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Community
Council Meeting of 11 January 2002
Members
heard that Fife Council had turned down the request for extensions to
the 30 mph limits on Kinghorn Road and Cowdenbeath Road. The police had
not supported the request, and additionally it was felt that the new
'turn right' lane on Kinghorn Road would have a secondary traffic
calming effect. Good news on the bus shelter front, though, for Fife
Council will be going ahead with a new one outside Present Time in the
High Street within the next six weeks or so. This success prompted the
Community Council to decide to ask for a further shelter, on the Binn
estate side of Cowdenbeath Road. Secretary Margaret Macdonald and
member George Kay reported on their inspection of the rear of the
Palace cinema. In the light of their report, the Community Council will
again approach Fife Council to seek advice on the powers available
which might allow action to be taken on this building. The Community
Council will again be a sponsor of the local Flower Show at a cost of
£30. East of Scotland Water came in for praise for the manner in which
they have kept everyone informed about the next phase of the
Burntisland sewage project. This will involve replacing existing short
outfalls serving some 600 persons. Work at Seaforth Place begins on 14
January; at Lochies Road in the week commencing 21 January; and at the
Lammerlaws shortly thereafter. The main inconvenience will be at
Lochies Road, where the work will last for about eight weeks. Donald
Grant, the Fife Council Locality Manager, who was present at the
meeting, will take action on the Community Council's request for a
proper survey of the public seats on the Links, the beach, the picnic
area and the town centre; and he will also follow up the question of
outstanding repairs to the slipway at the Beacon Centre. The Secretary
informed the meeting that she had been assured that Fife Council would
be attending to the broken groynes on the beach in the near future. The
Community Council are seeking clarification from Fife Council on the
misleading notices relating to dogs on the beach. John Bruce, winner of
the Burntisland Community Award for 2002 had written to the Community
Council to thank them for the honour, and to confirm his pleasure in
accepting. The award will be presented immediately before the next
Community Council meeting.
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Community
Council Meeting of 8 February 2002
The meeting was preceded by the presentation of the
Burntisland Community Award for 2002 to Mr John Bruce. Community
Council Chairman Alex McDonald traced the history of the award,
stretching back for over 20 years.  Each year the Community
Council had a very difficult decision to take when they had to select a
winner from a number of very worthy nominees. One of their criteria was
that the winner should be someone who set a fine example to others, and
it was a quality which John Bruce had demonstrated in abundance over a
period of more than 30 years as a Special Constable. It was
often not realised that Special Constables were unpaid volunteers,
albeit highly trained. Alex McDonald then presented John Bruce (who is
on the right of the picture) with the Community Award shield and with a
beautiful personal scroll recording the granting of the award. In
accepting the award, John said that he felt very honoured and grateful,
not just for himself, but for all Special Constables. He spoke of the
support which he had received from his family, and from everyone in
Fife Constabulary - and revealed that he had just accepted his first
engagement, to open this year's Burntisland Flower Show! John was
accompanied at the presentation by his wife Janice, son Kevin, daughter
Amanda, and their families. Also present were representatives of Fife
Constabulary, including Chief Superintendent Ken Bellingham.
After the presentation of the Community Award, it
was down to business with the announcement of Fife Council's
confirmation that there would be no charges at the Links car park this
summer. Members were then given a report of a recent meeting about the
marketing of the summer fairground this year. Ms Angela Harris
of the Beacon Leisure Centre will take a leading role, and the aim will
be to market Burntisland as an attractive venue for a "full day out" -
incorporating not only the fairground, but also the Beacon Centre and
other attractions, as well as places to eat. At the same meeting, the
showmen's representatives had accepted that, if their extra week this
year was confirmed, they would be content for that arrangement to apply
for a minimum of three years. Members then considered a draft
Burntisland Community Council Environmental Policy which had been
prepared by Ian Quinney; this was unanimously adopted. Fife Council had
provided a report of their inspection of the shell of the Palace Cinema
in the High Street. They would be writing to the owner to ask him to
secure the property so that children and others could no longer gain
access. They also confirmed that they had examined two dead rats in the
garden of a neighbouring property, but that they had been unable to
discover any evidence of infestation within the cinema property itself.
Fife Council will take action on the Community Council's request for a
bus shelter at Meadowfield, and will in the first instance carry out a
survey. If the survey indicates the need for a shelter, one will be
provided as and when funds become available. Fife Council had clarified
the position with regard to animals on the beach in the summer season -
dogs (and indeed horses) were banned from the sands altogether; dogs
were permitted on the promenade, but had to be under control. The
Community Council considered a request from the Erskine Church for
assistance from the Common Good Fund for urgent repairs, totalling some
£8,000, which were required to the church fabric. After due discussion,
members concluded that the Common Good Fund was not an appropriate
source for funding such repairs, and that there were other sources to
which application could be made. East of Scotland Water had reported
that the work at Lochies Road should be completed by 18 March.
The first planning applications to be discussed covered the demolition
of the Porte Cinema and neighbouring buildings, and the erection in
Thistle Street of seven terraced houses. These houses were described as
being based on a proven design, previously used in another Fife
conservation area. There was general support for these applications,
both in the Community Council and among the members of the general
public who were present. The developer, Mr Bob Wilkie, who was also
present at the meeting, promised extensive consultation on the next
phase of the development. This is likely to be as visually prominent as
the Porte Cinema currently is, and is at present described as an
apartment block comprising four stories, each with two flats, plus a
penthouse. The Community Council had more difficulty with the next
planning application, which was for the erection of three houses on a
site at Landale Place. Although privately owned, this site was until
recently treated by local families and by Fife Council as public open
space. There was a significant presence on the public benches to lobby
for the area to continue to be public open space. After all the
arguments had been heard, the Community Council decided by five votes
to three to oppose the planning application.
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Community
Council Meeting of 8 March 2002
 Prior to the meeting, the
Chairman of Burntisland Community Council, Alex MacDonald, presented
the annual Scots Verse Competition awards to pupils from Burntisland
School. After tracing the history of the awards, which were inaugurated
in 1986 to mark the 700th anniversary of the death of King Alexander
III and to provide encouragement to young people in the town, he
invited the four winners to recite their winning entries. He then
handed over a trophy and dictionary to each winner. This was the first
year in which the Gilbertson Trophy, donated by the Gilbertson family
in memory of their parents, had been presented. The winners are
pictured with their trophies - from left to right, Molly Frawley
(Primary 3), Katie Stevenson (Primary 4, with the
Gilbertson Trophy), Carla Birch (Primary 5) and Scott Taylor
(Primary 6).
The meeting proper
began with an announcement that, despite earlier reports to the
contrary, the fight for the extension of the 30 mph limit to Linwell
Court was back on the agenda, with a police commitment to carry out a
site inspection after the 'turn right' lane into Linwell Court has been
completed. There was further discussion about the derelict Palace
Cinema in the High Street, and the Community Council decided to press
Fife Council to serve a Wasteland Order on the owner, with the aim of
securing environmental improvements to the site. Officebearers of the
Community Council had visited Alcan Chemicals earlier in the week, to
take part in a consultation exercise on measures to alleviate a further
build up of water at the Whinneyhall tip. Urgent action was required,
and the Community Council had been asked to consider two options: (1)
removal of the water by the use of two dedicated road tankers, or
(2) a repeat of last year's scheme, involving the laying of a
pipe in the course of the Kirkton Burn. The Community Council had
favoured the latter option, and it is likely that this will be
implemented as soon as the necessary consents have been obtained. The
Community Council had been assured that the work would be completed by
mid May, and that tests were continuing in an attempt to find a
permanent solution to the problem. East of Scotland Water had reported
that the sewage works at Lochies Road should be completed by 18 March.
The Community Council had objected to a planning application for houses
on a plot at Landale Place and had recommended that the ground be taken
into public ownership. The meeting was told that Fife Council had now
rejected the application. Following representations on the question of
heavy goods traffic within the town, the Community Council will ask
Fife Council for a report on the current status of the relief road
project. A questionnaire from the Fife Fire & Rescue Service
was considered, and the Community Council concluded that they were very
pleased with the standard of service provided in Burntisland. Secretary
Margaret Macdonald reported that investigations were being carried out
to determine the reason for the recent flooding in Haugh Road. She also
reported that Fife Council had decided to grant a one week extension to
the summer fairground - this arrangement would last for three years,
after which there would be a further review. Concerns were expressed
from the public benches about the fact that the wheelie bins in
Ferguson Place had again remained unemptied, because the refuse wagon
could not negotiate the turn from James Park because of parked cars.
The local police had promised action on this question at the Community
Council meeting in November, and they are to be approached again. In an
attempt to get the new bus shelter in the High Street to perform its
function, the Community Council will ask for the seat to be removed to
provide more space inside the shelter. Members considered a new
planning application for a pigeon loft in Ferguson Place and opted to
oppose it. They also decided to ask Fife Council to consider the
provision of a permanent footbath between Meadow Court and Glebe Place.
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Community
Council Meeting of 12 April 2002
Concern for the
environment was a theme that dominated the meeting, which began with a
talk by a representative of the Clean Coast Scotland campaign. One of
the campaign's aims is to provide clearly accessible and up-to-date
water quality information in resort towns like Burntisland. After the
talk, it was down to business. Local environmentalists were well
represented on the public benches, and were given the opportunity to
express their strongly held views on the question of commercial cockle
harvesting - clearly the topic of debate in the town for the preceding
ten days or so. The Community Council decided that it was important to
try to get measures in place by September of this year, when it is
feared that large scale harvesting could well be repeated. They will
pursue a two-pronged approach - Fife Council will be asked to introduce
a by-law to give effect to the widespread desire in the town that, at
the very least, the scale of harvesting should be severely curtailed;
and the local MSP and the Scottish Executive will be asked to consider
the introduction of measures which would protect the entire Scottish
coast. Community Council members also demonstrated considerable
enthusiasm for another environmental initiative, namely the control of
litter, which followed a correspondence campaign by Mrs Doreen Knight.
Member George Kay volunteered to co-ordinate a survey of the town which
would list all litter and dumping blackspots which needed attention.
The town will be divided into six sectors, each of which will be
surveyed by a volunteer recruited at the meeting. The results of the
survey will be presented to the next Community Council meeting on 10
May, and it will then be decided what action to take. Fife Council will
be expected to bear the responsibility for much of the remedial work,
but it is expected that local voluntary effort will be needed as well.
The Community Council had received a request from Fife Council for
payment of £900, calculated as the cost of removing some of the
Christmas lights in the High Street during the January storms. Members
considered this an unfair imposition, and Fife Council will be so
informed. Neither were members happy with the fact that Fife Council
had approved a grant of £3,500 from Burntisland Common Good Fund to the
Erskine Church for building repairs, thereby ignoring the Community
Council's recommendation that the application should be refused on the
grounds that it was not an appropriate use of Common Good money. While
they fully supported the church's efforts to maintain their building,
they considered that funding from other sources should be sought. Fife
Council will therefore be asked to note the Community Council's concern
and to reimburse the Common Good Fund. The question of the present
whereabouts of certain of Burntisland's historical artefacts engendered
considerable discussion and unease. Community Council members and those
on the public benches will therefore prepare lists of such items known
to them for the next Community Council meeting, when the possibility of
an approach to Kirkcaldy Museum will be considered. The Community
Council's request for an extra mail collection point in the Cotburn
Crescent area had been turned down. Their request for a bus shelter on
Cowdenbeath Road had also been rejected, following a survey of the
number of passengers using the bus stop; and Fife Council had refused
to remove the seat from the new bus shelter in the High Street (a
measure which would have allowed passengers better protection from the
elements). Local developer Bob Wilkie informed the meeting that,
following objections submitted, the planning application for the first
phase of the proposed Rose Street/Thistle Street redevelopment had been
withdrawn. The project was, however, still on the agenda, and he would
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Community
Council Meeting of 10 May 2002
The
first part of the meeting was devoted to the question of litter in the
town. A representative of Fife Council was present, but, as he could
speak for only one of a wide range of Fife Council departments who were
concerned with litter, his comments did not have any great
significance. Community Council member George Kay circulated an
illustrated summary of the litter survey which he had co-ordinated, and
the Fife Council representative agreed to follow this up. It was made
clear to him that the Community Council wanted an undertaking that
there would be significant improvements. In particular, it was quite
obvious that the number, size and design of the present litter bins was
woefully inadequate. The Community Council will also pursue the litter
education option, and will order posters and leaflets for use by
Burntisland School. The Community Council had received a response from
Fife Council on the question of the burned out shell of the Palace
Cinema in the High Street. It indicated that the Council officials were
not in favour of serving a Wasteland Notice (which would require the
owner to undertake environmental improvements). The Community Council
will therefore write to the local Councillor (who was not present at
the meeting), to ask him to promote a Wasteland Notice requiring the
owner to repair and paint the façade of the cinema and to cut back the
overgrown trees at the rear of the building. It was reported that Fife
Council considered that the building of the town centre relief road was
"not presently financially feasible". Vice Chairman David Plant
revealed that, while Fife Council was getting the credit for the
rent-free leasing of the former Tourist Information Office to
Burntisland Heritage Trust, it was in fact Burntisland Common Good Fund
(the owner of the property) which was bearing the cost. The Community
Council considered a request from the Pipe Band for financial
assistance towards the provision of new uniforms, and agreed to
recommend a £500 grant from the Common Good Fund. Concern was expressed
from the public benches about the proliferation of large iron manhole
covers on the Links. These form part of the new electricity supply
system being installed to serve the summer fairground. The Community
Council, as a matter of urgency, will ask Fife Council for more
information, in particular on any possible impingement on the Highland
Games arena. The question of the proximity of jet water skiers to the
beach was raised, and Fife Council will be asked to provide a notice at
the slipway, asking skiers to keep a safe distance offshore. Member
Avril Coventry informed the meeting that she was canvassing opinion in
the town on the possibility of converting the paddling pool to a
skateboarding area, and she will report her findings to the Community
Coucil in due course.
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Community
Council Meeting of 14 June 2002
As often happens, environmental issues
dominated the meeting. First up was the Palace Cinema building in the
High Street, and the Community Council were informed that Fife Council
were "taking advice" on the possible serving of a Wasteland Notice on
the owner. Members then considered the continuing litter question. The
Community Council had written to Fife Council to say that they
considered that the town needed more than the current two street
sweepers, especially in the tourist season; and to ask if the use of
people serving community service orders might be considered. The
condition of the Fife Coastal Path at the west of the town gave members
cause for concern, with reports of people straying on to the railway
line to avoid the accumulated mud. [Subsequent reports indicate that
Fife Council have now cleared the mud and repaired the fence.] The
Community Council will support moves for an assessment of the viability
of the cockle stocks on the sands to the east of the beach. The attempt
to pinpoint the current locations of the town's historical artefacts
will be taken forward with the posting of a notice at this year's
Heritage Exhibition, asking local folk to list all such items that they
know of. Scottish Water had informed the Community Council that a
number of householders had opted not to connect to the new sewage
system, and that there was no way of compelling them to do so. Members
expressed concern about the effect of this on the bathing water
quality. Among the planning applications considered was one for the
erection of a 17.5m telecommunications mast on the golf course; members
decided not to object to this. They also decided that they were content
with proposals for an extension to the Kingswood Hotel, noting with
approval that the plans included a relocated, and safer, vehicle
entrance. The meeting was informed that a local developer had been
served a Wasteland Notice in relation to a plot at Landale Place, which
was currently the subject of a planning appeal. Acting Chairman Plant
contrasted the alacrity which Fife Council had displayed in this case
with their cautious approach to the serving of such a notice in the
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Community
Council Meeting of 9 August 2002
(There was no
meeting in July.)
The
first part of the meeting was devoted to another lengthy discussion on
environmental matters, focussing on litter and the condition of the
Links. Photos of blackspots were available, and copies will be sent to
Fife Council for action. At the same time, the Community
Council will request monthly inspections of the Links and town centre,
in the company of a Community Council representative. The aim will be
to identify what needs to be done, and then to get Fife Council to do
something. Some surprise was expressed when Burntisland's scores in the
'Best Kept Town' competition were revealed. The judging panel had
awarded 18 points out of 30 for general factors; 12 out of 15 for
cleanliness; 16 out of 25 for private gardens; and 16 out of 30 for
community effort. On the Common Good Fund, Fife Council had refused to
accept the Community Council's arguments about a grant made to the
Erskine Church - namely, that a grant had been made which benefited the
Church and not the community as a whole. The Community Council will
therefore seek a meeting with the appropriate sub committee of Fife
Council, to try to get agreement on a set of guidelines which the sub
committee would follow when deciding future applications. They will
also ask Fife Council to suspend payments from the Common Good Fund
until agreement has been reached. In the circumstances, two
applications for grants on which the Community Council had been asked
to comment (a new one from the Erskine Church, and one from the
Burntisland Tenants & Residents Association) were left on the
table. Fife Council had informed the Community Council they had no
money to create a proper footpath between Meadow Court and Glebe Place,
but would note the proposal for the future. The bridge over the burn at
the Toll Park was a higher priority, and a replacement costing £8,000
was to be provided. The Community Council will suggest a cheaper
alternative - that a short section of the Burn be culverted - thus
freeing some money for other projects. On planning matters, the
Community Council decided not to object to the granting of detailed
planning permission for the building of three 5-bedroom houses on the
site of the former Binn House. On the proposed development in Landale
Place, they noted that a Scottish Executive Reporter would shortly be
paying a site visit in connection with the appeal which had been
submitted. The Community Council were informed that Fife Council had
secured funding of £312,500 for improvements to Burntisland railway
station - namely passenger information systems; cycle lockers; safer
access routes; closed circuit television; and miscellaneous facilities.
No decision has yet been taken on whether there will be Christmas
lights in the High Street this year. A Conservation Order, the aim of
which would be to protect the Pettycur Bay area, is under
consideration. The dangerous remains of an old groyne at the western
end of the beach had been removed by Fife Council, although they had at
the same time apparently also removed part of the adjacent groyne which
was still serving a useful purpose.
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Community
Council Meeting of 13 September 2002
The members and regulars on the public
benches were joined by fifteen or so local skateboarders, who had come
along to seek the Community Council's support for the provision of a
proper skateboarding area in the town. The Community Council were
sympathetic to this request, and it was decided to set up a working
group under the chairmanship of member Avril Coventry to explore the
possibilities. The group will comprise three Community Council members
and four local skateboarders. Sergeant Thyne of the local police gave a
comprehensive report. He appealed for information from anyone who could
help them with information relating to the increase in car vandalism in
the past month. He would also like the public to report instances of
illegal parking on zigzag markings, an offence which Sergeant Thyne
pointed out was endorsable. He expressed concern about recent road
accidents near the Kingswood Hotel. The concern was shared by the
Community Council, who are to ask Fife Council to consider some short
term measures (such as pruning of roadside vegetation and improvement
to drainage) and also to consider what might be done at this blackspot
in the longer term. The provision of rumble strips and of better signs
and realignment of the road were suggested. Sergeant Thyne said he was
confident that the town centre CCTV system would prove to be success.
In the initial period, staff had had to learn how to manage the system
to best advantage, but there had already been a number of significant
successes, with persons being apprehended. On the Palace Cinema, a Fife
Council Committee were due to consider a recommendation from officials
that a statutory notice requiring environmental improvements should be
served on the owner. On environmental improvements on the Links and
elsewhere, Community Council member Ian Quinney and Fife Council
Locality Manager Donald Grant are now carrying out regular monthly
inspections to identify urgent work required. A decision on whether or
not to have Christmas lights in the High Street this year will be made
at the October meeting of the Community Council. A major factor in this
will be the amount of volunteer effort forthcoming, and Vice Chairman
David Plant (telephone 872803) will be pleased to hear from anyone who
is interested in helping. A letter had been received from Mr William
Leggatt, who had been elected to the Community Council in October of
last year but who had resigned at the first meeting.
Mr Leggatt said that, as his resignation had not been in
writing, he was constitutionally still a member and he intended to take
his seat at the October meeting. Chairman Alex MacDonald said that
Mr Leggatt was not a member, and he would be so informing him.
A motion to co-opt Mr Leggatt to the Community Council failed
to find a seconder and therefore fell. It was noted that there was
still one vacancy, caused by the resignation of David Cooper, but no
action was taken on this. Reports were given on the possible Alcan
closure, but there was little to add to the generally accurate coverage
which had appeared in the press. Alcan had assured the Community
Council that, in the event of closure, they would honour their
environmental obligations but they were unable to give any information
about the future of the site. The neglected pruning on the Coastal Path
is to be attended to soon, and Fife Council are also to be asked to
carry out similar work which is required at West Broomhill Road,
Melville Gardens and Manse Lane. Chairman Alex MacDonald reported on a
debriefing meeting on Market Day. 400 traders had been invited to rent
space, and 80 had responded. Some of these had dropped out when their
licences were subsequently revoked. Fife Council will try to encourage
more traders to take space next year. The Community Council will point
out to Fife Council that the high rents charged could well have been a
significant factor in the reduction in the number of traders this year.
The police had estimated that there had been between 25,000 and 30,000
visitors on the day, but there had been only four arrests. The Scottish
Executive had recently rejected two Burntisland planning appeals -
there will therefore be no increase in the number of houses permitted
on the site at Fleming way, and there will be no development of the
site at Landale Place. The Community Council will submit comments on
three new planning applications - concerns about road safety in
relation to the proposed telecommunications tower at Grange Farm;
reservations about the safety of the access to a proposed development
at Lonsdale Crescent; and a request for a condition on minimisation of
noise relating to the strengthening of the viaduct in Harbour Place.
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Community
Council Meeting of 11 October 2002
The
guest speaker was Alastair Shaw of Fife Council, who described the
coming reorganisation of street sweeping. In short, the present regular
sweeping timetable will be replaced by a focus on need - dirty streets
and/or high profile streets will be targeted, and clean streets will be
ignored. The Community Council would be invited to comment in detail on
the categorisation of Burntisland streets. Commenting on the large
amount of resources devoted to the uplift of bulky domestic refuse, Mr
Shaw revealed that there were 45,000 such uplifts per annum in Central
Fife alone. The provision of special bins for waste paper was being
implemented in stages, and householders in Burntisland might receive
these in one to two years from now. It was hoped that, in due course,
further bins would be provided for material suitable for composting.
After
considerable discussion, the Community Council decided that the High
Street Christmas lights, in their present form, had had their day, and
they will not be put up this year. Fife Council will be asked to remove
the supporting cables. The Community Council will discuss what might
take their place in 2003, and a donation of £300 received from the
Links Showmen's Tenants Association will be used towards that new
project. If any local businesses are interested in making use of the
existing lights this year, they should contact David Plant on 872803.
It
was learned that the Lammerlaws Road bridge would be closed to motor
vehicles for between two and five years. Reports indicated that the
alternative route, via the docks, was being constructed to a high
standard. One disadvantage of that route was that double decker buses
would be unable to use it, because of the height restriction in Harbour
Place.
Avril
Coventry reported that the local skateboarders had been busy organising
themselves into a club, and were working on a number of ideas. Her
Community Council sub committee would meet shortly.
Members
once again expressed concern about the condition of the Burntisland to
Aberdour section of the Fife Coastal Path. It was noted that Fife
Council were aware of this and were blaming faulty drainage, but
members were sceptical about the likelihood of a speedy resolution.
The
Community Council then went into private session to consider the
co-option of new members to replace David Cooper and Ian Quinney, who
had resigned. They decided to invite Alan Smart to become a member, and
Mr Smart subsequently accepted. There is still one unfilled vacancy.
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Community
Council Meeting of 8 November 2002
Chairman
Alex MacDonald welcomed new member Alan Smart, who had been co-opted to
the Community Council to fill one of the two vacancies which had arisen
through resignations. The litter co-ordinator, George Kay, reported on
his recent meeting with Fife Council officials, and revealed that Fife
Council wanted to rid themselves of responsibility for the east Links
toilets. The Community Council are to ask that they be retained. No
objection was raised to a further proposal, that the derelict public
toilets at the Lammerlaws be demolished. The Community Council will
also ask that the waste paper recycling bin be moved from the Links car
park to the Roundhouse car park, to join the others which have already
been moved; and that the former recycling area of the Links car park be
cleaned and tidied. It was noted that Gordon Hope will replace Donald
Grant as Fife Council's Locality Manager for Burntisland.
Avril
Coventry reported on a meeting with local skateboarders, who intended
to form a club and who had welcomed the Rotary Club proposals for a
multipurpose paved and surfaced area on the Links. The Community
Council went on to consider the Rotary Club proposals, and members were
in principle favourably inclined towards them. It was suggested that
some redevelopment of the paddling pool might be incorporated in the
development.
The
Community Council placed on record their appreciation of the work done
by Vice Chairman David Plant and others in providing the Christmas
lighting display in the High Street over the years; and their regret
that a shortage of funds and volunteers meant that it would no longer
be possible to provide the display.
As
part of a survey into the effectiveness of the Fife CCTV system,
representatives of the Fife Community Safety Partnership will be
interviewing people in Burntisland town centre during the course of
this month, and a further sample of people in May of next year. Local
retailers will also be interviewed.
Local
developer Bob Wilkie gave a presentation on updated plans for the
proposed development at the East Port. He explained that the whole
development was back on the agenda as a result of renewed interest by
Fife Enterprise, whose participation was essential if the
non-commercial architectural and environmental aspects were to be
realised. He circulated plans which were in most respects the same as
those which had originally been submitted to Fife Council. The main
change was that the standalone 9-apartment block which would be on the
other side of Rose Street from the Porte Buildings was now at a more
detailed design stage. It was intended that this block would be
enhanced to give it architectural merit commensurate with its proximity
to the Porte Buildings. The Community Council did not take a formal
view at this stage, although the proposals were generally well received
by the members. Mr Wilkie said that his intention was to submit a full
planning application to Fife Council by the end of January.
The
Community Council considered two planning applications. They were happy
with the proposal from the Cairn Housing Association for five single
story dwellings and eight flats for the elderly at Lothian Street,
although they will ask for the boundary wall to be brought up to an
acceptable standard. On the retrospective application for the new road
to the Lammerlaws, they will ask for reassurances on the safety
standards to which the road was built. It was noted that the two heaps
of boulders which had been dumped by Railtrack on Pettycur Sands had
now been moved.
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Community
Council Meeting of 13 December 2002
A
representative of the contractors who are replacing old water mains in
the town spoke briefly, and confirmed that they would soon begin work
in the area east of Church Street. It was anticipated that work in the
town centre would begin about the end of March. He confirmed that he
would be gathering information on local community activities for next
year, with a view to ensuring that conflict would be minimised. Members
were less than impressed to hear that their concerns about the
administration of Burntisland Common Good Fund had been shelved by Fife
Council until a Fife-wide review of Common Good Funds had been
undertaken.
Andy
Wight-Boycott reported on a meeting with Alcan Chemicals, when various
organisations had been consulted on Alcan's desire to once again lay a
drainage pipe in the course of the Kirkton Burn to get rid of excess
water which had been accumulating in the reservoir at the Whinneyhall
tip. Members reluctantly accepted this proposal, as the only
alternative was removal of the water by road tanker. It was likely that
many years would pass before Whinneyhall would be fit for an
alternative use. There was a brief mention of Alcan's 'golden
handshake' of £1m for the town, but, as that had only been announced
earlier in the day, substantive discussion was left to the January
meeting.
There
was a lengthy debate on the most suitable location for the bottle banks
and other recycling receptacles, and the Community Council confirmed
their earlier view, that these should not be returned to the Links car
park. Secretary Margaret Macdonald confirmed that she had, as agreed at
the last meeting, written to Shona Robison MSP, expressing the
Community Council's support for her bill on control of fireworks.
Having
been reassured that the plans had been altered to provide for a wider
pavement, the Community Council decided to withdraw their objection to
a proposed single house development at Lonsdale Crescent. Members
agreed to make a small donation to the Horticultural Society, in
appreciation of their work in public areas of the town. Several members
reported that they had been asked why there were no High Street
Christmas lights this year, and it was agreed that it was important
that the public be aware that the reasons were a lack of finance to
carry out the essential stress testing of the anchorage points and to
replace worn out components; and a lack of volunteers to assist with
the putting up and taking down of the lights.
Local
developer Bob Wilkie updated members on the proposed development at the
East Port. He said that the authorities were dragging their feet to
such an extent that, unless things improved quickly, he would be
submitting a revised planning application for a smaller development.
This would be confined to the area at present containing the two
derelict tenements in Thistle Street, plus the two smaller adjoining
buildings on the west side of Rose Street.
The
Community Council then went into private session to consider the
nominations for the Burntisland Community Award for 2003.
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