2. Annual Accounts 1999/2000 - Members of Council are requested to note that the annual accounts close for audit on the 31st March 2000 and that all outstanding invoices and expense claims should be in the hands of the Treasurer by the 24th March 2000 at the latest.
3. Claim Forms - In the absence of the Treasurer expense claim forms may be had from the Secretary at the Council meeting or from the Treasurer after 8th March.
4. Coat of Arms Committee - The Convenor will report.
Archie Strachan, Treasurer
Appendix D - Coat-of-Arms Committee Report
At present we are still going through existing contracts to see if they are still required, and if not to see if we can find new outlets for these. We are investigating the possibility of raising finances for the period where contract have been in force, but monies have not been forthcoming as yet. Several manufacturers have been contacted and some have still to reply.
We are in process of setting up our first contact for the year 2000, with a company outside Perth, and once this has been finalised I can set it in front of you. As you may not be aware, costs will be incurred in achieving these contracts, ie travel, phone calls etc. A 6-monthly or annual account will be submitted for your approval.
There are manufacturers still producing coat of arms with the arms of the former burgh, and we are in the process of informing them that these are now not to be used, as instructed by Lord Lyon King of Arms in Edinburgh. We have in our possession a letter dated 4th May 1989 to this effect. We are in the process of instructing all these manufacturers that to use the relevant arms of their merchandise they must first have a contract with the St Andrews Community Council who are the registered owners of these arms.
Bill Sangster
Appendix E - Loches Alliance
Our association with Loches in Frances is progressing very well, with a very busy programme ahead. Our next visit is from the Loches Rugby Club on 2nd March, hosted for two days by Madras Rugby Club, with matches at their grounds.
At present we have an Art Exhibition of Lansyer paintings in the Crawford Centre, which has attracted a lot of interest (2026 visitors as at 29th February). This was officially opened by Frank Riddell, Chair, Community Council, in the presence of Mary Freeborn, Chair-Person, St Andrews-Loches Alliance, and Pascal du Brisay, Deputy Mayor of Loches, who replied with a brief resume of the artist and his works. The exhibition is on show for another few weeks and is certainly worth a visit.
Pascal has since sent his thanks to everyone for working so hard in achieving such a good relationship between the two towns.
As of 1st February 2000 the Alliance is officially registered with Fife Council External Relations Office (dealing with Community Grants Scheme) and with COSLA in Edinburgh (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities).
As COSLA have stated - "The European Commission can co-finance exchanges between citizens from towns that are twinning, or are running a twinning scheme - promoting events that bring peoples closer together and developing the European idea". This would appear to alleviate the problem of officially 'twinning' St Andrews and Loches.
Also we have applied to International Links Office in London and Brussels to be registered on their listings of exchanges within Europe.
Bill Sangster
Appendix F - Recreation Committee Report
08.02.00
1. Millennium Committee Photographs. By copy of this minute, we would like to request a copy of all photographs, together with full title to use them, be given to this committee for inclusion in the Community Council Photographic Collection held on our behalf by the Preservation Trust Museum.
2. History Competition. This lapsed through lack of support a number of years ago, when two, then the next year, only one entry was received. Old correspondence indicated that two Quaichs had been donated for this competition. These I have now retrieved. It was decided that the donors Mr Mathew M Henderson and Mr Gordon Christie be approached, and asked if they would have any objection for them to be awarded, for any other competition for the youth of St Andrews.
3. 200 Club Request Chair's permission to hold the draw.
4. Meetings
Recreation Committee 07.02.00 19.00 hrs.
Street Fair 07.02.00 10.00 hrs
Appendix G - Health Education & Welfare report
1. Fife Council's (FC's) Sport and Recreation Strategy: Chris Young and I looked at it, passed it on to Joe Peterson before the last StACC meeting and asked him to pass it on to StACC's Recreation Committee, so they should be reporting on it at Monday's meeting
2. FC's letter about Respite Care: Think I passed it on to Joe Peterson at last months StACC meeting. It basically said they were going to be cutting down the number of places quite considerably. This worried me because I know of at least one person in her 90s who, after breaking a leg and spending a few weeks in Ninewells waiting for a bed in St. Andrews Memorial Hospital, is now stranded in Cameron, with far less chance of being visited by friends. She's hard of hearing and losing her sight but still a brilliant bridge player so she's bored stiff - unfortunate word! It also seems to make a mockery of the proposed increase in co-operation between the NHS and FC that was made so much of at the LHCC's Saturday seminar.
3. Toilets at the bus station: - Reply from the manager of the depot said I should write to their head office in Kirkcaldy so I have and am waiting for a reply.
Chris Lesurf
Appendix H - Millennium Committee Report
for 6/3/2000
1. Greyfriars Garden Site - efforts are continuing to find out the level of financial support which may be forthcoming from local sources. It is now being proposed to approach (among other bodies) the Common Good Fund.
2. Competition for Schools - the first stage of the two-stage project reported to the last meeting is now being proceeded with. Ms Lesurf has circulated a letter to head teachers to enquire whether their schools would be interested in participating in a competition on the lines stated.
Ken Fraser
Appendix I - Meeting Organisation
Areas under consideration:
1.1. Presentations by members of the public
Differentiate between:
Those on the agenda, invited speakers etc - say their piece, followed by questions (indeed even answers) from the meeting, if appropriate.
Casual - only heard on the vote of the meeting. If refused due to lack of time put on the top of the agenda for next month.
I would note that to turn away members of the public from addressing our meetings, even temporarily, is a very serious step to take.
1.2. Reports - officers and committees
These really should (a) in writing and (b) in the agenda so people can consider them before the meeting.
Assume that everyone has read the agenda papers! Do not read reports out if they are already printed only give verbal reports on urgent items. Proceed instead directly to questions/debate/vote as necessary. Pass the rest to the Secretary for next month.
1.3. Papers circulated at the meeting should, practically, be for information and record not discussion. People don't have time to read them during the evening, their attention being wholly taken by the flow of the debate of course.
1.4. Repetition. Another way of cutting back on the repetitious nature of our business would be the adoption of a rule forbidding repeated raising of the same item after CC has discussed/voted on it, for a period of X months - it is suggested in the Fife Council model constitution document I think. I appreciate that repetition can be a way to make a point, but perhaps there should be limits...
1.5. Guillotine limit all debate to a maximum period of, say, 15 minutes. Have certain items of business occur at a fixed time. This would be ideal for the 200 Club draw which must be taken during the monthly meeting - 8:10pm after the break perhaps?
2. In the meantime
We actually try to stick to the current Standing Orders this month.
Secretary's Additions - March
(Circulated at meeting)
Pier Project - Update from Nan Taylor: fund now stands at £9,000, still looking to break £10,000 by Easter.
West Port Saltire - is now light blue, as we requested.
Correspondence
In
|
Date |
Who | What | Where |
|
6/2/00 |
Fife Primary Care NHS Trust | Seminar report 29/1/00 | F |
|
8/2/00 |
A Podzorski | Ladbrokes, Bell Street | Planning |
|
11/2/00 |
Roads Service | Shoreline Mgmt Plan | F |
|
12/2/00 |
VONEF | Newsletter - Feb | F |
|
12/2/00 |
Scottish Nat Heritage | Tay/Eden estuary special protection plan | F |
|
12/2/00 |
Community Services | Tree Work | F |
|
12/2/00 |
Fife Council | Ceilidh hall hire invoice | Treasurer |
|
12/2/00 |
Scottish Natural Heritage | Tay Eden Estuary Protection | F |
|
16/2/00 |
Ken Cochrane | Coat of Arms | Cc AS/WS |
|
18/2/00 |
Community Services | Kinburn Park Lighting | F |
|
19/2/00 |
Transportation Svcs | Buses | F |
|
21/2/00 |
Community Svcs | VMH hire St A's day | Treas |
|
23/2/00 |
Nan Taylor | Pier Project fundraising | F |
|
23/2/00 |
Chris Lesurf | Design Competition (file copy) | F |
|
25/2/00 |
Planning Service | CC Notice Board | F |
|
25/2/00 |
Fife Rural Partnership | Community Safety Seminar 7/3/00 | F |
|
25/2/00 |
St Andrews Green Belt Forum | Meeting 10/3/00 | F |
|
25/2/00 |
APRS | Council Meeting 7/3/00 | F |
|
29/2/00 |
Fife Structure Plan Consultative Draft | Planning Service | F / Planning |
|
1/3/00 |
APRS | Winter Newsletter | F |
|
1/3/00 |
Transportation Service | Local Transport Strategy consult | F + distrib |
|
3/3/00 |
Nan Taylor | Pier Priject update | F |
|
4/3/00 |
Local Svcs Comm | Agenda 8/3/00 | F |
|
Out |
|||
|
13/2/00 |
Paterson | Coat of Arms | letter |
|
22/2/00 |
Planning Service | Sewage works changes | fax |
St Andrews Pothole Watch!
List: Potholes (40mm/1.5in) in the road, damaged pavements (20mm/.75in), missing or damaged toby covers, blocked drains, floods, defective streetlights etc.
Identify the location (number of closest streetlight for instance).
Hand to Cllr Jane Ann Liston or to Fife Roads Service.
Defect Location