03 09 02

Crathes, Drumoak & Durris Community Council (CDDCC)

Minutes of Meeting

2nd September 2003 at the Irvine Arms, Drumoak

 

Sederunt

Community Councillors - Don Keith (Chairman), Jean Downie, David Hirst, Ron Stark, Jill Gow

Ward Councillors - none

Members of the Public - Rev J Scott

Apologies – Sandy Wallace

 

  1. Minutes/Meeting Secretary

    2. It was agreed that John Hopkins would act as Minutes Secretary for the next six months (up to and including the February 2004 meeting) and that such arrangements would again be reviewed in January 2004. Minutes would be produced as a final version, with any errors being addressed at the following meeting and recorded under the item "Minutes of Previous Meeting"

    John Hopkins would also act as Meeting Secretary for the present meeting.

     

  2. Minutes of Previous Meeting (August 2003)

    3. These were accepted by acclamation.

     

  3. Matters Arising
  1. Bank Mandate

    2. It was resolved that the Royal Bank of Scotland plc be again requested to continue to act as bankers to the Crathes, Drumoak and Durris Community Council, operating on its behalf a current account as at present, plus a deposit account to contain moneys allocated in respect of the Drumoak Youth Project (DYP03), in accordance with the Bank Mandate submitted in June 2003 and since amended to reflect the resignation of Mark Leigh.

  2. Brodie Countryfare

Don Keith noted that the report from the Scottish Executive Reporter on Brodie Countryfare was expected in the near future, although no date was yet known for its publication.

 

  1. Correspondence

  1. Recently-received Scottish Executive grants document

    2. David Hirst would analyse this document to determine under which heading to request a grant for DYP03 and would make a recommendation to Don Keith by 7 September (Action: David Hirst). NB application deadline 3 October

  2. Forward Scotland grants document

    3. This scheme - which offers grants derived from the Aggregates Levy - reaches its second and final deadline for applications next week. In view of this, no application would be made this year. To investigate prospects for an application in 2004, perhaps in respect of the footpath extension towards Drum station (Action: Don Keith)

     

  3. Community Planning Newsletter no. 4

    4. To obtain further details of Community Planning and "Community Budgetting" (Action: John Hopkins)

  4. Aberdeen City/Aberdeenshire Council proposal on through-ticketing arrangements

    5. To propose to the Council that they should draw on Dutch practice for public transport arrangements. (Action: Don Keith)

  5. Bank Mandate

    6. Following the surprise re-emergence of the original bank mandate form, to again attempt to get Royal Bank of Scotland to action it (Action: John Hopkins) (DONE)

  6. Draft Local Governance (Scotland) Bill: Consultation Paper

    7. To draft a proposed response to this, consistent with the comments to be made on the Draft Code of Practice oon Section 60 of the Freedom of Information Act (Action: John Hopkins)

  7. Email from Jean Henretty with invitation to Banchory & District Initiative

To attend meeting on 18 September (Action: Don Keith)

 

  1. Planning Matters

  1. Finalised Aberdeenshire Local Plan

    2. David Hirst attended the kick-off meeting (19 August) for the Public Enquiry for the above. Some 2,000 objections had been lodged. The Enquiry was expected to continue for some long while. The second session (13 January to 6 February) would consider objections relating to Drumoak and Durris: the third (2 March to 2 April) would consider objections relating to Crathes. To keep the process under review, reporting back as appropriate (Action: David Hirst)

  2. Stable Planning Application in Durris

    3. This had been approved 6 votes to 5. To telephone Sandy Wallace for more information and to consider writing to the local paper (Action: David Hirst)

  3. Park Quarry

Don Keith reported that the dispute with Mr Campbell, Chief Executive of Aberdeenshire Council, as to the latter’s assertion that his letter of 28 March indicated that CDDCC had been "fully consulted" about the above, was still continuing. To continue to pursue this matter by telephone (Action: Don Keith)

In response to CDDCC’s long-standing attempt to exercise its rights (conferred by Aberdeenshire Council) to view the contents of the Council’s files on the Park Quarry application, Willie Munro has acknowledged that all of the documents specified by CDDCC could be accessed. "Within two weeks", CDDCC would be able to have sight of the named documents.

Don Keith mentioned his correspondence with Mrs Murray of the Scottish Civil Service, in respect of matters of national significance. The Minister for Communities had requested information from Aberdeenshire Council and had required them to refrain from issuing any Planning Permission until the issues had been resolved.

Responses from list MSPs had been very variable – from the anodyne to the downright helpful.

 

 

  1. "Surplus" Bedding Plants from Aberdeenshire Council

    2. Alec Watson had taken delivery of a "lorryload" and had distributed them for charitable end uses. Jill Gow suggested that this might be an opportunity for fund-raising and undertook to ask Alec Watson what plants he wished to order for the next growing season (Action: Jill Gow)

     

  2. Broadband Announcement

    3. John Hopkins noted that – perhaps somewhat surprisingly – Drumoak exchange had suddenly been given a target for the installation of ADSL equipment and that this figure (150) was already met by existing pre-registrations. The local newspaper had stated that equipment was on target to be installed within 14 weeks. This news was welcomed by CDDCC.

     

  3. DYP03

    4. Don Keith reported that the holiday period had meant that activity had been at a low ebb. Now that Steve Walsh was back from his holidays, a quotation for the surfacing (perhaps co-ordinated with the surfacing of a similar pitch/court in Banchory) should be forthcoming (Action: Don Keith)

     

  4. Charitable Donations by CDDCC

    5. Given the approach of the end of its financial year and in view of the customary economy with which CDDCC utilised its financial resources, there was an opportunity for limited charitable donations to be made to local groups. To bring forward for the October meeting, indications of potential candidates for receipt of such moneys, indicating also the intended use to which such donation would be put. Previous donations had generally been in the band £50 to £100. (Action: All)

    To make recommendation - at the time of the October meeting - of the total amount that CDDCC might prudently disburse in this way (Action: John Hopkins)

     

  5. Dangerous Junction (Road passing Tersets joining the Cullerlie Road)

Ron Stark noted that visibility was very restricted at this junction (at the Western end of the side-road past Park Shop). To write to the Roads Department at Stonehaven drawing this to their attention and suggesting consideration of a strategically-placed mirror (Action: Ron Stark)

JFH

4 September 2003

MOM 03 09 02.doc

 

Distribution

CDDCC Councillors (by email, except for Jill Hendry)

Councillor Jenny Watson (by post)

Councillor Sandy Wallace (by email)

Mr W Munro, Area Manager, Kincardine & Mearns (by email)

Mr L Allen, Area Manager, Marr (by post)

Crathes Hall Notice board (by post)

Banchory Public Library (by post)

Durris Hall Notice board (delivered by Sarah Hopkins)

Drumoak PO (delivered by Don Keith)

Drumoak Shop (delivered by Don Keith)

Rev Jim Scott, Durris Manse, Durris, Banchory AB31 6BU (by email)

Community Police Officer (Drumoak) - PC Allan Tennant c/o Banchory Police Office (by post)

Community Police Officer (Durris) - PC Kevin Skivington c/o Banchory Police Office (by post)

Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator - Mrs Lesley Moore, "Patchways" Drumoak AB31 5HA (by post)