NMCC 2009-2010 (1055-1061)

 

PARISH OF NEW MACHAR COMMUNITY COUNCIL

 

Minutes of a Meeting of the Council held on

Thursday, 29th October 2009

 

Members:

 

Mr Mike Taylor              ( Chair &Sec)  [MT]     Mr Alexander Buchan (Planning) [AB]

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

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

Mr Gordon Murray                                [GM]    Mr Robert Loughridge                  [RL]

Mr Graham Geddes                               [GrG]

 

In attendance ex officio:  Councillors Dr Martin Ford [CllrMF]; Nan Culllinane [CllrNC] and Fergus Hood [CllrFH]

 

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

 

Apologies were recorded for: Messrs Mike Taylor, Gordon Murray & Robert Loughridge and for Cllrs Nan Cullinane & Martin Ford.

 

In attendance as visitor(s): Mrs Linda Rendall; PC Ian Robison; Mr Len Nicol & Mr David McGrath

 

In the absence of Mike Taylor, the Chair was taken by Roy Bridges.

 

Minutes

            The Minutes of the meeting of 24th September 2009 were accepted as a correct record    subject to the amendment of 1049 (iii) to indicate that the review bodies would be set up for each Area and consist of six councillors and two substitutes.

            The Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on the same day were provisionally      approved.

 

1055.   Police Matters

            (i) PC Robison explained that he was here in place of PC Calvert who was otherwise      engaged but he took the opportunity to present David Calvert’s Report for the past month         which showed two breaches of the peace and one assault which had been reported to the Procurator Fiscal.  Youths foregathering in dens in unused buildings continued to be a           problem but patrols had so far not caught any ‘red-handed’.  Checks and warnings          continued to be issued to speeding motorists on Hillbrae Way.

            (ii) It was hoped a mobile Police Office and ‘surgery’ might soon become possible but,   more immediately, PC Robison sought NMCC’s support for an experimental police     surgery to be held in the School at the same time as the Aberdeenshire councillors’        surgeries prior to the monthly community council session.  This idea was warmly endorsed             and it was agreed that the scheme should come into operation in January for three months         and that the Newsletter editor would be asked to give appropriate publicity.

1056.   Dyce Sports & Leisure Centre Project (See Minute  1053)

            (i) Mr Len Nicol explained that land adjacent to Pitmedden Road in Dyce was    available and that Cllr Ron Clark had brought interested groups together to who might be            interested in a sports centre there. They included indoor bowlers, boys’ football groups, rugby players, gymnasts and others.  There was a prospect of nearby industrial firms             helping with funding in return for use of facilities.  A strong team of professional fund    raisers and planners was being built up and it was supposed that residents of Newmachar            might be interested in the project.  Mr McGrath added information on the possible        precedents for such a centre and mentioned the 100% use of the Garioch Sports Centre.

            (ii) In response, it was agreed that the project could be of benefit to Newmachar residents           and that it could be complementary to Newmachar’s own Hall aspirations.  It seemed           sensible for the Newmachar  scheme organisers to keep in touch with the Dyce and Gr G   accordingly agreed to arrange for continuing contact and exchange of information

            (iii) A formal indication of the interest of NMCC in the project should be sent.

 

1057.   Community Hall (See Minute 1046)

            GrG reported on the latest developments. The allocation of land for the Hall was           something which must be looked for in the new Local Development Plan.  Meanwhile the             difficulties in finding funding sources remained serious.  It might be necessary to lower sights and think of an £850k size hall rather than the £1m structure which had been             hoped for.

 

1058.   Youth Project/After School Club (See Minute 1047)

            RB reported that although Annette Holland was not able to be present, she had continued        to work hard on the problem and had established both a list of what repairs were necessary    for the building and the availability of the necessary funding.  Members took the view that    it would not be possible to use the £4k from the Garioch Community Centre for any other          purpose and so NMCC should ask for the repairs could go ahead.  Then at least the After           School Club could begin to use the facility; other uses might then follow.  RB undertook          to pursue the matter.

 

1059.   Aberdeenshire Council Matters

            (i) A letter forwarded by the Area Manager on the way community councils are affected by           the new Planning system in Scotland was passed on to AB for attention.

            (ii) The Area Committee had informed NMCC that given its 2850 electors, and the end of         project grants,its administration grant had become £760.98.

            (iii) Attention was drawn to the meeting for Garioch Area community council members             when officials from AC could be questioned on matters within their remits.  RB      undertook to attend and GrG hoped also to do so.

            (iv) CllrFH announced he had attended the recent New Machar School Parent Council meeting when the headteacher had mentioned the need for more interactive boards.  The   Councillor undertook to ask AC to help.

            (v) Recent heavy rains had caused further problems because the Station Road culvert did             not carry away the drainage properly; AC had promised to try out a new type of trap less    likely to become choked with debris.  On the other hand, flooding at the foot of Hillbrae    way was caused by children building a dam.  CllrFH noted that sandbags were available            from depots in Inverurie and Ellon.

            (vi) AC’s budget figures would be revealed at the end of November.  CllrFH forecast       serious problems from 2012.

            (vii) At last AC had been able to report progress on getting the path to Kingseat opened.

           

1060.   Planning Issues

            (i) AB expressed concern about the Chalmers Bakery site plans.  Whether the scheme for            the building of flats was dealt with by AC officers alone depended on the number of             objections.  He recommended that NMCC should express its concern and so oblige AC to             consult with it.

            (ii) As there had been no fewer than 25,000 comments on the Local Development Plan Main Issues Report, the next stage in its development might be delayed.

 

1061.   Correspondence.

            Communications had been received concerning ‘Leader grants’ for rural Aberdeenshire; the Scottish Natural History Journal; the Association of Scottish Community Councils’         meeting on 14th Novcember at the Parliament Building; Aberdeenshire Design awards;    AC’s Walking and Cycling Plan; the City and Shire Winter Festival Guide and the             Aberdeenshire Sports Council.  The materials were passed to appropriate interested        members.

 

There being no further business the meeting closed at 2130

 

The next meeting will be on Thursday, 26th November 2009