Burntisland Community Council
7pm Friday, 9 April 2010
Present:
A MacDonald (Chair)
R Smith (Vice Chair)
I Smith (Secretary)
A Grant (Treasurer)
Tim Hailey, Gordon McGregor, Sheila McGregor, Sam
Purvis, Morag Douglas Heather Leuchars (Minutes)
Cllr George Kay, Cllr Ron Edwards both offered
apologies for late arrival
Bill Kirkhope (Editor Burgh Buzz)
Attending; 8 members of the public
Chairman’s Opening
Remarks and Apologies for Absence
Apologies: Cllr S Leslie, Gordon
Ritchie, Gillian Low, Ron Blanchard,
Ken Halley
Locality Manger
2. Minutes of Previous Meeting
(12 March 2010)
Approved by T Hailey and seconded
by A Grant
3. Notification of Community
Concerns for A.O.B. refer to Item 9 for details
4. Locality Manager’s Report:-
Ken Halley absent - no report submitted
5. Secretary’s and Treasurer’s Reports
The Secretary requested that in future
reports/ items to be included in the Agenda be submitted, where possible, the
Monday prior to BCC meeting thereby allowing time for distribution and perusal
by other members of Community Council prior to meeting.
The Treasurer reported that the Financial
Audited accounts shall be ready for May meeting of BCC. Payments and grants for
town Notice Board have been received.
6. Burgh Buzz - Bill Kirkhope
The next issue of the Burgh Buzz
shall be ready for end April with deadline for submissions of adverts and
articles being 16th April. Presently 14 people have volunteered
their services for distributing the paper.
7. Ongoing Business Items
7.1. Burntisland Sports
Group:- Gillian Lowe absent – no report available
7.2. Review
of Local Planning Applications - Tim Hailey
Building
warrant costs have risen. Satellite installation of Police Radio equipment at
Craigkelly. Domestic alterations to property.
7.3. Strategic Projects Group - Alex
MacDonald
a) War Memorial – it will be necessary to ascertain whether 20/20
have secured the funding to proceed with required work – c/fwd to May meeting.
b) Storm Damage -
Lochies View Point – Wall at the house on the
beach has been severely damaged. The lime stone pier by and large has been
demolished. The issue of ownership is vague and requires to be clarified. A
request was made 3 years ago for a survey to be conducted on the effect of
removing this pier completely and subsequent impact of doing so. BCC now ask that
this be brought forward for assessment asap.
Beacon Pool – It is hoped that the pool will
be fully operational in 2-3 weeks time after recent flooding. Cnllr Kay gave credit to the efforts extended by Fife Cncl dept in trying to avert flooding by building a sand bag
wall.
Haugh Road – Following an earlier meeting with
Scottish Water the Secretary of BCC wrote requesting notification of a date
when a decision would be made by Scottish Water in respect of capital spend for
the current financial year. The letter also pointed out the recent adverse weather
had given rise to even further damage to road surface and drainage
infrastructure. This also gave rise to a vehicle being badly damaged.
c) A921 – Burntisland/Aberdour Road
Closure – regular updates to be requested from Tim Masters on progress of
works.
d) Youngs Square –Legal constraints established’
e) New Primary School Focus Group – Morag
Douglas
Report
from meeting held 26/4/10
Finance
- There will be no movement in the Fife Council financial Plan until after the
election
Current
Situation - The school currently rates a C on an A-D scale of suitability. Next
year there will be 90 pupils in primary one requiring a fourth class which will
put further strain on an already overcrowded school.
There is to be
a school inspection during the first week after the Easter holidays. There are
plans for a wider public consultation after the Easter holidays which will
possibly take place on a drop in basis.
Points arising
- The Group felt that rather than focusing on one site, other sites should
be revisited and properly considered. In addition, the Group felt that some
pressure should be applied to Fife Council to retain focus and attempt to speed
things up. The Group also felt that as part of the wider public consultation,
people should be asked what other facilities they would like
Actions -The
parent council is to write to the Councillors and Fife council stressing the
schools current C rating and problems and ask that the business case for the
new school is produced as early as possible.Councillor
Kay has contacted Fife Council and suggested that a site visit is arranged to
include Toll Park, Haugh Rd, Roundhouse Car Park, refurbishment, land to the
west of Bendameer and Seamill, followed by an
appraisal meeting. A further meeting of the Focus Group was set for 30th
April.
7.4 Organisation
Day – Toll Centre – Alex MacDonald
Due to the influx of residents into the town it was
decided that Adult organisations should be given opportunities to show case
their organisation to all local youngsters. A timescale to canvas opinion
regarding this objective is planned for 21 or 28 August.
Suggestions included using both inside and outside
facilities for groups to display information or show off their talents. For
example
·
First Aid demonstration
·
Wednesday Club Choir
·
Martial Arts display
·
Local bands performing
·
Local businesses promoting local goods
·
Buses to Air Training Corps on Links Place to view the
facilities there.
·
Bus to Craigencalt Ecology
centre possibly on their open day 28th August.
·
Bar b que
7.4 Burntisland
Blooms – Sheila McGregor
High Street Project: 3 grant
applications have been made to fund the baskets and brackets. Celebrating Fife
has made a generous contribution, a condition of which is that the Celebrating
Fife logo should be included in all promotional literature and that
photographic record of the baskets should be maintained. Awaiting formal
authority from the 2 other grant sources.
Sponsors: Sponsors from the
shops & businesses in the High Street have increased from 10 in 2009 to 23.
They will be sponsoring a total of 27 hanging baskets as some premises have
requested 2 baskets. This sponsorship will pay for planting up the baskets.
We have received a promise
of 6 larger baskets which will be located at the Burgh Chambers, Local Office
and Police Station. These baskets will be part of the Community Council’s
Floral Enhancement containers & funded from the FE Grant.
Councillor Kay’s suggestion
for assistance with watering the hanging baskets will be followed up.
FE containers now total 22. Linwell container moved to outside Library. Hanging baskets
at Linwell, Kirkcaldy Road and Cowdenbeath Road will
be moved to the railings in front of the Erskine Church.
160 spring bedding and bulbs
planted. Only 1 has gone missing.
7.5. Community Council Support Working Group –
Minutes of Meeting
(11 March 2010) The next Meeting will cover funding for Community
Councils.
Finance would cover funding for Community
Councils.
7.6. Sustainable Communities Initiative – Widows
Land Proposal – Alex MacDonald
Andrew
Ferguson (Solicitor and Team Leader, Fife Council) has advised by e-mail to
Cllr Ron Edwards that Fife Council has inherited legal responsibility for the
Trust which owns the Widow’s Land.
8. New Business Items
8.1. Microgeneration Manifesto – no action required.
8.2. Mary
Somerville Recognition – Alex MacDonald
We were aware that Tricia Marwick had made
this nomination and are delighted with the news that one of the committee rooms
in the Scottish Parliament is to be named after Mary Somerville. It is well
deserved recognition and long overdue!
Coincidentally the main theme for this
Summer’s heritage exhibition is Mary Somerville. A full report will appear in
the next edition of the Burgh Buzz.
It is perhaps worth mentioning now however
that over the past few months Mary Somerville has been used as an inspiration
to young people at Burntisland Primary school and the heritage project has
directly involved pupils from Primary five, six and seven.
Members of the heritage group have been
working with talks and science workshops at the school in partnership with
Edinburgh University and the Museum of Communication. The classroom activity
has led to the pupils making their own contribution to the exhibition. Several
panels in the exhibition this year have been dedicated to their work.
Two DVD's have also been produced on the project
and the school work and these will be on constant show at the exhibition.
By way of a thank you for their involvement
and contribution the Trust will be inviting the pupils to visit the Royal
Observatory ‘Skylab’. The mobile planetarium will be brought to the town in May
and housed in the Young Community Hall for the day.
Other news ... later this year the Trust are
working in partnership with the East of Scotland 4mm group to bring the award
winning railway model of 'Burntisland in 1883' back for display in the town.
The plan is to have the model on show over two weekends and arrange a series of
school trips to see this splendid layout during the week."
8.3. Sea damage to Kinghorn and
Burntisland – covered in 7.3b
Surrounding area;
Kirkcaldy Esplade – part of sea wall will
require replacing.
Coastal
Path – path is currently closed and meeting to be held to ascertain work
required.
Network
Rail - repairs to wall required.
8.4. Furniture Re-use Campaign – leaflets distributed
within the town
8.5. Water Play Cleaning – now carried out and ready
for the new season
8.6. Campaign Against Charges Group – no action
required.
9. Any Other Business
9.1.
Burntisland’s Environment – Peter George
War
Memorial (already covered).
Various
points raised which were duly noted by Cnlr Kay to
address.
Overgrown
shrubs Melville Gardens/Shepherd Crescent.
Dog
fouling on links. Highland Games day more toilet facilities requested.
Gap site
on High Street request hoarding be erected to hide rubble.
9.2. Numerous house break-ins within Burntisland - person
apprehended.
9.3.
Broomhill – Garden allotments – speaker has been invited to attend BCC May
meeting.
9.4 Play
Area West Leven Street – in need of upgrade or removal of remaining equipment.
Cllr Kay to report back
9.5
Somerville Street – look into removing grass to assist parking. Cllr Kay to report
back.
9.6
Christmas Lights – report May meeting.
10. Date of Next Meeting
Friday, 14 May 2010 at 7 p.m. in the
Burgh Chambers.