CRAIGMARLOCH COMMUNITY COUNCIL

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2007/2008

Last year we set ourselves some objectives and now is the time to compare the results against our intentions. It is also a time to look back over the 6 years since Craigmarloch set up as an elected Community Council.

The role of any Community Council is to take the measure of local opinion and to reflect that to the relevant local authority – in our case – North Lanarkshire and to take any actions necessary or required to promote the local community. Six years ago we had a long list of fairly major projects from telephone masts to the Community Park – then known as the Town Park. That long list is now exhausted and even items such a the availability of Broadband is open to a new commercial solution if residents are prepared to sign up to the terms of Avanti who have been awarded the contract by the Scottish Government to bring in the infrastructure and deliver a service albeit at a very slow rate of 512 kps. The difficult task of sorting out factors is still with us but in that respect we are in the same rocky boat as other communities in Cumbernauld who were left to the ministrations of developers.

Meantime the very large project of the Community Park has continued to develop as a reality and events such as the Fun Day in the Quarry is now likely to be an annual event. There is a total of 7.6 kilometres of pathways being installed this year and the entrance at the joint schools is well on the way to being recreated as a “BBC Breathing Place”.

Looking back at last year’s aspirations we achieved some and are working on others. We are still looking for local residents to come onto the Community Council and helpers to assist in running the very successful Santa Run, the Easter event and the summer Fun Day at Auchinbee Nursery. However, we have some new blood co-opted on to the Community Council and we did run a Fun Day in August. In essence we need to cut our cloth to suit our tailor as the old saying has it. So the list of hopes for the next year is shorter and with recession looming that may be appropriate.

Our affiliations are the same and provide a network of bodies with similar intentions.

For the year ahead, therefore – no new objectives – let us

· continue to seek out volunteers who wish to be co-opted onto the Community Council

· consider whether and where to plant a conifer which could in time be lit at Christmas, perhaps at the pond or the village green and maybe a small community garden with some seats

· and finally decide on adopting a local charity or even the two neighbours we have in the Spina Bifida Association and the Craighalbert Centre.

Barney Kinsler

Chairman

Craigmarloch Community Council