NMCC 2006-2007 (790-802)

 

PARISH OF NEW MACHAR COMMUNITY COUNCIL

 

Minutes of a Meeting of the Council held on

Thursday, 22nd March 2007

 

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 recorded for: Mr Robert Loughridge and Mr Martin Morley

 

In attendance as visitor(s): Sean Bate (Evening Express); June Pattison and Linda Rendall (Garden Club)

 

Minutes

The Minutes of the meeting of 22nd February 2007 were accepted as a correct record subject to the alteration of Minute 779 line 2 to refer to Mr MacNaughton.

 

790      Opening of New Machar Church Extension

FH announced that the new building would be formally opened during the service at 11 am on Sunday April8th and that the Community Council was invited to attend.

 

791.     Hanging Baskets (See Minute 735)

The Garden Club representatives said that the Club would prefer to hand over the responsibility for watering hanging baskets to the Community Council but would continue to look after the tubs.  FH suggested that householders living adjacent to each set of baskets might be asked to take the responsibility if they were provided with a hose and lance.  A notice in the Evening Express might produce volunteers.

 

792.     Community Hall Campaign (See Minute 781)

(i) GM announced that 70 tickets had already been sold for the Casino Night and that the Golf Day was attracting plenty of support.

(ii) CllrF agreed to find out whether AC had the facilities and the readiness to help with the problem of obtaining architectural services.

 

793.     Police Matters (See Minute 789)

FH reported worries of Kirk Park residents over youth disturbances and visiting conmen.

 

794.     Mrs Cowieson (See Minute 778)

It appeared that the request had now been dropped and NMCC was no longer involved in any way.

795.     The Website (See Minute 780)

(i) GM pointed out that the Hall site is not run by Dave Lee.  The Committee would provide something to go on the NMCC website.

(ii) It was agreed that NMCC was willing to consider links from its website to any other appropriate local organisation if a request was received from the Chairperson or Secretary of any such organisation.

(iii) The provision of a contact via the website to the Community Council other than via the Newsletter Editor was a continuing need.

 

796.     Youth Initiative (See Minute 782)

The Drop-in Centre now seems to be functioning, it was reported, but no official opening ceremony had yet been fixed.  It was hoped one could be arranged and recorded in Newmachar News.

 

797.     Community Planning Representation  (See Minute 785)

(i)RB reported that Dr Piggins felt unable to accept NMCC’s nomination but expressed his appreciation of the suggestion.  It was noted that Inverurie Community council had nominated Mr Sean Wilson.

(i) It was reported that four nominations had been received.  NMCC decided that its vote should be given to Isobel Page.

 

798.     Garioch Forum (See Minute 786)

            RB reported on the 1st March meeting of the Forum.

(i) A representative of the Association of Scottish Community Councils said that a great reorganisation was going on but conceded that arranging a satisfactory representation system remained problematic.

(ii) The Garioch Area Partnership was flourishing and providing many opportunities for youth activity.

(iii) Revisions of the AC Scheme for Community Councils were still pending.  It was reported that Kemnay CC believes that the administration grant ought to be made large enough for a community council to pay for secretarial services.

(iv) It had been announced that a further consultation meeting on the City and Shire Structure Plan would be held at Balmedie on 16th April.

 

799.     Aberdeenshire Council Business (See Minute 787)

(i) Hillbrae Way Road improvements had run into difficulties: no tar is currently available; lorries find it difficult to negotiate the new junction; the ten-foot drop on one side is a danger.  However, CllrF hoped the road would open by 6th April.

(ii) FH promised to contact AC in the wake of further vandalism in the War Memorial area.

(ii) CllrF reported that the problem of broken glass around the seat in the Miller Gardens open space was best met by removing the seat but FD pointed out that the seat has a memorial plaque to Helen Campbell.  FH suggested that if the area and the seat could not be kept in reasonable order, the seat should be resited.

 

800.     Western Peripheral Route (See Minute 777)

MT reported that Derick Murray was anxious to come and talk to NMCC following the representations it had made; MT was to be asked to invite him.

 

801.     Planning Applications

RB reported that an application had now been submitted to AC for permission to erect seven houses on the Small Glebe field which had been the subject of NMCC’s representations to AC following their decision not to oppose the Reporter’s inclusion of the area in the village area which could be built upon despite the original provisions of the Aberdeenshire Local Plan.

 

802.     Correspondence

(i) Community councils have been invited to give their views on ‘National’ plans as defined under the new Planning Act of 2006 in the light of Planning Advice Note 81 – ‘Community Engagement: Planning with People’.  Despite the claim that community groups are important and that there are proposals to give community councils in particular a statutory role in development planning (page 29), NMCC’s preliminary discussion revealed some cynicism about whether community councils really would be able to engage with the new system.  It was noted that new houses were needed, especially affordable ones, yet current plans did not envisage significant numbers of new houses in Newmachar.  It was felt that the planners involved in the new structure plan for the City and Shire should be told what the needs were.

(ii) Further correspondence from Rural Scotland, Grampian Fire Brigade, the Licensing Board and BAA enclosing Aberdeen Airport’s Master Plan was noted.

 

 

There being no further business, the meeting was closed at 2150.

 

The next meeting was agreed as Thursday, 26th April 2007.