Crathes, Drumoak & Durris Community Council
(CDDCC)
Minutes of 2007 Annual
General Meeting
12
December 2007 at Drumoak Church Hall from 19.30 hours
1.
Sederunt
Community
Councillors:
Aberdeenshire
Councillors (Ward 16): Linda Clark
Aberdeenshire
Councillors (Ward 18): Peter Bellarby,
Wendy Agnew, Graeme Clark
Members
of the public:
Apologies: Rev. Jim Scott,
2.
Chairman’s Report.
The report was distributed to those present. David Morrish summarised the main points of his report, reproduced here:-
2007 Community Councillors
Chairman
Vice
Chairman Molly
Atkinson (Drumoak)
Secretary Jean Downie (Durris)
Treasurer John Hopkins (Durris)
Keith
Whitehead (Crathes)
Anne
Ross (Crathes)
Tony
Butcher (Crathes)
Jill
Gow (Drumoak)
Jenny
Watson (Drumoak)
Debbie
Cameron (Drumoak)
The
following members also comprise sub-committees:
Planning Molly Atkinson, Keith
Whitehead, Jean Downie
Project Molly Atkinson &
(co-opted) Donald Keith & William Downie
Resignations
during the year:
CC 2007
Priorities
1.
Improve Public Amenity
a. complete the DYP
multi-purpose ballcourt
2.
Support community lead policing
3.
Campaign for road safety and appropriate speed limits
4.
Better publicise CC activities
5.
Planning
a. Ensure Planning Gain is
applied according to local need
b. Check that Aberdeenshire
Planning hear CC views
6.
Contribute to green issues
a. Lobbying Aberdeenshire
Council eg: re street lighting times
Drumoak Youth Project
Two new Drumoak
community councillors volunteered to pursue the DYP, following which there has
been significant progress in earmarking funds and identifying what needs doing
to complete the all weather pitch, install new ‘play’ facilities, and improve
the landscaping and general amenity of the park.
Policing
This year the police presence at CC
meeting has increased allowing a two way exchange of information. The community
has had the opportunity to report concerns in line with the request for support
for the community lead policing approach and vice-versa. Community councillors
have pointed the public towards the police help-lines where necessary and
encouraged people to report incidents. The police have provided regular
newsletters raising current issues, which is very helpful. This material is
also now being sent to the web administrator and the editor of the Drumoak Newsletter.
Road Safety and Speed Limits
It is no doubt with sadness, anger
and incredulity that the whole community looks back at the tragic picture
painted by this year’s road statistics in and around our community. It is
therefore inevitable that much of this year’s community council agenda time has
been devoted to discussing traffic calming, speed limits and other means to
reduce road traffic accidents. The Community Council has supported further
traffic calming measures at Drumoak, written to the
roads department and talked with the police with a view to establishing further
speed limits at Crathes and Durris.
The community council has also continued its policy of considering road safety
angles to all planning applications and making the appropriate representations
to Aberdeenshire Planning.
Driving at 30mph is an established
practice in the vicinity of houses in
The community council is urged to
carry forward its objective of achieving 30mph limits in its villages. Graeme
Clark noted that it had now become Aberdeenshire Council policy to impose 30
mph limits in villages.
Planning
The CC has continued throughout the
year to do its best to make representations on behalf of the community on
planning applications that arise. This year there have been a few key
applications that it has been necessary to track and pass comment. There are
significant proposed developments in each of the three community council’s
areas.
Drumoak
Drumoak continues to attract
significant domestic and commercial development. The Drumoak
Housing re application APP/2003/1562 continues to cause concern with respect to
the sewage treatment capacity which should have been upgraded as part of the
development. This has a significant impact on the School and further approved
development. There are also applications for a Horticultural Nursery at Mains
of Drum and a Car Showroom. The CC continues to make representation re the size
and suitability of such developments in the countryside and draws attention to
the associated road safety issues.
More esoteric, is the Eco-Village
proposed by Chap as an alternative to reinstating the Park Quarry. In 2008 the
CC will no doubt pass comment on this in relation to the Strategic Plan when it
is finalised.
Crathes
APP/2007/0091 – Crathes
45 Houses. Following the completion and approval of the Development Brief and
the rejection of the initial Outline Planning Application in the early part of
the year there has been little activity on this development. It is understood
that the land is currently being or has been purchased by a developer. The
community council’s efforts will be to stay connected with the next steps of
the planning process and ensure real discussion around the wider impact for the
village, the roads and environment. This will mostly be done by a Crathes sub-group.
Durris
Although there have been a number of
sporadic development applications that have had the CCs input, the focus at
present is on the two new development areas at Woodlands and Kirkton. A sub group has also been formed for Durris to help influence and address the impact of these
developments on the communities. A Development Brief has been completed for the
housing at Woodlands of Durris and the outline
application is currently held pending. However, it has been noticed that for
this application APP/2006/3585, a deadline for comments of 13/12/2007 has
appeared on the Aberdeenshire’s website but no new application is apparent.
This is being investigated as a matter of urgency.
Jenny
Watson mentioned the recent Friends of Durris Forest,
at which attention had again been drawn to concerns about potential sale for
housing of part of the Durris Forestry Commission
site.
Mineral Extraction
The issue
of wind blown sand continues to be a subject for discussion through the ‘Liaison
Committee’. It is a reminder of the price often paid by the community when
planning conditions are not properly thought through and become difficult to
police and enforce.
Access
The CC continues to field concerns
with access rights and refer theses to the appropriate authorities. In this
respect the CC has links with the Aberdeen Local Outdoor Access Forum. During
2007 there were one or two old protracted issues that seem to take forever to
resolve.
Other
Activities
The community council has received
two interesting presentations, one on recycling and the other the Invercannie-Aberdeen pipelines. These were delivered by the
Aberdeenshire Council and Scottish Water respectively.
Community
Council members have also been able to improve their knowledge by attending
some of the events such as community council forums and planning groups. The
latter included attending the Strategic Planning seminars. The Strategic Plan
being something of high importance for all of us.
The CC
cycle ride this year, held this year on 9th September, was attended
by 20 people including children, albeit that 3 of them were on one bike.
Nevertheless, there were 5 people last year, so at this rate, we can surely
expect 80 in 2008.
Publicising the Community Council
Activities
We still
need to do better on this point.
CDDCC Charitable Donations
Once again the CDDCC, spending relatively
little money on itself, was in a position to consider modest charitable
donations to local bodies from its own funds.
Charitable donations were made to
the
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It remains for me to thank each and
every member of the 2007 Community Council and our multitude of local
councillors who have supported us in our role as a CC this year. As always,
there is more to do!
I wish all the best to those in Crathes, Drumaok and Durris for Christmas and the new year.
3. Treasurer’s
Report
John Hopkins distributed copies of the draft 2007 accounts for CDDCC and for the Drumoak Youth Project (DYP), for which CDDCC continues to act as fundholder. He invited, and responded to, a number of questions about those accounts.
The CDDCC accounts were proposed for
acceptance by Jenny Watson and seconded by Wendy Agnew. The DYP accounts were proposed for acceptance
by Jenny Watson and seconded by Jean Downie.
They were formally adopted and signed by John Hopkins and counter-signed
by
The
AGM was declared closed at 20.00 hours.
Wine and cheese were then served.
JFH
13 December 2007
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Distribution |
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Email |
Post |
by hand |
other |
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CDDCC Councillors
(excl. Jenny Watson) |
Jenny Watson |
Park
Shop (via John Hopkins) |
Website
www.durris.net (also for previous
minutes) |
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Cllrs. Linda Clark, Karen Clark, Jill Webster (Ward 16) |
Crathes Hall Notice Board (via David
Humble) |
Drumoak Post Office (via John Hopkins) |
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Cllrs. Peter Bellarby,
Graeme Clark, Mike Sullivan, Wendy Agnew (Ward 18) |
Banchory Public Library |
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Mr W Munro, Area Manager, Kincardine & Mearns |
Community Police Officer (Drumoak/Durris/Crathes),
c/o Banchory Police Office |
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Mr L Allen, Area Manager, Marr |
Drumoak Public Hall Notice Board
(via Ian Pirie) |
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Rev.
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Drumoak Church Hall Notice Board
(via Morag Keith) |
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Durris Hall Notice Board (via |
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Neighbourhood
Watch Co-ordinator – |
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Leanna
MacLarty (Press and Journal) |
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