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Southside Community Council





SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Minutes of Annual General Meeting, held on Wednesday 13 May 2009, from 7.10pm until 7.30pm, in the Nelson Hall, 5 Spittalfield Crescent, Edinburgh.

PRESENT:
Chairperson: Robert Beaton;
Elected Members: Colin Christison, Linda Hendry, Hilary McDowell, Jo Scott, and Justine Stansfield;
Local Interest Groups’ Nominated Members: Margaret Bagan, Kathleen Newis, George Pitcher, and Stewart Reid;
Co-opted Members: Carol McHugh and Keith Smith;
City of Edinburgh Council: Councillors Ian Perry and Cameron Rose;
Lothian & Borders Police: PC Tom Hopper; and
Members of the Public: Three.

1. Welcome, and apologies for absence

Robert Beaton welcomed those present to the meeting. Apologies for absence were received from Mary Devine, Robert Hodgart, Liz Mulligan, Liz Walker, and Sarah Boyack MSP.

2. Chairperson’s Report

Robert Beaton made the following report:

“First of all, I would like to express my thanks and hearty appreciation to Colin, and I know that you share with me a deep gratitude to Colin for all that he does - both with keeping ahead of the busy administrative load and the personal touch he brings to keeping us and things running smoothly. Colin’s work is the core for the business and administration involved in the running of the Southside Community Council.

I would like to thank all the community council post holders and members, and members from the community, for your ongoing involvement and unwavering commitment to the consultative work of the Southside Community Council. I know that many of you are upset about what we have not been able to achieve through the consultative processes set up around community councils and I share those thoughts and concerns but I want to use this report to help build on change that is yet to come about and affirm some of what we have achieved.

As volunteers, you have given, not only much in terms of your own time and resources to benefit the Southside, but every week, you bring to various tables, both ability and keen desire to contribute to the betterment of the community. We have around this table, people who have served in different capacities on the Southside Community Council from its very beginnings. What I, as a relative newcomer to Edinburgh and to the Southside Community Council, have appreciated and greatly value is the learning environment that you foster and support for people here: an engaging and respectful environment for people interested in greater involvement with local politics or for people needing to resolve problems. This is a wonderful legacy to have built up and an inspiring challenge for those who choose to follow. I am reminded of the brilliant imagery in Yeats:

‘What they undertook to do
They brought about to pass;
All things hang like a drop of dew
Upon a blade of grass.’

Thank you for freely giving of your knowledge - gained in life experience, work skills and endless consultative meetings, to take forward issues to influence for a desired change.

With respect to community involvement and engagement, the Scottish Executive, originally led the way with the formation of community councils to fill in the consultative function. We are at an impasse and there is need for fundamental change. What we as a community council, have met though, over two administrations, is a local authority whose structures and organisation have been more or less unwilling as well as unable to collaboratively openly meet and engage in the consultative process. Holding on to previously achieved pockets of power and responding as if threatened by the change ushered in by the political wind to share local level decision making with communities, our local authority, as a whole, has been unable to come into alignment with the demands of the legislation. In our area, the ‘behind the scenes dealings’ or lack of transparency and the total absence from any meaningful consultative discussions over the use of the Meadows by those making decisions, illustrate adherence to the previous way of doing business. Another recent example concerns the use of a former cinema when, after years of consultation and the rejection of many acceptable proposals an elected councillor reveals that the decision will be for the community based on new knowledge of another development nearby and not on the clearly and repeatedly stated needs and desires of the local community. We seem to have gained multi-member wards but have lost a voice that speaks for the stated needs and desires of local people. Some people feel the pressure more than others: there are local authority managers who now have to have a more public face at work and are now under greater scrutiny but must not be seen to have been wrong or to learn from mistakes as new reorganisation of service delivery has taken place.”

3. Secretary’s Report

Colin Christison made the following report:

“The Southside Community Council continues to meet on the second Wednesday of the month (from September until June) at the Nelson Hall. Meetings are usually well attended, and many subjects of local interest are discussed, particularly environmental issues as well as planning and licensing.

Here are some figures: we have held ten meetings since the last AGM, and have welcomed three guest speakers on various subjects. One of our four City Councillors has been present at all our meetings. Eight reports have been presented from Lothian & Borders Police. The Community Council has referred to or commented on about 55 planning and licensing applications. These comments have not necessarily been objections, and we feel it is important to submit positive suggestions as appropriate. We have had in-depth environmental discussions at all our meetings, with a great deal of background work prepared by Hilary McDowell. Members have attended 95 other meetings of local relevance and interest during the course of the year.

The Environmental Week of Action took place in the middle of March with input from members of the Southside Community Council, the Southside Association, the Environmental Forum, and the Crime Prevention Panel, who worked alongside Council Officers and Lothian and Borders Police Staff during the week. The local environmental manager said that ‘we had a fantastic input from the local community’. The week was very successful although it was clear we could improve on some aspects, should this type of activity be attempted in the future.

Other environmental matters to note were the two initiatives around the Crags Sports Centre, where extensive planting of spring bulbs by primary seven pupils from Preston Street School delivered a beautiful display in April/May, and a very successful environmental clean-up in which members of several groups worked together. Members made recommendations for road and pavement improvements in the area; there have been repairs in the Dumbiedykes area, and a number of new dropped kerbs are to be installed, as well as a traffic island at the east end of Bernard Terrace to make it easier to cross the road.

The Annual Christmas Lights Ceremony was again a success, with the boxer Alex Arthur being the invited guest. Numbers were slightly down on the previous year, perhaps due to the event being a week later than usual, and the lack of a Christmas tree in St Patrick Square. Most people seemed to like the new low voltage LED lights which had been fixed to the existing trees, although it was felt that there were not enough decorative motifs on the lamp posts.

Meanwhile the former Odeon site remains empty; Historic Scotland is still discussing whether or not to endorse the planning consent for a boutique hotel which was given last October.

Members were saddened by the death of Jean Downie in May 2008. She had played an active part in community affairs over the years, and is greatly missed.

I would like to the thank the other office bearers, and the community council members, for their hard work over the past year, and in particular to Jo Scott, who took my place while I was unwell, and for looking after planning and licensing matters; thanks also to Eileen Hewitt, the City Council’s community council liaison officer for her support. We are very grateful to Philip McDowell who continues to keep the website up-to-date with our activities. The website has attracted nearly 4000 visits. He always welcomes items of local interest to post on the site.

We have very close contacts with our four neighbouring Community Councils (Grange/Prestonfield, Tollcross, Merchiston, and Marchmont & Sciennes, and many positive networking opportunities present themselves at various meetings which we all attend.

This ‘session’ of the Southside Community Council started in May 2006, and it comes to end at our meeting on 14 October. The start of the nomination period for the new community council is on Monday 31 August, with a polling day (if required) of Thursday 15 October. It is important to encourage people to put their names forward so that the Southside Community Council continues to thrive.”

4. Treasurer’s Report and Presentation of Annual Accounts

Justine Stansfield made the following report:

“Please see the Account summary from the auditor.

There were not any significant purchases this year, so our expenses have been reasonably low, at £576.70. Stationery is our main expense, but this includes postage, and therefore reflects the amount of correspondence that is sent, fulfilling our role as an active Community Council. The logo-ed pencils have also been included under this category.

This year, donations to local causes include the Simpson Neonatal Unit in memory of Jean Downie, and the Christmas community event.

Memberships paid include the Association of Scottish Community Councils, Southside Community Centre Association, Friends of the Meadows and Bruntsfield Links, and the Cockburn Association. We also became a Friend of Planning Aid Scotland.

Petty cash includes a minimal amount of stationery, and transport.

The end of year bank balance is £966.10, which is higher than last year’s, and the petty cash balance is £34.34.

The annual grant from the City of Edinburgh Council amounted to £644.94, and we received £2.39 in interest.

In summary, spending has been low this year, and our reserves are good. It should be possible to use some to print some leaflets without adversely affecting our funds.”

5. Any other business

None.

6. Date of next Annual General Meeting

Wednesday 12 May 2010.

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