Colinsburgh and Kilconquhar Community Council
Minutes of the Community Council Meeting held on Tuesday 14 July 2022 in Colinsburgh Library at 7.00 pm
Apologies: Mac Logan
Present: Trish Finlay (Chairperson), Anne Forgie (Treasurer), Anne Toye (Minute Secretary)
Alistair Aynscough
In attendance: Cllr Alycia Hayes, Cllr Fiona Corps, Gillian Duncan (E Neuk First Responders) and eight members of the public.
Minute of Previous Meeting
The Minute was approved by Anne Forgie and seconded by Patricia Finlay after the following amendments: The date of the meeting was corrected to 17th May, the sentence “This Meeting followed on directly from the Annual General Meeting” to be inserted.
Matters Arising
Office bearers noted the lack of clarity at May’s meeting with regard to it being preceded by the AGM. A draft AGM Minute will be circulated, as previously, prior to the next AGM
There was no update from the Website sub-group in Mac Logan’s absence. In response to a query from the floor about a lack of response from a community councillor about sub-group membership, the Chair will talk to the individual concerned and arrange a meeting to further discuss membership and clarify what still needs to be done.
Cllr Hayes has reported the damaged signs at Colinsburgh to Fife Council and the flooding around the Kinneuchar Inn.
Cllr Hayes, having reported the dangerous tree, had been advised that due to the village’s conservation status it cannot be felled without relevant ‘approval of tree works in a conservation area’ by Fife Council planning services and the landowner. The landowner needs to make the application. Due to the tree’s condition no fee would be involved and the landowner may be eligible for assistance with the cost of it being removed.
Chairperson’s Report
Police Scotland have advised the following statistics: Of 14 calls received from Colinsburgh, five were for anti-social behaviour and traffic matters, three resulted in crimes being reported; Of three calls received from Kilconquhar, no crimes were reported. In addition, 21 drivers received verbal warnings for speeding through the villages.
The Chair thanked the police officers for their work in the area.
The Chair also thanked Mr Harris of Colinsburgh for his efforts to clear the footpath between the villages of build-up which had made it difficult to walk. (more Trish??)
Treasurer’s Report
The Treasurer is applying for the annual grant from Fife Council. She has also spoken to them about the risk of losing the money set aside for the Barnyards defibrillator. The £1100 on account is largely due to no expenditure during COVID. This will change going forward.
Defibrillator Responding to a question from E Neuk First Responders (ENFR), it was stated the application to site a defibrillator adjacent to the mailbox had to be withdrawn due to the manufacturer having withdrawn the solar cabinet from production. ENFR reported that they have sited a powerless cabinet at Pittenweem Pool which works well. Currently there are supply chain issues for defibrillator parts, including batteries.
Councillors’ Updates
Fife Council meetings are currently in recess. Fife Inc is running over summer offering free food for children and families. Details are on the Fife Council website at Café Inc | Fife Council
Elected members requested that they be sent dates of future Community Council meetings.
Planning
Defibrillator The Planning Officer will look into the need for planning consent for a powerless defibrillator.
22/01913 – Application for the change of use of an agricultural store to museum at Balbuthie Farm. Members of the public in attendance were in favour, viewing it as an attraction to the area, with one of the engines being historically important to the area. An email circulated locally urging people to lodge objections to the development was read out by Anne Forgie for information. The main concern is understood to be the potential volume of traffic through Kilconquhar.
The Planning Officer observed that, compared with an earlier application, 22/01913 lacked the same level of detail regarding opening hours and traffic volume; also that Balbuthie Road would benefit from passing place signage as the overgrown verges make the passing places difficult to see; some are being used inappropriately as lay-byes. She also proposed that any the community council submission request brown tourist signs directing traffic to Elie coast road. It was agreed that the Community Council respond to the application to reflect that the majority in attendance were in favour, and refer to signage as discussed. Elected members also said they would look into improved signage.
Any Other Competent Business
Following a question from the floor Cllrs Hayes and Corps will investigate why double yellow lines at Meadow Road junction with St Andrews Road, Kilconquhar, and promised from approx. 3 years ago, had not materialised. The Council had proposed said double yellow lines from the bus stop on St Andrews Road, from the bus stop beyond Kithrig toward Greenbrig Road junction.
Verges and visibility The councillors agreed to look into the overgrown verges at road junctions which are making visibility dangerous. It was also noted that the local landowners have once again not trimmed hedges along the Colinsburgh/Kilconquhar C road forcing pedestrians etc into the road.
Circulation of Minutes Following a request from the floor for a personal copy of minutes by email, Cllr Hayes was asked what other community councils do and reported that they are available on public notice boards, websites and Facebook. It was noted there had been some recent issues with having minutes posted on notice boards but that this should not be an issue going forward. Minutes can be downloaded from the community council website or read on local notice boards with paper copies available at meetings.
East Neuk First Responders (ENFR) Gillian Duncan reported several concerns, in summary:
Fife GPs are concerned regarding slow ambulance response times (4 hours in one case).
Eleven ambulances cover the whole of Fife.
ENFR volunteers have the necessary insurance and accredited training to respond to life-threatening situations and help alleviate the problem but Fife Ambulance Service are not permitting them to do so.
Fife Health and Social Care Partnership have cited GDPR as a reason for not involving ENFR.
Willie Rennie MSP, and Wendy Chamberlain MP have been speaking to the Health Secretary in this context.
In contrast, Trossachs Search & Rescue volunteers have been able to respond to incidents for years without the same level of training. Stirling and Clacks Council do not have GDPR issues
She urged people write to the Chief Executive of the Ambulance Service and the Health Secretary for clarity, and request the ENFR be allowed to become involved.
The elected members referred to “some movement” in Fife referencing Mex an emergency button.
Next Meeting Tuesday 25th October at 7:30 pm (after Community Meeting in Town Hall)
The next meeting was initially planned for Tuesday 14 September 2022 in Kilconquhar at 7.00 pm for which Alistair Aynscough gave apologies. It was subsequently re-arranged, out of respect, following the death of Queen Elizabeth 2.
Colinsburgh & Kilconquhar Community Council 