There was a meeting of the Carnbee and Arncroach Community Council at 7.30 pm on March 5th 2012 in Arncroach Church Hall.
Present were Mr MacIntyre (Chair), Mr Snowball, Mrs Laing, Mrs Wilson, Ms Holt, Mrs Wright, Mrs Lodge. Councillors Riches and Scott Hayward were also present.
There were 21 members of the public.
Apologies from Mrs Cocris.
1) The Minutes of the meeting on 5th Dec. 2011 were considered.
i) the question of vacancies on CC was brought up. As stated in the Minutes the issue was not discussed last time as none of the people mentioned was present .
ii) the item regarding Ms Holt’s attendance at the Lingo Forum to purportedly represent the Carnbee and Arncroach CC was discussed. She does not represent the Carnbee and Arncroach Community Council. She has her own points of view.
iii) because of the Diamond Jubilee weekend the date of the summer meeting will now be June 11th.
iv) the campaign to have a defibrillator in each East Neuk community is progressing well. Bulk purchase will keep price down. Each machine costs about £1000. Arncroach will possibly be the first to have one installed. Source of electricity required in order to keep it frost-free. Bus shelter? Beside a lamp post? Any problem from Roads? Contact Scottish Power. Thanks to local people who work for this campaign.
v) Mrs Lodge said that the Provisional Minutes as they appeared in the local press did not conform to what was sent in and were not a true record. There were glaring omissions. Discussion as to whether CC should continue sending Minutes. Vote taken to continue . Minutes will be sent in again with letter pointing out that the Press has a democratic duty to report faithfully the Minutes of Community Council meetings. Mrs Lodge pointed out that the website is always a reliable source of information about the CC. The Minutes were agreed.
The CC was pleased to welcome the new Community Police Constable Susie Martin who has been in post since January. Susie spoke about her life and previous career. She works from both Anstruther and St Andrews. Her contact number is 0845 600 5702. Her e-mail is – susan.martin @ fife.pnn.police.uk. Susie spoke of a new voluntary scheme “ Speedwatch” and asked people to consider volunteering for training. Susie stayed for the whole evening.
2) Gillingshill. Mrs Wilson suggested there should be a clear up and replanting session to mark the Diamond Jubilee. Everybody in agreement. Date to be decided. There was discussion about having a CC camera to deter fly tipping. PC Martin will investigate. Signage is necessary. Mrs Lodge gave a timeline on the lack of progress at the Nature Reserve. The consensus was that Fife Council is still responsible for tree safety. ER will follow this up. Latest e-mail from Ms Ward at Fife Council talks about Fife Coast and Countryside Trust managing the reserve but indications from the Trust are that no money is available for small properties like ours. Previous messages from Fife Council hinted that the reserve would come up for sale but latest message talks about a leasing arrangement.. ER will arrange a meeting of all interested parties. As time goes on the Reserve deteriorates. Point made that the grant that we have and possible seedcorn grant funding is for future development at the reserve not for long overdue repairs.
3) CDT update. i) June 4th – bonfire on Kellie Law. Tractor transport available. Details later. See Noticeboards . Opportunity for people to join CDT – £1. ii) 17th September first AGM. iii) 30th November – ceilidh. Agreement with RGN Renewables for community benefit if turbine at South Baldutho comes to fruition. £750 p.a.for 10 years.
4) Planning.
i) Report of last meeting of Lingo Forum. Prospective Chairperson resigned after torrent of e-mails implying she had a conflict of interest. No progress therefore in negotiation of Community Benefit. Martin Dibley from Anstruther CC will be interim Chair. Carnbee and Arncroach CC had no part in these e-mails. Discussion of anonymous anti-turbine leaflet from organisation called “Scale”. No knowledge of who this organisation is.
ii) Discussion of proposed survey to be undertaken by CC to gauge local attitudes towards Lingo project. Mr MacIntyre read out the proposed leaflet. Date 29th March. Secret ballot in Church Hall. Leaflet to all houses in area to inform about the survey. Transport available. It was agreed to provide possibility of voting to people who will be away. Suggestion that ref. no. of application should be put on leaflet. Opinion that mention should be made of Community Benefit as this is something that people do not know about and would not find out about on website. Suggestion made that this was bribery. CC as statutory consultee will thereby be as informed as it possibly can. Suggestion that CC uses CC funds to print leaflet with information pro and con renewables. Triple farms application in. Ref no. 12/00482/FULL
5) Councillor’s Report.
i) a certain amount of Council funding available for scheme to combat speeding. Volunteers will be trained and encouraged to work with the Police which may give greater flexibility to measures to control speeding. Possibility of extending the scheme to cover volunteer dog warden schemes.
ii) water leak on road south of Arncroach will be investigated in April.
iii) accident black spot at end of Colinsburgh Straight. Computer programme will measure road surface in order to maximise anti-skid surface.
iv) 20mph speed limit in Arncroach after April in new financial year.
v) ER will investigate when the Lochty – Carnbee road will be re-surfaced. 6) Treasurer’s Report. Tree Fund – £47.00 Flower Fund – £440.08 General Fund – £415.46 Gillingshill – £862.00 There was a gift to Mrs Laing on her resignation as a small appreciation of her work for the Community Council since 1978. Mrs Laing said she had enjoyed her work on the CC but did feel that people nowadays were reluctant to volunteer for the benefit of their communities. Mr Snowball will take over as interim Treasurer.
7) Best- kept village. Tubs and hanging baskets will be filled by Pathhead in April. Volunteers needed to fill boxes to hang on fence at play-park. Mrs Wright, Mrs Wilson, Mrs Brunton & Mrs Lodge volunteered. Jim Hendry offered to help with transport of any heavy gardening materials. AOB i) Newton junction – too narrow for HGV’s to cope with. Recent severe damage to Kellie Toll House. Stuart Goodfellow from Fife Council looking at problem. Community Constable will contact him. ii) damage to country roads by wide vehicles. iii) roadsigns uprooted by wind. iv) are we getting extra wheelie bins? No. Why not? vi) recent power cuts in Arncroach. Problems for old people in winter. Will Sc. Power provide back-up generator for eg Church Hall as a refuge? ER will bring this up when she meets with Sc. Power. vii) CW suggests buying magazine of Association for Protection of Rural Scotland. Thanks to all. NB next meeting is on June 11th 2012
PDF: 5thMarch2012