Minutes – 21 April 2010
North Kelvin Community Council Minutes
Wednesday 21 April 2010 at 6:30pm
St. Charles School
Present: Dave Beavan (DB) (Chair); Ken Andrew (KA) (Vice-Chair); Janet Andrews (JA); Gordon Barnes (GB) (Website & Library); Peter Blackshaw (PB) (Secretary); Karen Chung (KC); Kevin Edgar (KE); Liz Edgar (LE); Councillor Jim MacKechnie (JMacK); Jane Morgan (JM) (Planning Officer); Douglas Peacock (DP); Kate Wooding (KW) (Treasurer); Kirsty Davidson (KD) (Minute Secretary)
In attendance: Eddie Devlin (ED); Stephen Egan (SE), Area Manager, Land Services; PC Fraser Reid (FR); PC Ross Whyte (RW)
1. Welcome
DB welcomed everyone to the meeting. DB introduced SE from Land Services, who is present to discuss refuse collection.
2. Minutes of previous meeting and matters arising
The minutes of the March meeting were approved by KC and seconded by KA.
3. Police Report
DB said he had not heard from PC Gerard Christie (GC) and reiterated the need for a police presence at meetings and when this is not possible, for a written report to be sent.
PC Fraser Reid (FR) and PC Ross Whyte (RW) apologised for arriving late. RW explained that GC had moved on and they would be attending meetings in the future.
RW provided the crime figures for the period from 1 April to date. There were – 3 thefts (1 bike and 2 cars), 27 noise disturbances, 4 assaults and 22 cases of vandalism. RW said vandalism was the main issue in the area at present and the hardest crime to detect. DB asked for more details on detections for future meetings.
FR provided the crime figures for March. There were – 44 disturbance calls, 16 cases of vandalism, 10 thefts, 8 assaults, 7 drug offences (mostly detected) and 1 robbery (detected).
JA reported recent damage to a number of cars on Kelvinside Gardens East by St. Charles Church and said there was currently a red car with a punched in front windscreen there. RW said he would investigate.
4. Discussion and Report on Refuse Collection
SE explained that Phase 1 of the service reform was introduced in August 2009. This introduced a four-day on, four-day off work pattern for road and lighting staff. The changes were introduced primarily to save money, it also allowed Glasgow City Council (GCC) to reduce the number of plant/vehicles as only half the work force were working at any one time.
SE said Phase 2 was introduced on 8 February 2010 and this moved refuse collection staff onto the four-day off, four-day on work pattern. This was done for the same reasons as Phase 1. SE explained that Phase 1 did not impact the public, where as Phase 2 did and there have been some issues. Though SE said the number of complaints has declined since February and is now down to a normal level.
LE said she had an ongoing problem with bin men not closing close doors, but this seems to be improving. There is also an issue with the blue bin men not taking the bins back to where they take them from and also, not closing close doors, which is a security issue. LE explained that the close door being left open had resulted in unauthorised people gaining access to their close.
JA said there had been little communication about which days the collections are now taking place. SE said GCC only wrote to people who present their bins, other communication is via the website. KW said there is no bulk uplift date on the website.
JA complained about bags being left outside her close, SE said this was fly tipping. SE said if JA gave him the address, he would arrange for someone to come and issue a £50 fixed penalty. SE said fly tipping should be reported to Clean Glasgow.
KW suggested GCC might want to reissue the poster about bulk uplifts, SE said he would look into the possibility. KW suggested the poster could be made available online, so that members of the public can print it off themselves.
The issue of glass collection from residences was raised. SE said there was a purple bin pilot at the moment, which collects on a monthly basis. JMacK said it would be hard to introduce for tenemental properties.
5. Councillor’s Report
JMacK reported that a fence had been installed around the gap site on Wilton Street, to protect the site and said the footpath has also been resurfaced. JMacK said the report was still with the Procurator Fiscal and he has been in contact to find out a timescale for a decision. JMacK explained that GCC had written to the owner of the site asking them to sell and there was initial interest in this suggestion, but they have decided not to sell. JMacK said there was nothing else GCC can do, they would only consider compulsory purchase if there was an interested buyer for the site.
JMacK said discussions were ongoing with regards to a short-term lease of the Clouston Street site to the North Kelvin Meadow Campaign.
JMacK reported that GCC are investing £12m in road and footway repairs. JMacK said the two main areas that he is putting forward for action are Wilton Street/Queen Margaret Drive and Queen Margaret Drive/Maryhill Road.
JMacK reported that the Queens Cross Housing development at Murano Street, which will consist of 140 flats for rent or shared equity, would be completed by autumn 2011. However, the first phase of the development will be completed this summer.
JMacK said Scottish Water propose to drain surface water from the Oban Drive development into a tank under Herbert Street at a cost of £1m. Scottish Water says they might put up half the cost, but Queens Cross Housing will need to find the other half. JMacK said if the drainage issue were resolved work would start on site in June.
JMacK told a story of a local unsung hero from the Battle of Kohima, Lieutenant Jock Young, who lived at 7 Jedburgh Gardens. JMacK said there were plans to commemorate him. JMacK suggested the Community Council might like to contribute towards the commemoration, the Community Council agreed.
PB reported that a digger had appeared on the former garage site at the bottom of Oban Drive. JMacK agreed to look into whether the development has started, as last he heard the site owners had tried to sell the site to Queens Cross Housing.
Action: JMacK to investigate whether work has started on the former garage site.
6. Planning Officer’s Report
DB said ZM Architecture does not need the report until next week, so he was asked for formal approval now. The report was approved by KA and seconded by GC.
JM said the Firhill development was still listed as being at the consultation stage and there had been a couple of residential proposals, but nothing of interest.
JM said there are plans to extend the conservation area boundary to include Oban Drive and Fergus Drive. JMacK said he would check if the Community Council would be consulted on the proposals. JA said she had received a letter about the proposals and agreed to email around the web link mentioned in the letter.
Action: JMacK to check whether the Community Council will be consulted on the plans and JA to email the web link to the draft plans.
7. Information – website
GB reported that the website subgroup had recently met and agreed a plan for moving forward. It was felt the website should have visitor information such as local community groups and building of interests and also local stories. The subgroup also thought there should be pieces about local issues, to gain feedback from the public.
GB said the subgroup also felt there should be a list of members on the website detailing everyone’s name and role, perhaps also with an email address (this would be a domain one created by GB rather than everyone’s private address) and phone number. GB agreed to send an email seeking everyone’s opinion on this suggestion.
Action: GB to email about the suggestion of having a membership list on the website.
GB said there would be more to report at the next meeting, but reiterated there was a plan and progress would now be made.
8. Treasurer’s Report
KW reported the account balance is now £853.70, as bills for the room hire and website/domain name have been received.
DB said the janitor was not expecting us this evening. KW said she had sent in the form to cover room hire for the next three months, but she would double check.
9. Communications and correspondence
PB reported a request for two HMO renewals and noted that an application for a pharmacy on University of Glasgow property had been refused.
DB said he had received an invite to the launch of the information display in Hillhead Library, but had been unable to attend due to the short notice. DB said he would follow up with the Community Council Resource Centre (CCRC), as he understood the display was not going ahead.
Action: DB to contact the CCRC about getting the Community Council information on the display.
10. AOCB
JA mentioned that Consumer Focus Scotland had recently launched a series of consumer guides, one of which is called Common Repair, Common Sense and is about the management of tenements in Scotland.
JA also brought along the Friends of Glasgow West newsletter. DB suggested the Community Council take out membership, as a means of accessing different information on a wider scale, this was agreed.
Next meeting: 19 May 2010 @ 6.30pm, St. Charles School
