There will be a meeting of the community council at 7pm on Monday 7th 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.
1. Apologies
Sheila Hill.
2. Minutes of September 2002
(Read for accuracy in matters of substance – harangue the secretary for minor errors (spelling etc) outwith the meeting).
3. Presentations
(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).
3.1. Community Police Report
3.2. Town Twinning
Donald Macgregor for the Loches Alliance and Dominique Robertson of Fife Council will answer questions arising from Appendix A.
(See also Frank Riddell’s Loches Alliance web site http://www.scottishprof.demon.co.uk/Alliance.html).
4. Fife Councillors
4.1. Frances Melville (West)
4.1.1. Petheram Car Park Traffic Order [September 3.1.6] Appendix G: Progress update.
4.2. Sheila Hill (South)
Is on honeymoon, but sends an update:
4.2.1. Lade Braes/Kinnessburn [September 4.2.4.] Appendix E: Trout in the Lade Braes Burn.
4.3. Bill Brooks (Central)
4.4. Jane Ann Liston (South East)
5. Planning Committee Report
6. Matters Arising from Previous Meetings
6.1. St Andrews Library
[September 6.7.] From East Area Services Committee Agenda, 18 Sep (item was not actually taken for lack of time, I understand – PL).
11.0 Libraries Update
11.1 St. Andrews Library – work continues on putting together a funding package for St. Andrews Library. £50,000 capital budget has been approved to date, and plans have been drawn up with Facilities for a phased programme of refurbishment work. One option is for the £50,000 to be used to convert the recently purchased extension into staff accommodation and storage space, which would free up the existing staff room area to be turned into a public area housing the NOF computers in order to meet the deadlines imposed by NOF. Further refurbishment work will follow and the programme revised subject to funding.
6.2. Best Kept Town
[September 6.4.] Jim Hooton & Alistair Barnard of Fife Council will attend the November meeting to discuss the way forward.
6.3. CCTV Advisory Group
[September 6.3.] Appendix D: first meeting at 2pm on Thursday 10th October 2002, Police Headquarters, Detroit Road, Glenrothes.
Who will attend?
6.4. Green Belt Forum
[July 5.3.] Send an extract of the finalised Fife Structure Plan on the green belt for information. Now looking forward to practical implementation in the St Andrews Local Plan.
Also included is a draft constitution, intended to put the Forum on a firm footing for ongoing campaigning, for consideration of member organisations.
6.5. The St Leonards Reeling Record
[July 3.1.] Lindsay Murray writes:
“The Committee regrets that, due to insufficient support for a record attempt, the event will not take place on October 11th 2002. However, it hopes that it will be possible to muster sufficient support for a record attempt next year and, to this end, will keep in touch. The Committee regrets any inconvenience caused by this change of plan and thanks you very much for your support to date.”
6.6. Botanic Garden
[September 6.4 (A2)] Just over a dozen community & Fife councillors, partners and friends were shown round some of the garden and given some insight into the practical difficulties of running and supporting this treasure (the state of the alpine section was explained too).
I urge community council to support the Botanic Gardens via the Friends to at least the extent of taking out a supporting membership.
Pete Lindsay
6.x. other matters arising
7. New Business
7.1. Anniversary Photograph
Would it be appropriate for a commemorative photo to be taken of community council to celebrate the body’s 25th anniversary this year (as brought to our attention by Cllr Jane Ann Liston)? The December meeting is within a few days of St Andrew’s Day, which might be appropriate.
Pete Lindsay
7.2. Scenic Map
Mr Rattray asks if we have any updates or corrections to the Scenic Map information for the coming year. He is happy to come and talk on feedback and comments received from businesses, accommodation providers etc. Copies of the current guide associated with the map can be sent to us or interested individuals can pick them up in eg the Crawford Centre.
7.3. Tourism Meeting
The second of the biannual meetings, following on from March, is at 7.30pm, Thu 24 Oct at the St Andrews Golf Hotel, The Scores.
“The meeting will include a presentation on the results of recent research carried out on the external views of St Andrews. There will also be updates on the a review of signs in the town, plans for St Andrew’s Week 2002, the traffic modelling exercise and current and planned environmental works in the town.”
(Full Agenda and note of the last meeting is in the correspondence file).
7.4. Fife Primary Care Emergency Services
Appendix B: Letter from Dr Drew Smart (Associate Medical Director) to community councils introducing the new arrangements. Public information meeting: 7.30-9pm Tue 8 Oct, Madras College, Kilrymont Road.
7.5. Cycleclips
Summer edition of the Fife Millenium Cycleways Project: Official launch; Police cycle to Germany for charity; Route Updates; Italian Big Brother comes to Fife; Bike Week round-up; Cycling tips for St Andrews cycle lane network; Website http://www.fifecycleways.co.uk/; Cycling towards a healthier lifestyle; Preston Island pedal push; Bike security; Kids identify safer routes.
7.6. CARF
Appendix C: CARF want to expand representation on the Board of Directors and encourage us to join.
[We were affiliated a few years back but I don’t think we were contacted to re-affiliate. Donald Macgregor was our representative and may recall more – PL].
7.7. Hospital
Appendix F: Update from John Bell of the Local Health Care Co-op.
7.8. SEPAView
Autumn issue of the SEPA newsletter: Flooding – you can’t prevent it but you can prepare; SEPA’s radioactive rôle; Scotland’s regulators help Hungary; Northern exposure – Shetland Isles environment.
8. Reports from Officers
8.1. Chair
8.2. Treasurer
8.3. Secretary
8.3.1. Printer Stand Those at last month’s meeting may have noticed that your secretary is under some domestic pressure to free the dining table from its current burden of the community council laser printer. This, an Apple Laserwriter 8500 (with full trimmings), is 23” wide x 23” deep x 25” high and weighs around 100lb fully loaded. Can anyone provide a small but strong table / stand?
Otherwise I seek permission to buy a community council stand for the printer. Preliminary research into office furniture shows prices in the order of £150-200 (ex VAT) for appropriate heavy duty stands.
9. Reports
9.1. from Committees
Written reports are required by terms of the Scheme for Community Councils.
9.2. from Representatives
For any verbal reports of meetings attended etc. Issues requiring a decision by community council should be raised under items 6 Matters Arising or 7 New Business, as appropriate.
10. Any Other Competent Business
Please notify Chair of AOCB items before the start of the meeting or at the break. Hint: Given that the end of the meeting is often taken in something of a rush, unless items are urgent it might be better to submit them for next meeting’s New Business.
Appendix A – Application to proceed to official Town-Twinning with Loches-en-Touraine
Donald Macgregor
History of Alliance 1996-2002
‘Cultural links’ were established almost six years ago with the town of Loches-en-Touraine, itself rather smaller than St Andrews but equally historic. In 1996 a premature application to twin was rejected by the Community Council, following which a public meeting was held, attended by the French Consul-general, M. Jean Moreau, a St Andrews-Loches committee formed with Mrs Mary Freeborn as chairman, and a Loches delegation invited for St Andrew’s Day that year. The delegation met representatives of Fife Council, the University, Community Council, Tourism Management, Crawford Centre, R&A, Links Trust, schools and others to discuss possibilities for mutual visits etc. On return to Loches a public meeting was held and the Nouvelle Alliance formed with the Maire Adjoint (Patrimoine) Pascal Dubrisay as chairman. Since then the conseil municipal of Loches and members of the surrounding ‘communauté des communes’ (population similar to that of NE Fife) have supported the cultural links programme in every way possible (including financially).
Since then 58 official visits have taken place in Loches or St Andrews, involving very diverse age groups and areas of interest. A brief run-through of the history of the Alliance will bring the main elements into focus:
1997: St Andrews organisations invited to meeting in Cosmos Centre, ideas put forward and committee enlarged. Delegation goes to Loches, received in Hôtel de Ville, schools visited, contacts established. Private visit in July by chair of Community Council (DM) who found great interest in pursuing links at all levels.
October 1997 Trust formed with charitable status, constitution adopted with aims ‘to establish, develop and by raising funds afford opportunities to support educational, cultural and sporting links between St Andrews and Loches. A fund-raising campaign and membership drive was launched at a special musical evening. Of 27 projects listed then, 14 had been realised by the end of 1998. 70 members were signed up.
1998: school exchanges launched – 2 students from Lycée Alfred de Vigny attended Madras College and stayed in families. In early spring the Renaissance Group gave concerts in Loches and Tours, the nearest university town. At Easter 38 St Leonard’s students visited the Lycée St-Denis. A delegation from St Andrews visited the Easter Fair (Foire de Pâques). In the summer a fundraising concert was held with the St Andrews Jazz Trio and the St Leonard’s Jazz Band. Two groups of 50 lycée students visited St Andrews and were shown round by members of the Alliance. The Fife Museum Service sent an exhibition of photographs of the Lammas Market to Loches town hall in June. In late July the first of 5 consecutive visits by a junior football team from the Collège Georges Besse attended the St Andrews International football tournament at University Park. (They won their age group in 2001.) In September Loches students of forestry visited St Andrews and stayed at Elmwood College. During St Andrew’s Week a 16-strong delegation came here, led by the mayor, M. Jean-Jacques Descamps, and including the local captain of gendarmerie, and the editor of the local newspaper (Renaissance Lochoise). M. Descamps unveiled a commemorative plaque in the Town Hall. During 1998 help was received from many St Andrews organisations (including the Community Council). Newsletters were established on both sides.
1999: A second visit was made to the Foire de Pâques, involving 17 u-13 boys and 9 adults. Two St Andrews Boys pipers led the Loches Easter Parade and all attended a dinner at the historic Palais Royal. During the summer football tournament, where Loches had two teams, much help was provided by St Andrews Boys, St Leonard’s School, as well as individual Alliance members and others. In the summer holiday there was a work experience exchange involving 2 Loches and 2 St Andrews girls. Here, a wine tasting and pancake event was held in collaboration with Luvian’s and St Andrews Museum. In the autumn the Alliance embarked on the regular sale of wine at SCO concerts for fund-raising purposes.
2000: An exhibition of the work of the French painter Emmanuel Lansyer was held at the Crawford Centre – the first outside France. Much assistance was received on both sides, especially from curator Diana Sykes and from Aimée Lykins who spent a month in Loches selecting and researching for the exhibition. It was opened by CC chairman Frank Riddell with Pascal Dubrisay, Nouvelle Alliance chairman, present, and attracted 2500 vistors. In May Madras College FP RFC hosted (and defeated) Loches rugby club on the morning of a French victory over Scotland. This visit was supported by the R&A, by Fife Council and by the Alliance with help from Kilrymont Rotary Club. At the AGM Mary Freeborn reported that over the first three years 40 exchanges had developed involving nearly 500 people, and reminded her audience that the entire community benefited from such networking. St Leonard’s School embarked in the summer in Blois on international projects along with the Lycée St-Denis, part-funded by an EU Comenius grant. In the summer a group from the Alliance went to Loches, and the chairman opened a Minigolf close to the town. In July the Fife Council Convener John McDougall took part in the July 14 celebrations, ‘en kilt’, and reportedly impressed locals by his knowledge of Franco-Scottish history, translated by Dr David Gascoigne who was in Loches directing the St Rule Singers in a series of concerts. These included a joint performance with a local choir, Les Baladins. In September there were three events in Loches included an exhibition of ‘Cynicus’ cartoons (Martin Anderson of Balmullo) mounted by Fife Museums Service. Professor Malcom Scott gave a lecture on his new book on Maurois and De Gaulle. Loches town council did St Andrews the honour of naming a new walkway the ‘Promenade Nouvelle Alliance St Andrews’ along the banks of the river Indre. Trees presented by our Alliance have since been planted there. In the autumn a ‘Photo 2000’ exhibition was held in Loches and then transferred to St Andrews for St Andrew’s Week.
2001: The Alliance was entered into the COSLA town links database so that we could apply for Euro-funding. This was done successfully to part-fund the fourth visit by Loches junior footballers who on this occasion ate, slept and had their being in the Cosmos Centre. The first exchanges of drawings by the 3 and 4 year olds at playgroup/école maternelle took place. Madras College and St Leonard’s School contacts continued. In September Pascal Dubrisay put on an exhibition in the Galerie François 1er of the Hôtel de Ville called ‘Regards to St Andrews’, consisting of photography by Prof. Sam Taylor and Dr Frank Riddell. Mme Marie-Christine Faye succeeded M. Dubrisay as Présidente of the Nouvelle Alliance and along with M Descamps, the mayor, led the delegation to St Andrews in November 2001. During that visit the ‘Loches Pool’ was inaugurated at the Botanic Garden, with a commemorative plaque set up to mark the occasion. Mary Freeborn handed over her chairmanship to Donald Macgregor.
2002: the main event this year was the visit to Loches of 18 St Andreans to attend the festival to mark the 16th century visit to Loches of Mary Stewart, Queen of France and Scotland. Exhibitions on her life and lectures were held. At the inauguration of the new 9 hole golf course at Loches-Verneuil the chairman gave a talk on St Andrews Links and presented gifts from St Andrews Links Trust to the new club. The Collège Georges Besse team attended the international football tournament, this time staying at David Russell Hall. Visits by students of St Leonard’s School have also taken place, and we expect a delegation for St Andrew’s Week again.
REASONS FOR PROCEEDING TO OFFICIAL TOWN TWINNING
1. The links established – 58 official visits and many other private ones have taken place – demonstrate the involvement and enthusiasm of many organisations and individuals in St Andrews as well as in Loches. Fife Council too has supported our efforts through advice and personal commitment from officers and elected members, including two conveners. Although the Nouvelle Alliance, like its sister organisation here, is separate from the municipality of Loches, there are overlapping interests and memberships and great community spirit. Many personal friendships have sprung up as in past Franco-Scottish relationships.
2. The links with Loches have been developed much more deeply and far more widely than any previous suggested twinning arrangement, all of which have been rejected by St Andrews. Circumstances alter cases, and the Fife Council’s EU funding specialist has assured us that more funding is likely to become available in future years and that it will be more easily accessible to towns officially twinned.
3. Loches is an historic city. Its fortress, which is quite intact and was in use until 1928, was built by the warlord Foulque Nera in the year 1000. The Palais Royal is still used for functions and was visited by many kings and Holy Roman Emperors.
Appendix B – Fife Primary Care Emergency Services
I am writing to inform you of important improvements to the way that the GP Out of Hours Service is delivered in Fife and Kinross. At present there are six Out of Hour Co-operatives operating in Fife the towns of Kinross and Cardenden do not have access to any of these co-ops.
From 4th November a new unified service will come into operation and will be known as the Fife PCES – which stands for Primary Care Emergency Service. The service will be run by Fife Primary Care NHS Trust and manned by local GPs.
The six current GP co-ops, which were set up in 1996, are:
The six co-ops have served the people of Fife and local GPs well, but to achieve equity of service, a number of issues had to be tackled.
The new Primary Care Emergency service will extend what is offered by the current Out of Hours Co-operatives by also encompassing the Fife Dental Emergency Service and Community Nursing. It will eventually extend to cover all Out of Hours Services provided by the Fife Primary Care Trust.
Primary Care Emergency Centres will be located in Dunfermline at Queen Margaret Hospital and in St Andrews at the Memorial Hospital. In Central Fife the main Primary Care Emergency Centre will be located at Glenrothes Hospital. These Centres will be open throughout the Out of Hours period including overnight. In Central Fife two additional Primary Care Emergency centres will be located in Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy and Randolph Wemyss Hospital, Buckhaven – these will be available by appointment at peak periods in the evenings and at weekends. Patients will also be seen at the Adamson Hospital by arrangement.
For those patients whose condition means that they are unable to attend a Centre, visits will be provided. The visiting doctor will have a Primary care driver and Emergency Vehicle, which will be linked to the central Control Centre.
A Central Control Centre will be located in Glenrothes Hospital that will be staffed by a team of Call handlers, Nurse Triagers and Dispatchers. When a patient calls out of hours all calls will be taken in the Central control and the details will be taken by a Call handler. The call will then be passed to a trained nurse who can either advise the patient how to deal with their problem or arrange further assessment by one of the doctors. The dispatcher will then find out where the most appropriate place for the patient to be seen is and arrange an appointment
The service is being funded by NHS Fife, NHS Tayside and the General Practitioners of Fife and Kinross. The new service will see an additional funding of quarter of a million pounds. Additional posts have been created and
Existing staff have been transferred to the new organisation.
A series of Public Meetings to inform the communities will be co-ordinated by Fife Health Council to take place throughout October.
Dr Drew Smart
Associate Medical Director
Appendix C: CARF
C.A.R.F. exists to tackle inequality, discrimination and the disadvantaged in Fife. This is done by providing a high quality information advice and representation service. It is free, confidential, independent and accessible.
As C.A.R.F. is presently involved in extending its membership base, we would take this opportunity to invite you or your fellow Councillors, to become members of C.A.R.F, or alternatively, take out membership on behalf of the Community Council.
In addition to C.A.R.F. membership, the Board of Directors intend to increase the number of Board members. If you have any particular individual who may wish to be considered for election as a Director, then the opportunity to do so will be given at the A.G.M. in early November.
In conclusion, the membership fees are as follows – employed £1.00 and unemployed – free.
Joe Paterson Vice Chairman
01592-414225
Appendix D – CCTV Advisory Group
I refer to the above and write to advise that the inaugural meeting of the CCTV Advisory Group has been set for 2pm on Thursday 10th October 2002, within the Munson Room at Police Headquarters, Detroit Road, Glenrothes. The remit of the group is to:-
Community representatives have been invited from the eight towns included in the CCTV scheme, along with police representatives from the areas concerned. Inspector Bill Harley, HO Operational Support, who is manager of the CCTV Unit, will chair the meeting.
There is parking available at Police Headquarters and on arrival you should sign in at reception, where staff there will direct you to the meeting room.
Tim Kendrick
Community Safety Co-ordinator
Fife Community Safety Partnership
Appendix E – Trout in the Lade Braes Burn
Cllr Sheila Hill received this response
I refer to your memo of 6th September to Roy Stewart, Area Manager (East) regarding a complaint that there appears to be a lack of trout in the Lade Braes Burn and suggesting that mink may be the culprits.
A Pest Control Operative has surveyed parts of the Lade Braes looking for signs of mink near the Kinness Burn. During the survey the Operative could find no signs of mink from the evidence of footprints or droppings. Mink prefer living in places with dense bankside vegetation and the presence of such conditions makes it difficult to survey any area fully.
As well as preying on fish mink will also prey on birds. The presence of ducks on some areas of the burn does not suggest the presence of mink.
I have also spoken to colleagues in the Scottish Environment Protection Agency regarding this matter. They have no information to suggest that there may be mink in the area based on conditions in the burn.
In view of the information that is available it is not intended to take any further action with respect to this matter at present. Should the complainant who raised this matter with yourself consider that he/she has seen specific signs of mink or wishes to advise on the exact area of the burr to which the concern relates then if he/she contacts the Environmental Services Office direct appropriate action can be taken to investigate the matter further.
R Philp
Environmental Health Team Leader
Appendix F – St Andrews Community Hospital and Health Centre
From Dr John Bell LHCC Chairman
I write to update you on progress with the proposed development of a community hospital and health centre serving the population of St Andrews and the surrounding area.
At its meeting in June, the Capital Investment Group of the Scottish Executive approved our Outline Business Case in principle, and has invited the Trust to provide an addendum to the Outline Business Case once the final outcome of the site selection process is known. The addendum will then be considered by the Capital Investment Group to confirm both deliverability and affordability of the site prior to final approval of the Outline Business Case being granted.
RPS Planning and Environment Consultants, who were appointed by the Trust to carry out an appraisal of our five short listed sites, have now provided us with an initial report of their findings. RPS have considered each of the sites in terms of location and accessibility, developability of the site and deliverability of the project, and have taken account of the views of the stakeholders. Although none of the sites can be considered ‘perfect’ for development, based on the initial findings of RPS, the Project Team have identified their preferred site as St Leonard’s Fields. Further detailed work now requires to be carried out in conjunction with Fife Council to ensure that our development requirements can be appropriately accommodated on the site, and we need to establish that development of the site is affordable.
The Trust are holding two of the short listed sites in reserve should the procurement and development of the St Leonards Fields site prove to be impractical, however details of these sites will be kept confidential until discussions are Formal project managements are now being put in place to drive forward the site selection process to enable final approval of the Outline Business Case to be granted, and thereafter, to secure development of the Full Business Case.
Dr Frances Elliot, Acting Chief Executive of the Trust, will assume the role of ‘Investment Decision Maker’ and will chair the Project Board that will be responsible for overseeing the project. North East Fife LHCC will now set up a Project Team with a wide range of skills reflecting the various aspects of the project. The Project Team will work closely with the Project Manager and external advisers and will liase with and involve stakeholders in the development of the scheme.
It is proposed that a public ‘reference group’ be formed, drawing on a broad range of interests. The ‘reference group’ will comprise persons identified as requiring to know of the work being undertaken, persons with particular areas of interest and expertise, and persons previously involved in the St Andrews and East Neuk community groups. The proposal for this type of involvement will be announced in the local press where selfnominated, interested persons will also be invited to join the group.
I would be happy to discuss any aspect of this further, and would ask you to contact me at the LHCC Office should you wish to do so.
Appendix G – Petheram Bridge Traffic Order
Passed on by Cllr Frances Melville
The Traffic Order should be published beginning of October after which the 21 day objection period will commence. If there are no objections to the Order I would envisage the restrictions and associated signing being in place before the end of the year.
As discussed previously it was never envisaged that these restrictions would be in place in time for this year’s summer season and the police have previously been successful in dissuading drivers from parking on the approach to the mini-roundabout. I have not been aware of any serious problems since police intervention. The new car park at the tennis courts has also helped to alleviate the problems previously experienced.
Notwithstanding the above, I had intended for the Order to be published much sooner but unfortunately this item of work has slipped due to other competing work priorities. I am, however, confident that. it will be completed within the time scale indicated above and the necessary restrictions will be in force in the new year.
I hope this is of assistance in the meantime and if you wish to discuss this matter further please contact me on the number detailed below.
Colin Stirling
Traffic Management Lead Officer (East)
Transportation Services
Correspondence
| ?/9/02 | Scottish Civic Forum | Human Rights in Scotland |
| 9/9/02 | Scottish Civic Forum | AGM 28/9 |
| 11/9/02 | NEF Local Healthcare Co-op | Hospital update |
| 14/9/02 | East Area Services | Agenda 18/9 |
| 14/9/02 | Transportation Services (via FM) | Station car park traffic order |
| 14/9/02 | Fife NHS Board | Board meeting 24/9 |
| 17/9/02 | Scottish Water | St Andrews Waste Plant Official Opening |
| 19/9/02 | Entrust | Landfill Tax Interpretation Guidance |
| 20/9/02 | Planning | College St courtyard etc |
| 20/9/02 | St Leonards School | Reeling Record |
| 21/9/02 | Fife Community Safety Partnership | CCTV advisory Group 10/10 Glenrothes |
| 24/9/02 | SEPA | SEPAView newsletter Autumn |
| 25/9/02 | Green Belt Forum | Update & Constitution |
| 25/9/02 | Millennium Cycleways project | Cycleclips newsletter |
| 26/9/02 | CARF | Invite to join |
| 26/9/02 | Entrust | Web site |
| 28/9/02 | Tourism Mgmt Programme | Tourism Meeting 24/10 |
| 28/9/02 | NHS Fife | Out of hours service |
| 2/10/02 | University | New Comp Sci building |
| 2/10/02 | Scottish Enterprise Fife | TMP Environment Group meeting 16 Oct |
| 2/10/02 | Fife Council | Fife Community Plan progress |
| 4/10/02 | Fife Health Council | Complementary Therapy & the NHS discussion group, Dunfermline 29/10 |