Kincorth/Leggart Community Council

Report of meeting held on 8th July 2009 in Kincorth Community Education Centre


Item No

1 Chair

2 Members were welcomed to the meeting. Lee Brown and the Gala sub-committee were congratulated on their organisation of a very successful gala day.

3 Attendance

Members

Mary Wilson Chair. Shirley Watt Treasurer, Roy Wilson Secretary, Maureen Downie, Glynn Sangster, John Shand, Councillor Cooney, Councillor McCaig

Others

Patricia Frazer ACC, Sgt Ross Stewart Grampian Police.

4 Apologies

Lee Brown, Lynne Brown, Catherine Cowie, Mary MacDonald, Robert Sangster

5 Police Report

Sergeant Ross indicated he was standing in for the usual constables who attend. They have been transferred to another area. PC John Fiddes and a new probationer will be the community constables.
There have been 20 youth disorder call this month mainly due to mini motorbikes and 28 vandalism calls involving vehicle damage in various areas. There was also a daytime entry to a house in Leggart Crescent and theft from an unlocked car in Leggart Avenue
There have been problems with fires on Kincorth Hill and police patrols have been increased in an attempt to control this. There is a lack of parental control on some of the local youths. However many parents supported the police after an attack on officers on Kincorth Hill.
It was suggested that opening the basement area of the community centre would provide positive activities for local youths. However lack of paid staff are an ongoing problem with this facility, although there are a number of volunteers prepared to assist in anything organised at the centre.
Councillor Cooney reminded us that the City Council organise several summer schemes in various areas and at reasonable cost and spaces are still available on some of these. It was felt that a lack of facilities in the community centre over the summer period should be examined. Our local Councillors agreed to examine this.
The organisation of events such as the gala and problems encountered were discussed. It was suggested the City Council could prepare a handbook providing all the information necessary for organising any local event with contact names and numbers of council officials.
Action Councillors Cooney and McCaig

6 Minutes of Previous Meeting

There were no corrections to this minute. However they could not be adopted due to lack of a quorum.

7 Business Arising

6 at item 8 - City Councillors not replying to correspondence - Councillor McCaig advised that he cannot question other councillors on their reasons for not responding to correspondence
Items 7.8 and 7.9 - Planning applications and Development Plan Scheme - Lynne Brown was not present hence there are no comments
Item 7.13 - I have written a personal letter giving details of the inaccuracies in this report. Do we want to send an official letter from our council? It was agreed that since this was discussed at the June meeting it would be competent to send a representation on behalf of our council.
Action Secretary


8 Correspondence

8.1 Aberdeen City Council Agenda

Two agenda items were noted

8.2 Aberdeen City Council

A meeting regarding Community Learning Hubs is to be held on Thursday 2nd July from 7 -9p.m. at Aberdeen Grammar School. We are invited to send two representatives. However this letter was received on 11 June and we are required to inform them of our delegates by Thursday 18th June. I have advised that we cannot discuss this at such short notice since we meet only once each month.

8.3 Aberdeen City Council

Email from Charles Lowe in response to my query regarding our website being put on the City website. This was forwarded to Lee. However I think there could only be a link to our site on the City site.

8.4 Aberdeen City Council

Email from Emma Murphy, Community Waste Worker. She advises that Peter Lawrence was wrong in stating that aluminium foil will be collected from the black boxes. However it is his aim to have this included in the recycling collections. This should be brought to the notice of the community Council Forum for their information.
Action Chair, Secretary

8.5 Scottish Association of Community Councils

The journal of this association is available

8.6 Aberdeen City Council

A letter informing us that the Transportation Assessment relating to the Leggart Terrace development is available. This was discussed at our June meeting. If we wish to make further representation on this it must be done as soon as possible dependant on the timing of our meetings. It was agreed that a representation should be made.
Action Secretary

8.7 Scottish Association of Community Councils

Nicola Welsh the Development Officer has advised us of a meeting in Edinburgh to discuss Community Engagement; Improvement, Empowerment and Local Decisions Making. This will be held on Tuesday 23 June.

8.8 Isobyl McLeod Community Council Forum

An email with information on planning online. A member of another community council has received from the planning department a response to a query. The response reads "I spoke to the people who do the scanning and if you check online about 2 to 3 days after the application is lodged, however this may be longer if they are received at the end of the week, also if staff are off sick or holiday then this has an obvious impact, but we try to get them online as quickly as we can"

8.9 Post Office

Opening hours from 1 July will be Monday Tuesday Thursday and Friday 09.00 - 17.30 Wednesday 09.00 -13.00 and Saturday 09.00 - 12.30

8.10 Patricia Frazer

Information on the availability of Young Activities Small Grants Fund was received on email. This was forwarded to Alex Riddell for his information.

8.11 Aberdeen City Council

Aberdeen Local Licensing Forum. This is a letter enquiring if we have any concerns about alcohol related issues in our community Meetings of this forum are open to the public and anyone wishing to address the Forum should contact Fiona Gardiner at the contact detail in the letter at least one day prior to the meeting. The next meeting of the Forum is on Thursday 30 July at 2.00p.m in Committee Room 2 in the Town House. The following meeting is on Thursday 17 September at 5.00p.m in the same venue.

8.12 The Scottish Government

The Model Scheme of Establishment of Community Councils and Code of Conduct for Community Councillors have been sent to all local authority Chief Executives Highlighting the benefits of the Scheme and Code and encouraging its adoption. Information on the two pilot schemes launched by the Scottish Government can be found at www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/local-government/CommunityCouncils/CCPilotSchemes

8.13 Aberdeen City Council

The Local consultation on options for the Community Learning Hubs planned for 2 July has been postponed until later in the year. I have asked for information on what Community learning Hubs are. However I have not had an explanation as yet.

8.14 Aberdeen City Council

Modernisation of Planning Training Sessions. This letter was received on 26 June inviting our planning officer to attend a training session on 1 July and asking for a response by 30 June. How many more times will we have to remind the City Council employees that we cannot discuss things when a very short notice is given?
However another training session is to be held on 29 July from 7.00 to 8.30p.m in Committee Room 5 on the ground floor of the Town House in Broad Street.

8.15 Aberdeen City Council

Acknowledgement of my letter of 16 June regarding the former medical practice. This was date 23 June and received on 26 June.

8.16 Aberdeen City Council

Aberdeen City Woodlands: Consultation on Preparation of Management Plans. The City Council has commenced drawing up management plans for 35 - 40 of its woodlands in and around the City. We are asked what extent we might like to have an input into the development of the management plans for the woodlands within our area. Maps of the proposed areas for tree planting have been received along with photographs of the proposed sites.

8.17 Aberdeen City Council

Charles Lowe has sent 20 nomination forms for the forthcoming community elections.

8.18 Aberdeen City Council

A copy of the Scottish Government model scheme for the establishment of community council, a model constitution, model standing orders and a code of conduct for community councillors has been received. Any comments we have on these must be made on or before 30 September.
Members are asked to read these documents and they will be discussed in some detail at our August meeting
Action All Members

8.19 Aberdeen City Council

A second letter informing us of the postponement of the Community Learning Hub consultation.

8.20 Banchory & Leggart Estates

An update of the procedure for the application for the land south of the city to be developed and a revised DVD.

8.21 Inspector Findlay

Inspector Findlay has confirmed that the conference room at the police station will be available for our August meeting. Members are asked to note this venue change.

8.22 Waterwatch Scotland

A public meeting is to be held on 27 August at which we are invited to put forward any issues or complaints we have regarding the water industry. The meeting is to be held in the Salvation Army Citadel at 2.00p.m. We are asked to inform them if we are to have an attendance at the meeting and also to advise them in advance of any issues/complaints in order that they can gather as much background information as possible before the meeting

8.23 J Parker

A catalogue for wholesale Dutch bulbs is available. This was passed to John Shand

8.24 Aberdeen City Council

A customer feedback form asking what we are looking for from the 'Equalities' newsletter we receive. Questionnaire must be returned by 31 July

8.25 First

Mr Dorr is on holiday. His PA will speak to him on his return on 9 July about attend our September meeting.

8.26 Councillor McCaig

A reply from Joanna Murray, Team Leader at Planning and Infrastructure, to Councillor McCaig's enquiries regarding the proposal to close Leggart access on to the roundabout, has been forwarded to us.

8.27 Councillor Cooney

A reply to Councillor Cooney's enquiry regarding the same matter as above has been forwarded to us, this reply was from John Wilson a managing agent for the AWPR.

8.28 Patricia Frazer ACC

Sinclair Laing of the City Council. He is concerned about the rundown look of Nigg Bay and asking if we have any ideas for cleaning it up or improving it in any way. He is organising a Nigg Bay Day of Action on 8/9 August and any ideas have to be sent to him on his return to work on 13 July

8.29.1 Aberdeen City Council

Patricia Frazer has informed us of a Neighbourhood Walk About in the South area on Thursday 13 August. Our members are invited to join this at the library or community centre starting point. Detail will be confirmed later.

9 Treasurer's Report

Gala Report 2009 from Treasurer

I would like to say this years gala was a better success than last years although we have not made a great deal of money we did not loose any. The support of the community is still very much lacking as we found to our detriment this year again with the raffle not raising enough to cover itself. The first prize we felt as a committee would make for much better sales but how badly we were let down. Even going door to door we did not do very well but we did recover a lot of the costs on the actual day.
A nice day was had and with the support of a very few groups in the community a good day was had by all. We charged the stallholders a small fee to take a table so they themselves could raise their own money on the day.

We will have to look into finding out what other groups charge traders like the burger van and the bouncy castle people because they seem to make big money from our event but give us very little, it would benefit us trying to contact some other gala committees to hear what they charge these people as from what I have heard we fall well short.
The stalls that Roy and Mary kindly bring to the gala are by far the best money raisers with the key stall far exceeding expectations. Thank you to them for helping us out so much with them and taking charge of them on the gala day.
As I say we have not raised a great deal of money but we have increased our assets which will go along way to help raise further monies in the future through either leasing the equipment out or we ourselves doing further fundraising. We have three new pop up gazebos with curtains, a brand new generator which we have also purchased a wheel kit for complete with petrol can. These items I am sure will help a lot of people in the community with various activities.
We have already discussed the raffle prize being greatly reduced next year but can only hope that we still get the support from various companies and the local community to support this. Thank you once again to everyone that supported us on the day and we look forward to next years gala.

Shirley Watt Gala Treasurer

The accounts up to the current month were presented. The Treasurer said that some corrections were required with some money taken form the wrong account. She will make the necessary corrections.

10 Reports

10.1 Civic Forum

No report

10.2 Planning

There are no applications relevant to our area.

10.3 Community Council Forum

A special meeting was held on 6 July to discuss the Aberdeen City Council Community Council Protocol. I attended this meeting alone. The Secretary could not manage and offered his apologies.

It was agreed that the Protocol is a well-written document. Unfortunately much of what is written in the document is ignored in reality. One or two of the main items discussed were:
1. Late issue of documents preventing community councils being able to discuss these and reply in the time frame stated
2. Lack of response to communications in accordance with this protocol that states an acknowledgement should be received in five working days and a reply within 15 working days for a full response or update on progress. This affected the majority of the community councils represented at the meeting.
3. Because of the large number of issues that required a response it was agreed that a working group be set up to examine the document more closely and report back to the August meeting. The hope is to hold this meeting on 27 July.
4. It was also agreed that should this document be adopted, it must be examined yearly and independently to determine whether it is being implemented and is re-examined if it is not being followed.

Another issue causing concern was the difference in the treatment of community councils by the City Council. Some councils are being billed by the letting group at the AECC for accommodation for their meetings, other councils have had floral baskets provided by the City Council and the discrepancy in the arrangements for the provision of Christmas Lights and charges to councils.

I was advised that we should pursue the awarding of our annual running expenses grant. Apparently other councils have set up separate accounts allocated to a particular purpose and by this means have still been able to have their grant issued. Unfortunately Mr Lowe is on holiday and I have not been able to contact him for his response to this. We should perhaps consider setting up a separate account for the connection and dismantling of the Christmas lights.

The suggestion that the Forum should meet monthly and the press be invited to attend was agreed unanimously.

10.4 Gala Day

KINCORTH/LEGGART COMMUNITY GALA 2009

I am pleased to report that the gala this year was much better. We reduced the area greatly that we used and although a few squabbles on the day between the committee members there was not any serious arguments. We found that it was much easier to put the gazebos and stalls together as most were of the pop up design and took minutes rather than hours to organize. The greatest problem we had was that the toilets we had ordered through Aberdeen City Council did not turn up and we may of had to cancel the whole event if the community centre had not been opened up for the Karate over the bulk of the time that the gala was running. We have contacted Kenny Luke of ACC to get this looked at but as the toilets did not arrive it means we will not be billed for them so saving a bit of cash from the days expenses.
The day ran very much to order with the help of compere for the day George Boyne and the drummers that were recommended to us at the last minute due to John McRuvie of Northsound Radio not managing to come at the last minute due to work commitments. We would therefore like to thank both the drumming group and George for their great efforts made on the day in difficult circumstances.
George also helped with the running of the raffle on the day and although we made great efforts to sell tickets before the day even going door to door in some places we feel we did not really get the community behind us. Ticket sales were pretty poor for a community the size of Kincorth and having the prizes we had including the first prize of £500 of Argos Vouchers the sales did not quite cover this. Next year the raffle first prize will be greatly reduced and the amount of tickets printed will be reduced as well. We would like to thank all of those who did support the raffle and thanks to the companies for their generous donations, which were greatly received.
The committee would like to say a big thank you to those that gave their free time to help on the day of the gala to help run stalls and support the committee but as usual there is never enough on the day so if there is anyone you know who could give a bit of their time to help us next year please contact us at anytime. Thank you also to the groups that supported our day by buying a stall we hope you enjoyed your day and made a bit of profit for your own causes, next year you would be more than welcome to join us again.

Glynn Sangster- Gala Committee

11 A.O.C.B

11.1 Inventory of equipment

We have been advised that an inventory should be maintained of all equipment owned by our council. This should include its cost and where it is held. The inventory will be attached to this minute.


This report will be up for approval at the next meeting.