2018 Agendas and Minutes

Dumbarton East and Central Community Council

Meeting held on Tuesday 9 January 2018

at 7pm in St Augustine's Hall, Dumbarton

Present:

• Dorothy Heron
• Cllr David McBride
• Iain Ellis
• Mary Hudson
• Jim Crosthwaite
• James Cormack
• Cllr Brian Walker
• Dean McReynolds
• William Hutchison
• Sajad Nazir

Apologies:

• Jane Brown
• PC Raymond Borland
• Cllr Iain McLaren
• Cllr Karen Conaghan

Mr Sajad Nazir

• Mr Nazir attended the meeting of the Community Council this evening to give a presentation on his building application submitted to West Dunbartonshire Council. The Community Council is only involved in this case due to the proximity of a fence running close to the burn up the steps opposite the Abbotsford Hotel. Because of the fence, access is hampered and it was hoped that the fence could be moved back perhaps one metre, but Mr Nazir said this could not be done due to current legal issues. Other issues raised by Mr Nazir were outwith the remit of the Community Council and therefore we could not make comment.

Previous Minutes/Matters Arising

• Previous minute was read and approved.
• High Street Barriers - no further information. It was hoped that this issue would be resolved by this time as it has taken an inordinately long time to install a permanent barrier.
• No further information on Lidl planning application or Dumbarton East Station although the Reporter this week had asked for comments from the public about the state of the station under the bridge and the comments were much as we have been complaining about, namely the need for a net. WDC have been cleaning under the bridge on a regular basis but it is obvious that necessity will always exist until another solution is found.
• Proposed New Library Hours: Community Council members had filled in the questionnaire online relative to this.

Questions to Police/Councillors

A police report was submitted to the Community Council as follows:

COMMUNITY COUNCIL REPORT

Name of Community Council:- Dumbarton East and Central

Date of Report:- 15/11/2017 – 07/01/2018

WDC Budget Focus Groups January 2018

• WDC launched a consultation on the 2018/19 budget on 8 January 2018 which is an online consultation through survey monkey. The link to access this is
• www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk/councilbudget1819 and the opportunity to take part runs until 31 January 2018.
• A series of focus groups will be held targeting key strategic community organisations and forums as follows and two reps are requested.
• Tuesday 16 January - 1.30 - 4pm in Clydebank Town Hall. Dorothy Heron and Mary Hudson will attend.
• Thursday 18 January - 6pm-8.30pm in the Colncord Centre, Dumbarton. Iain Ellis and Jim Crosthwaite will attend.
• This survey provides stakeholders the opportunity to provide their views on the administration’s budget and the alternative savings options.
• The options include changes to services and funding provided internally and externally.
• The results of the consultation will be presented to Council and help inform councillors when they meet to set the Council's budget for 2018/19 in March.
• Iain said the budget figures are being queried as to the cost which is actually available to schools. £1.3million has been spent on supply teachers.
• A bin lorry was included in budget costs and it was thought that this item should be in capital. It is proposed that bins be emptied every three weeks so it was thought another bin lorry may not be necessary.
• Proposed cuts were discussed.

Culross Ltd

• Email received from Marine Scotland stating a marine licence has been requested to undertake quay repair works at a location below the level of Mean High Water Springs. Licence application details were attached.
• The Community Council has no comment or objections to submit re this work.

Treasurer's Report

• Mary reported there is £267.28 in the bank and £75.22 in petty cash. The application for the Community Council grant is in hand.

AOB

• Town Centre Forum: Nothing has been heard about the Town Centre Forum since the new administration were elected. Dorothy will write to Marnie Ritchie to try and find out what is happening with this group.
• Reporter Column: We have again been asked to submit a column for the Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter every seven weeks. Community Councillors will take turns to submit a column and Dorothy will send out a list to members.

Date of next meeting: Tuesday 13 February 2018 at 7pm

Dumbarton East and Central Community Council

Minute of Meeting held on Tuesday 13 March 2018

in St Augustine’s Church Hall,

Dumbarton at 7pm

Present:

• James Cormack (chair)
• Dorothy Heron
• Suzanne Greer, Community Empowerment Officer, WDC
• Cllr David McBride
• Cllr Brian Walker
• Jim Crosthwaite
• Cllr Iain McLaren
• PC Andrew Lammey
• Stuart Macdonald
• Rose Harvie

Apologies:

• Mary Hudson
• Cllr Karen Conaghan
• PC Matthew Hooper

Previous Minutes/Matters Arising

• Previous minute was read and approved.
• Budget: Budget has been passed for 2018.
• Lidl: The last Lidl application was far more acceptable to the Council and hopefully this will be settled soon.
• Work has started on the housing site at the quay.
• High Street Barriers: The new barriers have been installed and the initial ones set up when the one way system began in the High Street will be removed in due course.
• Town Centre Forum: A Town Centre Forum had been held on 12 March in the Council Offices and an update had been given on the progress of the new Council Offices, 16 Church Street, the walkway from the quay to the castle, the work which will be carried out at Dumbarton Central Station and other local issues. The new offices should be open in May.

Suzanne Greer, Community Empowerment Officer

• Suzanne Greer attended this meeting to meet the Community Councillors and explained her role in being the support for WDC Community Councils. Suzanne will be available for any problems/issues we wish to raise.

Questions to Police/Councillors

• PC Hooper had submitted a police report for the period to 13 March as follows:

COMMUNITY COUNCIL REPORT

Name of Community Council:- Dumbarton East and Central Community Council

Date of Report:- 13/03/2018

Lomondgate roundabout - the work at the roundabout has now finished.

Dumbarton Football Stadium application - the application will go before the Planning Committee next week and will go after that to the full Council meeting.

Treasurer's Report

• Mary had reported the bank balance is £1454.77 and there is £65.22 in petty cash.

AOB

• Stuart Macdonald attended this meeting to give information on the whisky black issue which has been ongoing in the area for many years. Stuart had been asked to identify areas affected by this and he has submitted a list to Martin Docherty, MP.
• It was agreed a new printer would be purchased for the Community Council.
• Rose Harvie reported she will be speaking on behalf of her Community Council at the Planning Meeting when the Dumbarton Football Club application is discussed.
• Re Glenpath access route, Rose said concerns had been raised , and the advice given was to liaise with the Council Legal Department

Date of next meeting: Tuesday 10 April 2017 at 7pm

Dumbarton East and Central Community Council

Minute of Meeting held on Tuesday 8 May 2018

in St Augustine’s Church Hall, Dumbarton at 7pm

Present:

• James Cormack (chair)
• Dorothy Heron
• Cllr David McBride
• Cllr Brian Walker
• PC Gemma Sloan
• Mary Hudson

Apologies:

• Jim Crosthwaite
• Iain Ellis

Previous Minutes/Matters Arising

• Due to an insufficient quorum, the meeting on 10 April 2018 could not take place.

Levengrove Park and Budget Cuts

• As part of West Dunbartonshire Council cutbacks, the flower bed displays in Levengrove Park, Christie Park and Dalmuir Park will no longer be planted and maintained by Council staff. The saving is said to be £80,000 but it is thought this will have an adverse impact on what were pleasant and colourful areas to visit in the summer months. The flower beds will be turned into grass areas and it is very disappointing that for residents and visitors alike, there will not be colourful floral areas in West Dunbartonshire as there was. This Community Council will contact Councillors to find out why parks have been specifically targeted.
• However, of even greater concern is the £1.2million cuts to Health and Social Care. Despite the Council administration claiming this will not mean any staff cuts, it is difficult to see how this can be the case if the same high service is to be maintained. The future for our services does not look hopeful.

WDC: 16 Church Street Offices

• The new offices are complete and should be operational around 18 May.
• Planning permission has been submitted to demolish the Garshake offices and it will then be put on the market.

Questions to Police/Councillors

• PC Gemma Sloan submitted the Police Report for April/May as follows:

COMMUNITY COUNCIL REPORT

Name of Community Council:- Dumbarton East and Central

Date of Report:- 08/05/2018

Contact Us

I would urge the community to continue to use Crimestoppers if wishing to leave anonymous information regarding incidents which are happening within the community. The telephone phone number is 0800 555 111 and is operated 24hrs a day.

If you wish to contact us direct with any specific complaints or concerns, please contact the following based at Dumbarton Police Office;

Communities Sergeant – PS Brian Simpson

Communities Officers – PC Gemma Sloan and PC Raymond Borland

Tel: 101

DumbartonCPT@scotland.pnn.police.uk

Or the following based at Dumbarton Police Office;

Communities Inspector Roderick MacNeil

Tel: 01389 822028

PC Sloan said the trouble experienced at McDonald's has calmed down a bit.

It was said the travellers were back at Havoc and the barrier has been damaged. An eviction notice has been served. Councillors are aware of this.

Dumbarton East Railway Station continues to be full of pigeon mess and this state will not improve until the Council take steps to tackle this problem once and for all. We are receiving more complaints about this as the area becomes slippy, messy and a danger to passers by. Although the Council arranges for the pavements to be cleaned periodically, this is not the solution.

Parking in Bridge Street/High Street has been raised as a problem and the police will be issuing parking tickets to offenders. Parking in disabled bays is an issue which is also being investigated.

Treasurer's Report

• Mary reported there is £1258.55 in the bank and £65.22 in petty cash.
• Dorothy will ask Suzanne Greer for Community Council leaflets.

AOB

• Community Alliance Group: Dorothy will contact Jim Cormack with a list of participants in the CAG.
• Contamination of the River Leven through open sewage pipes: JIm Cormack stated this is a problem in the area where the walkway will be and needs to be addressed. A contact from the Reporter will get in touch with Jim.
• Fire Hazard: It was said that paper/cardboard boxes left for collection in the pend leading up to Eastfield Bowling Club is a fire hazard and the Bowling Club will be contacted to ask that this be kept within their property as it is not known when collections will take place.
• Whisky Black: 1500 residents were to be letter boxed by Martin Docherty-Hughes by the end of April re the whisky black in their area buy to date no-one has been contacted for a survey. Mr Docherty-Hughes will be contacted to ask if any new timescale for doing this has been set.
• Dumbarton East Railway Station: Complaints are continuing to be made about the state of the pavement outside the station. Despite WDC cleaning up the pavements of pigeon mess every so often, this is an issue which requires a permanent solution by the Council.

7. Date of next meeting

• The Community Council will take a summer break in June and July and the next meeting will be:

DATE OF NEXT MEETING: TUESDAY 14 AUGUST 2018 at 7pm

Dumbarton East and Central Community Council

Notes from meeting held on Tuesday

9 October 2018 at 7pm in St Augustine's Church Hall

Present:

• Jim Crosthwaite
• James Cormack
• Cllr Iain McLaren
• Jane Brown
• Cllr David McBride
• PC Gemma Sloan
• Fran Annis

Apologies:

• Cllr Karen Conaghan
• Cllr Brian Walker
• Mary Hudson

Previous Minutes/Matters Arising

• Previous minute was read and approved.
• Network Rail: Matters ongoing re bird mess at Dumbarton East Station. Latest email from WDC dated 14 September 2018 intimated work would be undertaken by Networks Rail term contractor with their primary works and confirmation of timescales was awaited but anticipated to begin within six-eight weeks.

Questions to Councillors/Police

• It was reported there would be a new gym opening in the High Street opposite the RBS
• Castle lighting was again highlighted and it was said this is ongoing and unlikely to be dealt with until the walkway is complete.

COMMUNITY COUNCIL REPORT

Name of Community Council:- Dumbarton Central and Dumbarton East

Date of Report:- 08/09/2018 – 08/10/2018

Contact Us

I would urge the community to continue to use Crimestoppers if wishing to leave anonymous information regarding incidents which are happening within the community. The telephone phone number is 0800 555 111 and is operated 24hrs a day.

If you wish to contact us direct with any specific complaints or concerns, please contact the following based at Dumbarton Police Office;

Communities Sergeant – PS Brian Simpson

Communities Officer: Sara Cunningham

Tel: 101

DumbartonCPT@scotland.pnn.police.uk

Or the following based at Dumbarton Police Office;

Communities Inspector Roderick MacNeil

Tel: 01389 822028

Treasurer's Report

• Update will be given at next meeting.

5. Date of next meeting:

• AGM will be held on Tuesday 13 November 2018 at 7pm following by a short CC meeting

Dumbarton East and Central Community Council

Meeting to be held on Tuesday 14 August 2018 at 7pm

in St Augustine's Church Hall

A G E N D A

1. Previous Minute/Matters Arising
2. Levengrove Park
3. Dumbarton East Railway Station entrance
4. Questions to Police/Councillors
5. Treasurer's Report
6. AOB
7. Date of next meeting: Tuesday 11 September 2018

Dumbarton East and Central Community Council

Agenda - AGM -Tuesday 13 November 2018 at 7pm in St Augustine's Church Halls

1. Welcome

2. The Events for the Year 2017-18

3. Election of Office Bearers

4. The Year Ahead

5. AOCB

6. Date of next meeting: Tuesday 11 December 2018

at 7pm in St Augustine's Hall