North Kelvin Community Council Minutes

Wednesday 21 May 2008 at 6.30pm

Queens Cross Community Room

Present: Mark Adams (MA) (Chair); Dave Beavan (DB) (Website & Library); Peter Blackshaw (PB) (Secretary); Eddie Devlin (ED); Dorothy Gow (DG); Susie Hallas (SH); Kirsty Davidson (KD) (Minute Secretary)

In Attendance: Alex Hewetson (AH), Community Councils Liaison Officer, Glasgow City Council (GCC)

Apologies: PC Paul Anderson (PA); Janet Andrews (JA); Kevin Edgar (KE) (Treasurer); Liz Edgar (LE); Councillor Jim MacKechnie (JM); PC Martin McInnes (MMcI)

Welcome

MA welcomed everyone to the meeting.

Minutes of previous meeting and matters arising

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved by ED and seconded by SH.

Police Report

The police were not in attendance, so no report was given.

Action: MA to contact the police and say that the Community Council would be grateful if someone could attend the June meeting.

Presentation on Stakeholder Community Councils

AH discussed a number of matters of interest/importance to community councils. AH outlined the opportunity for the Community Council to elect a member to sit on the local Area Committee and also the fact that the Community Council had a permanent seat on the local Community Reference Group. Membership of both groups will allow the Community Council to meet other organisations in the area and give feedback to local government.

AH then discussed the Scottish Government proposals for the future of all community councils. The proposals plan to rationalise the constitution and arrangements of all community councils. AH outlined some areas which may be contentious and encouraged us to respond to the consultation before the deadline of 1 August.

Action: PB to arrange circulation of the consultation document and to add discussion of the consultation document to next month’s agenda.

AH said that as part of the proposals community councils may have their own websites via a portal at GCC. AH confirmed that we could link to our existing website or use their facilities in the future.

Action: DB to discuss website arrangements when GCC facilities are available.

Elections were then held and it was agreed that ED would be the Community Council representative on the local Area Committee and that DG would be the substitute. AH agreed to provide more information about the local Community Reference Group in order for us to decide whether to take up the permanent seat.

Action: PB to add membership of the local Community Reference Group to next month’s agenda.

Discussion on Clouston Street site

MA said that the four presentations given at the last meeting were no better to where the discussions had been 10 years ago with Miller Homes.

It was felt that the development of the Clouston Street site was inevitable. It was decided that the submission by New City Vision (developer) and Robert Adam (architect) was the best option out of the four, although it still does not address the issue of green space adequately. Proposed by DB and seconded by MA.

Action: PB to draft a letter supporting the New City Vision/Robert Adam submission and circulate for comment.

Councillors’ Report

JM was not in attendance, so no report was given.

Report on Parking Consultation meeting held at City Chambers on 23 April 2008

PB explained that the joint meeting with Woodside Community Council did not go ahead, as they are in favour of the parking restrictions.

PB reported that the implementation date would be spring 2009. DB asked whether implementation would be across the whole consultation boundary or whether it would be done by local areas. PB said the decision to impose parking controls would be decided area by area.

PB said that the parking meters will cost £3,000 each, but GCC have no idea how much will be generated by the scheme.

MA proposed resisting the parking restrictions and this was seconded by ED. DB proposed agreeing with the parking consultation and this was seconded by KD, this suggestion was overruled by a majority vote.

It was agreed that a letter should be drawn up saying there is no need for parking restrictions, noting the effect on local businesses and that it has not been properly costed.

Action: PB to draft a letter against the parking restrictions and circulate for comment.

Treasurer’s Report

MA informed the meeting that the current bank balance is £100.11, but the £600 grant cheque has not been cashed yet.

MA said that KE would call DB tomorrow to arrange collection of his cheque.

Information – website

DB reported that the website had 600 page views in April, showing the website is getting more and more popular. The archive of previous minutes is getting the most hits.

ED suggested that it would be nice to have pictures on the website. DB said he would put pictures up if he was sent some.

Communications and correspondence

PB said that he had received a folder with advice notes for community councils and to let him know if anyone wanted to borrow it for a look.

Action: DB to put a link on the website, to the electronic copy of the advice notes.

AOCB

MA said that the next meeting is on 18 June and that there will be no meeting in July. The June meeting is the last date booked in the Queens Cross Community Room, so MA agreed to look into options and costings for other venues.

Action: MA to circulate the outcomes from his venue search.

DG asked ED about the allotment initiative, ED said that he had no further information.

Action: ED to get more information about the allotment initiative for the next meeting.

Next meeting – Wednesday 18 June @ 6.30pm, Queens Cross Community Room