10 Oct 9th September 2019 Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the Winchburgh Community Council (WCC) Meeting held in the Community Education Centre Craigton Place Winchburgh at 7pm on Monday the 9 Sept 2019.
Apologies: Councillor Chris Horne, P Anderson and Councillor Diane Calder
August Minutes proposed by Paul Milne and seconded by Sheila Sutherland.
Attendance
Community Councillors: Nick Knox (NK), Pete Nisbet (PN), Graham Campbell (GC), Sheila Sutherland (SS), Paul Milne (PM), Mandy Baird (MB), John Pritchard (JP) and William Honeyford (WH)
Councillors: Janet Campbell.
First Bus, Jason Hackett (JH), Alasdair McNiven and Graeme Leslie
Developers, Penny Lochhead (PL)
Public, Edith Small, John Finnigan, Hazel McLeod, Wendy Grant, Donna Mabon, Blair Geddes, Aileen Johnston, Alan Russell (AR), Calvin McFarlane (CMc), Chris McWillliams (CM), Kathleen McGarvey and Trevor Spence (TS).
First Bus: The First Bus representatives were all from the Larbert depot. JH stated that there was no intention at present to alter the 38 bus route after the Motorway junction road was completed. It was added that both the present bus services lose money but the number of buses was deemed necessary. If a new station is built it will probably result in a reduction of bus services as evidence from elsewhere has indicated that it will further reduce bus usage.
Although the 600 bus is not from the Larbert depot the team agreed to investigate adding St John’s Hospital into the route and asked if the service to the airport was deemed worthwhile. Those present indicated that the airport route was used by most of them and only a few present required the hospital route. It was however agreed that if a route to the hospital was available it would be used and was badly needed by some members of our community. Parking at the hospital is likely to remain a nightmare even if the additional 63 parking spaces being proposed by the Joint Forum of Community Councils are provided.
PM said he had evidence that the 600 bus is often late and this will be looked into by First Bus.
MB stated that the 600 bus to Livingston often misses the Niddry Road stops when they are blocked with parked cars. TS added that the 38 bus failing to stop at busy Prince’s Street stops is a regular problem too. The First Bus team said that should not happen and it would be investigated.
WH asked why temporary bus stops were often very far from the original bus stop and not provided with temporary shelters. First Bus stated that is was a West Lothian Council (WLC) issue. First Bus said that they had problems with the information in Temporary Traffic Restriction Orders (TTRO) as they don’t give information on the detailed distance the road works will cover. NK undertook to contact WLC to see if more information could be put into the TTRO and to ask for a representative to come to a future meeting to see if there was a solution for temporary bus shelters. PL said she would investigate if there was anything the developer could do to help.
Winchburgh Development Limited (WDL): PL stated that it expected that the Marina Planning Application will be considered next week and that Block J planning is in progress. More utilities works are starting soon and that the contractor, Morrison’s, have started the Glendevon work for the new water main. NK flagged up that the TTRO for these works on the Faucheldean Road will run from 16th September to 22nd December. The new schools consultations seem to have been a success and site preparation for the schools should start soon so that the site can be handed to WLC. CM asked if the gas pipe works alongside the Belway houses would be returned to a landscaped standard and PL said it would.
Website: Blair and Shirin Geddes were thanked for their work on the WCC web site and it was added that all feedback to date has been positive. Requests are coming in from local businesses to be added to the list of businesses on the site. .
Schools: SS and PM confirmed that they will attend the Holy Family School Parent Teachers Association meeting on 21st September that expects to discuss the new Holy Family School.
Winchburgh Community Development Trust: AR stated that the Village Framework Document will be presented to the Local Area Committee (LAC) at their next meeting and that it should help the Trust gain access to Section 75 funds.
The Kitchen Conversations book is complete and will be launched on 19th September at a function by the Bing art work in the Town Centre Square.
The bid for a full time Project worker should be decided on by the end of October.
A History and Heritage group is being formed and anyone interested should e-mail the Trust.
The Trust AGM will be in the Community Centre on 7th November. New Trust members are sought as over 300 is the present target and there are only 160 members to date.
Sport: JP reported that Winchburgh Netball has won 2 awards and Davie Gemmell has won a prestigious completion at bowls. The Niddry Golf club hosted a successful day for WDL and schools coaching will begin again shortly.
He passed on that Kevin Jempson from Winchburgh Albion have asked for a storage container (provided by Morrisons construction) to be placed beside the changing rooms at Tippet Knowes Park. A planning application is required and it will be cheaper if WCC make the application. WDL have agreed to raise and pay for the application and the WCC unanimously agreed it should be submitted by them. NK to sign for the WCC.
Planning: WH said there was little to add to the WDL brief but it was noted that the parking planning application by the Main Street garage will be submitted to the Planning Committee shortly.
Housing: There is no update as sadly Irene Wallace, who has for many years worked hard for the community and been an excellent Community Councillor, has resigned from the WCC. It is noted that the WCC now has a number of areas that need a representative.
Police Report: NK said the WCC now have the report to the LAC for the first quarter of this year for the Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh Ward. It had been forwarded to him ahead of the LAC and this was welcomed. Drug crimes and thefts from sheds seemed to be up while other crimes were down. Total crime seemed to be little changed. It was noted that as the report is for the whole WLC Ward it is difficult to see if there is anything particular for Winchburgh to be concerned about. There was discussion about the lack of sufficient Community Police but the publication of the report was seen as a step in the right direction.
Finance: MB stated that the accounts are being audited and will be presented at the next WCC meeting. NK stated that the open meeting would be treated as an AGM and the accounts asked to be approved by those present in October.
NK has submitted the bids for Signs and Benches for Town Centre Capital Funding to WLC. The Trust has bid for funding for Grass Cutting Machinery and the development of a community web portal and the Parish Church has bid for funding to make the Church useable this winter.
WDL have agreed to fund repairs to the war memorial which is crumbling in places.
PL asked about the Skate Park painting for which we already have funds. PN said the artist is contracted but we await them being available.
There was discussion about an additional planter in the Community Garden and this was thought to need more consideration.
Health: Catherine ? raised concerns over privacy at reception in the Health Centre and a very poor record in communicating with her. She said she has received no response to a complaint. This led to many others expressing their disquiet over a number of issues with the Health Centre and how it compared very badly with the service at the Strathbrock Centre. There is a formal system for complaints in the NHS and a first complaint to the Practice Manager is an essential step. The WCC need a health representative to investigate the formal complaints procedure and to try and help facilitate an improvement locally in future. It remains an ambition that we try to recruit someone on the local patient forum or find a Community Councillor willing to join it.
CMc offered to help Catherine? set up an e-mail system that should mean she is efficiently contacted by the Health Centre.
Airport: NK reported that the airport has raised a new submission of the additional routes bid to the CAA. It is now as important as it was in the past for us to be represented on the Edinburg Airport Noise Abatement Board or we will be regularly over flown without having had a say in the process. NK will contact Jen Nicolson who had expressed an interest in acting for the community to see if she was still prepared to do it.
LAC /Joint Forum of Community Councils: The Community Council is invited to nominate a representative to attend the LAC and it was agreed that NK would take up the offer.
The Joint Forum of Community Councils have a number of different sub committees that we are invited to join and NK asked if there were any interested or able, to attend any of them on our behalf.
Christmas Lights: It was agreed that it was no longer safe to hold the event at the crossroads of Niddry Road and the B9080. After discussion it was agreed that MB will form a subcommittee to plan the event and will report back to the WCC at the next meeting.
Britain in Bloom: There was agreement that we should try to take part in 2020.
Bottle Banks: The noise from the bottle bank by the Community Centre was reported by ? to be causing unacceptable noise for the residents of Craigton Place, especially as some inconsiderate people use it late at night or before 6am. The situation is exacerbated by the loss of the Bottle Bank at the Tally Ho. Waste services are looking for a new site for a Bottle Bank but have yet to find a satisfactory solution. A number of options were discussed but a solution for a site that was both easily accessible but away from dwellings proved difficult. The Hopeton land to the rear of the Community Centre or the Bowling Club was suggested as an option.
Brown Bins: The potential problem of hygiene with the new mixed waste decision on Brown Bin use was raised. It was agreed this would be an issue but it was generally agreed that this was better than paying £25 for the service as happened in other Local Authorities.
Speeding: The problem with speeding, particularly on Niddry Road was discussed. JC is pursuing action and hopes to set up a Safety Camera programme to collect evidence for further action.
Traffic calming on the B9080: CM asked what measures would be in place to stop speeding near the new schools. PL replied that there will be a roundabout to the west at the Auldcathie Park entrance and on e to the east on the road between the 2 Belway developments. In addition there will be a 20mph speed limit on in the inhabited areas of the new motorway link road.
Block M Broadband: CM reported that Belway first phase is to get fibre broadband at last!
Minutes prepared by N Knox and G Campbell