Welcome to Edinburgh's
Southside Community Council





SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY COUNCIL

MINUTES OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
held at 7pm on Wednesday 31 May, 2006 in the South Side Community Education Centre

PRESENT

Returning Officer: Councillor Robert Cairns

Elected Members: Robert Beaton, Colin Christison, Linda Hendry, Robert Hodgart, Hilary McDowell, Jo Scott, Justine Stansfield, and Liz Walker.

Local Interest Groups’ Nominated Members: Maggie Bagan (Southside Association), Idris Bozyil (Parkside Terrace Residents’ Association), Mary Devine (South Side and Old Town Crime Prevention Panel), Liz Mulligan (Dumbiedykes Environmental Forum), and George Pitcher (New Pleasance Residents’ Association).

1. Welcome by the Returning Officer, Councillor Robert Cairns

Councillor Cairns welcomed those present to the meeting, and said that the Southside Community Council had been carrying out good work in the area for over five years, with members demonstrating their interest and care by contributing their time and energy on a voluntary basis in a positive and helpful way. He said that it was one of the most active and constructive community councils in the city. He felt that the ward was in good shape generally, with housing, education, and a high level of general amenity, but there would be challenges ahead. The City Council was undergoing a reorganisation, and community planning would mean more involvement with community councils, and the impact of multi-member wards from 2007 would mean changes. He thanked the members for standing, and wished the new community council every success.

2. Apologies for Absence

Apologies for absence were received from Kathleen Newis (representing the Nicolson Square Methodist Church), and from Jan Fraser (outgoing Treasurer).

3. Election Results Statement

Councillor Cairns said that the eight nominations for elected members was sufficient to form a community council, though not enough to require a ballot. Six organisations had put forward requests for members to be nominated as representatives of local interest groups. Additionally, East Parkside Proprietors’ Association were registered as a local interest group, but did not wish to nominate a representative to attend meetings.

4. Introduction of Elected Members of the Community Council, and representatives from registered local interest groups

Councillor Cairns invited those present to introduce themselves, and to say a few words about their involvement and interest in the area.

5. Election of new Officer Bearers

a) Chair - ROBERT BEATON; proposed by Jo Scott, and seconded by Colin Christison.

b) Vice-Chair - LINDA HENDRY; proposed by George Pitcher, and seconded by Hilary McDowell.

c) Secretary - COLIN CHRISTISON; proposed by Maggie Bagan, and seconded by Jo Scott.

d) Treasurer - JUSTINE STANSFIELD; proposed by Colin Christison, and seconded by Robert Beaton.

Robert Beaton then took over the Chair from Councillor Cairns.

6. Other Appointments

a) Planning & Licensing sub-committee convenor - JO SCOTT; proposed by Linda Hendry, and seconded by Robert Beaton.

b) Representative for the South Side Community Education Centre Management Committee - JO SCOTT; proposed by George Pitcher, and seconded by Maggie Bagan.

c) Representative for the Canongate Youth Project Management Committee - LINDA HENDRY; proposed by Colin Christison, and seconded by Jo Scott.

d) Representative for the Friends of the Meadows & Bruntsfield Links Committee - no nominations.

7. Proposals for Co-opted members

The Secretary said that Claire MacGregor and Keith Smith had indicated their willingness to continue as co-opted members, and that Jean Downie and Carol McHugh would like to be considered for co-option. Councillor Cairns said that he had heard from Caroline Barr, a resident in the St Leonards area, that she would also like to be considered for co-option. Proposals would be discussed at the June regular meeting.

8. Reports from Office Bearers of the previous Community Council

a) Secretary (Colin Christison)

“The Southside Community Council has been in existence for five years and eight months, and the first meeting was in October 2000. Normally a Community Council runs for three years, but we were judged not to have been around long enough when the triennial elections for Edinburgh Community Councils were held in May 2002, and we carried on with the same members. And the elections due to have been held in 2005 were postponed until this year because of the UK Parliamentary election. Consequently, some of the original 12 elected members, and some of the 6 nominated representatives from local interest groups, left the Community Council, as they moved away, resigned for personal reasons, or because they had originally joined for the three year period, and felt that they had contributed enough.

So, at the end of this long period, we were down to five elected members, and four nominated ones. Thanks are due to them, and to those who resigned, and also to those existing members who have decided to stand down now. We were fortunate to have four excellent co-opted members, including our Tree Warden.

We have held 56 meetings, mainly in the South Side Community Education Centre, and we are now based in the Nelson Hall, which is a neutral postal address, and is where we are grateful to have storage facilities for papers and equipment. The minutes of the meetings are distributed by e-mail, post, and by hand, to about 115 individuals or groups.

We have excellent contacts with several local groups and organisations, including the Southside Association, the management committees of the Canongate Youth Project and the South Side Community Education Centre, the South Side and Old Town Crime Prevention Panel, local churches, the University, the Police, as well as some local businesses. We have useful contacts with staff in various City Council departments.

In the year 2005-2006, we have had representation from Lothian & Borders Police at six of our meetings, and are grateful for the opportunity to exchange information with them. We have had five presentations by various speakers. (Waste Aware Edinburgh, Standards for Streets, Lothian & Borders Fire & Rescue Service, SCOOSH, and Duddingston House Properties).

Some 24 planning and licensing representations were made, not necessarily objections, and thanks are due to the planning sub-committee for its work. Responses were made to numerous consultations from the City Council and the Scottish Executive. Members attended about 60 meetings, seminars, and conferences since the last AGM. Members were again involved in helping with the annual Christmas Lights Ceremony and party, which seems to go from strength to strength every year. Following an extensive review of Community Council boundaries by the City Council, we relinquished a very small area to Tollcross CC, several streets to the Old Town & Canongate CC, and we acquired the high rise flats at Dumbiedykes.

The Southside area is diverse, with a good mix of cultural and leisure facilities, shops and businesses, educational institutions, green spaces, and above all, people of all ages (including of course a high proportion of students and the elderly), and I think that the Community Council has made a very positive contribution to life here. Careful scrutiny of planning and licensing applications, commenting where it is felt appropriate, has been one of our main functions. Environmental issues, including the reporting of damaged streetscape items, are an important part of our work, and usually there is at least one walkabout with Council officials each year.

Community Councils are statutory bodies, and are consulted by the authorities on a wide range of subjects. It is likely that their role will increase when the definition of Community Planning becomes clearer.

The general purpose of a Community Council is to ascertain, co-ordinate, and express to the local authorities the views of the community. I think as part of this, Community Councils should gather and receive information, through listening to people, by attending meetings and so on, and then to disseminate this information effectively to as many people as possible. It is therefore important to extend the minutes mailing list, and I would be grateful if new members (and anyone else) could let me or my successor know of names and addresses (preferably e-mail addresses) of anyone who would like to receive copies of these.

I would like to thank Councillor Cairns and his Secretary for their invaluable assistance throughout the year. I am sure that Bob finds the activities of the Community Council, as a conduit between the City Council and the residents, to be useful and I hope helpful. Thanks also to Eileen Hewitt, The City Council’s Community Council Development and Liaison Officer for her help. I would also like to thank the members and other office bearers for their hard voluntary work over the year, with a special thanks to Giulia Dawson, Jean Downie, Jan Fraser, Carol McHugh, and Helen Butler, who are not continuing. And lastly my warmest thanks to Jo Scott for her dedication, hard work, and kindness”

b) Treasurer

Copies of the audited accounts were distributed. Their adoption was proposed by Jo Scott, and seconded by Justine Stansfield.

c) Chair (Jo Scott)

Jo Scott thanked all the members for their hard work over the years. She looked forward to working with the new look community council. She said that she had felt that the community council had negotiated successfully in many matters.

9. Any other competent business

Councillor Cairns mentioned some matters which the city council would be considering in the near future, particularly transport issues.

10. Thanks to the returning officer from the new Chair

Robert Beaton, on behalf of the members, thanked Councillor Cairns for conducting proceedings so efficiently.

11. Date of next ordinary meeting

Wednesday 14 June, at 7pm, in the Gray Room, Nelson Hall.