AGENDA ITEM AND CONTENT

ACTION POINTS

1.  INTRODUCTIONS

Our eighth meeting of session 2003/2004 was opened at 7.30 p.m. by our Chair, BK. 

Welcome was extended to all attendees. Apart from council members, it was noted that there were 14 attendees at this meeting.

2. APOLOGIES

Apologies were received from Chris Kay, who was unable to attend.

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

Copies of the minutes of the last meeting, were available to all meeting attendees, who were given time to read and digest.

The minutes were accepted as being an accurate account of the meeting, nominated by Ms Marion Young, seconded by Ms Jo Brown.

4. COMMUNITY POLICE REPORT

There was no Police presence at this meeting

5. MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MINUTES

AP9/2 Path at Craigmarloch Lodge – A letter has been received indicating that it may be included in refurbishment plans. It will be between Craigmarloch Lodge’s representative, Mitchell and Butler, and landowners NLC to decide. Update – After lost letters and other problems, there has been further correspondence with both parties.– ongoing AC.

AP4/5 Community Centre – letter written to NLC, still waiting response. - ongoing AC.

AP2/7 McBride Property / NLC – Letters written requesting details of common land and insurance liability. Still no replies. AC will take up the matter with Councillor McCulloch re Glen Clova, and also write to Persimmons regarding Glen Douglas - ongoing Councillor McCulloch.

AP2/8 Broadband – Present position is that Broadband is not available in Craigmarloch, Mr Derek Corner of Cornerstone Network Services and Ronnie & Donna Wallace, will liaise with Chris Kay with regard to forming an Action Group to explore the feasibility and costs of a wireless broadband solution. - ongoing CK.

AP2/1 Pond Pump – This was installed to keep the pond filled with water, but is not working. AC had written to NLC, but no response as yet. E-mailed again. MO volunteered to contact Bobby Johnstone of Condorrat Community Council, as he was involved initially with the installation of this pump. - ongoing MO.

AP2/4 Strathclyde Police bogus workmen leaflets – will be delivered along with Spring Newsletter. Deliveries now in progress - ongoing AC.

AP1/7 Missing Minutes –  Copy sent to NLC – discharged.

AP2/7 Corporate Plan for North Lanarkshire –  No-one was able to attend this meeting – discharged.

AP3/7 Local Plan submission to NLC –  Completed by BK – discharged.

AP4/7 Auchinbee Nursery – Additional funded places had now been achieved thanks to the assistance of Councillor McCulloch – discharged.

AP5/7 Footpath lighting and shrubbery at Tesco vicinity –  problem has risen again – ongoing AC.

6. TREASURER’S REPORT

JT presented the Treasurers Report as detailed below. The Financial Report was as at 8^th April 2004.

Bank Account

Opening Balance                                                                  £317.18

Cheque No. 017 Rent of School                                         -£19.80

Cheque No. 018 Colin Scott (Newsletter)                         -£50.00

                                                                                                £247.38

Closing Balance                                                                  £247.38

Petty Cash

Opening Balance                                                                  £202.90

Introduced (donations from Christmas event)                +£96.00

1^st Mar – Honoraria to Chair                                               -£60.00

1^st Mar – Honoraria to Secretary                                        -£60.00

1^st Mar – Honoraria to Treasurer                                       -£60.00

8^th  Mar – Minute Production                                             -£60.00

8^th  Mar – Printing for Website                                          -£29.20

                                                                                                 £29.70

Closing Balance                                                                  £29.70

All financial records had been submitted to the Auditors for check.

The annual grant for this financial year, should be received sometime in June.

7. SECRETARY’S REPORT

Various items of correspondence and materials were to hand that would be made available at the end of the meeting to interested parties. These included Planning Aid info and Newsletter, Rights of Appeal info, a new Scottish outdoors access code planned for later this year, and copies of letters written by Gordon Murray on a variety of topics.

·         Association of Community Councils AGM. This was to be held on 12^th June at Stirling, and JT would attend on our behalf.

·         Street Smart campaign. This is being run by NLC, which will look to address not only street repairs, but also litter. Perhaps we could use this for another pond clean up, or maybe target somewhere else.

·         20’s plenty. Mr Peebles of NLC had advised that all roads in Craigmarloch, other than Eastfield Rd, had a mandatory speed limit of 20mph. It was felt that some of the speed signs however could be made more noticeable.

·         NHS Proposals. There is a strong action group against the proposals for Cumbernauld. NLC may have to consider an out of hour’s service of some kind. The consultation process concludes at the end of April. All GP’s have been consulted and not 1 has supported the proposals. More info will be found in the Health News newsletter, which is getting delivered along with the Community Council Newsletter, and bogus workmen leaflets, to all houses in the area.

AP1/8 JT

8. COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FEEDBACK

·         Website - SC advised that there have been some problems with listings in the search engines. He is looking in to it and will keep us posted.

·         Association of Community Councils – AM confirmed that he had been re-elected as Secretary to the Association and that he had also been elected as chair of the re-constituted Cumbernauld Community Forum, with AC being elected as Treasurer for the Forum. We therefore have a strong influence in the greater community of Cumbernauld.

·         JAG / A80 – MO advised that there will definitely be a Local Planning Inquiry, this will probably be sometime early in 2005. This not really what we were after, as it makes it more difficult to get KV back on the agenda. We were obviously after a full Public Inquiry to look at all the options. However, we intend to make the strongest possible case, so that viable alternatives MUST be considered. I can't say at this point how we intend to go about this, but rest assured we intend to leave no stone un-turned! To try and re-emphasize why we feel pretty angry about the entire debacle, we do actually have proof, that, way back when the new town extension was approved, one of the criteria was that a link by-pass/motorway would be built to the North of the town. The drawings at that time clearly shows the road passing across the Kelvin Valley. These drawings were actually approved by the Scottish Office!! The draft orders for phases 2 & 3 should be published some time in June, so it will be our intent to conduct a more forceful campaign to try and encourage more people to formally object to these proposals once published.

·         Crime Prevention Panel – At the last meeting on 5^th April, a talk was given by Constable Dewar, Drug Awareness Officer for the area. He is involved with children and parents, giving talks to schools from P7 onwards, as this is the age when children are most likely to encounter drugs, alcohol and smoking, i.e.when starting High School. Drugs most likely to be encountered are cannabis, heroin, and ecstasy, and that crack cocaine is becoming more popular and more addictive. Drugs remain in the users system for up to 28 days. A “shop a dealer” campaign will be available shortly, where people can pass information on to the police, without divulging their identity.

On other matters, with regard to the assault on the Croy footpath - the police had arrested a male, who has pled guilty to the charge. There had also been reports of attacks to junior member of the Dullatur golf course, for mobile phones and golf clubs, but these had not been formally registered with the police. The Crime Prevention Panel Forum had met again, and appointed a chairman, Mr John Stuart, who is also the chair of the Cumbernauld CPP.

·         Area Plan – BK stated that he had completed the submission to NLC on behalf of Craigmarloch Community Council, as reported on last month. He had received an acknowledgement from Mr David Porch. It would be 2 years before the plan for the whole of North Lanarkshire would be adopted. Watch this space for further news.

On other matters, he would write again to find out what is happening to the landscaping immediately opposite the school. On Zoom Developments, there was concern amongst residents that Glen Douglas Drive would not be used as an access road for heavy vehicles etc, in the development and construction of the new housing site. Various people including Councillor Murray had made complaints to NLC. A site office was now in place, and we would keep a careful watch on further activity.

AP2/8 BK

9. COUNCILLOR McCULLOCH

Councillor McCulloch was not present at this meeting.

10. COUNCILLOR MURRAY

Councillor Murray made available to the meeting copies of various letters he had written to NLC on NHS out of hour’s service, and on the effectiveness of Area Committees and Community Forums.

On the NHS, it would appear that there will be a dedicated out of hours service for some parts of North Lanarkshire (Stepps/Chryston/Moodiesburn), under the Greater Glasgow Area, whilst that proposed for Cumbernauld would be much less.

On the Committees and Forums, it would appear the NLC had failed to notify various groups including the Community Forum, Cumbernauld News, etc about the  North Area Committee meeting on 1^st April. NLC Chief Executive Gavin Whitefield, has written in apology, and confirmed that distribution lists have now been updated, for the future.

An 8-classroom extension is planned for the new school Nothing seems to be happening as yet. It looks as though the extension has been put on the back burner.

Councillor Murray was also trying to get assistance for grass cutting for the elderly from NLC.

11. FUNDRAISING

A small working party had now been set up, and a meeting organised for 29^th April. It would be likely that whatever event was planned, Gala day etc, that it would probably be after the Glasgow fair. Watch this space.

12. A.O.C.B.

One of the aims of our Community Action Plan for 2004, was on improved Youth Involvement, and to attempt to co-opt a young person on to the Community Council. We had received a recent application for membership from Laura Corner of Glen Douglas Drive, which was nominated by Ailsa Clunie, seconded by Mike Ogden, and unanimously approved by all. Welcome was extended to Laura.

13. DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The date for the next meeting is as follows:

7.30 p.m., Thursday, 20^th May 2004, at the new school.

The interim meeting for Council members will be on 6^th  May 2004 at 7.30 p.m.