Author: Fiona Bick

 

Echt & Skene Community Council

Minute of meeting held 21^st February in Garlogie Hall at 7:30pm

Present: Fiona Bick (Chair), John Foulkes (Secretary), Wendy Duncan, Ian MacMaster, Nick Pilbeam, Brian Poppleton (Treasurer), Edith Duchie, Councillors Ron McKail and Alistair McKelvie

Apologies: Alan Edwards, Cllr David Aitchison, Cllr Iris Walker, Mary Gray

Minute of last meeting: Accepted

Police Report: None received

Other Agenda items:

ESCC Website: Website text content has been updated. Photos of local scenes are needed to enhance the look and feel, and contributions should be sent to Nick. Nick to add links to Aberdeenshire Safety Partnership and Skene Heritage Society.

ESCC Constitution: First draft prepared. Further working group meeting needed to discuss and finalise for ESCC approval. Following that the new constitution will be sent to Aberdeenshire Council for approval so that it can be in place for next AGM.

Echt War Memorial: Survey was sent out by email to 125 local Echt residents and also made available in village shop and hall for pick up. Only 5 responses received with none willing to assist with fund-raising, etc. Wendy will send survey and results to Dunecht Estates for comment.

Echt Public Convenience: Meeting between Council property department and Bert Mackintosh is to take place on Monday 26^th Feb. Fiona will attend for ESCC. Toilets remain open in the meantime.

Echt Developer Contributions (Sport & Recreation projects): No progress with the new Pleasure Park path. It is rumoured that some of the Echt developer contributions have been siphoned off to other Council projects. Fiona to follow up with Garioch Area Manager.

Carpenters Croft/Kirkton of Skene Flooding Issues: Bancon Homes has offered a disappointingly small donation towards the cost of enlarging the Manse Road culvert. Fiona to contact them again.

Echt Footpath: No progress.

Community Resilience: Residents’ information leaflet has been printed and is ready to go out as an insert in February’s Westhill bulletin. Nick has leaflets for anyone wanting to distribute door-to-door. They will also be left in village shops for pick-up.

Lyne of Skene bus shelter: Planning application imminent (Nick).

Heartstart Course: No progress.

New Planning Applications:

• APP/2018/0067 Alterations and extension to existing garage – Leddach House, Skene. No comment.
• APP/2018/0259 Planning Permission in principle for erection of dwellinghouse – site east of Newton Smiddy, Dunecht. ESCC to submit comment regarding undesirability of breaking skyline with new house (John).

Prior Planning Applications:

• APP/2017/ 1802 Continued use of Buildings for Class 5 (General Industrial): Non-compliance with Condition 1 (Time) of Full Planning Permission Ref. APP/2015/0663 Units 4 and 5 South Fornet, Skene – APPEALED. Community Councillors will attend if Reporter makes accompanied site visit.

Treasurer’s Report:

Cash in bank: £1157.73 Cash in hand: £14.14

Correspondence/Upcoming Events:

• GACCF meeting 7^th March 7pm at Meldrum Academy – John to attend.

AOCB:

• Kingsford stadium – It’s understood Aberdeenshire Council is writing to Scottish Government asking them to call in the approval of the application by Aberdeen City Council contrary to the Local Development Plan. The discharge of a number of the planning conditions would require the cooperation of Aberdeenshire Council i.e. pedestrian bridge and Controlled Parking Zone.
• The telephone box and post box at Garlogie Hall have now been removed. A post box remains at the other end of Garlogie.
• The Milne Hall Committee would like signs in the village at the car park entrances for “Village Hall” as some visitors have difficulty spotting it – Ron to write to Roads Department.
• Aberdeenshire Licensing Forum – John attended. Issues discussed included high price of low/no alcohol beers, difficulties in competing with supermarkets faced by small retailers and burdensome application process for occasional licences leading to increase in BYOB events. Forum will meet 2/3 times per year.

Future meetings:

4th April                                               Garlogie

16th May                                            Lyne of Skene

20th June (AGM)                             Echt Hall

 

 

Present: Fiona Bick (chair), John Foulkes (Secretary), Brian Poppleton (Treasurer), Wendy Duncan (minute taker), George Glennie, Ian MacMaster, Cllr Iris Walker, 4 residents from Echt and 1 resident from Kirkton of Skene.

Apologies:, Nick Pilbeam (vice chair), Klaus Wahle, Cllr Ron McKail, Cllr David Aitchison, Mary Gray

 

Minute of last A.G.M. – No matters arising therefore minute approved by Ian MacMaster, seconded by John Foulkes

Election of Members:  

Block vote of existing elected members who all expressed a wish to remain on the committee except for Kevin Strachan. Alan Edwards agreed to join as community councillor representative for Kirkton of Skene. Fiona Bick will be a representative for Dunecht in place of Kevin Strachan.

 

 

Election of Office Bearers:

 

Fiona Bick as chairperson, Nick Pilmbeam as vice chairperson, John Foulkes as secretary, Brian Poppleton as treasurer. Ian MacMaster proposed office bearer’s elections and Wendy Duncan seconded.

 

Wendy Duncan to resign from post of minute taker. With no nominations or expressions of interest received, it was agreed a) to approach Klaus Wahle to be minute taker or b) for minutes to be taken on a rota basis. This will be finalised at next Echt & Skene Community Council meeting in June.

 

 

Treasurer’s Report:
CIH £60.42 Bank balance £830.98

Resilience expenditure £2199.16 – expenditure approved and paid by Aberdeenshire Council of £2198.96 [20p shortfall].

 

The books have been audited and Brian awaits the AGM minute so that they can be sent to Alison Cumming of Aberdeenshire Council for verification.

 

Acceptance of Accounts:

Ian MacMaster proposed records to be accepted as correct and seconded by George Glennie.

Chairman’s Report:

 

The Echt & Skene Community Council has been pro-active over the course of the year putting together and implementing Community Resilience Plans for each of the five villages of Lyne of Skene, Kirkton of Skene, Garlogie, Echt and Dunecht. These plans will enable each village hall to be used as a refuge or safe haven in the event of an incident in the community. A grant of £2240 was secured from Aberdeenshire Council’s top-up fund, which has enabled the purchase of some basic equipment, which is now held in cabinets at each village hall. Unfortunately our application for a grant to SSE to buy heating appliances and fuel was not successful in 2016 so we will still be looking for an alternative source of funding for this element over the course of 2017. Particular thanks go to Nick Pilbeam and Brian Poppleton for their efforts.

 

The Echt Community Councillors, George Glennie and Wendy Duncan, have also been very active in the past year in responding to Aberdeenshire Council’s decision to close the Echt public conveniences as part of cost cutting measures. Thanks to the generosity of a local business, McIntosh Plant Hire, and an award of funds from the Garioch Area Committee, a lower cost and more accessible alternative to be run by the local community has been developed. The existing facility will remain open over the summer of 2017 with the intention of replacing it with a disabled portaloo thereafter.

 

The Scottish Government review of the planning system, which commenced in 2015 has continued through to 2017 with further consultation. The Community Council submitted a response to their proposals for change in April this year and we await further developments on this.

 

Consultation has also been ongoing since 2015 with respect to a revised Scheme of Establishment for Community Councils in Aberdeenshire. It’s now expected the new scheme will come into effect on 1st July 2017 if approved by Aberdeenshire Council this month.

 

Unfortunately our area has seen an increase in crime over the past year with a number of incidents including thefts, assaults, threatening behaviour and road traffic offences occurring. I shall close my report for 2016 in urging local residents to do all they can to protect themselves from opportunistic criminals by securing their vehicles, outbuildings and homes at all times.

John thanked Fiona for all of her hard work this year which was concurred by other committee members.

 

Correspondence:          None

A.O.C.B                           None