Draft:
East Lammermuir Community Council
A Meeting of East Lammermuir Community Council
took place in Innerwick Village Hall
on Tuesday 3 October 2017 at 7.30pm
Present: Cllrs: Chris Bruce (Chair)/Janice Hanvidge/Elisabeth Wilson/Janette
Macdonald/Barbara Wyllie/Anne Lyall and Cris Thacker
1:00 Apologies: Donna Collins and Pauline Jaffray
2:00 Approval of the minutes of Meeting held on Tuesday 30 May, 2017: The minutes were approved by Cllr Thacker and seconded by Cllr Hanvidge.
Minutes of a special meeting held on Tuesday 5 September 2107 were also approved by Cllr Thacker and seconded by Cllr Hanvidge.
3:00 Items to be included in the agenda
Offshore Windfarm
Response from Police Scotland (Fettes)
East Lothian Councillors
4:00 Police Business: No report submitted and nothing to report from CAP meeting.
Councillors raised ongoing concerns about the number of accidents on the A1 and in particular that there had been three in the last week. Discussion also took place regarding a near fatal incident at Houndwood which resulted in a vehicle driven by an Oldhamstocks resident was forced off the road by an artic lorry which was heading south on the northbound carriageway and did not stop at the scene. Concerns were raised that although speed / vehicle recording devices were in place on the A1 to promote behavioural change not all were operational. It was noted that warning Panels had been erected near to the Torness junction and at the Dunbar turnoff. Cllr Wyllie had received a letter from Police Scotland in response to our request for information on accident statistics on A1 and it was suggested and agreed we should use the information to write to our MP, Transport Minister, Local Councillors, Lord Provost and the Media. Cllr Wilson undertook an action to prepare a draft press release and circulate this to members for comment. Cllr Bruce was keen we should advise Cameron Ritchie at the East Lothian Courier as soon as possible to try and obtain maximum coverage on the issue.
5:00 Treasurer’s Report Balance as of 3 October £938.91
6:00 Matters arising:
Community Benefits:
Much discussion took place on the way forward following the meeting held at Hallhill on 5 September. Cllr Bruce confirmed he had met with Paul Minto from Addleshaw Goddard LLP to discuss our intention to set up a suitable body to disburse funds from commercial companies operating local wind farms. Mr Minto agreed we were on the right path and was happy to assist us when we are certain on what we want our purposes to be.
Cllr Bruce had also attended a meeting which ELCC were invited to about Community Councils and their engagement and was impressed by the presentation by a representative from Pollockshields, where the Community Council refuses as a point of principle to undertake local activity, but does all it can to facilitate others doing so. This had given him pause for thought about the purposes of our intended new body, which will disburse local community benefits in future. Should that body undertake local activities, or not? Cllr Bruce agreed to circulate copies of the presentations from this event to members for information and consideration.
It was noted that Natural Power were keen to find out our intentions in respect of fund management of Crystal rig III funding which would be available from April 2018. Cllr Bruce is to continue to liaise with Craig Potter at Natural Power.
Members were asked to consider four options available to us and it was agreed that should move forward with arranging a further meeting with Paul Minto and up to three members from the committee to ask further questions of clarification, prior to issuing instructions to an appropriate law firm to set up a new Company Limited by Guarantee.
7:00 Councillors Reports Action:
Spott: Cllr Thacker advised that he had received a letter from an Innerwick resident regarding the Offshore Windfarm advising that although Fife would get the full visual impact East Lammermuir could suffer significant ecological impacts due to the ongoing digging work that would take place. It was noted that as the nature of the original planning application had changed a revised application was being submitted to East Lothian Council. East Lammermuir Community Council agreed we would write to the Scottish Government requesting that a community benefit should be a condition of the revised planning application. Currently Community benefit conditions do not apply to Off Shore Wind Farm developments.
Spott:
Cllr Lyall raised the issue of Dog Fouling in Spott and agreed to contact the Dog Warden at ELC requesting bins for the village.
Cllrs Lyall and Thacker had been approached about the possibility establishing of a safe path to school from Cannongate Spott and at Pinkerton. It was agreed that ELCC take this up with ELC on behalf of residents.
Cllrs Lyall and Thacker requested a final decision on the Dunbar Benefits Bank application following their meeting. It was agreed, ELCC take this up with ELC on behalf of residents and that other interested local residents be sought to add weight to any future proposals. CT/AL
Stenton: Cllr Macdonald confirmed that Collin Bloomfield had brokered a deal with BT for households in Stenton to receive superfast broadband up to 80mbps at a cost of £17464. The majority of funding being secured from BT Open Reach Technical Literacy in school fund and £4000 from the Area Partnership. Cllrs were delighted at this news and Cllr Bruce wondered if this could also be available to the other villages.
Cllr Macdonald advised that Rumble strips in Stenton still need replacing.
Oldhamstocks: Cllr Hanvidge advised that scam callers pretending to be from BT had targeted a resident in Oldhamstocks and we should remind villagers to be aware of this. An advisory note to be included in the next newsletter.
Cllr Bruce advised pupils from Oldhamstocks attending Dunbar Grammar had emailed the Cllr Sue Kempson regarding the cleanliness of the council-contracted vehicle they are travelling to school in.
Innerwick: Cllr Wilson confirmed that broadband in Innerwick had improved to an acceptable level.
Planning Applications: Nothing to report.
Liaison Meetings: Cllr Wilson attended the recent Tarmac Liaison meeting and advised the quarry had another 39 years operational life. A new Manager had been appointed and there had been a greater emphasis on Health & Safety and General Housekeeping at the Plant. Three Apprentices and one graduate trainee had been recruited recently.
Cllr Hanvidge attended the Belhaven Forum meetings which had recently increased to one per month. These meetings are attended by NHS/Council professionals as well as members of the three Community Councils and our local councillors. Copies of the minutes to be put on ELCC web site when available.
Cllr Wyllie attended the Viridor Credits meeting and advised that there were no applications for funding from East Lothian.
Newsletter: It was agreed that a winter edition should go out following the November Meeting.
Correspondence:
Road Closure notices relevant to ELCC area to be put on web site
Care & Repair 30th Anniversary event in Haddington 15.11.2017
Spott Hall BBQ 7 October 2017
Pauline Jaffray to send a letter to our Local Councillors reminding them of our meeting dates.
Date of Next Meeting: Tuesday 28 November 7.30pm in Stenton Village Hall
(Stenton Councillors to reserve Hall please)