NMCC 2005 (584- 596)

 

PARISH OF NEW MACHAR COMMUNITY COUNCIL

 

Minutes of a Meeting of the Council held on

Thursday 22nd September 2005

 

Members:

 

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

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

Mrs Fiona Duncan               (Treasurer) [FD]     Mrs Moira Lee                              [ML]

Prof Roy Bridges            (Minute Sec.)  [RB]      Mr Graham Geddes                   [GraG]

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 Mike Taylor & Mr Graham Geddes

 

In attendance as visitor(s):

 

Minutes

The Minutes of the meeting held on 25th August 2005 (recorded by Mrs Moira Lee in the absence of the Minutes Secretary) were accepted as correct.

 

584.     Website (See Minute 577)

RB reported that the handover of the management of the site to Mr David Jolly was now complete.  The question of links was discussed.  It was agreed that a section of the site should be devoted to the Hall Project and its funding.  NMCC hoped that it might become possible for donations to be made via the site.

 

585.     Traffic Problems (See Minute 581 v)

(i) CllrF was asked to seek advice on the problem of cars parking on the white line outside the Library which was supposed to indicate a clear space for wheelchair access.

      (ii) CllrF was also asked to look into parking problems around the chip shop.

 

586.     Letter Boxes in the Village

RB reported that some groups and individuals in the village thought that a full-sized letter box in the vicinity of the Post Office would be desirable.  FD said that installation was difficult outside the shop but suggested that the problem should be put to the Post Office authorities at Altens.  The Secretary would be asked to write appropriately.

 

587.     Financial Accounts 2004-5

The Treasurer, Mrs Fiona Duncan, presented the audited accounts for 2004-5 (attached to the principal copy of these Minutes).  The situation was as had been explained at the AGM.  On the motion of RL, seconded by GM, the accounts were approved and could now be sent on to AC.

588.     Community Planning Proposals from Aberdeenshire Council (See Minute 574)

The document prepared by RB as a possible response by NMCC to AC’s Community Planning proposals (attached to the principal copy of these Minutes) was approved for submission.  NMCC agreed that AC’s proposals were in certain respects over-elaborate, did not take advantage of existing structures for consultation provided by the Area Forums and generally took too little account of community councils.

589.     Flower Tubs and Hanging Baskets (See Minute 573)

(i) Attention was drawn to the difficulties and dangers involved in watering the baskets given the traffic on the main road through the village.  It was agreed to seek the advice of AC on this problem.

(ii) It was agreed to find out whether brackets could be put on the new lampposts recently installed in the centre of the village.

(iii) FH suggested more flowers were needed near the southern entrance to the village.

(iv) It was agreed to discuss policy further in association with the Garden Club.

 

590.     Reporter’s Changes to Aberdeenshire Local Plan Provisions for Newmachar.

(i) The Reporter had agreed to a modification of the ALP by which an area south of Corseduick Road comprising part of the Glebe, Mill House, Newmachar House, The Manse and the War Memorial would be brought into the designated village area.  The purpose of this modification was to allow five houses to be built on the Glebe area so as to raise money for the Church Extension project. AC’s initial reaction was not to oppose the Reporter’s decision.

(ii) ML pointed out that the Church had an assurance that profits would come entirely to Newmachar, rather than to Church of Scotland general purposes and further emphsasised that the Church intended its planned new facility to become available for use by the whole community, not just the Church.

(iii) RL said that in proposing that AC be asked to object to the Reporter’s decision, he was not in any way wishing to set NMCC against the Church plans. However, the reasons for objection to the extension of the boundary of the village were compelling: the development would be on the wrong side of the Corseduick Road boundary, would thus have road safety implications, involved land that was entirely unsuitable for the erection of dwelling houses and, above all, set a very undesirable precedent by which odd bits of land could be claimed to be suitable for house building.

(iv) CllrF said that he was constrained in the advice he could give by the fact of his long-standing friendship with the owner of Mill House; he felt it necessary to declare an interest.

(v) After lengthy debate the majority of the Council accepted the arguments put forward by RL and empowered him , in concert with the Chairman, to prepare  a letter setting out NMCC’s position for forwarding to AC asking them to rescind their previous decision and to appeal against the Reporter’s decision in this instance.

(vi) CllrF was able to report that the drawing of the new village boundary in accordance with the Reporter’s decision so as to deprive Newmachar House of its garden was a drafting error which would be rectified if, ultimately, the revised boundary became official.

 

 

591.     Community Village Hall (See Minute 571)

            It was reported that £4106.00 had been raised at the ‘Fun Day’.

 

592.     Garioch Forum Business: Scottish ExecutiveWhite Paper on Planning

(i) RB reported that the Forum had gathered comments from its constituent community councils on planning problems and incorporated these into a report for submission to AC, the Scottish Executive and other appropriate bodies.  Following the appearance of the Executive’s White Paper on Planning, it had seemed appropriate to modify the Report so as to constitute a response to the White Paper as part of the consultation process.  In general, the response called for modifications to planning rules and procedures which would make the system more responsive to local concerns and which would allow a third-party right of appeal in cases decided by a Reporter.

(ii) An individual submission by RB calling for a greater role to be accorded to community councils was also noted.

 

593.     Correspondence

(i) NMCC was informed that consultation would take place on a further instalment of 20mph limits in the village together with speed humps on School Road (as detailed in Newmachar News No 140).

(ii) The Scottish parliament would hold an ‘outreach’ event in Inverurie on 7th October.  AB would attend if possible.

(iii) NMCC noted a technical  amendment to the Strategic Plan which makes it possible for AC to release land designated for building before 2011.

(iv) The 2005 Report by Postwatch was noted.

 

594.     Planning Applications

            The application for a forestry machinery facility at Milton of Straloch was noted.

 

595.     First Responder Scheme (See Minute 570)

            A project grant of £500 had been awarded by AC, it was reported.

 

596      Youth Project (See Minute 572)

            The plumbing problem had now been resolved and painting had been started.

 

 

There being no further business, the meeting was declared closed at 2130

 

The next meeting will be on 27th October 2005