10 06 01
Crathes, Drumoak & Durris Community Council
(CDDCC)
Minutes of Meeting
1 June 2010 at Kirkton
of Durris Hall from 19.30 hours
1. Sederunt
Community Councillors: David Morrish (Chairman), Jenny Watson, Diana Robertson, Nicola Chambury, Geoffrey Atkinson
Aberdeenshire Councillors (Ward 18): Graeme Clark
Aberdeenshire Councillors (Ward 16): Linda Clark, Jill Webster
For Grampian Police: PC Neil McHattie
Minute Secretary:
John Hopkins
Apologies: John Baillie, Jim Williamson, Ann Ross
2.
Approval of Previous Minutes
It was agreed that, upon reflection, there was a diversity of opinion over item 4.4 of the May meeting, which was not fully reflected in the minutes. CDDCC would neither support nor oppose the Easter Anguston signs, but simply draw to the attention of the Planners the presumption against advertising signs in the countryside, whilst accepting directional signs.
Geoffrey Atkinson noted that, irrespective of no planning permission having been granted, Easter Anguston had proceeded to erect their signs.
Subject to this, the minutes
of May 2010 were proposed by
Geoffrey Atkinson and seconded by
Nicola Chambury, and accepted as an accurate record.
3. Travellers
Nicola Chambury confirmed that she had written to Mr Cooper of Environmental Health, with copies to Councillors and the local MSP, expressing the concerns of the residents and asking what could be done. It was noted that Ann Ross had written to SEPA.
There were currently two groups of travellers in the Stonehaven area.
PC McHattie said that he believed that the first point of contact between Police and Council was Inspector Jim Hume. To confirm this (Action: PC McHattie)
David Morrish asked whether there were provision in the new Local Development Plan for sites for travellers. Linda Clark said that there were not, but that all Councillors and Community Councils had been asked to attempt to identify suitable sites, although none had been forthcoming. There was a long-standing site in Banff, where few problems had been experienced, and there was a current planning application for a site in Findon (8 miles south of Aberdeen).
Linda Clark said that she believed that “genuine” travellers did not cause problems: these were caused by social reprobates. The point was made that sites provided for travellers could equally attract these social reprobates.
Geoffrey Atkinson said that he had been informed by Police that they always had problems identifying who was whom amongst travellers. They typically used multiple aliases. The only certain way of identifying them was by fingerprint recognition, with which they were reluctant to co-operate. This meant that certain laws were typically not applied to travellers. Linda Clark confirmed that the Council did not intend bringing any prosecution for fly-tipping, in respect of the recent Drumoak incident.
To relay the Community Council’s apology to PC David Malcolm
for the pressure he had experienced at the (somewhat heated) May meeting (Action: PC McHattie)
4. Police Matters
PC McHattie said there had recently been little of local interest to report, although he was aware of a request for a litter bin at the bus shelter opposite the Bowling Club in Drumoak, where there had been littering problems.
Graeme Clark mentioned recent problems of skimming of ATM cash machines (attachment of devices to steal card details of users) in Portlethen. To relay this warning to Don Keith for the Newsletter (Action: Diana Robertson)
PC McHattie mentioned that, as a local resident, he himself had written to Mark Skilling (then of the Roads Department) about the restriction of visibility for westbound traffic when approaching the Myrebird Junction. To re-raise this issue (Action: Linda Clark)
To pass the recently-received reports to John Hopkins for
web publication (Action: David Morrish)
5. Planning
5.1 Local
There were no matters to report in respect of Crathes or Drumoak, although it was noted that CHAP were persisting in representing their proposed Park Village in local advertising as a certain development.
To check the position for Durris (Action: David Morrish)
Graeme Clark asked whether CDDCC had considered the “gap site” in Drumoak. A proposed development (first proposed in 2007) would fill the field between Deeview Gardens and the North Deeside Road, replacing also the building at the eastern end of the site. To send any comments to him ASAP (Action: CDDCC). He also noted that the removal of the bunding (which CDDCC had opposed because of doubts about the validity of the noise calculation) from the SSPCA Animal Refuge planning permission would shortly come before the Area Committee.
Nicola Chambury asked why, as reported in the local press, the Council was paying for the provision of 6 tarmac-surfaced parking spaces at Milton of Crathes. Linda Clark explained that this was an old agreement (part of the setup of the Deeside Way) to compensate the Leys Estate for parking spaces being occupied by those using the Deeside Way, but without otherwise using the shops etc. at the Milton.
David Morrish commented that – in a time of pending financial stringency - it seemed wrong for this sort of work to proceed ahead of such things as the improvement of the Myrebird junction and the implementation of speed limits at Crathes. Linda Clark said that it was reasonable for CDDCC to ask the Council about relative priorities, but that she suspected that – in this case – the money was particular to the Deeside Way budget. To draft a letter to the Council asking about relative priorities (Action: Nicola Chambury)
5.2 Strategic
David Morrish asked what was the present position on the Local Development Plan. Jill Webster replied that her understanding was as follows:-
John Hopkins said that he believed that there would also be an Appeals phase to the process.
Nicole Chambury reported that she had attended an ACSEF training day which had covered the new planning process of requiring developers to consult the public “up front”. It had been silent on what happened where, having fully consulted the public, the developer simply ignored the results of that consultation and continued with the planning application as originally intended (as has notoriously happened in the case of the proposal to concrete over Union Terrace Gardens).
6. Spurious Flood, etc, Signs
Graeme Clark had investigated this and been told that the signs were
actually directly placed by Council employees, so that it was the Council’s
task to ensure that they were removed when no longer necessary – to avert the
probability that they would simply be ignored even when relevant.
7. Correspondence
Diana Robertson referred to her previously-circulated list of Correspondence Received (which included an indication of where there were time limits for response). It was generally agreed that this list was very helpful.
The correspondence about Ward Forums in the Marr Area was discussed. It appeared that there were now:-
There was brief discussion about the request for a contact point for a Ward 16 Community Planning Group. It was agreed that arrangements for “consultation” were becoming ever more confusing and opaque and that this tended to detract from the validity of consultation.
N|icola Chambury asked who owned bus shelters, as she wished to get permission to post notices about forthcoming Crathes Hall events in the local bus shelters. She was informed that this was the Council. Permitting such use of bus shelters for worthy causes unfortunately opened the way to similar use for less-worthy causes. Jill Webster proposed that she apply to Marr Area for a public notice-board grant (ideally with matching funding already in place).
8. Road Safety
8.1 Speed Limit in Crathes
Nicola
Chambury reported that she had met Ralph Singleton regarding the implementation
of the speed limit at Crathes. There had
been no positive reaction to CDDCC’s suggestions on the location of speed limit
signs, although there is to be a review 6 months after erection.
David
Morrish asked whether we could devise a strategy to ensure that – on matters
such as this – we did not end up discussing things month after month whilst
seeing zero progress. Suggestions were
to:-
·
approach Alastair Fullwood to see if the
Deeside Way angle could yield funds for the speed limit signs (Jill Webster)
·
go to the local Press to draw attention
to the road hazard (Graeme Clark)
·
seek Planning Gain on the new houses
(Linda Clark)
9. Potential Town Twinning with
Sainte-Croix
To
contact the local schools to see if they were interested (Action: Nicola Chambury and
Diana Robertson)
10. Engagement with Our Constituents
Nicola Chambury raised the question of how CDDCC should better engage
with young people. It was suggested that
Duke of Edinburgh Scheme students might welcome this as an opportunity to meet
their “service” qualification. To speak to Caroline Clephan about this (Action: David Morrish)
Jill Webster suggested that participation in Community Planning Groups
would also be useful in this respect.
11. Venue
After May, where the simultaneous presence of a large birthday
celebration and the CDDCC meeting in the same room had made conditions –
particularly hearing – difficult, it had been decided to conduct the present
meeting in the small room above Kirkton of Durris Hall.
It was unanimously agreed that a quiet environment was more conducive to
effective meetings, so that – whilst CDDCC had much appreciated George Wight’s
kind and long-standing agreement to permit meetings to take place at the Irvine
Arms – alternatives would be sought. To
write to Kirkton Hall Committee seeking a lower charge in return for a standing
commitment to hold meetings there (Action:
Nicola Chambury)
12. Next Meeting
7.30 p.m. on 3 August (venue TBA).
There would be no meeting in July.
JFH
4 May 2010
|
Distribution |
||||
|
Email |
Email |
Email |
Post |
Other |
|
CDDCC
Councillors (excl. Jenny Watson) |
|
Insp.
|
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) |
|
Banchory Public
Library |
By
Hand |
|
Cllrs.
Peter Bellarby, Graeme Clark, Mike Sullivan, Wendy Agnew (Ward 18) |
Kirkton
of Durris Hall Notice Board (via |
PC
|
Drumoak
Church Hall Notice Board (via Morag Keith) |
Park Shop (via |
|
Mr
W Munro, Area Manager, Kincardine & Mearns |
Rev.
|
Crathes
Hall Notice Board (via Nicola Chambury) |
|
Drumoak
Post Office (via |
|
Mr
L Allen, Area Manager, Marr |
Neighbourhood
Watch Co-ordinator – |
Local
Newsletter Editor (Don Keith) |
|
Irvine
Arms (via |