Royal Burgh of St Andrews Community Council
Agenda - June 2000
1. Attendance
Apologies received: Donald Macgregor
2. Minutes of May 2000
(read for accuracy in matters of substance only)
3. Presentations
3.1. Police
3.1.1. Skateboarding in Church Square (raised May 4.1.5.)
3.2. Stagecoach
Douglas King, Manager of St Andrews Bus Station will be present to answer questions and hear comments on local services etc.
3.3. Jurassic Garden
Richard Batchelor to give an update on this project, now planned for Kinburn Park.
(RB informs me that work commitments may delay/prevent him attending after all though he hopes to make it - PL)
4. Fife Councillors
5. Matters arising from previous meetings
5.1. Kingask Liaison group
See Appendix F item 3 for an update from Chris Young.
5.2. Common Good Funds
(May 6.1 - held over for lack of time) Following newspaper reports in mid-April about Fife Council's apparently generous top-up funding for the Byre actually being taken out of the Common Good Fund revenue, crippling it, Dave Carstairs (Chair?) of Cupar CC approached us. While not commenting on the specific case of the Byre, as it is obviously off his patch, he wondered whether we would be interested in a meeting/forum with the other CCs who have CGFs in their areas. His concern is that Fife Council is targeting CGFs as the first line of local funding rather than a special resource. He would like a common front on common good and a lot more local control rather than, as he saw it, rubberstamping decisions taken in Glenrothes. He suggested approaches to MP/MSPs. [PL]
What action should we take?
5.3. St Leonard's Fête
The invitation for the Community Council to take part in the St Leonard's School Fête was accepted by three members of Council, who ran a coconut shy. The proceeds allowed this council to donate £80.93 to the Pier Project.
It is proposed that a letter be sent from Council to St Leonard's School congratulating them on the overall success of the Fête in raising funds for local civic projects and that their efforts in this regard is much appreciated.
Archie Strachan
The Fête Convenor writes:
Please pass on my thanks to the members of the St Andrews Community Council [Archie Strachan, Bill Sangster & Joe Peterson] for joining us in our fund-raising for St Leonards Fete 2000. I hope you found the day an enjoyable and worthwhile one, and that everything ran smoothly from your point of view.
We were very lucky with the weather yesterday - it is a pity that the rain did finally come for a spell, but it could have been a great deal worse. It is the first time that I have run an event outdoors and anticipation of potential bad weather was the most nerve-wracking part of it!
I hope that our visitors have gone away with positive images of St Leonards: coconuts shies, intriguing activities and stalls, dog and fashion shows, helicopter rides and assault courses are not exactly our everyday norm, but it was fun!
The overheads still have to be deducted, but we should have some good profits to hand on to the New Byre Theatre and the St Andrews Harbour Trust. I hope you can confirm your figures with me so that we can calculate a grand total overall for the event.
Very many thanks for your contribution to the success of the day.
Lindsay Murray
5.4. Loches
(May 7.1.1.) Frank Riddell has conveyed the thanks of St Andrews and the Community Council to Loches Municipal Council over their naming of a street Promenade de l'Alliance St Andrews (Appendix C).
5.6. Amenity/Recycling Centre
Report of meeting with C&WM (Appendix B)
Recommended that we:
Contact Planning, Law & Admin re status of Safeway Site
Write to Chief Exec
Response to Garden Waste trial?
Pete Lindsay
5.7. Scenic Map
James Rattray has the draft map and would like to meet with members of Community Council for feedback.
(The map recently received planning permission).
Who can attend?
Any other items from the May Minutes
6. New Business
6.1. Bandstand Concerts 2000
A series of eleven bandstand concerts has been arranged to take place at the Bow Butts Bandstand on Sundays at 3pm throughout June, July and August. (Appendix D)
Dennis Macdonald has again kindly offered to help on the Sundays involved but as I shall be away from Sunday 16/7 to Sunday 13/8 inclusive further assistance will be required.
Any volunteers please?
The forty chairs used for bandstand concerts are presently stored in the basement of the Pavillion Tea Room, but this facility may no longer be available from the middle of June due to refurbishment of the tea room. Finding nearby storage space is difficult - practical help or ideas on this problem would also be appreciated.
Archie Strachan
6.2. Association of Scottish Community Councils AGM
In Renfrew, 10/6/00, £10 per delegate.
Who can attend?
6.3. NEF Local Healthcare Trust - Development of Services in St Andrew
There is a meeting 2pm Wednesday 7/6/00 in the Burgh Chambers to discuss how to help plan services and the replacement building for the health centre and hospital. This is a follow-up to the seminar in January.
Who can attend?
6.4. East of Scotland Water: Fife Meeting
10.30-11.45am Saturday 17/6/00, Fife House, Glenrothes. Meeting will cover works planned/underway in Fife and the effects on water rate charges.
Who can attend?
6.5. RAF Leuchars - Freedom of St Andrews
Representatives are invited to attend the March Past and Civic Reception 2.20pm 22/6/00.
Who can attend?
6.6. Gumley Golf Match - Fife Council East Area vs Edinburgh City Council
We are invited to provide two members for the Fife team to play at Muirfield - tee off 8.30am Tues 25/7/00.
Any Gowfers willing to uphold the honour of the Home of..., vs the Birthplace of... ?
7. Reports from Officers
7.1. Chair
7.3. Treasurer
The annual administration grant amounting to £2,861.31, has been received from Fife Council
7.3. Secretary
For information
7.3.1. Housing needs & affordability survey - is being conducted by Fordham Research for Fife Council by means of 22,000 postal questionnaires and 1,000 interviews throughout Fife. They emphasise that the accuracy of the result depends on the co-operation of the public. If anyone has queries on the survey contact Alastair Hacket (Team Leader, Investment & Housing Plan, Fife Council) on 01592-414208.
7.3.2. North St Pedestrian Crossing - Roads Service write to tell us that work on this crossing will start 5/6/00 taking approximately two weeks. Initially it will be a Pelican, possibly to be converted to a Toucan depending on the progress of cycling redetermination orders for Butts Wynd and College Street. Any queries to Richard Simmons 01592-413477.
Other correspondence see appendix E
8. Reports from Committees
8.1. General Purposes
Appendix A
8.2. Golf
8.3. HEW
8.4. Millennium
No meeting.
8.5. Planning
8.6. Publicity
NB next meeting 19th June, 7.30pm Fife Council, Local Office St Mary's Place
8.7. Recreation
8.8. Youth
9. AOCB
Appendix A - GP Committee
Held 7.30pm 22/5/00, Fife Council Local Office, St Mary's Place
Apologies: Ken Crichton
1. Membership of GP committee
Agreed that Health Education & Welfare convenor should be co-opted as this should be a 'major committee'. Membership of GP therefore: Chair MM, 3 Vices FGR IG LM, Treasurer AS, Secretary PL, Planning (IG), Recreation KC, HE&W CL.
2. Honoured/-ary Citizen of St Andrews - procedures & award
2.1. Procedure
Candidate should be formally proposed and seconded.
A full (roll call?) ballot of voting members of Community Council (23 in all) at a community council meeting, with absentees to be contacted by the Secretary for their opinions unless the matter is decided by the conditions below.
To be successfully adopted the candidate must receive a minimum 16 votes for, and no more than 4 votes against.
2.2. Award
Medal/pin felt not appropriate to modern dress and too easy to lose. Emphasise instead reception & presentation (if recipient in St Andrews) of:
Scroll or certificate involving the Arms of the Community Council - framed for presentation where appropriate.
signing into a Book of H/H Citizens - what cost a good quality book?
3. Order/conduct of business in the monthly meeting
While May was exceptional it looks like we need to take a radical look at organisation of the monthly meeting. Take items in order of size/importance rather than the current general classifications. Something like:
PL to prepare June agenda on this basis as a trial.
MM as Chair to (try to) be Strict (but Fair) over contributions to debate, questions to Fife Councillors / Visitors being addressed through the chair, as it says in the Standing Orders.
4. Delegated powers required by committees
HEW, Planning, Millennium, Recreation, etc
Definition: 'Delegated Powers' = permission to write letters/make public pronouncements/spend money on behalf of Community Council, in accordance with Community Council's established policies.
Planning: as before. Can respond to planning system deadlines, consulting where time permits, otherwise informing full meeting of action taken. Others to be agreed on a case by case basis for specific projects, so that the whole Community Council knows what is going on.
Letters written on behalf of Community Council: content & presentation to be agreed by Chair / Sec and file copies to be lodged with Sec.
5. Recognition for Penny Uprichard
postponed
6. Calor Gas 'Best Community' competition
LM to examine, consider if a response possible.
7. Rail Services
Scotrail is cancelling 8.17am Leuchars-Edinburgh (on 29 May), a major commuter train serving St Andrews. Now a 8.44am but no connecting bus for commuters and too late anyway. PL asked permission to write to Fife & Scotrail before next CC - agreed. [but not actually done yet... does meeting agree?]
Pete Lindsay
Held 7.30pm 15/5/00, Fife Council Local Office, St Mary's Place.
Present: Tom Steedman (Area Manager C&WM), Pete Lindsay, Frank Riddell, Murdo Macdonald, Kate Hughes (Locality Manager), Cllr Jane Ann Liston, Cllr Jane Hunter-Blair.
Discussed current problems with general and garden waste collection at the Gardening and the End-of-Term seasons. Some possible arrangements with manned vehicles being available in specific locations at weekends - depends on spare budget, but may be possible as a trial. TS will look into this and get back to us.
Amenity Centre
TS again noted that St Andrews centre was included annually in East Area C&WM proposals, but had not yet received authority. Cllrs suggested contacting Chief Exec to point out St Andrews was the largest settlement in Fife without an amenity/recycling centre.
History of the Recycling Centre/Amenity site was discussed. Current status of the Safeway site not clear - TS suggested contacting Planning and Law & Admin as it is more their field than his at the moment.
Pete Lindsay
Extra - Garden waste
I have now received further information from Tom Steedman:
"I refer in particular to the request that some form of interim arrangement for depositing of garden waste be considered, so that householders in St Andrews would have a local facility to use. The suggestion that a refuse collection vehicle could be stationed for two hours approximately at various locations during week-ends in St Andrews would, I believe, be practical and could provide a partial solution to the disposal of garden waste. My Team Leader has costed out such an operation and arrived at manpower costs of £ 155.00 per weekend. Over a period of say June - September the costs would total, assuming 18 week-ends, £ 2,790 and I do have this money available in my budget. However I believe Kate Hughes may be able to offer some assistance in this respect.
"What I would suggest is that I put in place a 4 week trial, the costs of which I can absorb, to try and determine the usage and efficiency of this service provision. Thereafter, depending on its success or otherwise, we could discuss this provision for a longer period, dependant upon finance being available.
"... I would welcome your response to the above proposals."
English translation of speech given to the Municipal Council in Loches on the evening of Friday 26th May 2000.
Monsieur le maire, mesdames et messieurs members of the Municipal Council of Loches, friends.
I am very pleased to be invited to tonight’s meeting of the Municipal Council of Loches, your beautiful, small and historic town.
I believe that that I can call you all my friends because the links of friendship between our two towns are very strong and are always becoming stronger. All the citizens of St Andrews are friends of the Lochois and all the citizens of Loches are friends of the St Andreans.
I remember the joy on the faces of the young footballers of Loches when they played in St Andrews. I remember the smiles of the pupils from St Andrews when they spoke of their experiences in Loches. I remember with pleasure my three previous visits to Loches, your hospitality, the warmth of the welcome given by the Lochois and the beauty of your town. And, Monsieur le Maire, I know that you have happy memories of playing golf in St Andrews.
Long may such memories stay in our hearts. Long may we continue to create them.
We have two very similar towns. In Loches and in St Andrews we have old buildings that are very important in the history of our two towns and we have tourism as a major industry. You had the Scottish soldiers who guarded your king Charles VII. We had Mary Stewart as Queen and of course we know that she visited both our towns. We have the "Auld Alliance" between France and Scotland against a common enemy. These historic links have been converted into the joyous links of today.
Now I turn from the old alliance to the new. There are two things that I must say on this subject in this chamber. The first is to thank you for naming a pathway in Loches "Promenade de l'Alliance St Andrews". The second is to thank with all our hearts, the two most important people in the New Alliance, Pascal Dubrisay and Mary Freeborn. Without them, without their hard work, without their vision, we would not have this alliance in the vibrant form we see today. Mary is a francophile and Pascal, amongst other things, is a scotophile. It is their wish that the French and Scottish peoples should learn the similarities and appreciate the differences between life in France and Scotland.
May their efforts continue for the benefit of our two towns and our two countries.
Monsieur le maire, mesdames et messieurs - No! I must not finish in such a formal manner. Friends of the Municipal Council of this warmhearted, beautiful little town, thank you for the invitation to be here this evening.
Frank Riddell
3pm Bow Butts Bandstand
June
11th Madras College Pipe Band
18th Madras College Wind Band
25th Waid Academy Wind Band
July
2nd Dunfermline Town Band
9th Tayport Instrumental Band
16th Alex Walker Accordion Band
30th Kingdom Brass Band
August
6th Clackmannan District Brass Band
13th Tullis Russell Mills Band
20th Lochgelly Brass Band
27th Buckhaven High School Wind Band
Appendix E - Correspondence
Correspondence
In
|
Date |
Who | What | Where |
|
2/5/00 |
Forest Enterprise | Tentsmuir/Eden Liaison 10/5/00 | F |
|
5/5/00 |
Entrust | Resource Pack | F |
|
6/5/00 |
ASCC | AGM in Renfrew 10/6/00 | F |
|
6/5/00 |
Record Playground Equip Ltd | Play area equipment | F |
|
9/5/00 |
Action Environment Limited | Training schemes for the unemployed | F |
|
11/5/00 |
Community Services | Jurassic Garden | F |
|
12/5/00 |
Scottish Env Protection Agency | SEPA View | F |
|
15/5/00 |
Advocates for Animals | Annual Review 2000 | F |
|
19/5/00 |
Chief Exec | Garden Care Scheme | F |
|
19/5/00 |
Environmental Bodies Council | Env Bod Forum — Coventry 19/5/00 | F |
|
20/5/00 |
NEF Local Healthcare Co-op | Services in St A, meeting 7/6/00 | F |
|
22/5/00 |
St Leonards School | Thanks re Fête | F |
|
22/5/00 |
Turnrock Ltd | Lighting displays | To WS |
|
24/5/00 |
Tricia Marwick MSP | Newsletter | F |
|
24/5/00 |
EoS Water | Meeting with CCs etc 17/6/00 | F |
|
26/5/00 |
Scottish Enterprise Fife | Bow Butts improvements | F |
|
27/5/00 |
Fordham Research | Notice of Housing Needs survey | F |
|
29/5/00 |
Fife Council | Local Services Agenda | F |
|
29/5/00 |
Env Health | Gumley Golf | F |
|
29/5/00 |
Chief Exec | RAF freedom march | F |
|
29/5/00 |
Cleansing & Waste Mgmt | Interim garden waste collect | F |
|
1/6/00 |
Roads Service | North Street Ped Crossing | F |
OUT
| To | Subject | ||
|
2/5/00 |
Fife Council | Holiday dates | phone |
|
7/5/00 |
Cllr Jane Hunter-Blair, Kate Hughes (Loc Mgr) | Invite to Waste Meeting | letter |
|
21/5/00 |
Fife Council | Result of AGM | |
|
31/5/00 |
Roads Service | Canongate | fax |
Appendix F - Various Reports
Three for the price of one from Chris Young
1. St Andrews and District Community Safety Panel
Apologies for having missed some recent meetings. As Bill Sangster is the Chairman, I dare say anything of great import will have been intimated to you already. From previous minutes, here is the (old) news.
At the last meeting (12 April) Frank Quinault, Hebdomadar, addressed concerns about student behaviour, noise disturbance etc. Kate Hughes, Locality Manager, presented the Panel with £750 from the Locality budget towards the Light Timer Project, which buys light timing devices in bulk and sells them on at concessionary rates to increase the security of vulnerable people. She outlined her remit and expressed support for a civic amenity site in St Andrews. Ms Hughes is due to join the Panel as a member.
The next meeting of the Panel will be the AGM on Wednesday 28 June, 7pm. Although I am happy to continue as the Council’s rep on this Panel, I would gladly stand down at this point in favour of anyone keener.
2. St Andrews Families Matter Benefits Take-Up Campaign
I have not received anything relating to this for some time. I have in my possession a draft report and an interim report but, as yet, no final report. The campaign took place between 1 and 26 March 1999, covering the whole of St Andrews (although leaflets were only delivered in the target area south of the Kinnessburn and east of Largo Road). The interim report claims that some £31,168.32 of additional income was secured as a result of appointments made during this period, although this is not set against statistics for a control period.
My personal opinion is that the campaign was worth while, but not worth while repeating in an identical format. It is very easy for people on committees to assume that the general public will be as eager to ‘join in’ things as they are themselves. The real lesson from this exercise should be that CARF can get results if people are made sufficiently aware of its existence and presented with an easy way of accessing it (eg publicised phone number). Some ongoing data, statistical analysis and user feedback from CARF would be useful. In the absence of and pre-empting such an investigation, I am inclined to believe that CARF (or a CAB) should be located more prominently, ideally in a separate building from the Council but possibly shared with some other community resource (eg library or community centre), and open more often; this would be a more effective use of the money and time resources procured or diverted for this pioneering one-off project.
3. Kingask Liaison Committee
Apologies again for missing the last meeting (5 May).
Much of the discussion at meetings has been about specifics of construction traffic, routes, verge damage etc. I have very little to comment on these.
There have been problems negotiating the completion of the coastal path as it goes through the SSSI; Iain MacKinnon will report back at the next meting.
There will be one or more ponds on site, as requested by SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) in order to: disperse of surface water without recourse to coastal outfalls; irrigate the golf courses; attract wildlife; and provide an emergency supply of water in the event of fire.
We have been shown round the site and can see that things are progressing. Completion is now expected in late May 2001.
I am relatively happy that, given the publicity and sensitivity surrounding this development, that it will be a relatively good example of its kind. Whether its kind is appropriate (environmentally, economically, socio-demographically) to the area is another matter and not a role for the Liaison Committee.
The next meeting is on Friday 16 June. If anyone does have anecdotal evidence of infringements or problems, or anything else they would like me to raise, please drop me a line / e-mail. I am happy to lend people (or copy) previous minutes if there are any more recondite details required.
Chris Young
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 on closest house or streetlight for instance).
Hand to Cllr Jane Ann Liston or to Fife Roads Service.
Defect Location