NMCC
2006-2007 (741-761)
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 Alexander Buchan, Mr Mike Taylor & Mr Gordon
Murray
In attendance as visitor(s): Sergeant Fiona Barron, Grampian Police
Minutes
The
Minutes of the meeting of 26th October were accepted subject to the
correction of Minute 736 to read in line 1: ‘ ...over 50% of the community’s proportion of the costs of the new
hall...’
741. Police Matters
Sergeant
Barron reported that a person had been charged over a recent assault case, that
cannabis had been found under cultivation in Newmachar and that steps had been
taken to try to end the nuisance of groups of young people hanging around the
area of the shop. However, in general,
Newmachar had been relatively free of trouble in recent weeks. FH thanked the Police for their work and
acknowledged the readiness of Inspector Pratt to respond to his calls on behalf
of the community. Sergeant Barron agreed
that Policing became most effective when the co-operation of the public had
been obtained.
742. Anonymous E-Mails
MM
agreed to investigate certain e-mails which members connected with NMCC had
received.
743. Newsletter Matters
(i)
The members of the Council expressed their sadness at learning of the very
sudden death of Mr Grant who had been the printer of Newmachar News for nearly ten years and who had been most attentive
to the needs of the editorial team. It
was agreed that a letter of condolence should be sent to Mrs Grant.
(ii)
RB reported that alternative arrangements were being made for the printing of
the impending issue; it was likely that the costs would be higher than those
previously agreed with Mr Grant. On the
motion of FH seconded by RL, the Editor was empowered to make the best
arrangements possible in the circumstances.
(iii)
PY reported that one advertiser owed NMCC £17.50 which he had not paid despite frequent
reminders. It was agreed that the
Secretary should be asked to write in appropriate terms to the advertiser in
question.
744. Youth Project (See Minute
737)
CllrF
reported that the continuing delay to the opening of the facility was a result
of regulations on disabled access requiring a path to be built from the road to
the drop-in centre. Members expressed
disappointment that at the delay. CllrF
hoped that funding from AC’s Garioch Area Top-Up Budget could be obtained. It was agreed that NMCC would pay the costs
of the path itself should AC funding not be available. CllrF was asked to arrange, if possible, for
AC to make up the path in time for the Centre to be open by Christmas.
745. Village Notice Board (See
Minute 731)
MM
suggested that the condensation problem was a result of a relatively warm shop
wall behind the Board and cold air in front.
PY agreed to investigate obtaining dehumidifying crystals.
746. Flights over the Village
(See Minute 732)
It
was reported that GM was still unhappy with the situation and would try to log
events so that BAA could be contacted again although it was recognised that
they had no control over occasional flights made by the RAF which were very
noisy.
747. Community Hall (See
Minute 736)
FD
reported that BAA might be a source from which some funding for the Hall might
be sought. It was agreed to pass on this
information.
748. Bus Services
MM
reported that there were instances of passengers from Newmachar being unable to
reach their places of work because there was no room for them when a bus
arrived from further north. The
749. Aberdeenshire Local Plan (See
Minute 734)
RL
reported that the Executive’s planning legislation which excluded any
third-party rights of appeal was now passed.
It would be important to await
certain pieces of subordinate legislation to assess how far our interests as a
community council were affected.
750. Traffic Problems
(i)
Parking (See Minute 738 ii) It was reported that AC had responded to NMCC’s
raising of the problems for residents near the shop by furnishing the means for
a special white line to be painted on the road at the end of a driveway at a
cost to the resident of £195.00.
(ii)
CllrF said that the yellow lines outside Beekie’s Neuk would be paintred as
soon as weather conditions allowed.
(iii)
CllrF said any broken drain covers or pavements etc should be reported to Mr
Rendall at AC.
751. Children on Bicycles and as Pedestrians(See
Minute 733)
(i)
FH reported that he had been in touch with the Head Teacher of New Machar
School who was very keen to co-operate over the provision of reflective bands
and to make this part of a road safety initiative in the School.
(ii)
FH showed the examples of reflective bands which he had obtained from the
manufacturers; there were different designs but the average price was
£1.30. It appeared that children most
readily agreed to wear wrist bands; other types were unfashionable.
(iii)
Sergeant Barron said that she would investigate the possibility of Grampian
Police paying for, say, 100 of the bands.
(iv)
It was agreed to obtain further Police advice, to endeavour to get parents
involved through the School and then to go ahead with the necessary
purchases. This would be good for the
children and the sort of initiative NMCC should support.
752. Christmas Decorations (See
Minute 715)
FH
reported that six new decorations of various designs were on order following
his intense price bargaining with the suppliers who had agreed on a price of £159.00
per unit for one, £165.00 for three and £259.00 for the two others. FH further reported that he hoped to cover
the costs by an appeal to the proprietors of local businesses.
753. Website: Communications from Prayer
Providers
Two
communications had been received from Prayer Providers (who were otherwise unidentified but were
apparently based in Newmachar).
(i)
It was requested that a link from the Community Council website to their site
be established. NMCC agreed that since by statute it was required to be
non-sectarian and non-political, it could not allow this request.
(ii)
The organisation suggested that at least some of the Village’s Christmas
decorations should reflect the Christian Christmas message. NMCC found itself unable to agree for the
reasons given in (i) above and observed that those it used were traditional and
incorporated at least Christian-derived as well as pagan features.
754. Garioch Forum Business
(i)RB
said that AC’s Budget briefing would be held on the 27th Inst and
promised to attend on behalf of NMCC and later report.
(ii)
Continuing progress in the Area Partnership’s efforts to further the cause of
providing activities for children in the Garioch Area were noted.
(iii)
RB reported that the Association of Scottish Community Councils to which NMCC
was affiliated appeared to have been subjected to a coup by a new management
group. He suggested that the situation
be kept under review but doubted the utility of the connection with the
organisation.
(iv)
The likelihood of a new ‘Aberdeenshire Scheme for Community Councils’ to
accommodate ward boundary and consequential community council area boundaries
together with certain other changes to the model constitution was noted.
(v)
See also items 755 and 756, below.
755. Composting Schemes in Aberdeenshire
RB
reported on the presentation made to the Forum by Mr Tony Archer of Aberdeen
Forward. (See paper attached to the principal copy of these minutes) FH said that he thought there might be
interest in composting sites, especially for grass cuttings, if half a dozen
suitable sites could be identified. He
asked that the matter be placed on the January Agenda.
756. Consultation on New Strategic Land Use Plan
for
RB
said that he had attended the consultation meeting in October. (See Report
attached to the principal copy of these Minutes.) NMCC noted the Reporet and agreed that
Newmachar wished to preserve its separate identity as a community. RB was asked to attend and report on
subsequent meetings.
757. Waste Collection Problems
Newspapers
getting blown all over the streets and plastic bottles not being squashed added
to litter problems. CllrF said any major
problems should be reported to him.
CllrF
said that he expected draft line orders would be published fairly soon. There would be six weeks in which to object
and no subsequent opportunity to do so.
759. Aberdeenshire Council Business
On
the subject of Budget pressures, CllrF said that no doubt AC could economise yet
further than it had and was making attempts to do so; the amount of ‘waste’ was
grossly exaggerated in the local press.
Meeting current electricity costs was a major problem
760. Planning Matters
It
was noted that FH had applied for permission for a change of use on the site of
his filling station and shop; it would, if planning consent were given,
probably become a site for small van sales with an attendant office.
761. Mr William Middleton
FH
said that he had attended the funeral of Mr Middleton who had died at the age
of 99 years and 7 months and was probably the oldest inhabitant of the parish
area. It was agreed that the Editor of
the Newsletter be asked if possible to record NMCC’s condolences as Mr
Middleton was a valued member of the community and had been a significant
contributor to People and Places in
Newmachar. It was agreed, however,
that NMCC should not attempt the Sisyphean task of noting the passing of each
successive oldest inhabitant.
There being no further business, the
meeting closed at 2115
The
next meeting was agreed as