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There will be a meeting of the community council at 7pm on Monday 1st October in the Burgh Chambers of the Town Hall, Queen's Gardens. There will be a short break at about 8pm during which the 200 Club draw will be made.
Apologies: Chris Lesurf
(read for accuracy in matters of substance - harangue the secretary for minor (spelling etc) errors outwith the meeting).
(For anyone wishing to address the meeting on a matter relevant to St Andrews. Please contact the Secretary or Chair before the meeting. Priority will be given to those who have been invited to speak or have given advance notice).
Neil Munro is a volunteer member of the East Area Consultative Committee, appointed by the Water Industry Commissioner.
[September 4.4.4] Appendix B.
Mayday, Mayday... Law & Admin write to ascertain our views on the date of the late spring holiday. They originally proposed 6th May as May Day in consultation in late July. After informal consultation with accessible community councillors over the break, and taking into account our preference that the May Day holiday to be in May as decided last year, I replied that this would be ok. The Merchants' Association prefer 29th April. We are asked if this would be acceptable if it was not called May Day.
Pete Lindsay
[September 4.4.3.] Appendix C.
[September 3.1.] Appendix D - Letter to Fife Council
Roads Service write:
The Roads Service is reviewing the priority of roads projects for possible implementation in next/future years and would welcome your input to identify possible future projects. This is your opportunity to identify the locations of roads, footways and lighting problems in your area for major repairs & improvement and to suggest locations for new cycling and walking facilities/links including:
- roads: road surface and drainage problems
- footways: poor surface condition, unevenness, low kerbs, new footway/walking links etc.
- street lights: replacement suggestions, inadequate lighting areas etc
- road safety issues: traffic calming, visibility, village/town entrances etc
- traffic management/access problems: road crossings, parking, zebras/pelicans, cycling links etc
Note: this exercise is for Major works, not localised minor problems such as single potholes, trips and street lights out.
Included: the initial listings of assessed carriageway, footway and drainage projects, along with suggestions forms to identify priorities and possible future projects.
As indicated last month in a preliminary letter we have now received a formal consultation letter on this proposal. The consultation period lasts until mid-December.
Planning Committee to report?
Scenic Maps Ltd are starting the process to update the map and would welcome comments and suggestions.
For information:Coastal community projects scheme, Beachwatch 2001, TEF focus group meeting, Shore Management Plan - Fife, SMP - Angus, Littoral 2002, EC Water Framework Directive, Local Biodiversity Action Plan, World Oceans Day Event, Scottish Coastal Forum - lessons learned, Vacancy at Tay Estuary Forum.
Fife Volunteer of the Year Award; !nvolve; File Advocasy Project; Confidentiality; Community Learning; Scottish Business in the Community; Fife Alcohol Advisory Befriending Project; Racial Awareness.
The most local of these is Wednesday 3 October, 7-9pm, Town Hall. Forum will comprise a brief introduction outlining the work of the force and the division over the last year, followed by workshops to seek the views of the public as to how they pewrceive policing issues in their area with a view to informing their planing process to set For ce objectives and make the best use of resources. Contact Superintendent Maich on 01334-418705.
Tue 2nd Oct 2pm. Agenda items of interest: Community Road Safety Initiatives and Cycling Walking and Safer Streets Projects (mentions Petheram Bridge); Local Holidays 2002.
Sends greetings and best wishes for Saint Andrew's Day.
8.3.1. Inaugural Meeting - of the new community council has been booked for 7-8pm on Monday 22nd October in the Burgh Chambers. The initial phases of the meeting will be chaired by one of our Fife Councillors.
8.3.2. NHS Fife - are arranging a programme of meetings of their Chief Executive Mr Tony Ranzetta with community councils over the next few months. I have informed them of our meeting schedule.
Direct requests for nomination papers: 3
Replies received (9 slips, 1 email)
Points raised:
All have been acknowledged - PL
Memo from Paul Marshal (Halls/Events and Promotions Administrator) to Cllr Liston (cc community council).
I refer to our recent meeting at the Town Hall with Peter Lindsay, secretary of St Andrews Community Council.
A number of outstanding topics and issues were touched upon and I should like to take this opportunity to list and then indicate what action may be appropriate to address them.
- Static Display Area - Foyer, Council Chambers.
- Attempts will be made to replace the glass and provide a locking mechanism to provide some form of security.
- [Learmonth] Settle
- This will be re-located in the area presently known as the Court Room area.
- Baillies robe and moveable display case.
- Following lighting trials through the museum service it is hoped to locate this in the entrance foyer area to the Council Chambers.
- Bronze Provost Roll. First landing Council Chambers
- Investigate possibility of adding names of those holding post of 'chair' [of Community Council - PL] since the mid seventies. Other agencies may have to approve this enquiry other than Community Services and Community Council.
- Notice Board
- Some examples and prices have been obtained for this facility which would be located in the entrance foyer to the main part of the building. Discussions in progress as to type.
- After the disappointing news over the British Red Cross and their decision to pull out of the proposed alterations to the existing 'Court Room', Community Services may be able to salvage some form of alteration to make this 'room' more universally friendly.
- Discussions in progress.
Although there would appear to be a number of important topics being processed and investigated it is hoped to have the more pressing ones completed before the start of St Andrews Week.
Your comments on the foregoing would be very much appreciated.
From Steve Cairns, Senior Countryside Recreation Officer.
We have been approached by Councillor Jane Ann Liston on your behalf regarding Kinkell Braes and in response to this enquiry we have investigated the matter and the situation is as follows:-
Firstly, that run-off from the field drains at Kinkell Braes and the extended Caravan Park is within planning consent requirements. Secondly, that although the path along the coast south of St Andrews was upgraded sometime ago by the former local authority, the particular stretch at Kinkell Braes has, as of this moment yet to be developed as part of the current fife Coastal Path Project. However, as the Fife Coastal Path continues to be developed by agencies other than Fife Council some form of signage, maintenance programme and potential upgrading might be possible. Conversely, only limited financial resources are available for the project, as a whole, any major upgrading at Kinkell Braes will have to be examined carefully with respect to financing.
I am therefore organising an Engineers Survey to be undertaken to determine the condition of the relevant section of path area along Kinkell Braes, affected by the field drainage run-off.
Following the survey, relevant action will be considered to resolve the situation should sufficient resources be made available?
Furthermore, at the request of Deirdre Munro, Coastal Ranger, Community Services, I have instructed the Countryside Estate Team to undertake maintenance on the footpath from Kinkell Braes Southwards. This will allow walkers to use the lower route, alleviating the need for walkers to use the higher route at this stage (where run-off from the field drains makes walking more difficult) and which is not at present maintained.
During my conversation with Councillor Liston the possibility of myself attending the Community Council Meeting in March 2002 was mentioned to discuss issues and answer questions on the long-term maintenance operations for the Fife Coastal Path. This would be relevant if considerable progress has been made on the number of fronts concerning the overall Fife Coastal Path Project. I will contact you nearer the time to confirm or otherwise.
The letter to Fife Council
The community council is prepared to consider the case for change in the strategic planning arrangements for Fife. Indeed there are strong arguments for some aspects of strategic level planning to be organised 'cross-border'. It also seems to us that simplifying the planning system by removing a 'strategic' layer, wherever it is sensible to do so, might well be beneficial.
Nonetheless the imprecise nature of the current preliminary proposals from the Scottish Executive means we cannot offer any firm support for them at this stage. Indeed we view with some suspicion the philosophy that underlies the proposed areas for strategic planning. The emphasis on four major (though unnamed) cities and what are referred to as their 'hinterlands' sends a very clear message that local, relatively rural, interests will be overridden by the cities. Such an approach is likely to increase the sense of exclusion of those living in rural areas adjacent to cities. The very use of the word 'hinterland' is offensive; it suggests a city-oriented land-grab with no recognition of the differing strategic needs of the non-city urban and rural areas. Strategic needs may influence local issues but to predicate everything on the needs of a city runs against the trend to devolution and predominately local control of local issues.
St Andrews does not consider itself functionally a part of Dundee's or Edinburgh's or any other city's strategic hinterland. We may not consider ourselves best served by the implementation of planning policy in Fife, against Fife Council's own strategic plan, in recent years. But exchanging a system under which St Andrews sometimes seems regarded as a resource to be exploited by Glenrothes for one in which our needs are deemed subservient to those of Edinburgh or Dundee is unlikely to constitute an advance. Rather it should be recognised that semi-rural areas such as N.E. Fife have legitimate needs and aspirations of their own. We would commend in particular the European principle of subsidiarity, under which decisions are taken at the lowest viable level.
To conclude: whilst we would commend the Scottish Executive for recognising that the present system is far from perfect, we hope that when firmer proposals are framed they will seek to enhance the influence on the planning system of people living in rural areas close to cities, rather than treating them as second-class citizens.
| When | Who | What |
| 3/9/01 | Menzies Campbell MP | Review of Strategic Planning |
| 3/9/01 | Community Services | Town Hall Display Case |
| 3/9/01 | Transportation Service | Bus Shelter 3 St Mary's Pl |
| 3/9/01 | City Design Coop/Scot Ent Fife | Harbour improvements plans |
| 6/9/01 | Scot/Ent Fife | College/South St plans |
| 6/9/01 | Fife Community Safety Partnership | Annual Report |
| 6/9/01 | Scottish Enterprise Fife | South St & College St proposals |
| 6/9/01 | Tentsmuir Eden Liaison Group | Minutes 29/8/01 |
| 6/9/01 | NHS Fife | Board meeting 11/9 |
| 6/9/01 | City Architecture Office/Scot Ent Fife | Replacement Harbour Café |
| 6/9/01 | Scot/Ent Fife | College/South St |
| 7/9/01 | Tay Estuary Forum | Summer Newsletter |
| 12/9/01 | Roads Service | Roads Programme 2002/3 consultation |
| 13/9/01 | VONEF | September Newsletter |
| 14/9/01 | Community Services | Town Hall improvements |
| 14/9/01 | Leckie & Leckie | Celebrating St Andrews Day |
| 15/9/01 | NHS Fife | Date for meetings |
| 17/9/01 | Iain Smith MSP | Review of Strategic Planning |
| 17/9/01 | Environmental Bodies Council | Summer Newslette |
| 17/9/01 | Law & Admin | Local Holidays 2002 |
| 18/9/01 | SEPA | Information Leaflet |
| 26/9/01 | Community Services | Fife Coastal Path/Kinkell Braes |
| 26/9/01 | Planning | Acknowledging CCTV objections |
| 27/9/01 | Scottish Natural Heritage | Tay/Eden Special Area of Conservation Formal Consultation |
| 27/9/01 | Scenic Maps | Map Updating |
| 27/9/01 | Community Services | Bonfire & Fireworks display registration |
| 28/9/01 | East Area Service Ctte | Agenda 02/10/01 |
| 28/9/01 | Tourism Management Programme | Environment & Infrastructure minutes |
All from Chris Lesurf - circulated at the meeting
3.1 Community policing
Vehicles parked on pavements often cause dangerous road obstructions and/or pavement damage.
Would the police please start a campaign in co-operation with Fife Council and any other interested parties to convince drivers that they break the law when they commit these offences ?
If they don’t, then people, who would usually abide by the law, often feel obliged to park off the road. This applies where it is quite legal to park completely on the road but drivers fear others getting angry if they have to slow down and take any extra care to pass.
When I told a taxi driver he didn’t need to stop half-way up the pavement, his response was ‘Well, I have to, don’t I?’.
Needless to say, it is illegal to park where restrictions are indicated by yellow lines etc. If this means it’s inconvenient: hard luck.
6.4 Local Holidays
There should be a May Day holiday and, of course, it should be the first Monday in May.
The Merchants’ Assoc. should use it as a spring festival with which to start the tourist season !
7.1 Local roads programme consultation
I’m not sure whether you want details, but here’s a few anyway:
a) roads in need of resurfacing :
i) Kilrymont Park (? between Kilrymont Rd. and Priestden Place - now used by town buses both ways as well as a lot of school buses)
ii) Warrack St.- as above
iii) the bottom of the steep slope from Kinnessburn to Queens Terrace - it’s been uneven and often full of puddles ever since I came here.
iv) Glebe Rd. - the part near Langlands Rd. was not resurfaced when the area near the water tank in the park was placed.
Appendix A
It should be emphasised that these are points made by individual residents not ones agreed by StACC.
Even members of the St.A. Preservation Trust seem not to know what pedestrianisation means so it should be made clear i.e. not banning all road vehicles but limiting delivery times and access by private cars while still having easy access for emergency vehicles and increasing the amount of slow moving public transport including taxis (mentioning that people with bus passes can also pay half-price taxi fares). It would also need Park and Ride services from 2 new places, such as near (or part of) the caravan site near Kingask and near Safeways (eg where it was once proposed the hospital should be built).
I have discussed these plans with a member of Fife Council’s Transport Dept and accepted the possibility of more traffic along Lamond Drive and Largo Rd.. However, with the extra park and ride services, it might be possible to guide the traffic from Safeways along Scooniehill Rd., Kilrymont Park and out to Grange Rd. (The latter would also be more sensible for the town buses as it would avoid the present acute turn from Warrack St. into Lamond Drive.)
* * * * * *
For the attention of CHEW:
I have received copies of applications for money from the £40,000 being made available from the NHS for community services. My preferences were easy to decide but I would happy to let other StACC members see them. I also suggest that we ask to be involved as a CC not just me as a member of the NEFife Mental Health Redesign Team.
No covering letter came with them so I’ll have to find out if any action is expected when I come back from the ‘it’s about time’ conference in Birmingham.
Meeting of Cosmos Community Centre Committee (CCCC)
17th September 2001
These are a few points that were discussed. If you wish to know any more, please let me know, if necessary by leaving a message with my husband between 1st and 3rd October.
One of the items discussed was my idea of buying Citizens’ Advice Scotland’s information as computer disks and keeping them at the centre for use with a computer to be kept (firmly) in the coffee area. This would mean that it would be easily available to the general public but preferably with a trained volunteer in attendance.
Many people suffer stress because of ignorance about services/benefits etc. available to help solve problems with relationships, employment, caring for others, managing debts, housing, general rights and obligations. The stress is sometimes severe enough to require treatment as mental illness. Having easy access to official information in a social environment would mean that there would be a choice between asking general or personal questions there, in addition to the confidential service provided by CARF in the council offices in St. Mary’s Place.
I confess that I had forgotten that the information is updated once a month and so it would cost a lot more than the first purchase, which would be about £250. CCCC felt that they do not have sufficient funds at present and accepted my suggestion that the idea should be shelved for the moment and reconsidered at a later date. There was also a feeling that such services should be available elsewhere and there is a limit to the number of people who would be welcome at CCC. Their emphasis is on groups hiring facilities rather than individual access which worries me because people should be encouraged to use public facilities.
In view of this, I request that StACC consider contributing to the cost of a Citizens’ Advice service if only by suggesting possible grants, donations, sponsoring etc. and refers it to our Health, Education and Welfare Committee. They could also consider possibilities of other locations for CAB information to be available, in view of the fact that Citizens’ Advice and Rights Fife (CARF) only offers St. Andrews about 10 man-hours attendance a week (hidden in a back room council office) compared to more than 80 man-hours that used to be available (in continuously obvious shop premises in South St.).
The treasurer’s report included a monthly statement of costs and profits relating to the coffee morning fund raising as well as usual income from groups, expenditure on goods and services, including the possibility of loss in the refreshment area. The prices there are low but little is sold because many people do not know that they are available. This means that people are trusted to pay with no one checking, income is low and the possibility of theft is being investigated. The centre supervisor did not support the idea of volunteers helping to run it.
After a contribution by the representative of Glenrothes College (GC), it was pointed out that as GC does not get government money for work that does not result in certificates being issued, CCC would have to pay for any training in areas such as food hygiene.
The Community Education Worker gave a report and answered questions. Mine included asking who pays for the staff (money from Fife Council Community Services Dept) and when CCC computers are available for public use (classes run most of the time but few people use them on Monday evenings).
Chris Lesurf