April 29th 2010 Minutes
Johnstone Community Council
Minutes of the ordinary meeting of Johnstone Community Council held on Thursday 29th April 2010 at 6.30pm in Johnstone Town Hall.
Present
Robert Campbell, Elizabeth Cosgrove, Wilma Dean, David Findlay, Christopher Gilmour, David Higginson, George Kennedy, Dennis Lavery, Pamela Higginson, Gladys Marchbank, Ian McNaught, Ann MacNeil, Stewart Russell, Violet Swan, Linda McFadden, Stephen McGhee, Ann MacMillan, Margaret Lavery, W McLelland, Tommy Gray, Sybelle Grimsley, Margery Parker and D Colquhon.
Also in attendance:-
Councillors Hood, McMillan, McFee and Arthur.
PC Matt Richardson and PC David Readie – Johnstone Community Police
Scott Allan, Selby Cochrane and David Martin – Renfrewshire Council
1. Apologies
Valerie Reilly, Stewart Clark, Isobel Wishart, James Moorhead, Rosalyn Gilmour, Rachael Goold and Councillors Bibby, Caldwell and McGhee.
2. Minutes
It was pointed out that the minutes did not record who proposed and seconded the minutes of the previous meeting. Proposed by Robert Campbell, seconded by David Higginson.
With that amendment the minutes of the previous meeting were approved.
Proposed by Elizabeth Cosgrove Seconded by David Higginson
2a. Police Report
Two members of the Community Police team were welcomed to the meeting. They informed us that as well as them being able to update the community council on crime figures etc, they had a dedicated webpage on the Strathclyde Police site. This can be accessed by clicking the community policing team link on the homepage (www.strathclyde.police.uk). This gives accurate and up-to-date figures including comparisons with previous years. The page also has photos of the officers so people know who they are, and also contact details for the team including an email link on the page. The officers then provided details of the crime figures for the 3 months, January – March 2010. Serious violent crime – 8 incidents; Common assault – 39 incidents; Drug crimes – 17 incidents; Housebreaking – 13 incidents; Motor vehicle crime – 24 incidents; Anti-social behaviour – 372 incidents; Road traffic collisions – 8 incidents.
3. Roads Department discussion
David Martin, Chief executive of Renfrewshire Council, Scott Allan, Head of roads and Selby Cochrane, Operations manager were welcomed to the Community Council by Chris Gilmour.
DM thanked group for invitation. Happy to work alongside LACs and CCs. Invited anyone with questions outwith the meeting to contact him.
SA thanked group for invitation. Stated he wanted to address 2 key issues: 1 - maintenance programme during snow and ice and 2 - condition of roads.
He reminded the group that this had been the coldest winter in 50 years and worst snow since 1983. Even so, all main roads had been salted daily from December through to February, sometimes twice daily. Residential streets had not been targeted till after Christmas. Lessons had to be learned from this. They had managed to keep all main roads clear, but sending in snowploughs into residential areas had been problematic, as walls of snow were created which in some cases blocked people into/ out of their properties.
A report had been forwarded to the relevant board giving recommendations for next winter including purchasing of equipment to clear footpaths and also better cross department procedures to work better in future. It was also agreed that the customer contact centre had to be used more effectively.
Agreed that condition of roads was very poor and this was being addressed. Normally this would have started much earlier in year but gritting was still happening till April with knock on effect. New approach to repairs being piloted in Cochrane Castle which would mean all defects would be tackled in an area rather than prioritising defects and moving equipment all over the place. More effective use of resources. Also stated he was happy to attend a future meeting to update on progress.
SA invited questions from the meeting.
· EC, a resident of Cochrane Castle, queried the work being done there. Said that some holes had been dug out than left for 4 days, a toby was covered by the tar and a drain was choked. Also the number of vehicles meant that some busses were not accessing the area causing problems for passengers. SA explained that the holes were not particularly deep and should not have been problematic, however conceded that signage warning of ramps in area would have been beneficial. Also said that standard practice was to cover toby then cut away as easiest method. The repairs were being done to a high quality and should last for as long as the remaining road surfaces. A little pain in the short term would be for long term gain.
· GM, resident of Corseford, had been complaining for years about roads and got nowhere. Son-in-law had sustained damage to car suspension. Nothing done in past 3 years. GK passed information to SA who would look into it. Advised group that these problems had probably not been identified as a safety issue, but he now wanted to fix all defects by area no matter what category they are. Much of damage in Corseford caused by Persimmon Homes. GM wanted to know what would happen to Corseford when the money ran out again. SA stated that with the new strategy he hoped this would not happen new initiative in future planning to improve maintenance overall.
GK thanked Scott for review report. Pleased to see new ideas are proactive rather than the usual reactive. Would there be likelihood of additional government money becoming available?
DM said he would try to help with problems and complaints. Asked to be given a chance to show this. Likely to be less money available in the future for everything. Trying to get government money but no promises. Need to learn to work smarter. Get as much as possible from all funds. Need to prioritise wants and needs and do as much as can be done.
IMcM had listened to both groups and individuals. Agreed mistakes had been made, but this had been an unprecedented winter. In Corseford, problem was lack of investment. Really poor condition. Persimmon did not carry out the repairs they should have, and were not held to account. Felt a line had to be drawn under the past, and see how SA gets on in future. Progress already being made.
SA said planning would be better for next winter. Footpaths would be included. Due to problems with defects, some full resurfacing would have to be cut. Hoped to have all defects covered by end of summer. Also aware of problems in rural areas. Planned to do some surface dressing.
DL asked about grit bins. In his area access was a big problem to elderly complexes. If bins had been available and filled then residents could have gritted themselves. It appeared that Paisley received a higher concentration of efforts while in Johnstone paths were deteriorating. Residents’ Association were willing to walk round and identify problem areas.
SA said he wanted to increase coverage by grit bins to allow self-help for people. Needed to ensure that bins were available and also filled. EF agreed that even if bins were in place, they were not always refilled. CG enquired if it would be possible to drop bags of grit. SA agreed about the bias towards Paisley but reminded group that it was largest town, so would appear to get more attention.
Question from public about parking in town centre. Residents in William St had nowhere now to park. Where would money from fines go? SA replied that rules were same rules that were always in place, just now being enforced. No plans were in the pipeline for residents parking permits etc. Revenue from fines issued by attendants would be kept by council to pay for the attendants. Better enforcement would lead to better compliance and so improve traffic flow etc. Unlikely that there would be an increased revenue for the council from fines. Strathclyde Police had requested that parking issues were decriminalised and taken over by council. This gave savings to the police budget. GK again raised the issue of residents’ parking, and felt a review of the traffic management and parking as a whole in the town centre should be considered.
Question from public about the back road from Collier St towards Laighcartside St. Absolute disgrace and well beyond patching. Several groups have been in working here, should they be repairing? Both carriageways affected. In some instances manhole covers were now above the road surface. SA advised that Scottish Water were to resurface the whole width of the road. B McF said that none of the revenue from road tax or fuel duty was allocated from central government to local government. Trunk roads get 80% spent on 15% of the road system, with the remaining 85% of roads getting just 20% of money. SA agreed that there was an issue with enforcement on utility companies from post inspections. Legislation has changed though, giving greater powers to force repairs or take action. Also allows for recovery of inspection costs. The issue of gully cleaning was also raised. This is contracted out and all gullies should be cleaned annually. It was noted that this was not being done and it would be checked if it was being paid for. On rural roads it is the responsibility of the landowner to ensure that ditches are kept clear so water is not running off onto roadways. It was agreed that the CC would make a list of gullies requiring cleaning, and this would be passed to Scott.
Question from public in relation to gritting in Spateston. Gritters would not enter car parks, some would not even leave grit. It was acknowledged there was a problem with salt supply over winter, but discretion was to be applied. Footpaths were a high percentage of the problems in Spateston. Highlighted by 3 – 4 weeks of solid ice. Asked which department was responsible as housing said it was roads, and roads said it was housing. DM said finger-pointing should not happen. The problem should be sorted internally not passed back to public.
EC asked if there were any plans to improve pavements. Advised that at present they were concentrating efforts and resources on roads. Also asked about new build at Cochrane Castle. Acknowledged that there are problems at the junction and “give way” needs sorted.
ML, Quarrelton Rd Tenants & Residents Association, also asked about grit bins. 5 elderly complexes in the area – 2 very sheltered – pavements problematic. Received letter from Mr Wylie saying works would be carried out. Pot hole at Shanks Park all that has been done. A utility box of some sort has also been removed, but the pavement has not been properly reinstated. ML went on to thank the council for all the work they had done and said the TR&A would be happy to meet with representatives to discuss placement of grit bins and also provide details of problems with pavements. SA said he would be happy to engage with local communities about grit bins. He also stressed that there should be no passing the buck between departments. A walkround with the T&RA would be arranged.
RC asked about the trench across the Mill Brae and what was being done to repair it, and also asked about the lights at McDowall St/ High St and parked cars making the filter lane virtually useless. SA advised that the trench was again caused by Scottish Water, and that it had been reported to the Scrutinies Board, but that dealings with Scottish Water were problematic. Also the traffic lights at Morrisons had never been completed by the developers to allow control to pass to the council. It was possible the council would need to take over completion at whatever cost. Double yellow lines at the end of McDowall St were being looked at. CG suggested that the whole traffic management issue on the High St also needed reviewed. The traffic islands at the square caused bottle necks. B McF suggested that this should be brought up at the regeneration meetings. CG brought the roads discussion to a close and confirmed that both DM and SA would be welcome back again.
Some general questions were then invited. EF asked about the plans for the main GP in Linwood. It was forecast this would be closed and demolished as part of the regeneration of the sports centre. Would it be possible instead to take over the centre? What would happen to the elderly people? DM replied that part of the new development would cover this. The council want to use facilities efficiently to make money go further. Many redundant buildings. Hoped to reduce the number and develop land for housing. Wanted to provide better facilities at the lowest cost. Would come back with details. CG commented that consultation with public did not appear to take place. Not visible with the “sham” consultation over the pools for example. Overall plan was never explained. DM agreed that the council needed to engage with communities more; community councils, business communities, voluntary sector should all be asked for their opinions. Future consultations needed to be well publicised in future.
DL commented on finance and the pools situation. Ws refurbishment not cheaper than new ones. £0.5million was to be spent on Erskine pool which was likely to be demolished in 4 years. And what about Renfrew Pool? SA said that these plans were part of the council framework “Building Better Communities”. I McN said that in relation to Johnstone Pool, a viable proposal had been presented. The council had delayed things for 5months by not providing drawings of the existing pool, and now appear not to have them. There was constant blocking of the group trying to save the pools. The proposals would save £1.5million. DM said that he had no part in the proposals. The proposals had been agreed by the council in June 2009. He was merely implementing the council decision. B McF said the alternative plans did not address all of the existing plans. No provision was made for Elderslie pool. Nor for the school children. It also failed to address other issues. He also said that the costs would be the same as existing plans. A comment from the floor was made in relation to the £0.5m investment in Erskine if it was to close. DM replied that all plans had to make best sense for the whole of Renfrewshire. Erskine is needed at present, and will be replaced by a specifically designed hub as part of the new Parkmains High School. They had to refurbish the current pool in order to secure funding for phase 2 of Parkmains High. CG asked who would be funding the schools and pools scheme, education or leisure. SA said that the council do not ringfence funds. There are no departmental budgets. There is one pot of money which the council is responsible for using over all departments. B McF commented that Renfrewshire Leisure receive a subsidy from the council and will be running the new pool at Johnstone High. This will reduce the subsidy to Renfrewshire Leisure, and will cut revenue expenditure by using the capital budget.
CG asked about the legal position of clearing pathways outside premises in snowy weather. B McF said it had not been checked out yet, so there was no clear answer yet to the liability question. SA commented that liability claims were unlikely and he was unaware of any ever having happened. DM agreed that a householder/ business owner would be unlikely to be held liable. His advice was to let common sense prevail. DL commented that he felt the issue of liability was an urban myth to excuse the laziness of those who do not want to clear paths.
A member of the public asked about the lack of toddler facilities within the new pool at JHS. DM said that the plans and designs would be done by the year end, and he will see if this can be accommodated within the hub. The new pool would be as good as it can be. The contract for the design has been awarded.
CG thanked Scott, David and Selby for attending and invited them to return at a future date. Scott thanked the group for the invitation.
4. Matters Arising
4.1 – Douglas Wheeler Associates
GK told the meeting about a planned event by Douglas Wheeler Associates about the regeneration of Johnstone Town Centre. A date was to be confirmed but would be in May sometime, and would take the form of a consultation centre in one of the vacant retail units on the High Street. It was planned to advertise this event widely, and have it accessible for a day and evening. An invitation has been extended to Douglas Wheeler to address the May meeting of the community council.
4.2 – Johnstone Festival
JCC will have a stall at the festival on Saturday 29 May. Any volunteers to man the stall or donations of water or wine are welcomed. Volunteers are to speak to GK, donations to CG. B McF offered 6 bottles of wine for the stall. It was suggested that there be a Fairtrade Stall. I McM suggested that the CC contact Pauline Moss in relation to this.
4.3 – Playparks
Planning permission has been granted to remove the playpark from Corseford and return the area to grass. The equipment is on offer to JCC if they are able to have it removed. The council are willing to store the equipment until it can be resited to Shanks Park. I McM suggested that possibly Persimmon Homes would have the relevant information on the installer of the equipment to take forward attempts to have it uninstalled.
4.4 – Bandstand and Regeneration Project
GK confirmed that the contracts had now been completed and the works should commence in May with an expected completion date of August 2010. This would mean that there would not be much happening in the band stand till late summer, but at least it would be ready for Christmas. GM asked who was overseeing bookings for the bandstand performances. GK reported that Renfrewshire Council hold the diary with Jim McManus being the person to contact in relation to bookings.
5. Treasurer’s Report
The Treasurer reported that a donation of £30 had been made to Planning Aid, and also that £375 had been received from Entrust for the Rail Station Flower Project. The current balance of CC funds stands at £12398.43. It was to be noted that there is still about £10k planned expenditure to come out of this amount.
6. Secretary’s Report
George Kennedy reported on a number of issues:-
· Attended the Renfrewshire Community Council Forum meeting on 19 April. Discussion took place on review of CCs. Proforma returned to Anne McNaughton. There was an issue about the need for 2/3 membership to be present to have a quorum. Felt this is unworkable and that 1/3 should be sufficient.
· GK and RC had undertaken walkabout in town centre with Environmental Services Officers George Brooks and Ian Scott. Highlighted the ongoing problems in the area including the need for additional bins. These were now in place. The new recycling bins on the square were discussed and felt generally were a good idea, but the square was not an ideal site. I McM said we should all support recycling, but these bins were not in the right place. Also they appeared to be getting used by nearby shops. B McF said he would take these points back to council. Traders likely to be using to avoid costs. They would consider the possibility of re-siting them.
· Problems with wheelie bins was also discussed. Some people were not taking them back in when they were emptied. B McF said that there was a move towards enforcement happening. The local housing office should be notified of problems. Work in association with environmental services. Initially people would be encouraged to carry out proper procedure for removing bins when emptied. If that did not work, then enforcement would follow. JH commented that many premises were not designed for these bins. GM asked what should be done about overloaded bins. B McF stated that problems should be directed to environmental department. The householder is responsible for any mess created by an overfilled bin.
· Concerns were raised about the continued unsightliness of the recycling materials in Floors St. These are visible from the rail line and do not help improve peoples image of Johnstone. Reports had been made of workers living on-site. GK commented that the group who operate the business are waiting for permission to erect a further shed and baling facilities. This should make it more viable to reduce the amount of waste stored at the site.
· The town hall has been booked for CC meetings from August 2010 till June 2011. There would be no meetings in July or December. The AGM was confirmed as October.
· Concerns were raised about the vandalism to plants in the town squares etc. During the winter this was less of a problem, but a lot of money is spent over the summer, and is destroyed almost on a daily basis. GK confirmed that he had arranged a meeting with representatives of the council, police and warden service to see what can be done. B McF suggested involving the youth club. He felt that if the youngsters were involved in planting and monitoring the gardens, then a sense of ownership may help. Peer reaction to destroying their work would unlikely be tolerated. I McM agreed that this could be a way forward as they are unlikely to destroy something they have put time and effort into creating. A school competition to design the feature garden in Houston Square was suggested. Possibility of problems with Disclosures and Health and Safety were raised. Shona McDougall has covered this with the Clean Renfrewshire campaign etc. Working like this with the young people should help foster some civic pride in their area. CG would talk to the schools about this. GK also commented on the work being done at the station gardens. Mr McIntosh did a grand job here and also helped out with the environmental area at Thorn Primary School. A member of the public raised the issue of civic pride, when council workmen leave grass cuttings everywhere. Could grass boxes not be fitted to mowers? B McF said council had awarded a contract to cut. Decision was made not to include lifting cuttings. Grass boxes were not fitted due to productivity lost while they were being emptied. GK would write to DM on behalf of CC.
Chris Gilmour recorded thanks to the secretary for all the reports and follow-up work he had undertaken on behalf of the CC.
7. AOCB
· Starting times of meetings was raised as early start was inconvenient for working members. Agreed to discuss this at next meeting.
· DL said that public were not aware that CC minutes were available in the library. Felt this needed highlighting. Suggested a notice in the library and also the community board in Morrisons. Dave Lowe and Anne McNaughton were also to pass info to Tenant & Resident Associations, libraries and local press.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 9pm.
The next meeting will be held in Johnstone Town Hall on Thursday 27 May.