09 11 03

Crathes, Drumoak & Durris Community Council (CDDCC)

Minutes of Meeting

Tuesday 3^rd November 2009 – Irvine Arms, Drumoak from 19.30 hours

1. Sederunt

Community Councillors: Doug Allstaff, Jean Downie, Jenny Watson, David Morrish (Acting Chair), Diana Robertson, Geoffrey Atkinson

Aberdeenshire Councillors (Ward 18): Graeme Clark

Aberdeenshire Councillors (Ward 16): Linda Clark, Jill Webster

Representative from KMAP: Naomi Gordon

Minute Secretary: John Hopkins

Apologies: Nicola Chambury, Ann Ross, John Baillie, Peter Bellarby

2. Approval of Previous Minutes

The minutes of October 2009 were proposed by David Morrish and seconded by Jenny Watson, and accepted as an accurate record, subject to the correction that the AGM is actually to be on 1st December at 7.30 p.m. at the Drumoak Church Hall.

3. Arrangements for AGM

· arrange for Wine & Cheese (Action: Jean Downie)

· produce Annual Accounts for CDDCC and DYP (Action: John Hopkins)

· produce Chairman’s Report (Action: Doug Allstaff / David Morrish)

· produce Treasurer’s Report (Action: John Hopkins)

· produce final report on DYP (Action: John Hopkins)

· produce agenda for AGM (Action: John Hopkins)

· ask the Deeside Piper for a free editorial mention of the meeting date/venue, two weeks before the AGM (Action: David Morrish)

· the December meeting of CDDCC would take place after the AGM and Wine & Cheese

4. Presentation by Naomi Gordon

Naomi Gordon introduced herself, as the new support worker for the Kincardine & Mearns Area Partnership (KMAP). Her email address was naomi.kmap@btconnect.com

Her task was to help the local community by providing various forms of support to voluntary bodies. This included advice, background research, etc. A recent example was a community composting scheme in Mearns.

Membership of KMAP was free - all that was required was for the candidate organisation to have a written constitution and to be located within the K&M Area.

KMAP ran a Small Grants scheme – for amounts up to £1,000. It could also assist with the making of applications to other grant-making bodies.

It was noted that – in respect of Crathes – there was a parallel Marr Area Partnership. Mike Powell was the contact for this.

KMAP had also been responsible for facilitating “Planning for Real” projects. “Planning for Real” had been very successful in Newtonhill, “less so” in Portlethen and “had struggled” in Stonehaven. Naomi would be happy to run such an exercise in conjunction with the community.

Jenny Watson drew attention to the case of Drumoak Public Hall. This was owned by Aberdeenshire Council, but had been allowed by the Council to fall into a badly-maintained state. It had functioned as a Public Hall until recently, but the “insurance had run out”. This was a very suitable subject for KMAP’s attention.

5. Police Matters

Graeme Clark reported that he had attempted to find out from the Council the legal position in respect of camping at the Glebe. An email from Willie Munro stated that there were no applicable by-laws, which meant that any control would be difficult to sustain. He proposed to take no action on this, but noted that problems could arise from the lack of toilet facilities and the danger of fires.

David Morrish said that his understanding was that the Outdoor Access code permitted camping, but not the use of vehicles. Camping by pedestrians would therefore seem relatively unrestricted.

6. Planning, Strategic & Local

6.1 Recent Planning Applications (Crathes)

There were no significant applications

6.2 Recent Planning Applications (Drumoak)

6.21 House for Agricultural Worker

A planning application had been made for a 4 bedroom house for an “agricultural worker”. CDDCC expressed some scepticism at this, but found no other reason to object to the application.

6.22 Upper Park Houses and Steading Conversion

Concerns were expressed that this proposal was:-

· an over-development of a site at the top of a hill

· aesthetically poor and inconsistent with the local architectural vernacular

· lacking in infrastructure e.g. sewerage

· not consistent with the existing Local Development Plan

To send an Objection on behalf of CDDCC (Action: Geoffrey Atkinson)

6.3 Recent Planning Applications (Durris)

A planning application had been made in September 2009 for a restaurant and staff accomodation at Cairn Mon Earn (on the Slug Road). Foundations and some walling had been built on this site during the last year or so, under a previous planning permission. This location was formerly the site of a café, which “went on fire” many years back.

CDDCC decided to support the application. To register this view on the website (Action: David Morrish)

7. Correspondence

Various items of recent correspondence were distributed.

8. Road Safety

8.1 Myrebird Junction

No work had yet commenced.

8.2 Speed Limits at Crathes

To continue to pursue the request for the 40 mile per hour speed limit to be extended to past the Milton entrance. (Action: Ann Ross)

9. Youth Amenity

Nothing to report.

10. Schools

It was noted that a letter had been sent by John Baillie, supporting the Drumoak School Council’s case for the new Drumoak School to be physically at the centre of the community.

11. Health Services

It was noted that the question of whether Banchory Health Centre would provide repeat prescriptions by phone, seemed to depend on individual circumstances (including which receptionist was consulted). No further action was proposed at this time.

12. Barrier near Park Bridge

To write to Mark Skilling along the following lines (Action: Doug Allstaff)

There is a vertical drop (perhaps 30 feet) immediately outside the line of the now-dilapidated fence. Because of the traffic priority rules for the bridge, cars travelling southwards often had to pull off the road to the left at this precise point. Don Keith noted that – because of the cloaking effect of the tree at the south-west flank – this manoeuvre often had to be done suddenly. John Hopkins stated that – in his opinion – this was a far greater safety hazard than at the south-west flank, where the Council had, perhaps a decade ago, erected a substantial length of Armco barrier. A safety barrier was required at the north-east flank, not simply a fence.

13. Padlocked Gate Opposite Myrebird Road

David Morrish had researched the Outdoor Access Code, which specified that – for all land other than that explicitly exempted – gates could only be padlocked if an alternative way through was provided. There was, however, probably no onus upon the Estate to maintain the wooden bridge on the riverside walk between Crathes and Park Bridges.

David Morrish further noted the existence of a report on Access and Fishing by the Dee Salmon Fishery Board. As Chairman of the Scottish Countryside Alliance, John Foster would certainly be aware of this report.

To write to John Foster outlining a constructive suggestion to permit walkers to exercise their rights under the Outdoor Access Code, once he could find an address (Action: David Morrish).

14. Banchory Town Forum

To circulate materials related to the above, if not already done (Action: David Morrish)

15. Trump

It was noted that Nicola Chambury, one of CDDCC’s community councillors, had attempted to attend a meeting at the Scott Sutherland Institute for an architectural presentation by the Trump Organisation. She had been physically ejected by security goons hired by Trump, who had “hijacked” the meeting from the organising body.

CDDCC deprecated this, as a denial of democratic rights.

16. ECO village

To take up the issue of ensuring the hoardings are removed (Action: Peter Bellarby)

17. Any Other Competent Business

Jean Downie notified CDDCC of her intent to resign at the time of the AGM. This news was received with much regret by CDDCC, which expressed its gratitude for all her hard work.

18. Forthcoming Meetings and details of Presentations

· 1 December, Drumoak Church Hall, AGM to be conducted prior to monthly meeting

All meetings to commence at 1930 hours

JFH 7/11/09

Distribution
Email	Email	Email	Post	Other
CDDCC Councillors (excl. Jenny Watson)	Danny Law (Deeside Piper)	Insp. Andrew Todd	Jenny Watson	Website http://www.durris.net/ (also for previous minutes)
Cllrs. Linda Clark, Karen Clark, Jill Webster (Ward 16)	Leanna MacLarty (Press and Journal)	Insp. Jim Gordon	Drumoak Public Hall Notice Board (via Ian Pirie)
Cllrs. Peter Bellarby, Graeme Clark, Mike Sullivan, Wendy Agnew (Ward 18)	Kirkton of Durris Hall Notice Board (via Sheila Watt)	PC Wayne Smart	Banchory Public Library	By Hand
Mr W Munro, Area Manager, Kincardine & Mearns	Rev. Jim Scott, Durris Manse, Durris	Crathes Hall Notice Board (via Doug Allstaff)	Drumoak Church Hall Notice Board (via Morag Keith)	Park Shop (via John Hopkins)
Mr L Allen, Area Manager, Marr	Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator – Alister Bisset	Local Newsletter Editor (Don Keith)		Drumoak Post Office (via John Hopkins)