09 05 05

Crathes, Drumoak & Durris Community Council (CDDCC)

Minutes of Meeting

Tuesday 5 May 2009 – Irvine Arms, Drumoak from 19.30 hours

1. Sederunt

Community Councillors: Jean Downie, Jenny Watson, David Morrish (Chair), Diana Robertson, Nicola Chambury, Geoffrey Atkinson, Doug Allstaff, John Baillie

Aberdeenshire Councillors (Ward 18): Peter Bellarby, Graeme Clark, Wendy Agnew

Aberdeenshire Councillors (Ward 16): Linda Clark

Apologies: Tony Butcher, Jill Webster, Karen Clark, Insp. Stuart Ednie, PC Wayne Smart

Members of the Public: Don Keith, Molly Atkinson, Sandy Wallace

For Rydens: John Findlay

For Stewart Milne: Marianne McGowan

Minute Secretary: John Hopkins

2. Situation Report on Chairman

David Morrish reported that he and Doug Allstaff had been to see Tony Butcher that day. He had seemed much improved compared with three weeks before. Meantime, he sent his greetings and apologies for non-attendance.

3. Previous Minutes

Subject to the correction of the date of the June meeting to 2 June (incorrectly recorded as 3 June), the minutes of April 2009 were proposed by Jenny Watson and seconded by Jean Downie and accepted as an accurate record.

4. Police Matters

There were no police representatives at the meeting. David Morrish stated, however, that he had very recently received a local police report from Inspector Ednie. To post this report on the www.durris.net website (Action: John Hopkins)

Jenny Watson drew attention to a development at the Myrebird junction. Two poles had been erected, the purpose of which was apparently to transmit warnings of approaching vehicles to wristbands worn by local children on their way to/from the school bus. A constituent had suggested that this might simply create a false sense of security and hence worsen safety. To investigate this further (Action: Nicola Chambury)

Don Keith asked whether anyone present knew how to get information about local Neighbourhood Watch (NW) representatives. The consensus was that the police had largely disengaged from involvement with NW. The NW organisation would not give details of local co-ordinators because of “data protection”. It was believed, though, that the local Police must have some relevant knowledge. To write formally to the Police, requesting the required information (Action: John Hopkins).

Presentation

CDDCC broke off from its normal business at the arrival of Margaret Tindall. Jenny Watson introduced Margaret to those present, saying that she had been postmistress at Drumoak for 47 years, until her recent retirement. Margaret had been a great asset to public life, not least in helping people, fundraising for good causes and drawing the attention of appropriate authorities to local people in particular need. Jenny invited David Morrish to make a presentation.

David echoed Jenny’s words and said that he was pleased to be able, on behalf of CDDCC, to give Margaret a gift and card as token of CDDCC’s esteem for her work and service to Drumoak over that long period.

4. (cont’d) Police Matters

Jean Downie said that her attention had been drawn to a recent incident where a man had been hanging around the area of the Glebe, being visited there by people in small numbers. This had been reported to Police, who had responded using “drug sniffer” dogs. No arrest had apparently been made. Jean made the point that her constituent had hoped to receive some feedback on what had transpired. David Morrish made the point that the incident might have been covered in the recent report. If this were not the case, to write formally to the Police, asking for feedback on the incident (Action: John Hopkins).

5. Discussion about “Drumoak Extension” Housing Bid

John Findlay of Rydens and Marianne McGowan of Stewart Milne were introduced to the meeting.

John Findlay said that they were present to describe the Drumoak housing bids submitted following the Structure Plan and to discuss how best to engage with the local community, which they were being encouraged to do by the Planners. The bids – which he characterised as “Drumoak Extension” – were summarised in two small handouts that he circulated to the meeting.

Drumoak fell into the Aberdeen Housing Market Area (AHMA), for which the planned number of houses in the Structure Plan was 3,700 over the next thirty years.

The bids all related to land owned by the Wight family around Drumoak, over which Stewart Milne had a development option. Referring to the Drumoak map included in one of the handouts, John Findlay said that the maximum potential was for 500 to 600 houses. The draft Main Issues Report had only accepted a small part of the bid, equivalent to perhaps 30 houses. In particular, sites to the immediate west and east of Drumoak had been rejected because of the presence of pipelines. He said that he was hopeful, given the experience of Stewart Milne in constructing houses at Westhill in areas with pipelines, that this could be overturned.

If there were no constraints, a phased development plan would be followed, with the first phase of development to the north-west of Drumoak, the second to the north-east and the third to the south.

Doug Allstaff made the point that local public opinion was against large development. He said that it was difficult to see how either CDDCC or the public could meaningfully become involved in consultation when, on the one hand, 30 houses might be the potential, but on the other there were aspirations on the part of the developer for twenty times that number.

It was agreed that the appropriate time for any such engagement was between the publication of the Main Issues Report and that of the Local Development Plan.

John Baillie asked what guarantees there were that the proposed new Drumoak School would have the capacity to cope with the potential population of an extended Drumoak. Graeme Clark responded that money had been earmarked for the construction and that there were currently negotiations about the suitability of the proposed site. Any new school building would, as a matter of course, be designed in a modular fashion, so that it could be expanded at need.

Marianne McGowan added that, given the size of the site under discussion, a maximum of as many as 440 children could attend a fully-expanded school.

6. Affordable Housing

David Morrish introduced to the meeting Sandy Wallace, known to many present as one of the two Aberdeenshire councillors for the area, prior to the latest ward boundary revisions.

Sandy Wallace said that, following the election, he had been asked by Langstane Housing to stay in post, serving as Chair of the Policy and Development Sub Committee.

He was at the meeting to commend the Affordable Housing approach to CDDCC.

He first drew attention to the fact that Affordable Housing was a term which specifically related to the provision of housing by a “social provider”. Various models were followed, including rental and shared-equity. In the latter case, tenants could buy (say) 25% of the value of the property, paying rent equivalent to the balance. This could be increased step-wise, by purchase, to (say) 50%, 75% and ultimately 100%. If the tenant experienced adversity, it could also be possible for the tenant’s equity to be reduced.

Langstane themselves had some 2,500 homes for rent and some hundreds of shared-equity properties. The latter was a varying number, as tenants gradually reached 100% equity and their home was deleted from Langstane’s books. These numbers made Langstane one of two bigger local players in the social housing market.

Sandy Wallace noted that, in his experience, Community Councils and other bodies which represented communities generally supported the principle of Affordable Housing, but also had understandable fears. The aspiration was to help local people get started on the property ladder within their own communities. The fear was of the limited Affordable Housing being leapfrogged by people from outwith the area with “greater needs”.

The question was how to create an effective priority for local people. Sandy Wallace said that the answer to this was shared-equity.

He believed that the most stable communities had a mixture of housing ownership models.

He asked CDDCC to discriminate in favour of developers offering the highest level of Affordable Housing.

7. Planning Applications

7.1 Crathes

Nicola Chambury had asked council officials about the planning proposal for conversion of a steading near the Neuk to “storage units”. They had said that the site visit had only taken place the previous day and it was not yet clear what it was planned to store. To follow this up (Action: Nicola Chambury). The deadline for comment is 21 May.

David Morrish said that there were two new planning applications. One was uncontroversial. The other involved an application to remove a planning condition that had been applied a few years ago to a site, when permission was granted to develop a second house on an admittedly-small site at Strathdoune. Given the size of the site, there was considered to be too little garden, parking and access for these to be considered as separate properties. The condition was that, since the permission was sought specifically to house a relative, the houses subsequently be dealt with together for ownership purposes.

The Crathes representatives absented themselves from the discussion.

The consensus was that, had the special circumstances not prevailed, no permission to build a second house would have been forthcoming. It therefore seemed wrong to permit the condition to be evaded. The non-Crathes members of CDDCC voted unanimously to object to the proposal to lift the condition. To communicate this view by CDDCC via the Aberdeenshire Planning website (Action: John Hopkins)

7.2 Durris

Nothing to report

7.3 Drumoak

7.31. Culter Car Centre

Graeme Clark said that his understanding was that this application would finally be coming to the Planning Committee at its next meeting.

7.32 Proposed SSPCA Animal Refuge

John Hopkins reported that he had (on 13 April) sent an agreed email to the planners, asking for a layman’s version of the noise report. No response had yet been received. A chase-up email was sent the day after the meeting.

8. Co-Option

David Morrish asked whether Sandy Wallace might be available for co-option as a Community Councillor. He replied that a pending change in his work arrangements would, in fact, permit him to take on additional voluntary work. He was proposed for co-option as a member of CDDCC by Jenny Watson, seconded by Jean Downie and co-opted by acclamation.

9. Forthcoming CHAP Workshops

Aside from the merits or otherwise of the Park Eco-Village housing bid, CDDCC continued to think it improper that it was being represented by CHAP as a fait accompli.

Little, if any, allusion had been made in any of the TV, newspaper, mailshot and other advertising material to the fact that the concept was an unapproved commercial proposal.

CHAP’s description of the process to be followed in the forthcoming workshops as “REAL Planning and Design” was felt to be particularly misleading.

It was agreed that representatives of CDDCC would attend both workshops.

It was felt important that people invited to comment on CHAP’s proposals were aware of local opinion, of CDDCC’s own opinion and of the fact that the draft Main Issues Report had classified the development as technically possible but with concerns about drainage and impact on the River Dee Special Area of Conservation.

A draft handout was considered, copies of which would be carried by CDDCC attendees, but it was felt too antagonistic to hand such a thing out generally at the workshops themselves. The information should be delivered in whatever way was best suited to the workshop format.

David Morrish also drew attention to the two Planning Forum meetings organised by Aberdeenshire Council, at which it was hoped that light would finally be shed on the consultation arrangements for the Main Issues Report, Local Development Plans etc. The Kincardine & Mearns meeting, on 14 May, would be attended by at least John Baillie and Jean Downie. The Marr meeting, on 20 May, would be attended by at least David Morrish.

10. Other Items

In view of the large amount of time devoted to the earlier items, David Morrish proposed that only pressing matters under the remaining headings should be considered.

10.1 Roads

It was noted that some of the road “repairs” recently undertaken in Durris were of poor quality and had already started breaking up. It was hoped that the Roads Department would withhold payment from the contractors concerned.

10.2 Youth Amenity (standing item)

John Baillie said that he thought the BMX cycle ramps installed at Drumoak Park were great. John Hopkins noted that, as agreed, the Drumoak Youth Project had contributed £4,300 towards Aberdeenshire Council’s costs in installing this. This left DYP funds at just under £150.

10.3 Schools (standing item)

There were no comments, beyond those recorded above.

10.4 Health Services (standing item)

It was noted by Linda Clark that the Banchory GP Practice (which some people from Crathes, Drumoak & Durris attended) would have to relocate its premises within two years.

10.5 Engagement of CDDCC with its Constituents (standing item)

No comments.

10.6 Houses at Nether Sunnyside

Graeme Clark said that he felt that Planning Proposal APP/2007/2614 had apparently “fallen”.

11. AOCB

11.1 Registration of Septic Tanks

Nicola Chambury drew the attention of CDDCC to the fact that – allegedly because of “European law” – all septic tanks now had to be individually registered with SEPA. There was a short grace period, during which registration would cost a pound or less. After this, it would cost £76.

Virtually none of those attending had heard of this requirement.

To write to the Deeside Piper drawing attention to the requirement and criticising the lack of effective publicity (Action: David Morrish)

12. Forthcoming Meetings and details of Presentations

· 2 June, Irvine Arms, Drumoak - includes presentation on Community Composting

· 7 July, Irvine Arms, Drumoak – no presentation scheduled.

· 4 August, Irvine Arms, Drumoak – includes presentation by Linda Grey on Community Learning

Note that July meetings have often been cancelled in recent years, because of the difficulty of raising a quorum at holiday times, but the July date will be kept under review, in the light of the progress on the Structure Plan / Local Development Plan

All meetings to commence at 1930 hours

JFH 11/5/09

Distribution
Email	Email	Email	Post	Other
CDDCC Councillors (excl. Jenny Watson)	Danny Law (Deeside Piper)	Insp. Stuart Ednie	Jenny Watson	Website www.durris.net (also for previous minutes)
Cllrs. Linda Clark, Karen Clark, Jill Webster (Ward 16)	Leanna MacLarty (Press and Journal)	Insp. Jim Gordon	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 Sheila Watt)	PC Wayne Smart	Drumoak Public Hall Notice Board (via Ian Pirie)	By Hand
Mr W Munro, Area Manager, Kincardine & Mearns	Rev. Jim Scott, Durris Manse, Durris		Banchory Public Library	Park Shop (via John Hopkins)
Mr L Allen, Area Manager, Marr	Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator – Alister Bisset		Drumoak Church Hall Notice Board (via Morag Keith)	Drumoak Post Office (via John Hopkins)