09 01 06
Crathes, Drumoak & Durris Community Council
(CDDCC)
Minutes of Meeting
Tuesday
6 January 2009 – Irvine Arms, Drumoak from 19.30 hours
1.
Sederunt
Community Councillors: Jean Downie, David Morrish, Jenny Watson, Ann Ross, Diana Robertson, Nicola Chambury, Geoffrey Atkinson, John Baillie
Aberdeenshire Councillors (Ward 18): Peter Bellarby
Members
of Public:
Apologies: Tony Butcher, Jill Webster, Linda Clark, Graeme Clark, Wendy Agnew, Doug Allstaff
2. New
CDDCC Membership and Office-Bearers
John Hopkins, acting as Convenor for the purposes of this Agenda item, welcomed new and returning Community Councillors.
At the Annual General Meeting in December 2008, the previous membership of CDDCC had resigned, as required by the Constitution. Starting at the AGM, nominations for a newly-constituted CDDCC had been sought. As the numbers of valid nomination papers received by the deadline of 31 December 2008 did not exceed the numbers of Community Councillors specified for each sub-area (Crathes, Drumoak, Durris), the following had been declared appointed:-
Jenny Watson proposed that Tony Butcher, who had served on the retiring Community Council, be co-opted to fill one of the vacancies. This was seconded by Ann Ross, and agreed by the meeting.
John Hopkins invited each member to make a very brief personal introduction, for the benefit of those who did not previously know them. Following this, the matter of Office-Bearers was discussed. The results of this discussion were:-
Tony Butcher had asked that, because of his relative inexperience and of his health problems, he needed strong back-up at Vice-Chairman level. David Morrish volunteered to undertake this role, assisted also by Doug Allstaff (not present at the meeting, but whom David Morrish believed would accept the post). Jean Downie accepted the post of Secretary, but reserved her position in the event that CDDCC chose to register under the Data Protection Act.
Planning
Monitors were also agreed, as follows:-
·
Drumoak
(John Baillie and Geoffrey Atkinson)
·
Durris
(Jean Downie)
·
Crathes
(David Morrish).
The
planning monitors have the task of checking the weekly planning applications on
the Aberdeenshire Council website - each for their own area - bringing to the
attention of CDDCC, at the following meeting or via email (according to
urgency), those that they consider require a comment from CDDCC
The Agenda Item having been concluded, John
Hopkins handed over conduct of the meeting to Tony Butcher.
3. CDDCC Priorities for 2009
Tony
Butcher asked David Morrish to remind the meeting what had been CDDCC’s
priorities for 2008. The latter stated
that these had been:-
Achievements against these priorities in 2008 had varied, with more success in some areas than others.
It was generally agreed that, albeit in different aspects, all of these remained priorities for 2009. To these, Jean Downie and John Baillie proposed the addition of Strategic Plan and Local Development Plan.
Jenny Watson noted that it would be
important, whilst focussing on the need for a new
Nicola Chambury proposed that Engagement of CDDCC with its Constituents be adopted as a further priority. This was agreed.
The quarterly Drumoak & Durris Church
Newsletter was seen as a prime vehicle for this, being distributed to every
household in Drumoak and Durris (this reflecting the parish boundaries of the
church). Donations have been made by
CDDCC in recent years so that the Newsletter is made available within Crathes,
but the distribution channel remains a problem here. There is no network of voluntary distributors
(as there is in Drumoak and Durris).
Copies have been sent home with children attending
The collated list for 2009 is therefore:-
4.
Local Development Plan
David Morrish noted that a letter had been
received from Piers Blaxter, seeking the views of Community Councils on land in
their areas that should – or should not – be developed. In view of the urgency of this issue, to
circulate this by email, asking for views to be sent to him for collation into
a composite draft CDDCC response (Action:
John Hopkins) (DONE). Note that since the meeting an extension to
the period for comment had been agreed between David Morrish and Piers Blaxter
(deadline is now 4 February).
5. Culter Car Showroom
Geoffrey
Atkinson expressed his surprise at the decision of CDDCC to support the Culter
Car Centre proposal and asked whether this was open to review. In debate, it was concluded that it was
not. David Morrish proposed that any
future comment on planning applications by CDDCC should, where a vote on the
issue was taken at CDDCC, include those voting figures, or – if unanimous –
should be recorded as unanimous. This
was generally thought to be appropriate, although Jenny Watson registered her
disagreement with this principle.
6.
Community Planning
To accept the invitation of Jacqui Christie (or
Karelia Wright) to provide a speaker to give a 20 minute presentation for the
February meeting (Action: David Morrish)
7. Drumoak Youth Project
John Hopkins informed the meeting that he had been told by
Gail Bleakley of the Drumoak Youth Project that – subject to confirmation by
local youth – bike ramps would be provided and installed in
To invite Gail Bleakley to attend future CDDCC meetings
(Action: John Hopkins)
8. Crathes Hall Planning Application
A
planning application to extend the Crathes Public Hall entrances had been
submitted. This was supported by CDDCC.
This led
to a brief discussion as to whether CDDCC should revert to its former practice
of holding its monthly meetings in a rota of local Halls and schools. It was pointed out that the main aim of this
practice had been to draw local attendees to meetings, but that this had had no
beneficial effect. It was agreed that
CDDCC would continue to hold its monthly meetings at the Irvine Arms.
9. Any Other Competent Business
10.
Correspondence
Jean
Downie and Ann Ross described - and circulated to interested members - various
items of received correspondence.
11. Next Monthly Meeting
1930 hours, 3 February 2009, Irvine Arms, Drumoak
JFH 8/1/09
|
Distribution |
|||
|
Email |
Email |
Post |
Other |
|
CDDCC Councillors (excl. Jenny Watson) |
Neighbourhood Watch
Co-ordinator – Alister Bisset |
Jenny Watson |
Website
www.durris.net (also for previous
minutes) |
|
Cllrs. Linda Clark, Karen Clark, Jill Webster (Ward 16) |
Leanna
MacLarty (Press and Journal) |
Crathes Hall Notice Board (via David Humble) |
|
|
Cllrs. Peter Bellarby, Graeme Clark, Mike Sullivan, Wendy Agnew (Ward
18) |
Kirkton
of Durris Hall Notice Board (via |
Drumoak
Public Hall Notice Board (via Ian Pirie) |
|
|
Mr W Munro, Area Manager, Kincardine & Mearns |
Rev. Jim Scott, Durris
Manse, Durris |
Banchory Public Library |
By Hand |
|
Mr L Allen, Area Manager, Marr |
Insp.
Jim Gordon |
Drumoak
Church Hall Notice Board (via Morag Keith) |
Park
Shop (via John Hopkins) |
|
Insp.
Stuart Ednie |
|
|
Drumoak
Post Office (via John Hopkins) |