HELENSBURGH COMMUNITY COUNCIL

“Helensburgh – Be Better : Be Excellent”

Minutes of the Helensburgh Community Council Meeting
Thursday 30th March 2006

Present : Karen Brabender, Nick Cowie, John Croy, Ronnie Finnighan, Marion Gillies, Jim Gorie, Clare Greig, Alastair Macbeth, Jim Milligan, Nigel Millar (Chair), Stewart Noble, Maggie Sheen, Kathleen Siddle, David Sinclair, Richard Trail Gordon Tran, John White.
Councillors Gary Mulvaney, Al Reay, John Tacchi.

Apologies : Sonja Aitken, Alistair McBeth, Catriona Malan.

• Welcome :

             
              Nigel Millar welcomed the members and LocalCouncillors to the meeting.

• Public Session

2.1 Citizens’ Advice Scotland

The Chair welcomed Joan Olcayto a Volunteer Director of Citizens’ Advice Argyll and Bute to the meeting. She spoke about the organization. Some of the points made were —

• The Argyll and Bute organization is unusual in that it deals primarily with a dispersed rural community; it was the first to make substantial use of IT. The first office to be opened was the Campbeltown one in 2002; subsequently offices were opened in Lochgilphead, Oban, Mull and Helensburgh, with the islands visited as required.
• Volunteers undergo a 12 training course which covers 14 separate categories.
• The majority of enquiries arise from debt.
• In 2005 there were 4308 contacts involving 4962 issues.
• There has been a failure in funding with the result that all but the Lochgilphead (who will deal with enquiries by telephone) offices have been closed as of the end of March.’06 To maintain the service, core funding amounting to £120k pa is required. Argyll and Bute Council have contributed £60k.
• Joan is currently working on the business plan to secure the funding necessary.

There followed a question and answer session in which it was confirmed that any branch may be approached from any geographical area. The Chair thanked Joan for her talk.

2.2 Helensburgh Partnership

The Chair welcomed Bill Brackenridge, recently appointed as Chair of the Helensburgh Partnership, and a one-time Community Councillor. He spoke about the Partnership making a number of points —

• Helensburgh is not broken. Places which are broken are easier to deal with.
• Helensburgh people will have to learn to co-operate more with each other.
• How the partnership will operate is still to be determined.
• Funding of £600k over three years has been secured.
• There will not be a master plan, as such is unimplementable, but a general direction.
• Planning must not be reactive, but proactive, like a salesman.
• Nigel Millar is the Community Council’s representative on the Partnership.
• It is desirable to get investors competing with each other in Helensburgh.
• Money is available for good ideas.
• Meetings will be held in public, though some aspects will need to be held in private.
• It is important that the Partnership be seen as independent of both Argyll and Bute Council and of Scottish Enterprise Dumbarton.
• The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 4th April at 16.00 in the Victoria Halls.

There followed a question and answer session. The Chair thanked Bill for his talk

• Town Issues

3.1 Esso Garage

It is alleged that the storage tanks are too small. One filling station for the town is not enough. It was agreed to approach other suppliers of fuel to consider establishing another outlet in town.

3.2 Scottish Water

It was noted that the palm trees had yet to be provided along the front. Councillor Tacchi reported that Scottish Water had allocated £50k for enhancement of their works. The palm trees werewhat had been left over after the provision of stone kiosks etc. Luss Estates had declined to allow any of their land around the pumping stations to be used for landscaping.

3.3 Libraries

Karen Brabender reported on her meeting with Pat McCann about the opening hours of the Helensburgh Library. The response is that there is no money available for opening at lunch time. On the matter of noise, it is felt by the library that this is not a problem. Helensburgh Library has longer opening hours than other libraries in Argyll & Bute. The Chair thanked Karen Brabender for her efforts.

3.4 Urban Design Strategy

Kathleen Siddle reported on the joint HCC/Glasgow School of Art Urban Design Strategy exhibition. 1000had passed through the doors and some 350 questionnaires had been returned. Interesting visitors had included LocalCouncillors and Luss Estates and their potential development partners. She thanked numerous people who had assisted her in establishing and running this highly successfulevent.
The questionnaires will be analysed by the Art School and the results distributed. A record of the exhibition will become available for circulation on CD. The exhibition is to go on display in Art in Architecture in Leith duringApril The Chair thanked Kathleen for her efforts and presented her with a bouquet of flowers.

3.5 — Youth Representation

It was agreed toconsider inviting Michelle Maloy, or other person, from the Helensburgh Youth Forum, as a co-opted member at the next meeting.

• — Statistics

It was reported that Alistair McBeth was having difficulty in getting population and housing statistics from Argyll and Bute Council. It was agreed to leave the Helensburgh Study Groupto press the Council for this information.

• Previous Minutes

The minutes from the February meeting were approved, proposed John White, seconded Marion Gillies, subject to :

• In 2.1, the organisation referred to should have been Helensburgh Community 

                       Council and not the Tourist Board.

• In 4.3, James Noble should read James Robb.

• Matters Arising from Minutes

5.1 — 2.1 Railway Anniversary : The Heritage Trust will get at least one speaker on the subject, but is unlikely to mount an exhibition.

5.2 — 2.6 Filling Station : Congestion could be reduced by reverting to the old practice of drawing away from the pumps before going to settle up the bill.

5.3 — 2.8 Ally Energy : It was agreed that a brief presentation should be made to the April meeting.

5.3 — 4.4 Staircase at Co-op Car Park : It was noted that a lockable gate had now been provided at the foot of the stairs.

5.4 — 4.5 3G Mast : It was noted that John White had been in touch with Argyll and Bute Council about their attitude towards the new generation masts and had established that they used the National Guidelines.
It was also noted that the down side of combining various users on a single mast was the increase in size of mast required.

6.           Community Council By Elections

Jim Gorie reported on the results of the by elections. Without the need for a ballot Kathleen Siddle, Karen Brabender, Finlay McQuarrie, James Robb and Duncan McCallum will be elected on 7th April. It was noted that this will bring representation to Colgrain and Upper Helensburgh; that Finlay McQuarrie will bring a National Trust background and that Duncan McCallum is a Director of the new Helensburgh Area Community Development Trust. There will be an induction session for them on Monday 24th April.

• Town Issues

5.1 Reservoirs : It was noted that the reservoirs are now out of use and that it is likely that Scottish Water will seek to dispose of them. It is likely that the local Angling Club would be been given first refusal on them for a nominal amount. However maintenance costs would be very high and there was a potential danger from flooding of the town and the potential world heritage site.
It was thought that a more satisfactory arrangement might be for a community based company to acquire them for recreational and tourism purposes, including the construction of built facilities. The existence of a reversion clause in the original land sale which would have the effect of returning them to Luss Estates was questioned. It was reported that the control valves for the outlets were now inoperable.

• Statutory Plans Sub Group

No report.

• Planning Sub Committee

It was noted that planning permission had been turned down for 18 Millig Street, but that the applicant would be likely to appeal on the basis that approval had been recommended by the Planning Officials.
A planning application in respect of 16 Millig Street is coming to the April Area Committee meeting.

• Town Environmental Group

The draft terms of reference, which had been previously circulated, werediscussed. Various adjustments were made. The Terms of Reference as amended are attached as an appendix.
It was agreed that it is important to know where the money is coming from and where it is being spent. It was agreed to invite the Helensburgh Study Group to send a representative to work with this group.
Councillor Tacchi advised that Argyll and Bute Council had surveyed every road in Argyll and Bute and established what maintenance is necessary. The February meeting of the Council included a report (available on their web site) indicating how it is intended to spend the money in Helensburgh and Lomond. The financial allocation to Helensburgh and Lomond is done on the same basis that money is allocated by the Scottish Executive, that is proportional to population and road length with no consideration of traffic density.

It was agreed to deal with the membership of this group at the next meeting of the Community Council when the new members will be present.

• Financial Report

Stewart Noble reported that the balance currently stands at £1,228.48.
This balance is after paying all monies involved in the running of the Remembrance Sunday service. An account of it has been sent to Argyll and Bute Council, but it is not yet know whether or not they will wish a refund of the surplus which arose.
£196 has been spent to date on the running of the Poetry of Place exhibition. It is not know whether or not further expenses will arise. A grant of £200 from Argyll and Bute Council and £250 from Scottish Enterprise Dumbarton has yet to be received.
It was agreed that the Community Council should bear the cost of the rates on the shop for the period of the exhibition, amounting to about £180. The proprietor, Simon Ashworth is contributing the cost of electricity etc. There are still some stationery accounts to be settled.

There is still no trace of the filing cabinet which used to be in the Municipal buildings with Community Council papers in it.

• Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held on 27th April at 19.00 hours in the Victoria Hall.

APPENDIX

HELENSBURGH COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Helensburgh – Be Better : Be Excellent

TOWN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT GROUP
(TEIG)
TERMS OF REFERENCE
PURPOSE

The Town Environmental Improvement Group aims to identify and prioritise :

• Opportunities for making Helensburgh a clean town and to make it more attractive to residents and visitors alike
• Opportunities to improve the maintenance and quality of road surfaces and pavements

OUTPUTS

The Group will produce a prioritised list of :

• Cleaning opportunities which are not carried out at present and represent these to those with the responsibility for carrying them out
• Road surfaces/pavements requiring improvement and represent these to Argyll & Bute Council (H&L) Roads and Lighting

WAYS OF WORKING

• Membership –3/4  Community Councillors + external members as appropriate
• The Chair will be a Community Councillor
• Meetings will be held as appropriate but not less than bi-monthly
• Signed and agreed minutes will be held of all meetings
• The Sub Group will engage in partnership working with relevant authorities