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Southside Community Council







Minutes of 93rd meeting, held on Wednesday 13 January 2010, from 7.00pm until 9.00pm, in the Nelson Hall, 5 Spittalfield Crescent, Edinburgh.

PRESENT:
Chairperson: Hilary McDowell (HM);
Elected Members: Nikki Thomson (Secretary) (NT), John Largue (Treasurer) (JL), Bob Hodgart (BH), Susan Brown (SB), Liz Mulligan (LM);
Local Interest Groups’ Nominated Members: Sandra McCormack (SM), Michael Strain (MS), Colin Symes (CS);
City of Edinburgh Council: Councillor Ian Perry;
Lothian and Borders Police: PC Ben Merrick;
Members of the Public: Two.

1. Welcome and apologies for absence

Hilary welcomed those present to the meeting. Apologies for absence were received from Amy Williamson, May Linton, Keith Smith, Caroline Barr and Justine Stansfield.

2. Minutes of the meeting of the Community Council held on 9 December 2009 and matters arising

(a) These were approved; proposed by SB and seconded by HM.

(b) Matters Arising

SB had raised the issue of Southside Community Centre at the previous meeting, and that there could be a problem for residents wishing to attend councillors’ surgeries as the doors are not opened until 6pm in the evenings. Cllr Perry reported that at his last two surgeries the door has been left ajar before 6pm. It was agreed that NT should write to the Southside Community Centre Management Committee with the community council’s concerns.

NT explained that inclement weather has prevented her from taking photos to accompany a letter to the Head of Roads about the ponding at bus stops on the Southside. HM feels we will need to be patient as other repairs to damage caused by the wintry weather will be the priority over the coming months.

6 (c) HM reported that she had asked the Council for a list of pub opening hours and has been told that the community council would need to pay £25 to receive this information. It was agreed to ask Cllr Perry to get this information instead.

Pavement parking: the police will only attend if parking is causing an obstruction. The City of Edinburgh Council puts up bollards to prevent pavement parking. Police traffic wardens can issue tickets.

NT agreed to write a summary of SCC activities for the website.

11 (c) NT and JS have still to investigate the price of contract-free dongles.

3. Secretary’s Report

NT reported that Robert Beaton had resigned from the Community Council with immediate effect, and that there would be a need to hold elections to fill the different positions he had held. She suggested these should take place at the February meeting, along with elections of office-bearers, and this was agreed. It was further agreed that NT should write to Robert with the CC’s thanks for his contribution.

A ‘meet the funders’ event has been organised in East Edinburgh on 28th January.

4. Correspondence

The following items had been received: consultation on Palliative Care (to be responded to by JL); newsletter from Sarah Boyack MSP; briefing from City of Edinburgh Council on winter weather arrangements; and Healthlink newsletter from NHS Lothian.

5. Treasurer’s Report

JL reported that the most recent balance was £1262.94 in the bank, and £29.34 held in petty cash. £500 had been paid to the Causey and £70 to the Southside Association for the Christmas lights ceremony.

JL has done some investigation into previous SCC expenditure. Average spend seems to be around £400 p.a. against an annual grant from CEC of approximately £650. SCC wants to be more visibly proactive amongst the Southside community, including putting out a leaflet telling residents about its work. CS asked whether articles from SCC are included in The Southsider, and suggested that SCC’s leaflet could be distributed as an insert. JL suggested that publicity and messaging are the subject of a future meeting.

6. Members’ Expenses policy and procedures

There was a discussion about the need for having a clear policy and guidelines for agreeing and claiming for out-of-pocket expenses. JL will put together a proposal for the next meeting.

7. Planning and Licensing Committee Report

JL attended the licensing committee which considered the licence for the former Junction Bar on West Preston Street. He felt that the committee ignored the history and wishes of the local area in allowing late licenses until midnight on Sundays-Thursdays and 1a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. This bar is, apparently, to be aimed at ‘golden oldies’. He will ask at the next meeting whether the committee pays any attention to the Council’s designated corridors of special sensitivity. He feels there is a need to work more closely with the police at St Leonard’s over future applications. Ben Merrick responded that usually the licensing officer at Fettes is very good. JL responded that the issue is not one of licensing a new pub as the Junction Bar had a license before, but more about the extended opening hours that it has been granted. Cllr Perry said that local residents’ complaints can be most effective. MS felt that the community council has a role to play to help people make their complaints.

8. Environmental Report

HM presented the following report, which was accepted.

1. Lighting at Infomatics – the street lights are functioning, but the pedestrian refuge is not.
2. Nicolson Square/Street corner – this pavement was reinstated shortly after our last meeting. Electricity power supply still to be removed. MS thanked HM on behalf of Methodist Church users.
3. The burger van at Homebase has been told to stop flyposting.
4. Gritting (or the lack of it) was raised at the NP on Monday by LM. We hope that as a result there will be grit bins sited on the estate and the steps and pavements given a higher priority. LM reported that one grit bin is now in place.
5. Road surfaces have taken a real battering from the bad weather. Not only have potholes opened up, even paving slabs have come loose and become uneven. It will take a long time before all the damage can be repaired and priorities will have to be made.
6. Gullies – gully cleaning was the subject of a report at NP. Stewart Smith is the man to phone, on 0131 529 3686. The promise that all gullies in the South Central area should have been done by the end of January, but with the bad weather …
7. Meadows – the University want to have a student event on the Meadows for 50 to 60 exhibitors (on site 20th – 25th September). We only get one week to comment. The Secretary/Chair have been authorised to support/object to short notice applications where there is no time to consult. It was agreed that without additional information being provided by the University it was impossible to support this application.
8. Tobies – Scottish Water have raised job orders to replace the missing covers, but currently fixing burst water mains is the priority. Anyone discovering missing tobies should contact HM.
9. LM reported that street lights in Dumbiedykes do not have identifying numbers on them.

8. Police Report

PC Ben Merrick gave a verbal report.
1. Operation Arctic, which took place between 1st December and 4th January – was very successful along the Morningside corridor but less successful along the Nicolson Street corridor.
2. There was a spike in assaults and robberies in Bruntsfield, but the suspect was on licence and has been put back on remand.
3. Police are not spending enough time in Dumbiedykes but there has been more trouble elsewhere and they have therefore been deployed in other parts of the patch.
4. Police are preparing the way for Neighbourhood Action Units. A pilot in the Southside, Craigmillar and Howdenhall begins on 1st March 2010. There is no guarantee that Ben will remain as our liaison officer. CS suggested writing to St Leonards asking for someone to come to the community council to explain the pilot and how it will work, as well as the role of the Safer Neighbourhood teams, and to ask that Ben continues as our liaison between the community council and the police service. NT will write to Inspector Ian Moffatt.

9. Edinburgh’s Parks Events Manifesto response

HM talked members through the response drawn up by the sub-group. Several amendments were made. HM will submit the completed response on behalf of the community council, and the response is available on the website at www.edinscc.org.

10. Reports from meetings attended

(a) HM attended the EACC session on enforcement issues.
(b) LM attended the NP meeting.

11. Public Question Time

There were no questions.

12. Any other business

(a) Cllr Perry asked whether we had a representative on the NP – this is LM.

(b) SB reported that the trees in Hill Square have been pruned.

12. Date of next meeting

Wednesday 10th February 2010, in the Gray Room, from 7pm until 9pm.

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