Agenda and Minutes for 13th December 2018
Agenda for JCC meeting 13th December 7 pm Johnstone Town Hall
1) Apologies
2) Minutes of November Meeting
3) Matters Arising
4) Police Crime Statistics
5) Presentation....ROAR
6) Chairperson s Report
7) Secretary s Report/ Liaison Group / Board Reports
8) Treasurers Report
9) RCCF
10) AOCB
11) Date of Next Meeting 14th February 2019
Johnstone Community Council
Minutes of the ordinary meeting of Johnstone Community Council held on Thursday 13th December 2018 at 7.00pm in Johnstone Town Hall.
Present
Members: Marie Corbett, Linda Flint, Elizabeth Forrest, Catherine Johnstone, Daniel McKay, Iain McMillan, Geraldine McNealey, Valerie Reilly, Arlene Scarff and Thomas Wallace.
Also in attendance:-
Councillors (Ward 8) –
(Ward 9) – Derek Bibby, Andy Doig.
Police officers J S Hutton and Andy Taylor.
Apologies
Wilma Dean, Chris Gilmour, Dennis Lavery and Councillors Alistair Mackay and John Hood.
2. Minutes
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and agreed.
Proposed by Daniel McKay
Seconded by Linda Flint
3. Matters Arising
There were no matters arising.
4. Police Crime Statistics Report
The crime statistics report was presented by Officer Taylor.
Johnstone Town Centre
A total of 59 crimes were reported including 4 serious assaults, 4 common assaults, 32 thefts and attempted thefts, 4 drug offences, 9 anti-social offences and 2 road traffic offences. 28 of these crimes had been detected.
West Johnstone
A total of 20 crimes were reported including 5 thefts, 4 common assaults, 2 drug offences, 5 anti-social offences and 1 road traffic offence. 8 of these crimes had been detected.
Spateston and Corseford
A total of 15 crimes were reported including 5 thefts, 2 common assaults, 4 anti-social offences and 1 road traffic offence. 6 of these crimes had been detected.
Johnstone Castle
A total of 14 crimes were reported including 1 common assault, 2 thefts or attempted thefts, 6 anti-social offences and 1 road traffic offence. 6 of these crimes had been detected.
LF had a question for Cllr Bibby and the police. She wanted to know what were the action plans for the area surrounding the station when its car park closes for the month of January. Off T replied that the police had no action plan as parking is not a crime. Cllr B replied that in the light of previous congestion he presumed there would be some plan and he had raised the matter with Community Services. He added that this was not the best time of year for work such as this and any icy weather might make life very difficult.
Off T noted that the police could only act if a parked car was causing an obstruction, however, the police do have a traffic management dept. and he hoped they would liaise over the station situation. Cllr B said he would put forward the JCC concerns. Iain McMillan expressed the opinion that it would be chaotic, impacting on both Johnstone and Milliken Park. He would send an email to Sandra Black. Daniel McKay said that the authorities would need to keep the impact on schools in particular in mind. LF added that in Ellerslie Street the lollipop person has to lead the children out between parked cars.
EF raised a point about the new Paton’s Mill development. For pedestrians approaching from the Town Centre there is no footpath into the site and they have to cross over to the Starbucks side at a point where it is dangerous at the junction. IMcM said that he had asked for a meeting with Cl officers.
Thomas Wallace thanked the officers for all the police’s work over the year and they left the meeting at 7.22pm.
5. Presentation from ROAR
Nicola Hansen spoke to the meeting, giving an overview of the organisation, having led ROAR for the last seven years.
Roar had inherited activities from pre-Strathclyde days when more people lived in social housing and fewer had cars. There were different expectations of later life. ROAR’s charitable aims were all about reducing loneliness in old age.
The recent Christie report had suggested that funding would have to shift towards prevention. In her early days there had been relatively small funds to bring people into centres – they now support thousands rather than 250. As people get older and frailer they tend not to come out. ROAR has started working with Glasgow Caledonian University and they have found a real correlation between keeping people mobile and them not being isolated.
Roar now looks at five main aims:
To help people be physically mobile
To help people be socially mobile
To help people be cognitively mobile
To help people be digitally mobile
To help people be logistically mobile
But they have a struggle to embed these aims into the wider picture.
ROAR has found that the spiral into loneliness, frailty and falls start when older people lose confidence in being out and about. They stay at home, their muscles deteriorate and they are more likely to fall.
Various exercises intended to preserve mobility were outlined.
The difficulties encountered by the organisation during the period of construction of the new Johnstone Town Hall when a move to Elderslie village hall had restricted the numbers able to be helped, leading to a waiting list. EF mentioned that she had volunteered for ROAR for a number of years and knew that they had lost six volunteers when the move to Elderslie had happened. NH added that ROAR depends hugely on its volunteers.
Geraldine McNealey noted that she had visited all the clubs and that they were doing excellent work and asked if ROAR had contacted Johnstone’s ‘Active Communities’. NH said they were in contact but they concentrated on younger people.
IMcM said that he appreciated how things have changed for the older generation and that the work done by ROAR and others is important and needs better funding.
Cllr B commented that ROAR’s work would only increase as councils divert people away from direct services.
EF highlighted ROAR’s nail-cutting service which is not widely known about. NH said they have 250-300 customers and charge about half the commercial fee.
TW thanked NH and offered help with publicising ROAR’s services.
6. Chairman’s Report
TW reported that Dennis Lavery has been in hospital but was now back at home and improving.
TW asked the Councillors about the Council meeting that had taken place earlier in the day. Cllr Doig reported that there had been nothing related to Johnstone discussed at the meeting.
TW noted that he had received an email from Margaret Lavery concerning that state of the bins in Collier Street where waste food was often laid out beside the bins. Cllr B replied that this issue was raised every couple of months. TW said he would bring it up with Dorothy Kerr.
It was noted that the Johnstone Model Railway Exhibition had now been held over the weekend of Remembrance Sunday for two years running. Should JCC ask Renfrewshire Leisure whether this could be avoided in future years and that no lets be allowed in the Town Hall on that Sunday in case it was needed as an alternative location for the Remembrance Service in case of inclement weather.
TW reported that in the new year he would be meeting Margaret McIlhenny about the new Local Partnerships as how these would operate was currently very unclear. IMcM pointed out that the closing date for joining the LPs was 14th December – the Community Councils are automatic members.
TW noted that there had been a ruling in the Court of Session that CCs could be sued (as a result of a case in Connel) and that this ruling could affect many organisations.
TW passed on the thanks of the Business Consortium for our contribution to the Christmas hamper fund (£250) plus the unclaimed £100 prize from the Gala day programmes.
There was discussion over a request from Wilma Dean that we should give a donation to the people who maintain the gardens at the station, but it was pointed out that this would contravene our rules of management. GMcN asked could we not help in kind – donating plants – but this would still be a contravention. IMcM added that we would soon run out of money if we were to start giving out grants.
TW announced that in January he would meet with Carol of the Bus. Cons. with a view to working together to put on events in Houston Square.
TW concluded with the information that there would be no JCC meeting in January.
7. Secretary’s Report
IMcM reported that there had been no licence applications relative to processions in Johnstone.
IMcM had sent an email to St Anthony’s Primary to congratulate them on their Literacy award.
IMcM had sent in a form nominating Scott Russell for a Provosts Award.
The Marriage Suite had been booked for the JCC 2019 meetings.
Steps are being taken towards Johnstone becoming a dementia friendly town.
There will be a meeting on 9th January to discuss the Johnstone Town Centre Strategy. TW, IMcM and perhaps one other JCC member should attend.
There will be a meeting in the new year with a group that wants to do something on the old St Cuthbert’s playing fields.
8. Board Reports
Many of the items were general rather than particular to Johnstone.
GMcN had looked at the Leadership Board which had reported that the free wi-fi was nearly complete in Johnstone and Renfrew.
The Capital Investment Programme was now 75% completion the roads with 8,000 potholes repaired since April.
Other issues noted were respectful funerals – removing fees for under-16s: Team up to Clean up: Families First; Renfrewshire Foodbank and a scheme to help business start-ups.
IMcM thanked GMcN.
At the Full Council meeting there had been a report on a play scheme for SEN children which the Council was committed to continuing in 2019.
IMcM reported on a desire to improve the reporting mechanisms for fly tipping. It was queried whether there was an increase in fly tipping when there is a change in Council policy.
There is a proposal to increase the fine for littering from £80 to £100.
Cllr D commented on the business start-up scheme which is intended to try and help small businesses in Paisley – he had asked that if it proved successful in Paisley, it should be rolled out to Johnstone and Renfrew also. This had been accepted.
There was a suggestion that a St Andrew’s Day event should be held in Johnstone.
There is a heritage plan for Johnstone, Renfrew and the villages. An officer will be appointed and it is hoped they will be based in Johnstone Town Hall.
9. Council Liaison Group
There had been no recent Liaison Group meeting – the next will take place in early January.
10. Treasurer’s Report
LF reported that the balance as at the end of November 2018 was £7356.99 and accounts had been passed on to IMcM.
With regard to the Gala Day accounts one pay-in had been made from St Pauls. The money from the Scouts was still outstanding. All receipts are in.
11. RCCF
CJ reported on the AGM and meeting, noting that the office bearers have not changed with the exception of an addition from Erskine.
RCCF have arranged a meeting with Fraser Carlin about local developments. CJ asked whether there were any questions that JCC wanted to put forward. Cllr D mention the problem of the Millbrae building that formerly housed the Christian Mission which is in a poor state and gives a poor impression of the town – the Council have said that they “may consider compulsory purchase”. Cllr B said he had also raised this.
The CC complaints procedure/disciplinary code will be introduced.
12. AOCB
There have been many complaints that the Christmas lights in Johnstone look poor. The smaller communities had received grants from the LACs and now have better lights than Johnstone.
IMcM commented that it would also be nice if the lights extended beyond just Houston Square – but it was a question of who would fund this. But Johnstone was due better treatment.
Cllr B commented that after all the arguments about Sunday bin collections – it was ironic that now they are on Mondays he had been held up by a bin lorry in the High Street!
Valerie Reilly noted, for everyone’s information, that a public defibrillator with 24-hour access (as opposed to ones in buildings closed at night) was now available, mounted on the front wall of the Co-op funeral parlour in Church Street.
TW thanked the members for attending and wished everyone the Season’s Greetings.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.00pm.
The next meeting will be held in the Marriage Suite of Johnstone Town Hall on Thursday 14th February 2018 at 7.00pm.