CURRIE COMMUNITY COUNCIL
AGM Monday 8 October 2001 at
7.30 pm in the Gibson-Craig Hall, Currie.
1
Apologies: Brenda McGovern, Peter Wilson, Hugh Fraser and Eric Melvin.
2
Derek Henderson was appointed Minutes Secretary for this meeting.
3
Co-options to the Council:
(a)
Robert Taylor and Sheridan Houliston were co-opted under Rule 10 (a).
(b)
The following were co-opted under Rule 10(b ):
Peter
Wilson, Secretary of Heriot-Watt University;
Eric
Melvin, Head Teacher, Currie Community High School;
Alison
Dunn and Jordan Simpson, Senior Pupils, CCHS.
4
Elections: The following were elected to posts in the council:
Chair;
Graham Dane
Vice-Chair;
David Bertram
Treasurer,
Cynthia Taylor
Education,
Derek Henderson
Environment,
Brenda McGovern
Planning,
Archie Clark
Health,
Gordon Browne
Transport,
Jim McCraith
Flower
tubs, David Bertram
Trustees
David Bertram, Derek Henderson
Auditor,
Christine Thomson
5
Approval of Accounts was moved by G Dane, seconded by C Girdler
The
accounts were approved by the meeting, subject to a satisfactory auditor's
report.
6
Annual Report 2000-2001 The Chair presented the Annual Report and thanked
individual conveners for their work on behalf of the community. J McCraith
congratulated the Chair on his work in compiling the report.
1
Report of the activities of the Committee during 2000-1.
The
circumstances surrounding cancellation of this year's ride owing to Foot and
Mouth Disease were outlined. There had been a very successful Fair. Other
activities included a jumble sale and other fund raising.
2
Election of Members of the Committee of Management of the Fund
It
was decided to continue the current membership of the Committee.
3
The following Office Bearers of the Fund were elected:
áChair, C Girdler Treasurer G Browne
Riding
Sub-Committee: Chair, C Girdler; Secretary and Treasurer, Liz Day
Auditor,
Christine Thomson.
4
Audited accounts were presented and accepted by the meeting.
It
was agreed that the Fund would guarantee up to 50% of any loss made by the
Round Table in organising a fireworks display in November, up to a maximum of
ú400.
It
was agreed the Committee would consider an application for a grant to meet the
shortfall in funds for a major upgrading of Pentland View Court.
It
was reported that the Capital Account contained ú5000.00 on deposit with
Standard Life.
Currie Community Council Reportá January 2002
Safety
Boys from outwith Currie are entering Currie
Community High School and causing havoc by setting off fire alarms, threatening
pupils and generally behaving in an immature way.á The school has had to order security measures such as
fences.á A Community Safety Forum has
been convened by our constituencyá MSP,
with a view to restoring peace.
Another worrying event was the
slashing of car tyres one night.á Police
think only a couple of people were involved, but how it has harmed our
reputation!á Do you know where your
children are every night?á Are you sure
they are not hanging around the streets or up to mischief?
Seven young men have been
charged with assaulting one man shortly after midnight on New YearÆs Day.á We can all play a part here: if more members
of the public give the police timely information, more prosecutions can be undertaken.á
Already a number of school
pupils have been injured at Gillespie Crossroads, but it is still very low on
the list for having a ôGreen Manö pedestrian phase installed.á It will not be before 2027 at this rate,
which is completely unsatisfactory.á
Please raise this with any councillor you happen to talk to.
Currie Community Council, as
reported elsewhere in this C&B News, have sent a strongly worded warning to
the City Council pointing out the avoidable hazard at the junction.á Anyone injured while crossing Gillespie
Crossroads may seek legal advice with a view to sueing for loss of education or
earnings and cite the official warning we have given the council of their
liability.
Youth
Extensive leisure developments are planned at Currie
Community High School.á Inverleith
Hockey Club are proposing extra pitches and other facilities, and a
clubhouse.á If you have a view on
whether these facilities should include a tennis club or a basketball court, or
anything else, come along and hear Lee Cousins introduce the proposals at
Currie Communityá CouncilÆs next meeting
(see ôWhatÆs Onö).
Environment
The good news is that more trees will be planted in
George V Park.á The bad news is that
planning permission is still in force for houses on the Kinleith Mill site.
The Scottish Environment
Protection AgencyÆs motto is, ôFlooding. You can't prevent it. You
can prepare for it.ö, but that is a defeatist
attitude.á We have to do something to
stop the flooding at source.á A Water of
Leith discussion group has been set up, linking all the community councils
along the river, and also Juniper Green Village Association and Colintion
Amentity Association.á By sharing views,
we hope to be able to influence the multi-million pound expenditure planned on
this issue.
ááááááááááá The Chair
of Currie Community Council has written to all businesses in Pentland View
Court.á A jigsaw of funding has been put
together, but not everyone is prepared to go with the overall plan.á For the sake of a relatively small amount of
money a major improvement to our environment is being put at risk.á If you think Pentland View Court is a mess,
or are one of the 600 people who signed a petition saying it is, why donÆt you
ask the shopkeepers there if they are cooperating with the development plan?
Currie Community Counciláá Reportá February 2002
The last meeting turned into an impromptu public meeting, which wasá a bit of a shock to the representatives of Frogston Sports Trust, who had come for preliminary discussions with community representatives.á About 30 people turned up, and their first objection was to the intrusive floodlighting.á Apparently the lightingá for the existing pitch has never been properly adjusted and shines into residentsÆ bedrooms.á There were also concerns over noise, access, traffic, drainage and the impact of social use of the clubhouse.á Lee Cousins, President of Inverleith Hockey Club, was able to answer those points which were under the clubÆs control, explaining the extremely limited hours of social use of a clubhouse, for example.á Other points, especially the lighting, will have to be taken up with other authorities, as there is clearly an existing problem.
The Community Council has not yet come to a view on the proposals, but is sympathetic in principle to offers to improve facilities for people in Currie.á An investment of nearly a million pounds is not often available and it is up to us to ensure any proposed development is implemented in an acceptable way.
The council has been participating in an email discussion group linking 14 community councils along the Water of Leith.á A view is emerging that the best long term solution may concentrate on reforestation and contour ploughing in the Pentlands, with the water control reservoirs there used for emergency protection, especially in the short term.á The multi-million pound flood walling scheme lower down the river may prove not to be good value for money.á Currie Community Council has officially invited Robin Harper MSP to advise and represent us on this issue.
This is reported on elsewhere in this C&B News, but the council was represented at a very useful meeting convened by Iain Gray.á Police, LRT and other agencies said what they were doing to protect the public in Currie, Balerno and Juniper Green from the handful of nuisances who visit, and in some cases live in, the area.á Only about 5 individuals form the core of trouble makers, and other young people deserve protection from them.
Any resident who would like to explore the possibility of making their road a Home Zone should contact Brenda McGovern on 449-3292.á A Home Zone is a street in which pedestrians, including children, have priority over cars and other traffic, which is either banned or has to crawl along.áá Brenda is going to a conference on this topic and will learn about how other communities are implementing the idea.á The nearest equivalent we have is Balerno High Street.
As usual a pile of documents relating to planning applications was considered.á Objections to the Kinleith Mill development number over a hundred, and the weight of public opinion can be influential in swaying decision makers.
Currie and Balerno Rotary Club have kindly offered to provide extra tubs at the top of Riccarton Mains Road to beautify the area in celebration of the Jubilee.á Thank you very much to them.