07 08 07

Crathes, Drumoak & Durris Community Council (CDDCC)

Minutes of Meeting

 

Tuesday 7 August 2007 - Irvine Arms, Drumoak from 19.30 hours

 

1.         Sederunt

 

Community Councillors: David Morrish (Chairman), Molly Atkinson (Vice Chairman), John Hopkins, Jenny Watson

Ward 16 Councillors:  Linda Clark, Karen Clark

Ward 18 Councillors:  Peter Bellarby, Graeme Clark, Wendy Agnew

Police Representatives: Mark Cockburn, Mike Petrie

Members of Public: Avril Spence, Rognvald Spence

Council Officer: Jack Clark

Apologies: Keith Whitehead, Jean Downie, Mark Allen, Mike Sullivan

 

 

2.      Minutes of June 2007 Meeting

 

Subject to the need to record the prior apology for absence received from Wendy Agnew in respect of the June 2007 meeting, these were proposed by Jenny Watson and seconded by David Morrish.

 

 

3.      Police Matters

 

Wendy Agnew reported that she had spoken to residents of Keithmuir and - upon investigation - seen a group of teenagers acting suspiciously in Keithmuir Park.  She would investigate again after the meeting and report to the police in Banchory (Action: Wendy Agnew)

 

David Morrish reported that - as requested - a vehicle speed check had been done on the A957, north of Durris Bridge.  He had subsequently been told by police representatives that “there wasn’t a problem”, because “80% of the cars were doing less than 60 mph” (the speed limit for that road), even though one car had been clocked at 120 mph.  He asked for assistance in getting copies of the data.  It appeared that this was in the hands of the Council, rather than the Police.  Jenny Watson suggested a Freedom of Information request might be appropriate.  It was agreed that Linda Clark would press Jim Craig for a copy of the data  (Action: Linda Clark)

 

Mark Cockburn said that more local police officers were now being trained on new speed detection equipment.

 

Recent local thefts had been a sat-nav unit from a car and a caravan from the premises of Deeside Caravans.

 

 

 

4.         Recycling and Waste Handling Matters

 

CDDCC had accepted an offer from the Senior Area Waste Officer to send a representative to attend a meeting and answer questions.  Jack Clark, who was attending for that purpose, suggested that he concentrate on answering the written questions posed by CDDCC:-

 

·        Operational Choices (reduced recycling collections for rural addresses).  The recycling grant application to the Scottish Executive had necessarily been based on the pre-existing Waste Plan (City, Shire and Moray), as the Executive would only fund proposals compliant with it.  The Plan had envisaged full recycling collections only for conurbations of 1,000 houses and above, which would have covered about 70% of the available volume of recyclable materials.  Elected councillors had varied this to conurbations of 300 houses and above, which covered approximately 80%.  To go beyond this would not be cost-effective for the Council.  Jenny Watson noted that Aberdeenshire Council had virtually the worst record of any council in Scotland for proportion of materials recycled.

·        Bin provision not related to family size and circumstance.  Jack Clark stated that where households repeatedly found that they could not fit all of their non-recyclable waste in the one provided bin, then another, possibly of smaller size, would be provided (and emptied) by the Council.

·        Facilities for recycling large (brown) Cardboard Packaging.  The paper mill that Aberdeenshire Council has chosen to use for recycling paper/card waste produces unbleached newsprint and for that reason would not accept brown cardboard, which would discolour the product.  Brown cardboard was sent to a different paper mill, in Kent.  Because of problems with mixed loads, the Council currently had a contract with a firm in Stirling to separate the brown and non-brown recycling steams.  If this contract were to continue, Aberdeenshire Council would be able to tolerate mixed cardboard (including brown) in the future.

·        Recycling of plastics other than bottles.  Plastic bottles are sorted for recycling into different materials [1]  The handling and sorting equipment used by Aberdeenshire Council’s chosen processor can only handle things which are bottle-shaped. Accordingly, no other plastics could be handled.  Bottle-tops - provided they were on the bottles themselves - were acceptable.  The makers of Tetrapak containers had been put on notice nationally that they were responsible for the recycling of these difficult-to-recycle containers.  They had offered the magnificent total of 4 dedicated bins for this purpose for the whole of Aberdeenshire, which they would initially undertake to empty.  This was viewed as an unacceptable offer.

·        Crows Nest Closure.  Crows Nest - as a landfill site - would close in circa April 2008.  The site would be used as a waste acceptance/sorting/transfer facility.  Non-recyclable materials would go to landfill elsewhere.

·        Composting.  Home composting was more cost-effective than alternatives as a way of dealing with garden waste.  It was noted that there was a pilot scheme in Drumoak for collection of garden materials for communal composting.

·        Incineration.  In response to a question from Wendy Agnew about incineration as an alternative to landfill, Jack Clark noted that there had been a joint incineration proposal from Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City, Moray and Highland & Islands Councils, which had been rejected by the Scottish Executive.  Moray had then decided to go its own way.  Highlands had subsequently teamed up with Moray.  Aberdeen City now had a contract for an incineration operation, but could not build it as planning permission had been refused.  Aberdeenshire had no current incineration plans.

·        Collection Cost.  This was approximately the same as in 2004/5, despite only collecting half as often.

·        Flytipping.  This might be on the increase, but - as past data was not collected in the same form - this could not positively be confirmed.

 

 

5.      Planning Issues

 

5.1  Drumoak

 

Graeme Clark noted that he understood that the mains sewer tie-in for Drumoak Primary would not be before Summer 2008.

 

5.2  Durris

 

Graeme Clark noted that the Currackstane house proposal had been refused planning permission.

 

The current state of the “restaurant” at the head of the pass on the Slug Road was noted.  Little other than foundations existed.  The site was for sale.  An eventual application for change of use to a domestic dwelling was thought not unlikely.

 

Graeme Clark noted that the proposed Durris Housing Development was now apparently down to 20 houses.

 

5.3  Crathes

David Morrish noted that the proposed Crathes Housing Development land had been offered for sale by the Dunecht Estate.  Bids had been received, but the winning bid not yet revealed.  The community would need to remain vigilant.

 

5.4 Public Transparency of Planning Gain

 

Graeme Clark noted that Don Keith was corresponding on this subject with Willie Munro.

 

Whilst the consensus of those present was that planning gain negotiations might have to be regarded as commercially confidential, Linda Clark said that - once the agreement was signed - it should be published in detail and (like anything else) could be audited.

 

 

6. Keithmuir and Drumoak Youth Project

 

David Morrish noted that there had been no response from Willie Munro to his letter relating to vandalism of properties adjacent to Keithmuir Park.

 

As there were no DYP representatives present, the remainder of this item was held over.  To find out from Caroline the outcome of the survey (Action: David Morrish)

 

 

7. Access Issues

 

7.1 Park

 

David Morrish noted that the gate at Park had been re-locked, although the barbed wire not replaced.

 

7.2 Dalmaik

 

To progress this matter with Alasdair Fulwood (Action: Molly Atkinson)

 

7.3 Dog Fouling

 

David Morrish had followed-up this issue with the Dog Warden, who would be monitoring the extent of the problem.  He also noted that no further “dog waste” bins would be erected, but that it was acceptable for ordinary waste bins to be used for this purpose.

 

7.4 Public Conveniences

 

Graeme Clark noted that Aberdeenshire Council were contemplating following the example of Perth Council in making payments to strategically-located restaurants/hotels to permit their toilets to be used as public conveniences (and advertised as such).

 

 

 

 

 

8. Correspondence

 

8.1   Neighbour Notifications

 

A response had been received from Christine Gore, which CDDCC found very helpful.

 

8.2   Follow-up on Dust Storm at Park Quarry, May 6

 

A response had been received from Christine Gore, which CDDCC considered less than adequate.  It was agreed, however, that in the next instance this issue should be taken up by the Park Quarry Liaison Group, at its meeting on 14 August (Action: John Hopkins)

 

Wendy Agnew noted that she had queried the provision of a 4 metre wide tunnel under Park Road, in place of the authorised 2 metre tunnel.  She had been told that this was for safe access to the conveyor, but noted that the conveyor had been offset within the tunnel bore, thus permitting the possibility of vehicles using the tunnel.  She would regard any such use as a breach of the planning conditions.

 

8.3  Schedule of Insurance Cover for Community Councils

 

A letter had been received from Aberdeenshire Council about the insurance cover provided for Community Councils (funded by top-slicing their grants).  John Hopkins noted that some of the details were unclear and queried whether the terms were proportionate to a Community Council, e.g. an excess of £1,000 for an organisation whose income was only a few hundred pounds per year.  To pursue these queries with the sender (Action: John Hopkins)

 

8.4  K&M Local Community Planning Group

 

John Hopkins reported that he had been elected as the Community Council representative on this group.  He wanted community planning to be done by the community, not to the community.

 

 

9.                  Bike Ride (Rescheduled Again)

 

It was agreed that the Bike Ride would be rescheduled once more to 9 September, starting at 10.30 at the Irvine Arms.  To produce a poster (Action: David Morrish).  To place this on the website (Action: John Hopkins).  To inform the Deeside Piper, nearer the date (Action: David Morrish).   To publicise this in the Newsletter (Action: Don Keith)

 

 

10.              Co-option of Members

 

David Morrish had approached Sandy Wallace, who had accepted CDDCC’s invitation to be a co-opted member.

 

 

11. Bus Route 204

 

The diversion of the Route 204 to serve Woodlands of Durris came into effect in July.

 

 

12. Marr Area Plan presentation

 

To report on the Marr Area Plan (2007 - 2010) meeting held on 15 June in Aboyne (Action: Keith Whitehead)

 

 

13. Any Other Business

 

13.1 Condition of Road Surface (Woodlands to Kirkton)

 

Rognvald and Avril Spence noted that the above road had received little effective maintenance over past years and was now in very poor condition.  Although it had recently been surveyed for repair, this had happened in the past with no result.  Piecemeal patching was inadequate, as the crumbling edges of the road testified.  To contact Jim Craig on this matter (Action: David Morrish)

 

13.2 Park Bridge Weight Limit and Advertising of Planning Applications etc.

 

Two matters were raised by Molly Atkinson, on behalf of Kirsty Johns.

 

The first of these was the Weight Limit signing for Park Bridge, the replacement of which was long overdue.  To write to Willie Munro on the subject (Action: John Hopkins) (DONE)

 

The other was the request that, in the interest of those without broadband access, newspaper Council Notices on Planning etc. which related to Drumoak and Durris, be placed in the Deeside Piper (as for Crathes), rather than in the Mearns Leader, which is not on general sale in those areas.  To write to Stephen Marshall to this effect (Action: David Morrish)

 

 

14. Next Meeting

 

19.30 hours on 4th September at Irvine Arms

 

JFH 09/08/07

 

 

Distribution

Email

Post

by hand

other

CDDCC Councillors (excl. Jenny Watson)

Jenny Watson

Park Shop (via John Hopkins)

Website www.durris.net (also for previous minutes)

Cllrs. Linda Clark, Karen Clark, Jill Webster (Ward 16)

Crathes Hall Notice Board (via David Humble)

Drumoak Post Office (via John Hopkins)

Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator – representative not known

Cllrs. Peter Bellarby, Graeme Clark, Mike Sullivan, Wendy Agnew (Ward 18)

Banchory Public Library

 

 

 

Mr W Munro, Area Manager, Kincardine & Mearns

Community Police Officer (Drumoak/Durris/Crathes), c/o Banchory Police Office

 

 

Mr L Allen, Area Manager, Marr

Drumoak Public Hall Notice Board (via Ian Pirie)

 

 

Rev. Jim Scott, Durris Manse, Durris

Drumoak Church Hall Notice Board (via Morag Keith)

 

 

Caroline Cruickshank, Drumoak

Durris Hall Notice Board (via Sheila Watt)

 

 

Debbie Cameron, Drumoak

 

 

 

 


[1]  There are four common types: Type 1 is Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), 2 is high density polyethylene (HDPE), 3 is Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), 4 is low density polyethylene (LDPE)