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Chair: Murdo Macdonald
Community Councillors: Maries Cassells, Ken Crichton, Ken Fraser, Ian Goudie, Chris Lesurf, Pete Lindsay, Murdo Macdonald, Joe Peterson, Frank Riddell, Archie Strachan, Cynthia Tero.
Students' Association: none
Nominated: none
Fife Councillors: Jane Ann Liston, Jane Hunter-Blair
Apologies: Sheila Hill, Marcus Booth, Bill Sangster, Frances Melville, Donald Macgregor, Dennis Macdonald, Hugh Gray.
accepted
Sgt Adamson attended.
3.1.1. Cars racing around the town centre - this is receiving intense police attention after Cllr Jane Hunter-Blair (see also 4.2.4. below) raised the problem. Cynthia Tero indicated that the centre of town isn't the only area suffering, citing Roundhill road. Sgt took notes.
3.1.2. 'Temporary' traffic lights - Ian Goudie asked if the
police raise concerns over the length of time that that temporary
traffic controls are in place, referring particularly to the works
at the Wilcon Site on Craigtoun Road/end of the Bogward Road.
Sgt Anderson said that this was actually a matter for the Roads Dept
not the Police, so no. Traffic Management section at Police HQ in
Glenrothes might be involved, but not the local force.
3.1.3. Liability - Cynthia Tero asked who would be liable for injury to children cutting through private gardens from school, should the fence collapse as they climb over. Sgt Anderson thought this would be a civil matter and not criminal so would not involve the police.
3.2.1. Noticeboard - Concerned that the information case/noticeboard had been vandalised. Murdo Macdonald was able to assure him that work to restore it was underway and it should be back in place by the end of the month.
3.2.2. Burgh Chambers lectern - Mr Christie has also passed on to Chair Murdo Macdonald contact details for the Officer at RAF Leuchars who can arrange repair of the lectern's information plate, originally presented by RAF Leuchars.
3.2.3. Location of charters - in response to Mr Christie's enquiries as to progress in finding a location for the framed charters, Ken Fraser has not managed to meet the hall keeper to discuss details but assured Mr Christie that it had not been forgotten about.
3.2.4. Heritage Display - Councillor Jane Hunter-Blair and officers of the Museums Service will be meeting Mr Christie soon to discuss how best to display some of his collection of heritage materials.
4.2.1. Harbour Trust - will be receiving money from the Lottery heritage fund. With promised matching funding it is hoped that work will commence soon. Thanks are due to all, Pier Project, etc, who have campaigned on behalf of the pier in various ways.
4.2.2. West Port Flagpole - passed on details from Historic Scotland of their problems with the pole. The mounting is deteriorating and at the end of its life. They feel that they have no funds available to restore/replace it.
A number of members made suggestions as to how the flagpole might be reinstated if Historic Scotland did have to remove it.
4.2.3. Environmental Improvements in:
Abbey St and College St - have been put off at Jane Hunter-Blair's insistence until Community Council and other bodies have been consulted about the new designs, though some general tidying and preparatory work to pavements will be undertaken.
West Port - work here is waiting on lighting designs to be submitted.
The Scores - severe problems with verge wear, Roads Service to investigate possible improvements.
4.2.4. Boy Racers - Police are paying a lot of attention to the latest manifestation of this problem, youths driving quickly and noisily around centre of town circuits in the evening. Cynthia Tero commented that it wasn't just the town centre affected, similar behaviour occurs on Roundhill Road and surroundings.
4.2.5. Library - Community Service, Finance and Estates are looking at ways of finding funding for planned improvements to the library. Ian Whitelaw from central Community Services is to meet with Common Good Fund committee - Fife and Community Councillors to discuss use of, and implications for the St Andrews Common Good Fund. An entirely premature and inappropriate application to the CGF has been withdrawn.
Archie Strachan, as a Community Council CGF representative emphasised the need for consultation - in the form of meaningful discussion - before any major applications for funds.
In response to a question from Ian Goudie, Councillors Hunter-Blair and Liston made it clear that the proposed expansion of the town library on its current site replaced the District Council's plan for a new building on the Kinburn Park tennis courts. That land has been returned to the Tennis Club and monies paid to them refunded. Unlike the Recycling Centre there was no money earmarked for the building at reorganisation as the District had been seeking extended capital borrowing consent.
4.4.1. Coastal Path/Kinkell Brae caravan park - in response to queries last month she checked with Planning Service, there is nothing in recent planning consents covering drainage.
4.4.2. Scooniehill Floods - unfortunately Emergencies Planning service are now otherwise engaged with Foot & Mouth work and have not been able to take their investigations forward. Roads Dept are involved because the flood waters were affecting the road surface.
4.4.3. History of the Burghs of Scotland - passed on to Ken Fraser a questionnaire received from a historian in Freuchie collecting information on the Burgh economy and history.
4.4.4. Shopping Diary - concern has often been expressed at the decline of small 'family' shops. To gather information on the shopping habits that lead to this - showing what St Andrews people are buying where - a shopping diary scheme may be tried as part of the Local Plan review next year. This will be very useful information for local shopkeepers and Economic Development Service. If successful the survey will be extended to other parts of Fife.
4.4.5. Community Council Elections - contacted Law & Admin in light of the likely June Westminster election. Community Council elections will be in October, though the exact date is not fixed yet. She emphasised our point that the school holidays must be avoided.
4.4.6. New 08.12 Leuchars-Edinburgh rail service - this will commence in May but as yet there is no convenient bus link from St Andrews as there had been for the withdrawn 08.17 service. She has spoken to Alan Bryan, the Head of Transportation, about this and suggested that Community Council should do similar in view of its concerns expressed on this subject last year.
Meeting agreed
Pete Lindsay to write (TS, Stagecoach)
4.4.7. Rubbish - Cynthia Tero complained that council employees were picking up rubbish in the area around Madras (Kilrymont Road) after school lunchtimes/breaks. She objected to council tax money being spent on collecting litter dropped by the pupils - it should not be dropped in the first place she pointed out. The school should deal with the problem at source she said.
4.4.8. Weekend Waste Collection - times & dates were given in last week's newspapers.
Ian Goudie circulated the planning report. He noted there had been a problem with volume of work over the last month. Deciding that priority had to be given to the response to the Fife Strategic Plan meant that other letters of comment or objection to individual planning applications might not have reached Planning Service by their due date. He thanked particularly Frank Riddell for his work on the strategic plan response.
Various members voiced their appreciation of the amount of work which had clearly gone into the strategic plan letter (included in the agenda).
Cllr Jane Ann Liston clarified a point about some of the comments on the securing of the rail route Clayton-St Andrews. Her perception, as an interested party (Convenor of the StARLink Campaign), contrary to the comments in the submission, was that officials were maintaining a positive attitude to the project. She added that she intended to see they stay that way.
There will be a series of public meetings; St Andrews one will be Thursday 5th April. Anyone with an opinion is urged to attend.
Joe Peterson to attend.
Request for £250 agreed.
8.1.1. Harbour toilet condom machine - this misplaced machine had caused a number of calls, but had now been removed he was glad to report.
8.1.2. St Andrews representative in Japan - invited to help choose a student to represent St Andrews as a cultural ambassador in Japan. Very impressed by all the candidates.
8.2.1. Accounts closed 31st March - but late expenses will be treated sympathetically.
8.3.1. May meeting will include the AGM. Meeting agreed that confirmation of committees' powers item can be omitted in view of the short period this community council has left to run.
Bulletin is now at the printers.
Frank Riddell proposed a vote of thanks to Maries Cassells and Mary Freeborn in getting the Pilgrim Foundation up and running. This charity is intended to raise money to benefit repair and renewal projects in St Andrews, in the university, the harbour, Madras College, etc. It now has a web site at www.pilgrimfoundation.org and its first major fundraising exercise is to auction online, through ebay.com, a golfing holiday from the US to St Andrews.
Vote of thanks to Maries Cassells and Mary Freeborn was unanimous.