April

KEMNAY COMMUNITY COUNCIL
REPORT FOR THE MEETING HELD

ON THURSDAY 28 APRIL 2005

Present:
Chris Hunneyball (Chair), Hazel Al-Kowarri, Mavis Wainman, Susan Milton, Sheila Taylor, Roger Durham, David Evans, Bill Blackwood, Neil Johnson.

Attending:
Robert Ingram, Cllr Leitch.

Introduction:
Chris Hunneyball (Chair) opened the meeting, welcomed everyone

Apologies:
Cllr Saluja, Jim Piggins, Alan Davies, Janet Newberry and Roger Dunham.

Membership of the Community Council:
CH relayed a message from Sheila Taylor that due to her work moving overseas, she was forced to resign from the Community Council. The recent loss of Andy Hinton, and Jan Morgan also moving overseas means that the Council is quite diminished. He proposed that the Secretary, Neil Johnson be co-opted onto the Council. Seconded Mavis Wainman - unanimously approved.

Adoption of Minute:
Minutes were adopted by the Council with 3 amendments: Para 8c should read Aberdeen City only. Para 10d should read draft strategy rather than draft policy. 12a should include that Cllr Leitch had asked that any complaints be put to him in writing so that he could investigate them. This has not been done to date:
Proposed: Hazel Al-Kowarri.
Seconded: Susan Milton.

Standing Up To Anti Social Behaviour:
Mrs Isobel Kendrick had been nominated for an award under this scheme.

Planning applications:
David Evans reviewed the planning applications received since the last meeting. None were deemed contentious although the building of a house off Kendal Road had already been subject to an objection by the Community Council on the grounds that access was very restricted. Outline permission had however been granted and the plans for the dwelling were deemed in keeping with the village. Cllr Leitch raised the issue of inconsistency in the planning process, where permission to divide gardens for building was given in some circumstances but not in other, often less intrusive, cases.

Christmas Lights:
Hazel Al-Kowarri has investigated the cost of lights and requested a lottery application. Neil Johnson will write to local organisations to request funding.

Aberdeenshire News
Cllr Leitch has spoken to Gordon Davidson at Gordon House about the requirements for first-aiders at all events at venues holding an entertainment licence. Gordon Davidson has now written to him and the Village Hall committee confirming that this was only a requirement where entertainment was provided (eg dances and concerts). There was no requirement for first aid cover for meetings and similar events where there was no entertainment provided.

Hazel Al-Kowarri had raised with Cllr Leitch the presence of salesmen from a finance company in the village, approaching council tenants with offers of mortgages to buy theft homes. She was very concerned that;
a) tenants were being misinformed by the salesmen that a future labour government would rescind the right to buy (this was not the case) and
b) once they had signed the paperwork asking for a valuation, no further repairs would be carried out by the Council on their homes.
Cllr Leitch explained that he had spoken to the Council's legal department and that these activities are not illegal providing the company does not misrepresent the situation (as in a) and that they inform the tenant of the consequences of their requesting a valuation.

Cllr Leitch had attended a site visit with Bob Rose to look at plans to refurbish the area around the Carrier statue opposite the War Memorial.

Ian Rendell had informed Cllr Leitch that the representations made by him and the Community Council had led him to set in place an audit of traffic flow at the new Gauchhill Roundabout at the Kintore/Dunecht crossroads. This would probably lead to kerbs being moved although one intention of the roundabout was to slow down traffic.

Life-saving equipment has now been placed along the river path. Cllr Leitch was questioned as to who decided that they should be installed and why these locations had been picked. HAK was concerned that the one behind Kembhill Park was very badly sited - there being a very large reed-bed between the belt and the river. Cllr Leitch will investigate.

Mavis Wainman raised the problem encountered by residents trying to use the amenity site at Souterford Road, which now closed at lunchtime. Neil Johnson pointed out that Westhill's tip was also closed at lunchtime - although at a different time. As the Council were trying to encourage people to dispose of waste more effectively, this is making it more difficult. Cllr Leitch was aware of this problem and will look into it.

AOCB:
Insp Allan had responded to the community Council about the police's response to calls about suspect drug dealing around the village. Details of responses have been provided and he will continue to monitor the situation.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING:
Thursday 26th May 2005 7.30 PM

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO COME ALONG TO THESE MEETINGS