Minutes Community Council Meeting 24th June 2008

Those present: Roger French (RF, Chair), Raymond du Bois (RduB, Secretary), Tom McCall (TM, Treasurer), Ian Renton (IR), Olive Beavon (OB), Jim Dickson (JD), Margaret Gladstone (MG)

1 Police business

1.1 In the absence of MS, RduB presented the Police report. Slates have been damaged on the roof of the Council offices and CCTV footage is to be viewed to trace those responsible.

1.2 Other crimes included a male reported and detained for two incidents of breach of the peace. Following a housebreaking reported last month a male has been charged with wasting Police time. Enquiries are being made to trace a male responsible for buying alcohol for minors.

1.3 There have been reports from various areas of people in cars taking photographs of horses. The Police are concerned that horses may be targeted for stealing to order and ask the public to report sightings of vehicles in suspicious circumstances near fields with horses.

2 Apologies: George Luke (GL), PC Mark Smith (MS) and Cllr Kenneth Gunn (KG)

3 Minutes of previous meeting

RF asked the meeting to consider a request from Cllr Carolyn Riddell-Carre (CRC) for additional items from her report last month to be included in the minutes. The meeting agreed unanimously that the minutes were a full and accurate account of business and there was no need for changes. Minutes accepted.

4 Matters arising from the minutes

4.1 Action 25-3/1 RF to contact the landowner and request footpath access along the riverbank between Ravenswood and Old Melrose. RF is still waiting to meet with the landowner. Action ongoing. Action 25-3/1 RF

4.2 Action 26-6/8 RF, TM to liaise with Scottish Gas Network (SGN) regarding major pipeline-laying work in Newtown. SGN has offered a donation of £500 to the village to buy play equipment. RF will ask SGN to increase this to £750 to allow purchase of a spring-mounted bike for the kiddies park. Action ongoing. Action 26-6/8 RF, TM

4.3 Action 29-1/5 RF to liaise with all parties to take further the Youth Group request for a netball hoop to be placed at the village car park. A Lottery grant of £9941 has been made and the sports wall near Newtown Primary is to be installed late in July. Action ongoing. Action 29-1/5 RF

4.4 Action 26-2/5 VD to ask whether the Community Bus qualifies for funding from SBC’s £285,000 Rural Transport fund. VD has provided RF with details of how other community councils have funded buses, but he does not feel that his question has been answered and suggested instead that an application is made for money by NECC. Action dropped

4.5 Action 27-5/2 TM to apply for a Community Grant to pay for the Community Bus for next year. This addresses the suggestion made above. Action ongoing. Action 27-5/2 TM

4.6 Action 25-3/10 TM, JD, OB to form a sub-committee to run the village Garden Competition again this year, with cups to be presented for the best gardens in Newtown and Eildon. TM reported that Milestone has agreed to provide prizes of £15, £10 and £5 gift vouchers for gardens in Newtown. NECC will provide a prize for Eildon. TM agreed to send RduB for printing a copy of the poster advertising the competition. Ongoing. Action 25-3/10 TM, JD, OB

4.7 Action 29-4/3 GL, RduB to write to the council about the lorry park, asking for the parking bay markings to be renewed, for Council and Borders College buses to be removed and for toilets to be provided for drivers. A letter has been sent and GL has been told that the markings will be renewed and Council drivers will be sent an e-mail asking them not to park there. A written response is still awaited. Action ongoing. Action 29-4/3 GL, RduB

4.8 Action 29-4/4 KG to request that another date is set for a public meeting in Newtown for consultation on Core Footpaths. Action ongoing. Action 29-4/4 KG

4.9 Action 29-4/9 KG to take up with the Council and Eildon Housing Association responsibility for clearing ice on the footpaths at Old Station Court. Action ongoing. Action 29-4/9 KG

4.10 Action 29-4/11 RduB to send a letter to Rob McEwan (RMcE) confirming a notice will be placed asking drivers to be aware of pedestrians. A letter has been sent. Action cleared.

4.11 Action 27-5/3 RduB to write and confirm that rats have been reported at Langlands Mill. An e-mail has been sent to Jackie Wilson. Action cleared.

4.12 Action 27-5/1 RduB to pass to the Police a letter from a Monksford resident concerned about vehicles speeding in Newtown. The letter has been forwarded to Traffic Inspector Latto. A reply has been received stressing that the Police take speeding in all communities very seriously and speed checks will be carried out in Newtown at some time. Action cleared.

4.13 Action 27-5/4 CRC to convey to the developers the meeting’s approval of the name Hawkslee Park for the new houses at Church triangle. Action cleared.

4.14 Action 27-5/5 RduB to write to SBHA about a resident of Sprouston Cottages having problems with a downstairs neighbour. A letter has been sent to Janice Cambridge and a reply has been received which states that a written history of the problems is needed before the housing association can do anything about them. Action cleared.

4.15 Action 27-5/6 RF to liaise with John Henderson of SBC over how the gates at Boglie Burn are secured. RF is still in discussion with Mr Henderson and fitting of combination locks is being considered. Action ongoing. Action 27-5/6 RF

4.16 In discussion of the Boglie Burn, IR suggested that the old Melrose Road should be seen as a scenic tourist alternative to the new main road. He agreed to approach SBC about opening the road, perhaps only for the summer months. New action. Action 24-6/1 IR

4.17 Action 27-5/7 RduB to display a letter from Digital UK. RduB now has copies of the letter and will put them on the notice-boards. Action ongoing. Action 27-5/7 RduB

4.18 Action 27-5/8 RduB to pursue with John Lamont MSP (JL) the ownership of the former Water Board land near Roxburghe Place. Action ongoing. Action 27-5/8 RduB

4.19 Action 27-5/9 RduB to obtain details of how Newtown can enter the Floral Gateway competition in future years. Action ongoing. Action 27-5/9 RduB

4.20 RduB to pass to SB Local requests for the Beech hedge at Sprouston Road to be cut back where it encroaches on the pavement, also refreshing the flower beds at both ends of the village and putting cycle stands at the Co-op, the Bank and the toilets. Letter sent to Craig Blackie and reply received. See below at section 9, SB Local. Action cleared.

4.21 Action 27-5/10 RduB to write to the Halifax head office about problems with disabled access to the Bank of Scotland. A letter has been sent to Jayne O’Connell but no reply received as yet. Action ongoing. Action 27-5/10 RduB

4.22 The meeting decided to renew the request for dropped kerbs at the Pharmacy, to facilitate access to the Post Office and the Bank of Scotland. New action. Action 24-6/2 RduB

5 Scottish Borders Council, Councillors’ Report & Update

None, as no Scottish Borders Councillors present. IR feels that the attendance by SBC councillors is very poor and the meeting agreed to his request for a breakdown of their attendance since the last elections. Action 24-6/3 RduB

6 Items Raised By Members Of The Public

6.1 OB stated that villagers have asked for the Waverley Place sign to be moved as it is obscured by a hedge, and also for the Davidson Place sign to be replaced. Action 24-6/4 RduB

6.2 IR stated that Whitefield residents are dismayed by the new fencing and multi-storey portacabins installed in the western part of the Council depot and want to know if planning permission is needed and has been obtained for these. Action 24-6/5 RduB

6.3 IR raised questions about the impending move of the Baxter Johnson depot to Plainfields. Firstly, has an assessment been made of the suitability of the junction at Plainfields for the increased tanker traffic? Secondly, what is being done about the old site, where there are safety issues about securing this dangerous area and subsequent decontamination? RduB agreed to put these questions to SBC’s Planning Department. Action 24-6/6 RduB

7 Planning applications

One received, on behalf of the Hawkslee Park developer, for masts and signage to advertise the new houses for sale. The meeting agreed that there is no objection, provided that the signage is to be taken down in a timely manner. Action 24-6/7 RduB

8 Correspondence

8.1 A summary of correspondence was issued with the agenda, but RduB asked the meeting to bear in mind the following:

a) the War Memorials Trust, which will give grants for restoration work

b) NECC has been asked to consider suitable legacy projects from the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow

c) SBC’s response to the status of Smiddy Brae.

8.2 It is now clear that NECC will need to register under the provisions of the Data Protection Act. RduB has discussed with GL the possibility the all NECC work will have to be done on a PC owned by the community council and used only for that purpose.

8.3 RF agreed to try and attend the e-planning seminar to be run by SBC on Thursday, 26th June. This is intended to give a grounding in use of the planning website. Action 24-6/8 RF

9 SB Local

9.1 Referring to the work requested last month, MG noted that hedge cutting work around the Community Wing car-park is incomplete. Firstly, the hedge has only been trimmed as far as the end of Park Crescent and secondly the hedge needs more than a light trim and should be cut well back so as not to obstruct the pavement.

9.2 Requests listed by committee members were as follows - weeds at Glenburn Avenue car-park, the road markings at the southern junction with the A68, the Give way sign at the northern junction, the handrail to be painted at the Monksford Court steps, overhanging rose bushes at the end of Sprouston Road and the need for a litter bin at the Reiver Complex car-park.

9.3 The meeting asked for SBC to be approached for a solution to the problems of parked cars and conflicting traffic at the lower end of Sprouston Road. Action 24-6/9 RduB

9.4 The path from Whitefield to the Reiver Complex became narrow when the Council erected new fencing and now needs work to improve safety. RduB agreed to ask SBC to carry out work to improve access and safety. Action 24-6/10 RduB

10 Village centre regeneration

Nick Waugh of Buccleuch Land will attend a special meeting on Thursday, 3rd July, at 7pm in the Community Wing to discuss the process of consultation between the developers and villagers. Community councillors and interested villagers are asked to attend.

11 CC Members’ Business None.

12 Treasurers Report

12.1 TM reported a balance of £10164.41, which includes the lottery grant mentioned above.

12.2 RF agreed to investigate the payment of £15 for strimming by Scottish Woodlands, and the placing of an advert on their behalf. Action 24-6/11 RF

13 Any other business None.

14 Date of next meeting

Tuesday 29th July 2008 at 7:00 pm in the Community Wing.