Approved
Chair: Murdo Macdonald
Nicola Milne
Nicola has been selected for her services to her school, Madras College, and to the to the community of St. Andrews in general. This is exemplified by the following.
Michael John Henretty
Michael-John has been awarded a Commendation Certificate for his service to his school and for his work with the youngsters of St. Andrews.
Laura Sinclair
Laura has been awarded a Commendation Certificate for her service to her school and for her community work with young people. She is a volunteer at the Cosmos Centre’s After School Club.
Community Councillors: George Davidson, Richard Douglas, Ken Fraser, Ian Goudie, Joe Lamb, Chris Lesurf, Pete Lindsay, Dennis Macdonald, Murdo Macdonald, Gordon Pay, Joe Peterson, Frank Riddell, Ewen Sparks, Archie Strachan, Jean Thompson, Penny Uprichard.
Students Association: Rory O’Hare, James North, Caroline Watkinson
Co-opted: Bill Sangster
Fife Councillors: Bill Brooks, Sheila Hill, Jane Ann Liston, Frances Melville
Apologies: Ken Crichton, Cynthia Tero
Accepted
Inspector Jim Steele, normally based at Cupar came along to introduce the new community PC, Carolan Hazelwood.
He commended community council for promoting young people through the Young Citizen awards. Young people often get a bad press, he said, so it helps to present them positively too.
3.1.1. Cycle Lanes Frank Riddell asked if the cycle lanes promoted safety for cyclists and if there are statistics on cycle accidents before and since the lanes.
3.1.2. Road Safety at Bogward/Craigtoun road roundabout Ian Goudie reported the poor posi-tioning of the traffic lights which have been at the roundabout here for nearly a month. Their ar-rangement in conjunction with the roundabout seems to be causing difficulties over priorities and visibility.
Insp Steele replied that they have limited powers over road works; Transportation Service have more, but the police would look into the safety aspect traffic controls.
Sam Taylor and Robin Clark spoke of their concerns at the planning applications for houses on the St Leonards Fields site, widely desired in town as the site for the new hospital. They urged community council to resist housing on this site by whatever appropriate means to give time for the hospital plans to come forward.
Replying as convenor of the planning committee Ian Goudie said the committee will certainly look at the latest applications and put in an appropriate objection. He noted that community council have taken a lead in preserving the site since 1994.
He has responded to the appeal against the decision on the four houses which are one phase of a piecemeal approach to developing housing on the area. It is against the Structure Plan not to put hospi-tal there, in that it will otherwise go to the outskirts in the green belt. Allowing a developer to put up housing we don’t need, in place of a hospital that we do, would not be a good idea.
There were several speakers, mostly reiterating points made in the written submissions.
David Robertson representing the New St Andrew Japan Trust which links with Otawara, Japan, was concerned that twinning with Loches might be seen as a snub to Otawara with which there has been a longer association than Loches. It was said there was no possibility of twinning then but cultural links leading to exchanges of students were put in place and still ran. A perceived snub might affect support for these links. Students, teaching, sports. In the matter of twinning in general he felt wider consultation of bodies such as the university, Merchants Association, Schools etc should be undertaken before any decision.
Colin McAllister said he knew little of Loches. He was not against such links as such but felt links should be carefully selected. For instance Santiago de Compostella is a place of pilgrimage, as was St Andrews, and with its university and cathedral has more in common with St Andrews than Loches; or in Italy similar arguments can be made for Amalfi.
Penny Smith spoke in support of the Loches Alliance as a member. Over the past 5 or 6 years lots of St Andrews people have benefited from visits and exchanges, in areas such as schools and sport. More people could benefit from full twinning.
Juliette Fowler, a member of the Loches Alliance, emphasised that they did not see twinning with Loches as in any way exclusive, nor wished to discriminate against any other links.
Other speakers reiterated concerns, informally in some cases, about the suitability of Loches as a twin, expressed concerns about the timescale of the consultation, or fears of St Andrews’ “unique” character being violated by an act of twinning.
Murdo Macdonald, as chair, went over the timescale starting with the first approach by the Loches Association in October 2002 with press coverage, which brought no opinions from the public to community council; coverage in the community council’s Bulletin news sheet circulated to most households in De-cember which brought some responses for the January meeting, but to be it was agreed to leave the matter another month to give people a ‘last chance’ to comment, as covered in the local press. He also noted that twinning had never been considered before because the proposal had never been raised from within the town before.
Fife Councillors Jane Ann Liston and Frances Melville emphasised that any formal twinning was up to the community, through the community council. Fife Council would only play a rôle as an enabler in the twinning process.
Next Business. Proposed Archie Strachan, 2nd Frank Riddell: no opposition.
agreed
Item 6.1. as next business. Proposed Frank Riddell, 2nd Pete Lindsay: no opposition.
agreed
4.1.1. Official Pier Reopening March 2nd simple ceremony for townsfolk and (begowned) students.
4.1.2. West Sands Welcomed a clean-up project by the university Tree & Frog Society for Outhead. There have been concerns about the state of the beach beyond the blue flag area.
4.1.3. Transport Plan Forum Good response to transportation plan forum held last month, (attended by several community councillors).
4.1.4. Park & Ride Service Period to include university graduations, and will run 25 June to 6 Sep. A P&R service may also run around Christmas for park and ride shopping.
4.1.6. Rights of Way Community services involved through results of the land reform act and need for posts to deal with access issues. She also noted some health-promotion walking initiatives (Bums Off Seats etc). See also February agenda appendix A.
Penny Uprichard objected to the inclusion of the Fife Coastal Path as an access to St Andrews in various documents, saying it is not complete and unsafe. The warning sign at Kinkell Brae is not adequate. Cllr Jane Ann Liston noted that the completion of the coastal path had been held back by the most recent landslip at the caravan site; but for that the route would be complete, she understood.
4.1.7. Tourism Task Force Gave a presentation to local Fife Council members. She found it a “damp squib”, flawed by not being fully aware of issues in town such as the harbour regeneration project.
4.1.8. Lighting at Kinburn Park Work on the improvements should start late March.
4.2.1. Craigtoun Road development The decorative gates asked about some months ago had been approved by planning officials, she reported. Ian Goudie pointed out that the issue was not planning approval of the gates as such but the principle of public consultation in planning matters - why was this decided by officials without any public consultation?
4.2.2. Craigtoun Road development street names Affordable housing area’s street name plates now up, but not the main road’s.
4.2.3. Lade Braes More resurfacing up to Lawmill Gardens.
4.2.4. Cockshaugh Park She is looking into funding for decent toilets here.
4.3.1. Madras Swimming Pool scheduled to reopen 17th Feb, but the safety of pupils should override deadlines.
4.3.2. Harbour Lighting Missing bulbs fixed by contractors, now waiting for Scottish Power to com-plete electrical work.
4.3.3. Blackfriars Chapel The current state of play is that the lights are the responsibility of Historic Scotland (who originally said thy were Fife Council’s). Whoever’s they are, they still need fixed.
4.3.4. Kinnessburn report Very disappointed. Report says nothing new. Suggests £25,000 to do further reports. Transportation disappointed too. May get something done as a result of the Fife Flood Risk Report 1999 which suggests the burn should be dredged twice a year.
4.3.5. Tay Bridgehead School Welcomed The Courier taking this up as a campaign issue. Cllr Brooks stated that he did not see the need for a school in the bridgehead as a (NE Fife) political is-sue. All agree it is necessary.
4.4.1. Gritting Now has a copy of the policy statement on criteria for gritting. Pipeland Walk is not adopted as a footpath and is not gritted therefore. She has asked for a grit bin in the area.
4.4.2. Affordable Housing How many affordable houses does St Andrews need? 662 according to the Fordham Housing Needs Survey 2000, quoted in Fife Council’s Scoping Opinion reply to the Western Development Scoping Brief.
4.4.3. Phone boxes It now appears that BT are actually planning to take away 60 in Fife. They have not sent a map of the actual locations. In St Andrews they intend to remove boxes at: Bogward Road, Lamond Drive, Canongate/Largo Rd, Bruce embankment and North Street.
4.4.4. Kinnessburn fence Community Services will deal with it.
4.4.5. SEPA Report on Kinnessburn Notes that remedial measures taken in the past eg the canal-ising, have made the flooding situation worse. Doesn’t want to take ill-considered short-term meas-ures that will exacerbate the situation.
4.4.6. Pipeland Park Skateboard ramp replacement project running late but council will be consulting young people, the users, on choice of equipment.
4.4.7. Town Library Funding confirmed, work starting soon. Library closing 5pm Sat 15 Feb for 6 months. Main library will function out of the current Children’s premises and kids move to the JP courtroom. Leaflets with details of opening hours over the period are available in the Library.
4.4.8. Warrack Street Chris Lesurf reported water leaking from a broken water main due, she be-lieves, to buses leaving Kilrymont.
Ian Goudie apologised for the lack of a wriiten report, due to pressure of work.
5.1.1 Western Development Scoping Opinion Now received from Fife Council. Suggests more than one iteration of the Brief/Opinion cycle will be needed.
5.2.1. Tesco Objecting to retrospective applications for projecting signs and fascia materials.
5.2.2. Bank of Scotland Access Ramp Reiterating earlier objects. Consider that the developer is trying to wear out the public by constantly submitting minor variations in the plans.
5.2.3. John Knox Road Will object to 82 houses proposed.
5.2.4. Post Office Objecting to retrospective application for internally illuminated sign, as inappropri-ate in the conservation area.
5.2.5. Police Station Ditto 5.2.4.
5.2.6. Library Refurbishment There was discussion of whether a window proposed was in keeping with the buildings but most issues raised with the general matter of the refurbishment were not planning matters. No objection will be submitted.
5.2.7. Scotways The Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society to give an introduction and briefing at the Planning committee meeting of Monday 24th Feb, 7.30pm, St Mary’s Place Locality Office. Interested members welcome of course.
5.2.8. South Street Lighting Meeting with Alan Jeffry, architect on the project, at the Planning committee meeting 7.30pm Monday 8th.
Pete Lindsay gave the number of submissions received by the start of the meeting 14 pro, 12 anti and one not pro but specifically not anti. Only 5 of the anti’s were against twinning in any circumstances. Some of the writers had spoken to the meeting, he noted.
Donald Macgregor reiterated the main reasons he had given for twinning back in October: access to EU funding; a wish to build on and expand the already successful links; Loches historical credentials in a well-preserved mediaeval centre, Joan of Arc’s presence; nearby links with university and even some golf. Other Fife towns have twinned successfully without damage to their image. He supported the suggestion for further consultation such as an open meeting to consider the matter further. Other members of community council also backed this.
Ian Goudie felt it rash to overturn the policy of 25+ years against twinning, despite his personal liking for Loches.
Two motions were proposed:
Meeting to reconsider the matter in two months time to allow more consultation by Community Council of town organisations. Proposed Archie Strachan, 2nd Frank Riddell.
Loches Alliance to be given up to a year to show widespread support in St Andrews for twinning. Proposed Pete Lindsay, 2nd Jean Thompson.
Year 8 votes; two months 6 votes; abstain 3.
To be reconsidered in 1 year
Business resumed at item 4
No member of community council is able to take this on. Archie Strachan asked if we should pay someone?
A major problem will be where to keep the chairs, currently stored at Cosmos.
Frank Riddell will follow up last year’s contact via the University Music Centre.
Remove PL’s flippant remarks otherwise agreed. Any last minute thoughts to him in the next few days please.
PL to write
[Jan 7.2.] No progress as yet. Informal sounding suggest political groups willing. Suggested date Tues 15 April. Murdo Macdonald to book Town Hall. Pete Lindsay to contact parties/MSPs.
MM book/PL write
Draft response approved. Pete Lindsay to finalise in conjunction with Archie Strachan
PL/AS
Noted
March Agenda
PL to reply
Seek facts and figures from Police and other bodies.
PL to write
Support proposed Fife Council action.
PL to write
MM to attend
Support – appropriate lighting.
PL to write
No comment.
8.1.1. Rectorial Drag & Installation 4pm Thurs 20th Feb, Burgh Chambers. Agreed small gift to the rector and & wine reception for the official party.
MM to arrange
March agenda
Murdo Macdonald nominated Charles Armour as an Honoured Citizen.
PL arrange voting