NMCC 2006 (700-713)

 

PARISH OF NEW MACHAR COMMUNITY COUNCIL

 

Minutes of a Meeting of the Council held on

Thursday, 24th August 2006

 

Members:

 

Mr Fergus Hood                 (Chairman) [FH]     Mr Alexander Buchan                   [AB]

Mr Mike Taylor                   (Secretary)  [MT]     Mr Robert Loughridge                  [RL]

Mrs Fiona Duncan               (Treasurer) [FD]     Mr Martin Morley, JP                   [MM]

Prof Roy Bridges             (Minute Sec.)   [RB]     Mrs Pamela Young                        [PY]

Mr Gordon Murray                                [GM]

 

In attendance ex officio:  Councillor Dr Martin Ford [CllrF]

 

Abbreviations: AC = Aberdeenshire Council;  NMCC = Newmachar Community Council

 

Apologies were received from Mr Murray and Mrs Young; and were recorded for Mr Loughridge and Mr Morley..

 

In attendance as visitor(s):Mr Sean Murray (Evening Express); Mr Graham Geddes (Community Hall Campaign)

 

Minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 22nd June 2006 were approved as a correct record and provisional approval was given to the Minutes of the Annual General meeting held on the same day.

 

700.     Christmas Lights (See Minute 694)

FH reported that arrangements had been made for more sockets to be installed; that some new-style aluminium decorations were being purchased; and that he had made arrangements with a firm to erect the decorations c. 30th November and to take them down in the New Year.

 

701.     Police Matters

FH reported on his latest consultation with Inspector Pratt.  There had been two attempted break-ins in the village but a young man had been apprehended in connection with these crimes.  The police were employing certain approaches short of seeking ASBOs in order to keep Newmachar as crime-free as possible.

 

702.     Traffic Matters

In a recent meeting with Mr Ian Rendall of AC, FH had learned that he was responding to requests from NMCC to have potholes in the village repaired, to arrange the repair of the red tarmac surfaces as well as the surface at the pedestrian crossing.  In addition, action would be taken under the Garioch Area Reinstatement Project to effect further repairs, instal warning signs and arrange for disabled access at certain points.

 

 

 

 

703.     Youth Project Update (See Minute 696)

MT reported (i) that the members of the group had almost completed the decoration and so the project was almost ready to get underway particularly as a youth worker was available for one night per week;

(ii) that the room itself would become available for hire by other groups; and

(iii) that members of NMCC would be welcome to visit the Centre on any Tuesday night from 7.30 p.m. onwards.

 

704.     Community Hall Fun Day (See Minute 618)

(i) NMCC approved the Chairman’s action in pledging £1000 for sponsorship purposes for the events of the day given the fact that the cause was one for the sake of the whole community.

(ii) Mr Geddes expressed thanks of the Hall Committee for the NMCC subvention.  With the addition of £8000 from the Liam Henderson Fund and an estimated profit  on the day of £5000 or more (including a very welcome donation of £850 from Manor Kingdom), the campaign was now almost half way to reaching its first target – a platform from which to launch appeals for grants from various public bodies.

(iii) Mr Geddes expressed the thanks of his committee to NMCC and various other groups and individuals who had helped to make the day a success, not least Mr David Spence who compered the raffle.

 

705.     Newsletter Business

(i) RB announced that Mrs Sheila Bruce had intimated that she wished to withdraw from her role as organiser of the distribution of the Newsletter.  It was agreed that the Secretary should write a letter to Mrs Bruce thanking her for her several years of devoted service and inviting her to nominate a charity to which NMCC could contribute £25 in her name.

(ii) It was noted with approbation that, on the nomination of CllrF, Mrs Jill Bridges had been accorded an Aberdeenshire Council Community Service Award in recognition of her editorial work for the Newsletter.

(iii) NMCC approved a contribution of £50 to meet half the cost of a new toner for the printer on which the Newsletter copy (and these minutes) is produced.

 

706.     Website (See Minute 692)

RB reported that the new website was now running properly after some teething problems.  It was agreed that NMCC should discuss its future policy for the website at the next meeting.

 

707.     Garioch Forum

(1) A Report on the meeting of 1st June 2006 (held over from June meeting) was noted as follows:

(i) RB was identified as Newmachar’s representative for 2006-7 if approved at AGM.

(ii) The Forum reiterated its dissatisfaction at the limited representation given to community councils on Aberdeenshire’s Community Planning committees and to the way the two representatives had been chosen.  The Forum was promised regular reports on the work of the Aberdeenshire Community Planning Board.

(iii) The Forum noted the plans to consult community councils as the next Strategic Land Use Plan for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire was formulated.  “Plain English” would be used (it was claimed in a document of three pages with over thirty errors of grammar and punctuation).

(iv) Newmachar would have a village orderly this year if a suitable person could be recruited.

 

 (v) Aberdeenshire is developing a new policy in relation to amenity areas in private housing developments designed to safeguard the interests of householders but the policy would apply only to new, not existing developments.

(vi) The Forum wished to keep the question of publicity for impending road closures under review.

 

(2) RB intimated that he would be overseas and unable to attend the September meeting; FH would do so if he was free.

 

With regard to (1 iv) it was noted that a student had been recruited and was at work.  The implications for Newmachar of (1v) were further discussed (Minute 708).

 

708.     Maintenance of Amenity Areas not Adopted by AC

(i) FH had succeeded in getting some attention for the unadopted area outside the Stewart Milne site on the main road.

(ii) It was agreed that NMCC should attempt to document the areas which constituted a problem such as the pumping station originally the responsibility of a forerunner of Scottish Water.

(iii) It was noted that AC could not force developers to hand over amenity areas to the Council or to pay a fee for the upkeep.  However, the new policy involved persuading developers to contribute to a fund the interest from which would pay for maintenance.

 

709.     Aberdeenshire Council Matters

(i) CllrF announced that the Local Government Boundary Commission had now established the ward boundaries for the 2007 Elections.  Newmachar would retain its boundaries but become part of the three-member ward to be known as ‘East Garioch’.

(ii) The safety barrier outside the School is to be replaced.

(iii) CllrF acknowledged that there had been greater problems than he had anticipated in the first few weeks of the operation of the new waste strategy in the Newmachar area.  For example, the large new side loading vehicles could not negotiate narrow roads, could not turn easily and could be a hazard to other traffic.  He noted that residents had been tolerant and helpful and had pointed out shortcomings without anger.  He promised that he would be open to receive further submissions about deficiencies and try to get them rectified.  Second bins were available to people with large families, he pointed out.

(iv) Further complaints had been received about the behaviour of some of those young people who congregated around the War Memorial.   It was agreed that NMCC should decide whether it wished to press AC to cut down the shrubs which equally masked the site and anti-social behaviour.

 

710.     Aberdeenshire Local Plan

A letter had been received by the Secretary on the question of Community Council rights in ALP matters and it was agreed to review it at the next meeting.

 

711.     Flights over the Village

It was noted that helicopters were supposed to maintain a height of at least 500 feet and avoid flying directly over built–up areas if possible.  But these rules appeared not to be followed by many pilots.  FH undertook to contact the National Air Traffic Services Authority on the problem.

 

 

 

 

712.     Youngsters on Bicycles

AB drew attention to the problem of unsupervised and uninstructed child cyclists putting themselves in danger by behaving in ways which could well make it impossible for a driver to take evasive action, especially on Station Road.  It was agreed to draw attention to the problem in the Newsletter.  CllrF promised to check on the situation with regard to cycle training at the School while FH promised to mention the problem to Inspector Pratt.

 

713.     Western Peripheral Route

CllrF said evaluations were proceeding but delays occasioned by the controversies over the southern part of the route meant that draft orders were unlikely before the end of 2006 and the public enquiry unlikely before the Autumn of 2007.  Hence the scheme was now two years late.

 

 

There being no further business the meeting was closed at 2115.

 

The next meeting would be on Thursday 28th September 2006.