There will be a meeting of the community council at 7pm Monday 5th April 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.
(Copies of Agendas and Minutes of the Community Council are held at Fife Council’s Local Office, St Mary’s Place and the Town Library, Church Square. Those from mid-1998 on are online at http://www.louisxiv.demon.co.uk/standrewscc/)
Frank Riddell
Read for accuracy in matters of substance – harangue the secretary for minor errors (spelling etc) 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.
Alice Curteis on the Fairtrade movement and how St Andrews could become a Fairtrade town.
Appendix A: Minutes of 8th March 04
Arising from Ken Crichton’s request last month.
6.2.1. Current Policy Without wishing to reopen the specific debate over Loches from last month, the Secretary needs the guidance of community council on what he should be telling enquirers, as it seems the policy framework agreed in December 2002 (last month’s appendix L), on which he has based his answers since then, has been discarded.
6.2.2. Civic Receptions In view of some of the comments made during the debate last month it might be also be as well for community council to revisit the position agreed in April 2000 4.4. that honouring visiting dignitaries was acceptable within the practical constraints of funding and community council’s decision in individual cases.
Appendix B: Extract from the Parliament Transcript Wednesday 17 March 2004. Debate on a national celebration proposed by Donald Gorrie MSP.
Pete Lindsay proposes: Community council to write to Ted Brocklebank MSP regretting his undermining of local businesses and initiatives by his remarks in the Parliament belittling the efforts of the Saint Andrew’s Week committee, and his lamentable lack of support for a Saint Andrew’s Day national celebration in its traditional place.
At the prompting of John Lindsey, who is campaigning against aircraft noise, the RAF Leuchars Community Liaison Team have asked if we would like to hear from them and if there are any specific issues to address. If so they could some along in June/July.
7.3.1. Annual Subscription Sub is £15, due this month.
7.3.2. AGM The AGM will be Saturday 12 June, Stirling. (Agenda circulates in May).
Can anyone attend?
7.3.3. Community Planning Survey Appendix E: cover letter
Do we wish to respond?
The Water Customer Consultation Panel send 10 questions. Appendix C.
How do we respond?
Karen Wren of Ceres writes suggesting we may not realise the impact of the Airwave system; suggesting we should hold a public debate “to address local residents’ concerns” between the No 2 Tetra pressure group and the Police similar to one run by Abdie & Dunbog CC (who took a neutral stance – difficult for us now). Although she does not specifically say so in her letter, Karen Wren appears to be an organiser for No2Tetra.
Ask that we display and endorse their recruitment material for the Older People’s Advocacy project. They would be happy to talk to us about the project if we need more detail. Appendix F: extracts from their leaflet.
Appendix D. An annual event to bring together those with interests in access for walking, cycling and riding in town and country.
Can anyone attend?
5th September. Various buildings not normally accessible to the public will be open. We are asked for suggestions of buildings to open. Last year’s suggestions were: Suggestions: Churches; University: Biomolecular Science building (North Haugh), Museum/Gateway building (North Haugh), Senate Room, Hebdomador’s Room, Bell Pettigrew Museum, Gatty Marine Lab. Of these we were told churches were unpopular with the public unless restoration/building was going on and anyway the churches organise together to do their own thing as, in effect, does the university.
We are invited to comment by 31 May 2004 on the draft framework for Local Authorities requesting fees for supplying information under the FoI (Scotland) Act 2002.
The next step in drawing up the local plan, following the displays and post-it notes last autumn, will be a consultation/feedback/discussion meeting 6-9pm Thu 20 May, Madras College, Kilrymont Road.
The draft plan consultation will be Autumn of this year; the finalised plan publication autumn 2005; after this there is a gap to allow formal objections, a public enquiry, publication of resultant changes to the plan; publication of the adopted plan is set for mid 2006.
Appendix G: introductory letter from Andrew Gold, publisher of St Andrews Town & Gown. A mock-up can be circulated if he hasn’t sent this out to everyone.
Spring 2004: Are you a dog owner; Dog fouling £40 fine; Partnership action reclaims path for Levenmouth community; Food Safety Week 2004; Cross-contamination; Imminent risk to health closes public house; Control of asbestos; Smoking in the workplace; Old fridges and freezers; Recycling update; Challenges for Environmental Services.
Newsletter of the Marine Conservation Society’s adopt-a-beach project, Spring 2004: Water rates in the future; Containers lost at sea; Great eggcase hunt; Biodiversity recording schemes; Tackling the sources of litter; recycling; More plastic bags. Poster: Basking Shark Watch. Leaflet: The Fanshell: a national marine treasure. Advert: The Good Fish Guide.
8.3.1. email loss I managed to lose all of a week’s work, including email, for 13-22 March. I don’t think any major has gone, but of course I can’t be sure. Note that even if I replied to email from you in this period I’m probably not aware of it.
8.3.2. Vacancy With the demolition of David Russell Hall for rebuilding Gordon Pay has been forced to move out of St Andrews and no longer qualifies to serve as a community councillor.
8.3.3. Forthcoming attractions May: Patras Greetings presentation; AGM; Coastal Path – Chris Broome.
9.2.1. Saint Andrew’s Day holiday Keith McCartney reports that he attended a meeting on our behalf with Cardinal O’Brien and Michael Hance of Saltire Society: “discussions took place on how a campaign for a St Andrews Day holiday might be progressed. The meeting was very positive”.
Cardinal O’Brien copies information to us that he has raised the matter of an official Saint Andrew’s Day Holiday at a meeting of the Inter Faith Leaders in early March; there were no serious objections.
9.2.2. University Sports Centre Advisory Group Donald Macgregor reports: “I represented CC on the University Sports Centre Advisory Group on 4 March. The main item of business was the likely introduction of a student membership fee with probable knock-on effect for other user charges. All this has however yet to be finalised and I will keep CC informed.”
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.
By Pete Lindsay
Present: Pete Lindsay, Frank Riddell, Ian Goudie, Laurel Aguilar, Richard Douglas, Gordon Pay. Donald Macgregor attended for discussion of item 1.
1. Request for meeting by Headon Development – agree to send rep(s) to requested joint meeting with Planning, Councillors etc. – PL reply.
2. 15 Kinnessburn Rd – new application still raised issues of housing need, loss industrial land, height, traffic – Obj RD.
3. North Haugh A91 Bus shelter – North shelter only: stop only used for alighting, possible aesthetic clash with landscaping of the adjacent Petheram roundabout area – Obj PL (overtaken by events).
4. Harbour & East Sands redevelopment study – RD, LA to attend workshop session.
5. Southfield – more acceptable design but still problems: no housing requirement (except affordable – this isn’t), loss of small industrial site, traffic. Obj RD.
6. Doors Open Days – Suggest Biomolecular Science building, Gateway & check CC’s suggestions for last year – PL to write.
7. 15 St Mary’s St – check CC position on HMO.
8. 163 South Street – was Mr Minit. NC
9. 98 Market St – Carphone Warehouse (ex-O’Briens, next to Thorntons) – plastic signs in Conservation Area, prefer traditional materials – Obj RD.
10. 42 Kinnesburn / 52 Bridge St – outwith conservation area. NC.
11. 7th course – IG has received an update on transport issues.
12. TETRA – now an extension to existing phone mast by Safeway. Continuing concern over appearance of mast & ancillary buildings. Include CC position on TETRA. Obj RD.
13. Clatto Windfarm – out of our area, information from one side only. NC.
Extract from the Parliament Transcript Wednesday 17 March 2004. Debate on a national celebration
17:17
Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): There are worse places to be born and brought up than in St Andrews, the old Fife town that gives Scotland its patron saint and national day. Sadly, this week’s health statistics suggest that St Andrews natives are likely to live 13 years longer than people who are brought up in Shettleston. St Andreans can use those bonus years to potter around the ruins of the old cathedral that was built on the site were the bones of the Apostle Andrew were allegedly brought from Patras in Greece. Thanks largely to a few ancient finger bones, St Andrews was already the ecclesiastical capital of Scotland when Edinburgh was still a rickle of mud huts beside a swamp under the castle hill.
However, what does all that have to do with commemorating St Andrew’s day and what does 30 November have to do with St Andrew? The short answer is nothing. Andrew is the patron saint of a number of countries and, more than 1,000 years ago, the Catholic Church simply chose 30 November as an appropriate day on which to celebrate him. Because of such an arbitrary
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reason, we find ourselves with a national day that makes little sense either historically or commercially.
For several years before coming to the Scottish Parliament, I served on the St Andrew’s week committee of the city of St Andrews. A number of local business people, councillors and others worked tirelessly to translate the week leading up to 30 November into a true commemoration of Scotland’s patron saint and our national day. That committee still does excellent work and many artistic and cultural events are attracted to the town. However, in terms of visitor numbers and extra business for St Andrews, the problem is that 30 November is simply too close to Christmas. In a national context, the same problem would arise. It is on the date, rather than the principle, that I question Donald Gorrie’s motion. Three weeks before Christmas is simply the wrong time of year to have a national day.
Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): Has the St Andrew’s week committee approached the Catholic Church to find out what would be involved in changing the date?
Mr Brocklebank: I am afraid that it has not. I do not know the answer to the problem, but our experience was that the day is a little too close to Christmas. Of course, that does not mean that the town of St Andrews should not continue to celebrate on November 30, as it has done in the past. I would not have thought that we could persuade the Vatican to change the apostle’s commemorative date.
The luck of the Irish has given them today, March 17, as St Patrick’s day. That date, which comes a month before Easter, would have been an excellent national day for Scotland. I imagine that the Executive might see April 6, the date of the declaration of Scottish independence at Arbroath in 1320, as too political to be a national day.
Despite Donald Gorrie’s desire for a consensus, I am certainly not against another day’s holiday. Compared with many European countries, Scotland is badly served with holidays. There is an obvious alternative, which retains the link with a national saint. I favour June 9, which is St Columba’s day. It was St Columba who brought Christianity to this pagan place called Scotland in 564, a couple of centuries before St Regulus allegedly brought Andrew’s bones to what became St Andrews. June 9 is more than a month after May day and a month before Scots kids go on holiday. It seems to me to be an ideal day on every count for the early summer celebration that members have requested. I commend June 9 as a twin national saints’ day to commemorate St Andrew and St Columba.
From the Water Customer Panels
Principles Of Charging For Water And Wastewater
Consultation Announced
In a Ministerial Statement to Parliament on 3 February 2004, the Deputy Minister for Environment, Allan Wilson MSP announced the Scottish Executive will “hold a public consultation on the principles of charging, as recommended in the recent report by the Water Customer Consultation Panels ... we will publish a consultation document and facilitate a widespread discussion over the summer 2004 ... to cover the full range of concerns raised ... the appropriate mix of charges ... what sustainable use of water should mean ... and how all of these compare with England & Wales.”
The Scottish Executive will prepare the consultation document, which is awaited. The Customer Panels’ report and recommendations on the Principles of Charging, including research by Heriot-Watt University, is available on www.watercustomer.org in libraries and from the Customer Panels’ office (telephone 0845 850 3344).
In a similar consultation in England & Wales in 1990 the OFWAT document “Paying for Water” highlighted three key objectives :
You may find the Ten Questions below useful to consider and answer as many as you can. This will help the full consultation in the coming months
Should you or your organisation or business pay for water services by:
(answers Yes/No plus optional comments)
Should water charges be calculated:-
(answers Yes/No plus optional comments)
and
10. What other issues should be considered in charging for water services?
Please let the Customer Panels know the outcome of your answers by return in the envelope provided to The Manager, Water Customer Panels, Freepost NATN 108, Stirling, FK7 7BR.
From Andrew Kelly Principal Planner development Services (Specialist Services)
20th May 2004 Rothes Halls – Glenrothes
The Fife Access Seminar is an annual event organised by Fife Council to bring together those with interests in access for walking, cycling and horse riding in town and country. Its purpose is to promote information exchange and discussion on topical access issues in Fife and good practice in addressing these.
The theme of the 2004 Seminar is to be about local access groups and how they can best deliver their access functions with the support and co-operation of Fife Council and its advisory group – the Fife Access Forum.
The programme for the day (extending from registration 9:00-9:30am to close 3:30pm) will comprise a morning session with a speakers panel followed by a question and answer session, and with an afternoon discussion workshop session when participants will be encouraged to express their views. Lunch and coffee breaks will be provided and there is no attendance charge.
Many Community Councils are actively involved in local access initiatives for paths improvement and promotion, either directly or through associated sub-groups. I am writing at this stage to enquire whether your Community Council has such an involvement and if so whether you could advise me of an appropriate representative who may be interested in attending the seminar.
I should be most grateful for your early response and would be pleased to provide further seminar details to your representative in due course.
Association Of Scottish Community Councils – Survey To Investigate A Model For Local Community Planning
What is this survey about?
ASCC has secured funding from SCVO and Communities Scotland to research approaches to Local Community Planning. The research aims to develop a model with guidance for community councils and other local groups. The model will aim to help you be more effective in community planning and assist local organisations in progressing local objectives through community planning.
This survey is the first stage of action research which will be conducted over the next year or so. The survey results will inform stakeholder conferences planned to be convened in Inverclyde, Falkirk, Moray and Fife during April 2004. Piloting of the model developed will run from June 2004. Any organisation which wishes to be more effective through community planning can be involved.
The core research team comprises: Douglas Murray ASCC; Colin Roxburgh, Small Town and Rural Development Group; Michael Graham, Michael Graham Consultancy.
What you are asked to do:
At this stage you are asked to complete the short survey overleaf and if you are willing we ask that you include contact details below.
The survey data will be collated and published in an anonymous format. Individual responses will be retained confidential for future reference and for follow up where respondents indicate a willingness to join the pilot programme.
[Survey form asks various questions about community planning in our area – PL]
Taken from the introductory leaflet
Advocacy provision to older people, particularly in Residential, Care or Hospital settings
Fife Elderly Forum Executive is the umbrella organisation for local elderly forums in Fife. Each local forum delegates 2 members. These members come together as the Executive. The Executive holds a meeting once a month. At these meetings they discuss issues that have arisen at a local level as well as discussing what is happening on both a Fife-wide and national scale.
Why are we setting this project up
The Scottish Executive paper ‘Independent Advocacy: A Guide for Commissioners’ asks that Health Boards and Local Authorities adopt a proactive approach to commissioning advocacy. The project will aim to work with Nursing and Residential establishments. Here advocates are independent of service providers and their work can contribute towards the high standards these establishments aim for.
What is this project about
It is about setting up a network of individuals and organisations that can empower older people to have their voice heard. The main target group are people who receive nursing and residential services.
It engages as advocates ordinary people in local communities, this person is unpaid and independent of any service provider. They create a relationship with an older person who may be at risk of being excluded from the setting in which they live. The advocate tries to understand the person’s needs and wishes and represents that person’s interest, so defending their rights, with them.
It engages organisations that have common issues or concerns over some older peoples situations. They can collectively raise their concerns, plan and agree the necessary intervention needed.
Such action can only strengthen the communities where people live – give a voice to individuals and ensure social justice for all. It will also assist in ensuring that the voice of the service user is taken into account by those who plan and deliver services.
From Andrew D. Gold (Publisher of St Andrews Town & Gown)
I am delighted to be in a position to inform you that the first edition of the new Free fortnightly magazine St Andrews Town & Gown will be published and distributed in the town on Wednesday, 5th May 2004. As a result, I am taking the opportunity to let you see a special “dummy” copy of the publication, and also to forward further details for your personal information.
This is a new venture which will very much depend on the support of influential people like you to succeed, and I do hope you will lend your assistance over the next few months. I think that St Andrews deserves a better type of publication which will provide something extra for the University population, locals, visitors, and also hand businesses a new opportunity to promote goods via our brand new format.
Every fortnight, 3,000 copies will be distributed at key locations throughout the town including University Halls of Residence, tourist destinations, hotels, and many other sites of importance.
The content will be a mix of quality feature and news material about all aspects of the town, relating to events during the relevant fortnight in question, or consist of timeless general material.
Obviously, I am on the look-out for interesting feature material of any kind, whether it be historical, contemporary, or otherwise, which might be of interest to the readership. I would be delighted to receive ideas or suggestions, or even thoughts about individuals who might wish to contribute personally.
As a part-time student and journalist, I have already been greatly encouraged by the response of interested individuals in the town and the support of the University of St Andrews. The format of the magazine is deliberately low-cost, and the format has never been tried before in the UK on such a large scale. However, I think the resultant cost savings, and quality of the content, could combine to give St Andrews a new publication which has enormous future potential.
I have been a journalist for over twenty years, and have seen many new publications come and go over the years. St Andrews Town & Gown has a real chance of success, provided people in and around the town can see the benefit of the many new ideas contained within the publication.
Obviously the publication will live or die, depending on the levels of advertising revenue. However due to the methodology of production, the publication is produced at a fraction of “normal” publication costs and is not as dependent on large revenue returns to succeed as other newspapers and magazines.
However, I do hope you will choose to contribute to the future success of St Andrews Town & Gown, either as a contributor or as an advertiser, and I look forward to hearing from you in due course.
Finally, I would be pleased if you could ensure that St Andrews Town & Gown is added to your mailing lists so that we can keep in touch.
| Date | From | Subject |
| 29/02/2004 | Keith McCartney | St Andrews Week |
| 01/03/2004 | Record Play Equipment | Advert |
| 01/03/2004 | Scottish Executive: Rural Affairs | Rural Voices Action Research Competition |
| 04/03/2004 | RPS Consultants | Harbour & East Sands |
| 04/03/2004 | Water Customer Consultation Panels | Water Charges |
| 04/03/2004 | James Stevenson Flags Ltd | Statement |
| 05/03/2004 | Police | Community Newsletter |
| 05/03/2004 | Scottish Rural Partnership | Partnership Fund – Consultation Paper |
| 05/03/2004 | Marine Conservation Society | Strandline Newsletter |
| 05/03/2004 | Law and Administration | CGF procedure review |
| 05/03/2004 | Karen Wren / No To Tetra | Suggest meeting |
| 08/03/2004 | RAF | Reception & Presentation |
| 08/03/2004 | NHS Fife | Board Meeting Cupar 30 March |
| 09/03/2004 | East Area Services Ctte | Agenda 12/03/04 |
| 09/03/2004 | Hutichison 3G UK Ltd | 3G phone technology session Glenrothes |
| 10/03/2004 | RPS Consultants | Harbour workshop date |
| 11/03/2004 | Scottish Executive | Freedom of Information: fees consultation |
| 11/03/2004 | Law and Administration | Alcohol Free Zone signs |
| 11/03/2004 | Development Services | Fife Access Seminar |
| 12/03/2004 | Law and Administration | CC Funding 2004-5 |
| 12/03/2004 | Scottish Executive Environment & Rural Affairs | Scottish Rural Partnership Fund |
| 13/03/2004 | Chief Executive | BT Payphones |
| 17/03/2004 | RPS Consultants | Feasibility Study workshop date |
| 17/03/2004 | Cardinal O’Brien | St Andrew’s Day update |
| 17/03/2004 | Frances Melville | Fwd: A-Boards review – Keith Winter |
| 19/03/2004 | Peter Corrigan | CC Accounts & Constitution |
| 24/03/2004 | Association of Scottish Community Councils | AGM & subs |
| 25/03/2004 | RPS Consultants | Harbour Workshop |
| 27/03/2004 | Warmburgh | Warmburgh Update |
| 31/03/2004 | Local Support Coordinator | Local Plan community events |
| 31/03/2004 | Environmental Services | Environmental Services Newsletter |
| 01/04/2004 | Andrew Gold | St Andrews Town & Gown magazine |
| 01/04/2004 | Fife Health Council | Healthwatch Newsletter |
| 01/04/2004 | Fife Elderly Forum | Older Peoples’ Advocacy |
| 02/04/2004 | Scottish Natural Heritage | Outdoor Access Code Leaflet |
| 03/04/2004 | Clatto Landscape Protection Group | Windfarm objection |
| 03/04/2004 | East Area Services Committee | Agenda 7/4/04 |
| 03/04/2004 | Law & Admin | Community Council Funding |
| 03/04/2004 | Finance & Asset Management Service | Insurance Policy |