Burntisland Community
Council
Minutes of Meeting Held in Burgh Chambers on
Present
A
MacDonald (Chair)
R
Smith (Vice Chair)
G
Ritchie (Secretary)
G Mc
Gregor,
Councillor
Edwards, Councillor Kay and
K Halley FC Locality Manager
9
Members of the public were in attendance
1)
Apologies for
Absence
Ron
Blanchard, H Leuchars, A Grant,
Councillor S Leslie and
Sergeant E Potter
2)
Minutes of
Previous meeting (
These were unanimously
approved as a true and correct record with the addition to Item 3.3 Common Good
Fund of an amendment as follows “it was agreed that councillors be asked
formally to take up the issue on behalf of the Community Council”. Adoption of
the minutes was proposed by Morag Douglas and seconded by Christine Dewar.
3)
Notification of Community Concerns
see under Any Other Business.
Replacement of broken Slabs on High
Street
Grass cutting on Links
4) Police Report
No
Police representation at tonight’s meeting due to operational commitments .Sgt.
Potter submitted the following brief report regarding Kinghorn Road work:--
The
5
Presentation on
Sustainable Communities Initiatives
Paula
Cowie Development Manager SCI, who is based at the Earthship Fife Visitors
Centre near Kinghorn Loch, gave a most interesting talk explaining how SCI uses
waste to bring people together and to demonstrate and support initiatives that
help people live in a more creative low impact way. She went on to illustrate
how they can make toys, crafts, structures and even houses out of waste.
She
openly issued an invitation to all to visit ‘Earthship Fife’ and come on the
guided tour and learn how it was built and why. Visitors can even have fun measuring
their personal eco-footprint and join in on a workshop to discover your
micro-renewables.
Paula
concluded her talk by again stressing that we should all work creatively with
waste as a resource and enhances people’s lives by providing creative solutions
to global problems.
The
Chairman proposed an appreciative vote of thanks.
6) Matters
Arising
6.1
Common
Good
A
letter was read out to the meeting from Andrew Ferguson Team Leader, Standards
and Governance on behalf of Fife Council in response to the FC Councillors
letter expressing the frustrating lack of action over the past few months
following the meeting with the Community Council on
He
explained they were experiencing difficulties with the allocation of resources
in some of the other Council services and they are working with the other
services involved to try to address the queries raised by the Community
Council.
He
gave his assurance of their best efforts to ensure that things improve in the
coming weeks and months.
6.2
Scots
Verse Competition
The
Chairman gave a brief report on the very successful Primary School prize winners reception held in
the Council Chambers on 27th March .He explained that some of the
trophies were now past their best and some had been damaged. He undertook the
task of investigating costs of replacements trophies and at the same time makes
proposals for the future format and organisation of the competition. It was
agreed that we include Primaries and 2 in the competition in future
7) Locality
Manager’s Report
The following items 7.1 to 7.9
are in response to various issues raised at the Community Council 13th
March meeting.
7.1 Common Good Fund
As agreed at the last meeting a joint letter was sent from
the Councilors to Andrew Ferguson (Fife Council) requesting an update on
progress in responding to the questions raised following the FC presentation to
the September meeting.
7.2 Burntisland Local
Services Centre
A sign with the opening times is on display outside the
Centre. The Centre is open on Friday afternoons;
the only exception to this was Friday 6.3.09 when the Centre was closed all day
because of staff shortages due to sickness.
On this occasion the Elected Members were notified and a notice
displayed explaining the situation.
7.3 Damaged Masonry
The damaged masonry at the Local Services Centre has been
reported to the Building Inspector and an order has been raised for the repair
and it should be carried out before the end of the month.
7.4 Payment Methods
Kirkcaldy East, North and Burntisland have never had the
facility to pay rent and other payments by a credit or debit cards in the Local
Services Centres. Swipe machines were installed in the main centres
(like Kirkcaldy) and this was mainly to receive Registration income. The
scheme was not considered much of a success and before the implementation of
the new Payment Strategy it was decided to remove the swipe machines from the
centres.
7.5 Use of Rent Books
Rent Cards (not books) were issued to tenants at the start
of the financial year; however, when the Payment Strategy was implemented a
decision was taken that the old type rent cards would be no longer
issued.
Tenants are now
issued with a rent payment card that allows them to make payments at any pay
point. A receipt is issued for each payment but this does not contain a
rent balance. A rent statement, detailing rent periods and payments made,
was enclosed with the rent notification letters issued recently and at any time
tenants can call into a Local Services Centre and obtain a rent statement.
7.6 Arrears Letters
Promptness of Arrears letters – Low level arrears letters
are system generated and the trigger for the first of these letters is
£20.00. LSA Customer Service staff monitors the low level debt on a
fortnightly basis and tries to make contact at the earliest opportunity to work
with tenant to prevent the arrears increasing.
If despite the letters the arrears continue to increase LSA Neighbourhood
Staff assume responsibility for the case and continue to try to make contact in
order to work with the tenant to make arrangements to clear the arrears. Failure on the tenant’s part to make an
arrangement results in the escalation of case and at all times letters are
issued notifying the tenant of the action being proposed to resolve the
situation.
7.7 Burntisland
Sports Group
The Group has been awarded a seed corn grant of £150.00.
7.8
The Contractor Thomas Menzies was due on-site late February/early
March. This start date has been delayed slightly
because they had commitments elsewhere due to the weather conditions; however,
they intend to start work week beginning 13th April and plan to finish
before the end of June.
7.9 Pelican Crossing,
Transportation Services are continuing to try to get the
developer to do the outstanding works and the matter is being passed to
planning enforcement to pursue.
8)
Secretary’s Report
The
Secretary outlined details of the Community Payback Scheme where (for example)
scrubland may be cleared- a new fence around a play park can be constructed .etc.
These are the sort of things to be done by offenders paying back to their
community. For more info go online to www.fifedirect.org.uk/payback and
fill in the form provided.
He
also circulated Information and leaflets on the developments at
.
9.1 Burntisland
Blooms-
Sheila McGregor reported that the P5 children from
9.2 Burntisland Sports Group Report
Gordon
Ritchie updated members using Gillian Lowe’s report as Sports Group’s Secretary
to the effect that sponsorship and a printing contract were being placed for
the 4000 Information leaflets/questionnaires to be delivered throughout the
town. These will be seeking the community’s views on what would be the most
useful sports facilities and what is needed and what would be best for the
town. A number of Organisations in the Town were very willing to help in the
distribution collection during the summer months.
A
next meeting of the group would be a site visit to the Toll Centre on Monday 20th
April and Grant Ward from Fife Council will attend the meeting to advise us on
sports facilities
The
Group are very keen to progress the MUGA (Multi-Use Games Area) pitch and a
number of possible sites have been identified including (A) the Beacon Centre on
the Roundhouse car park-(B) adjacent to the Toll Centre and (C) on the Links
near the car park. The allocated funding of around £100K it is understood could
be made available in the 2009/2010 budget.
The
Group still have fundamental and important issues to discuss and agree such as:-
A) Development Trust Status
B)
Formation of a Company limited by guarantee
C)
Possible Charitable status
Gordon
advised that he had submitted the application to Fife Council For start-up
funds for the Group £150 (Seed corn Grant) and he understood this had been
approved.
9.3 Proposed Community Noticeboard
Gordon
Ritchie reported that the site between St Andrews Court and the Vet Surgery on
the High Street seems to be a very popular choice as a location and a three-sided security cabinet board is generally
agreed to be the best possible solution to accommodate the Town’s needs. Grant
and sponsorship funding is now being actively pursued. Best estimates indicate
a budget of at least £5500 is required to provide a first class notice board fitted
with a Community Council crest header panel.
9.4 Planning Applications Review
Tim
Hailey gave an update on the current situation regarding current local application.
The Palace Cinema planning approval was briefly discussed and there was no
update available on the
9.5
Household Waste Collection Service
Press speculation a few weeks ago indicated that Fife
Council was “planning to introduce four weekly collection services for
household waste”. We are advised that the council has made no such decision.
The Council has established a Member/Officer Group to
investigate options for the collection of food waste. The Group, which includes
elected members from all parties and a consultant in public health from NHS
Fife, will also take into consideration what other changes to services may be
required to enable householders to recycle more waste more easily. For example,
making it easier for householders to recycle more cans, plastics and glass
The Group will have to consider the challenging issue of
residual waste collection services, especially if additional services are
provided to collect food waste and, potentially, cans, plastics and glass from
the kerbside. Any decision as to whether new or significantly changed services
are to be applied on a
10) New
Business
10.1 Recommended Local Holidays
It is proposed that in future years
(beginning 2010), the recommended
local holidays will follow a set formula and be the same across
This proposal will be submitted to Fife Council*s Policy, Finance and
Asset Management Committee at a meeting to be held on 11th June 2009 and
that report will include the results of consultation with local members,
community Councils and relevant business
organizations.
The
following formula is proposed for 2010 onwards:-
Spring
May Day
- set to coincide with May Public
Holiday
Victoria Day - First Monday in June
Summer Holiday - First Monday of
Autumn Holiday - First Monday of school October
Holiday
For 2010, this would mean the actual
dates were:-
Spring
May Day
- Monday 3rd May
Victoria Day - Monday 7th June
Summer Holiday - Monday 19th July
Autumn Holiday - TBA
!0.2 Forthcoming Changes to Planning System
Tim Hailey highlighted the changes
to the planning system this year and that this will lead to an enhanced role
for Community Councils. A major package
of new planning legislation has just been passed by the Scottish Parliament and
some changes will occur between the end of February and the beginning of August
2009.
There will be a direct impact on the
relationship between planning authorities and community councils in the modernized
planning system. Further information on
the modernization of the planning system is available on the Scottish
Government website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/built-environment/planning.
10.2.1 Development Planning
The key changes in Development
Planning took effect from
There are new requirements to ensure
that community councils are kept up to date with Plan progress and have an
opportunity to shape the development of their community. Instead of producing
draft plans, authorities will initially be preparing main issues reports. This
is designed to be the stage where communities can most usefully contribute to
the plan.
Circular 1/2009 on Development
Planning was published on the internet in February (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/02/13153723/0).
10.2.2 Development Management
There are two particular dates of
importance.
From 3 August, any application for
planning permission for a National or Major development received by a planning
authority will require to have had a ‘pre-application consultation’ (PAC) with
communities.
Prospective applicants are required
to send relevant community council details of the proposed application and how
they intend to consult the wider community.
This must include at least one public event where members of the public
may make comments. The planning authority
may require additional consultation but that is for the planning authority to
decide in each instance. The developer
must submit a report on the consultation with the application. If they don’t do so, or don’t do what is
required of them, then the planning authority cannot process the application.
We should be aware that our
Community Councils may therefore begin to be consulted by prospective
applicants soon after 6 April.
10.3 Licence Application No.348
Burntisland Civic Week Parade
11) Any Other Business
11.1
Broken Paving on High Street
It
was noted that a good number of broken paving slabs on the High Street had been
renewed, particularly in way of the Palace Cinema site, but there remained many
random damaged slabs particularly at the east end in need of attention
11.2 Grass Cutting on Links
Complaints
had been received regarding what could be considered alleged manpower wastage
on the grass cutting operations on the links during week commencing 5th
April.
Several
complaints have been received regarding the incomplete road works and highlighting
possible potential hazards- See Police Report Agenda Item 4)
The
Meeting closed at 2115 hours
Next meeting to be held on
.