May 2009

KEMNAY COMMUNITY COUNCIL - REPORT OF THE MEETING ON 28 MAY 2009 AT 7.30 PM IN KEMNAY VILLAGE HALL

Present:  Chris Hunneyball (Chairman), Gavin Adam, Bill Blackwood, Margaret Christie, David Evans, Annie Ferries, John Hern, Bob Ingram, Ian Murray, Janet Newberry, Eric Pashley, Jim Piggins, Mavis Wainman.

Attending:  Cllr Hazel Al-Kowarri.

 1.     Welcome:  The Chairman welcomed those present.

 2.     Apologies for absence:  Malcolm Edwards, Alex Thomas.

 3.     Police matters:  There being no police presence, there was no report. It was requested that parking in Station Road be checked as visitors to Littlewoood Court were being inconvenienced.

 4.     The Minutes of  the Meeting held on 30 April 2009 were approved.

 5.     Question Time:  There were no members of the public present.

 6.     Matters Arising from Minutes:

 a)    Christmas Trees:  These were available, but the terms had yet to be settled.

b)    Waste Bins:  There had been no response to the request.

c)     Parking Sign for Hall Car Park:  There had been no response to the request.

d)    Toilets in Bogbeth.Park: There was a possibility of refurbishing the old granite toilets. The Pavilion Committee would be consulted.

 7.     Planning Matters and Applications

 a)   New Applications:  There was nothing controversial.

b)   Amendments to Planning Applications: These were still to be assessed by the planning officer, who would decide the appropriateness of neighbour notification. There was discontent with this reply and the matter would be pursued.

c)   Main Issues Report:  Members were advised to read pages 1-40 of the Local Development Plan, available on the Aberdeenshire website, and the page relating to Kemnay.  Arrangements were made for the Open Day on June 13 from 10am to 4pm in the Village Hall. Residents were encouraged to come and express their views.

 8.     GACCF:  It had been noted that in future developers would have to have a pre-application consultation with communities, and inform Community Councils of the arrangements.

 a)    Formartine LDP Briefing:  Community Councils might have an extension to the period for consultation if they applied individually for it.

 9.     Report from Safety Group Representative:  The meeting had dealt with adult driver assessments, a schools competition to design road safety posters, the Message in a Bottle scheme, the Text-a-Vandal initiative, the increase in probation officers and applications for safety projects.

 10. Report from Community Learning and Development Representative: A paper had been presented at the meeting suggesting that Community Groups were "not working", and that they should be abolished.  The Area Committee, however, has recommended that the status quo be retained.  Minibus drivers will require to sit a new test if they wish to continue driving after 1 October 2009.  This may mean that there will be fewer drivers available.

 11. New Business:

 a)   Community Council Handbook Update: Members were asked to note the changes, which had little effect on the way KCC ran its business

 12. Unfinished Business

 a)   Flyers for LDP meeting:  These had been distributed in shops in Kemnay. 

 13. Aberdeenshire news:  Kemnay is once again to have a Village Orderly  this year.

 14. Correspondence

 a)   Kintore Plant Liaison Group:  The Community Council is now on the liaison group

b)   Bremner Way Car Park:  The planners are to give this further consideration.

c)   ASCC  re FOI Act:  Community Councils are not subject to the Act.

d)   Isabel Page (Formartine)  - Structure Plan Objections:  She had made a strong protest about the conduct of the consultation, which appeared to pay lip service to local concerns.

e)   Kemnay Primary School Homecoming Event 26 September: Members were asked to publicise this event.

f)     Road Closure 20 & 27 June:  The closure of the Kemnay-Inverurie road between the end of the Aquythie road and the roundabout on the A96 was discussed.  A letter of protest was to be written.

g)    Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland:  It was decided not to join.

h)    Aberdeenshire Rural Housing Enabler:  It was decided that this was not relevant to Kemnay.

i)      SEPA View:  This had been received.

j)      Health Improvement Fund Application:  This was to be forwarded to the Youth Cafe.

k)    Grampian Society for the Blind: An invitation had been received to their open day on in 4 June from 10am to 2pm at Grampian Opportunities, 1 High Street, Inverurie. All are welcome.

 15.    AOCB:  The question of preventing travellers from settling in the area was raised.  It was agreed that there were no areas around the village which might attract such visitors.  The revision of Scottish Parliamentary constituency boundaries was discussed and it was agreed to write reiterating the concerns which had been expressed over the previous revision.