Community Council
Minutes of Marchmont &
Sciennes Community Council
Meeting of Wed 28th
October 2020, 7.30pm by Zoom.
Present: – Brian Gilmore (Chair, MSCC), Elinor O’Donovan (Minute
Secretary), Nigel Ayton (Grange Association), Michael Riordan (member of
public), Cllr Ian Perry, Alison Service (MSCC), Susie Agnew (MSCC), Shane Voss
(MSCC), Anne Laing (MSCC), Cllr Mandy Watt, Alastair Philp (member of public).
Apologies: – Anthony Holmes, Adam
Stewart.
Matters Arising:
Anna Nicol has been mistakenly listed on
the minutes as Minute Secretary, this will be amended.
Draft Minutes from the last meeting, September 2020, were approved
by Nigel, seconded by Susie.
The actions will be taken under the relevant headings.
Police Report: None
Meadows and Bruntsfield Links: None.
FOMBL Report:
Alison circulated the report from
the meeting of 28th September, outlining the new elections of trustees,
and the various projects, tree report etc. Jim Orr is re-elected as
convenor.
The jawbones will be returned to
Edinburgh in early October for
storage until re-installed when weather appropriate.
City Councillor Report on topical local issues:
Ian Perry:
Throughout lockdown, Council only had one committee (Policy and Sustainability)
which managed the city during lockdown. A lot of things had closed down that
are now reopening, which means all committees are returning to their different
aspects of council again.
Budget: We will be facing a deficit of £30-40 million which,
unless CEC receives funding, will mean putting up fees or cutting services.
Schools: Schools reopened in August and everything has gone
roughly to plan so far. Infection has been managed, and no school has had to
close. There is a sense of relief that things are somewhat returning to normal.
Previously there had been no extra-curricular activity in schools,
but now they are allowed to open up a bit more. Volunteers are still not
allowed back into schools to limit the amount of contact.
Anne congratulates the Council for a speedy service filling a
pothole outside her home. She reported it using the online system and it was
fixed within 2 days.
Nigel thanks the Council for their interaction with the Grange
Association in collecting bags of fallen leaves that had been swept up by the
local volunteers. Alison, similarly, congratulates the Grange Association’s
volunteers for their hard work collecting leaves.
Cllr Mandy Watt shares Ian’s concern about the budget challenges
that the council will face, and the lack of options that they seem to have. The
council are waiting to see if they will receive funding from the Scottish Government.
Items for AGM
A1: Last year’s AGM:
The minutes have been circulated, and were approved by Anne,
seconded by Alison.
A2: Matters arising from the AGM Minutes
None.
A3 Annual Report – Chair
In the last year, we managed to hold 6 of the 9 meetings that were
scheduled, in spite of the pandemic.
In the last year, we have watched the progress of the Sick Kids
Hospital site. There should be some movement with this in the next year.
The Astley Ainsley site has progressed quite well, although things
seems to have slowed down.
The City Plan 2030 has also slowed down, due to the pandemic.
Thanks to the police for their regular reports at our meetings.
Thanks to Mike Shields from the Parks Department for his regular
reports, and Alison for attending and reporting on the FOMBL meetings.
Thanks to the Edinburgh City Councillors collectively, who come
along and inform us about happenings on a Council level.
Thanks to Alison as Treasurer, and for the Christmas Tree Lighting
Ceremony last year which was very successful.
Thanks to our new member Adam, who has taken over surveys and
consultations, as well as noticeboards.
Thanks also to Anne Laing, for having done the noticeboards
successfully for many years.
Thanks to Nigel Ayton, for continuing our connection to the Grange
Association and keeping us abreast of planning issues.
Brian thinks in order for the MSCC to be truly effective, we need
a functioning secretary as well as a Chair.
Brian will discuss the secretary position with Adam in the future.
A4: Annual Report – Secretary
A5: Annual Report and Presentation of Audited Accounts – Treasurer
(Alison Service)
Jim Orr, convenor of FOMBL, audited the annual
accounts. The audited balance sheet and P&L for the year
were circulated by Alison, showing a surplus for the year of £33 and the Bank
balance at the end of the financial year was £548.46.
The donation of £175.38 to Children 1st does not go
through the books, as it had been done in previous years, as the collection
buckets are sealed and donated straight to the charity.
A6: Co-option of members
This will be postponed to the next meeting.
A7: Election of Officers
Chairman:
Nigel nominates Brian, Alison seconds.
Secretary:
None.
Treasurer:
Nigel nominates Alison, Anne seconds.
A8 Date of next AGM
May 2021, and can be done by Zoom if necessary.
A9 Ordinary meeting
dates for 2020-2021
Proposed: 4th Wed of each month except no meeting in
July, August or December.
A10 AOCB
None.
Items for discussion
6 Stakeholder Engagement Request
Adam has been working on this. This will be discussed at a later
date.
7 Safer Routes Proposal
The Quiet Routes proposal is to have a safe route from Greenbank
to the Meadows, down Braid Terrace and along Whitehouse Loan. Part of
Whitehouse Loan would be closed to through-traffic, with residents’ access
only.
This is going to the Transport and Environment Committee on 12th
November. If approved, it will come in under emergency COVID provisions, i.e.
Spaces for People Programme.
Under the provisions of TTRO (Temporary Traffic Regulation Order),
where there is a danger to the public (i.e. COVID), there is a short 7-day
period where local councillors and community councils can put forward comments.
Other than that there is no full public consultation on this.
A few people have been concerned about the impact on residents.
Michael is concerned that closing the roads in such a way may be prohibitive
to children or adults with disabilities and/or mobility issues accessing
schools and their homes in the area and is concerned that this has not been
taken into consideration.
Mandy is also concerned that increasing the amount of cyclists by
the School for the Blind might be hazardous, as it is more difficult to hear
cyclists.
There is a discussion about the (sometimes competing) requirements
of different types of road users (pedestrians, cyclists, car drivers).
8 City Plan 2030
Ian Perry: City Plan 2030 is in consultation which will be coming
to a close soon.
9 Astley Ainslie Hospital Redevelopment:
Nigel: Little to report at the moment. The Council has to draft a
Place Brief but are waiting on a Landscape & Heritage report which has to
be commissioned by the NHS.
Nigel has seen a couple of Place Briefs which have just come out,
and remarks about how well-drafted and specific they are which is encouraging.
The Astley Ainslie Community Trust are fundraising for a Community
Asset Transfer.
10 Planning
applications
Warrender Baths: Planning permission is being sought for a major
refurbishment.
Susie believes it has only been 15 years since Warrender Baths’
last refurbishment.
For info:
11 Treasurer's report
Alison’s monthly updated monthly financial report
was circulated – there were no monies either In or Out so the balance at the
end of September 2020 remains at £1352.28.
The Forward Financial Plan for the coming year will be presented to
members at the November meeting. The EDC Grant was received in August, and very little expenditure is expected
for the rest of this financial year.
Alison is pleased to have Jim Orr as our new accountant.
The forward plan for the coming year is estimated to the end of March.
We received the Income Grant, and there will be normal expenditure (i.e. hall
hire, and minute secretary) until then.
This will be discussed further at the following meeting.
12 Meetings attended
Alison circulated report about FOMBL meeting.
13 AOCB
None.
Date of next meeting: Wednesday 25th
November at 7.30 – using Zoom or an alternative.
No comments:
Post a Comment