Minutes of Meeting of Bridge of Allan Community Council

 

Held on Tuesday 21st September 2021.

Due to Covid-19 this meeting was held remotely via Zoom.

 

Present: Mike Watson (MW) Chair; Leslie Harkness (LH) Secretary; Iain McCusker (IMcC) Planning Officer;
Anna Doeser (AD) Communications Officer; Sandra Davidson (SD); Bill Fortune (BF); Alastair Heron (AH); Vicky
McDowell (VMcD)

 

Apologies: Janie Meikle Bland (JMB) Interim Vice Chair; Alasdair Taylor (AT) Treasurer; Andrew Drummond
Baxter (ADB); Siobhan Hencher (SH); Duncan McDougall (DMcD) Associate Member; Moira Randall (MR)
Associate Member; PC Paul Gilliland; PC Dee Chalmers; Councillor Alasdair Tollemache; Lucy McCormick
(LM) Minute Secretary; Carlyn Fraser (CF) SC – Operations Team Lead (Roads)

In attendance: Councillor Douglas Dodds; Councillor Graham Houston; Councillor Alastair Majury; Councillor
Jeremy McDonald; Alexander Stewart (AS) MSP; Graham Russell (GR) Chair of Friends of Bridge of Allan;
Douglas Neilson (DN) Vice Chair of Friends of Bridge of Allan; Gavin Drummond (GD)

Abbreviations – Bridge of Allan (BOA), Community Council (CC), Common Good Fund (CGF), Stirling Council
(SC), Annual General Meeting (AGM), Wallace Monument Stakeholder Advisory Group (WMSAG)

 

B 1958 Welcome, Apologies and Conflict of Interest (MW)

MW chaired this meeting. MW opened the meeting at 7.30pm and welcomed all those in attendance via
Zoom. Apologies were recorded as noted above and no conflicts of interested identified.

 

B 1959 Approval of Minutes, Matters Arising and Action Log (MW)

 

The minutes of the August 2021 CC meeting were approved by BF, seconded by AD.

 

Reference B1952 - pool of water gathering in BOA primary school; Cllr Tollemache raised the matter and has
forwarded a response from SC confirming that during heavy rainfall, debris from the burn is forced into a
storm drain causing the water to gather in the playground. If the school feels action is required, they have
the option to contact Dyno-Rod to clear the debris. It was noted that the school has only around £4k budget
for maintenance which is unlikely to cover this so may require fundraising activities.

 

B1960 Road Safety Issues (Cllr Dodds)

 

Project in Henderson St is still going ahead, money has been put aside & speeding measures will be in place
by beginning of the next FY. Councillor Dodds has met with Police Scotland regarding joining the community
watch scheme however the risk assessments & ongoing criteria are fairly onerous; historically people have
started with good intent but dwindle due to inclement weather etc & Police Scotland recommend not to go

ahead and to purchase a pop-up policeman instead. Councillor Dodds requested funds to purchase the pop-
up policeman; cost is £248 & they are made bespoke, so this needs to be ordered and the Roads dept indicated
that Councillor Dodds has permission to install & move the cut-out as deemed appropriate e.g. outside primary
school

 

LH, SD, MW & VMcD in favour & suggest that it’s used as an opportunity to prove the effectiveness and
establish a business case for funding more in the future. CC approved the spend subject to due diligence;
liability needs to be understood for insurance purposes if the CC were to own this as an item of ‘street
furniture’

 

Councillor Dodds has also asked for White lines to be re-done at top of Kier street/Airthrey road at the mini-
roundabout where gas works were being undertaken, confirmed this will be completed next time the team is
in the area. Problems have been identified with the cycle lanes at Lecropt nursery & the Road team have
been notified IMc indicated that Police were present last week conducting investigations

 

Councillor Dodds will request further info from SC regarding the Councillors’ community parking management
plan steering group that was suspended at the start of the pandemic; JM indicated that loss of revenue from
parking meters & fines during COVID-19 has left a funding gap which is due to be discussed on 7th October.

 

SC were going to look at the issue of entrance to health centre / Allan centre car parks and the requirement
for yellow lines. DD sent two photos and SC provided reassurance that traffic officers will investigate.

Fountain Island speeding remains an issue; Cllr Majury is leading on this, Cllr Dodds advised that SC is planning
preliminary discussions regarding installation of a zebra crossing

 

Cllr Majury advised that Carlyn is not able to connect to Zoom and sends apologies. The planned walkaround
was completed with reps from SC, BOA CC and community members with specific accessibility challenges
including wheelchair users and those with visual impairments. Of particular note, were issues with dropped
kerbs and a requirement for zebra crossing around Fountain roundabout. Quick wins were identified around
the primary school but others will need to be considered in terms of budget constraints. SC will be doing a
letter-drop to householders along Kier St regarding overgrown foliage and they do have powers to take
enforcement action should it become necessary. Notes to be distributed

 

B1961 – Police Report

 

The report encompasses all relevant crime and other matters which have occurred between 17th August and
20th September 2021.

 

The community policing team are unable to attend the meeting as we do not have access to zoom and are on
rest days when the meeting is scheduled. The possibility of returning to face-to-face meetings remains a
topic of discussion with SC and consultation with CC’s is expected during October 2021. Once SC gives
permission, it will fall on the CC to determine what members feel is appropriate to encourage the most
engagement from their communities.

 

Between 17th August and 20th September 2021 a total of 9 crimes occurred within the Bridge of Allan area
(which also covers University of Stirling). The crimes detailed below are those that are of relevance to the local
community.

ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

 

On 25th of August a male was arrested for a Section 38(1) Criminal Justice & Licensing Scotland Act 2010
offence within Chalton Road after shouting, swearing and making threats towards police.

 

On 28th of August a male was arrested in Henderson Street after committing a Breach of the Peace.

 

Sometime between 8th and 10th September a church window at Fountain Road was damaged. This has been
crimed as Vandalism. All lines of enquiry have been carried out and no suspects identified, PS-20210910-1101
refers.

 

DRUG MISUSE

 

On 10th September a male was traced within university accommodation in possession of what is now
confirmed to be cannabis. The male, following some further enquiry will be charged with a drugs possession
offence.

 

VIOLENT CRIME

 

None to report.

 

HOUSEBREAKINGS/CRIMES OF DISHONESTY

 

On 18th August a housebreaking occurred at a property in Allanvale Road, Bridge of Allan. This is still being
investigated at the time of submission with a line of enquiry being pursued, PS-20210818-2300 refers.

 

During the evening of 27th of August a bike was stolen was from Blairforkie Drive. The bike was subsequently
recovered in Mine Wood albeit no suspects have been identified. PS-20210828-1716 refers.

 

ROAD SAFETY AND ROAD TRAFFIC RELATED CRIME

 

None to report.

 

MATTERS OF NOTE

 

Between 17th August and 20th September 2021 (inclusive) there was a total of 104 calls to the Bridge of Allan
area. Please note this also covers parts of the Cornton, Causewayhead and Stirling University.

 

A breakdown of some of these calls is as follows, 7 were concern for person type calls, 10 were public nuisance
calls, 3 calls were drugs/substance related, 1 call related to a neighbour dispute, 1 call was noise related, 6
calls were domestic related, 4 were disturbance type calls and 15 were road related traffic calls.

 

Mobile patrols in and around Bridge of Allan Primary carried out on two dates, three motorists warned in
relation to inconsiderate/inappropriate parking.

 

Pop up Police officer deployed in Keir Street and Cornton Road, Bridge of Allan.

 

Hand-held radar carried out in Henderson Street, Bridge of Allan on one occasion, no issues identified.

University Freshers Fayre attended by CPT officers on Monday 13th September. Around 400 students were
engaged with during the day and appropriate crime prevention and safety advice was offered.

 

Activity for forthcoming month:

 

1. Monitor and patrol areas where crimes of dishonesty have occurred.

2. Carry out static speed checks in the Bridge of Allan area.

3. Carry out a police surgery at a date time to be confirmed (if venue can be sourced)

 

B1962 Christmas Lights (AD)

 

AD worked up a plan for how much refurbishment would cost & how this could be funded; approx. £662 per
light for a full refurb/replacement of old parts that should remove the need for further repairs for 4-5 years.
This is compared to approx. £1000 per light for a new set and manufacturing turnaround time that would
prevent installation in time for Christmas.

 

There has previously been dedicated regular support from light sponsors including local families & businesses;
its important to consider those regular sponsors and approach them first but costs are higher so anticipate
that additional funding may need to come from elsewhere. Proposed that CC applies to community pride
fund however the next round closes on 30th September. Communications to sponsors has been drafted and
AD requested members to review and confirm any amendments via email.

 

With regards to timing, communications should be sent soon and allow a week for responses; Crowdfunder
can be quick process so by November it should be clear whether funding is available. If the repairs are not
funded at that point, then further communications can be sent to let residents know what is possible in terms
of a display based on what funding is available. It was also noted that the invoice for works is not usually
expected for payment until January.

 

IMc will approach the cubs / scouts to do a design for badge / token to give to anyone that donates and it was
also suggested that other local areas have had community volunteers hang lights on their own private
properties.

 

GD indicated that Christmas Lights have previously been excluded from the Community Grant Scheme – AD
will investigate further & make an application to Community Pride fund if that is an option.

 

MW thanked AD for the efforts in putting together the plan and questioned whether further support may be
required from other CC members as SH & AT have both been busy with other commitments. None required
at this time but funding does need to be in place quickly in order to secure the necessary works in time for the
lights to be installed.

 

B1963 Tennis Courts (BF)

 

Engagement has continued with interested parties. There is a zoom meeting planned for 6 October, and
then an application for funding will begin.

 

B1964 Larder (Councillor Dodds)

Councillor Dodds raised question of whether the money initially meant for the BoA Larder which has now
closed and moved to Cornton, can be used for the Cornton Larder which still receives a lot of support (it was
a ringfenced fund with approx. value of £2k). CC confirmed agreement.

Play Park Initiative (SH) – carried forward to next meeting due to SH not in attendance

 

B1965 Chair’s Report (MW)

 

The following points were raised:

• In addition to the ongoing issue regarding dog fouling, there has been a spate of fly tipping.

• Some questions have been raised about what will happen to the coop car park during the rebuilding
  on the store

• Shop within the post office will close shortly and there is no current plan for what will happen in the
  store.

• MW sent letter to Minister regarding Park of Keir and no response as yet.

• Darn Walk – work has started on the Cocksburn Crossing and hoping it will be completed in 5/6 weeks.

• Questions raised regarding the resurrection of the fountain. This will depend on whether there is
  water supply.

   

  B1966 Secretary’s Report (LH)
  Councillors’ Communications:

  Both Councillors Houston and Tollemache forwarded a communication from Forestry and Land Scotland
  explaining that it is currently undertaking public consultation on its current land management plan for Stirling
  Forests.

   

  Councillor Dodds forwarded confirmation from SC that it is taking forward its Henderson Street speeding
  initiative and that the Council is happy to arrange a meeting with Councillor Dodds and Police Scotland to
  discuss the details of the operation of the Community Speed Watch scheme.

   

  Councillor Tollemache forwarded a copy of the ScotRail “Fit For the Future” document prior to public
  consultation on its post-pandemic timetable proposals contained in the document. He has also forwarded his
  request that SC provide an update on the progress in resolving the issue of the Airthrey Road/Kenilworth Road
  sink hole. In addition, he has forwarded a response from SC after he had raised an issue of access to the cycle
  track on Cornton Road close to the railway crossing; SC has confirmed that the problem has been caused by a
  drain cover and the road cover sinking and that repairs will be undertaken when resources permit. The
  Councillor has informed the CC that he has been approached about setting up a litter picking group in Bridge
  of Allan, that he has raised with SC accessibility issues relating to the walkways at the social housing flats off
  Inverallan Road, that he has asked for the 20mph signage currently in place in Causewayhead to be introduced
  in Bridge of Allan, something which has been confirmed, and that he has reported that the speed indicator
  sign at the Keir Street roundabout is not working.

   

  Councillor Majury forwarded a copy of the written response to Alexander Stewart’s letter to the Scottish
  minister re Park of Keir.

   

  Stirling Council Communications:

  Maria Lucey of SC has informed the CC that, since the optioneering work related to the Bridge of Allan Flood
  Protection scheme is now close to completion, she would wish to arrange a meeting with the CC to provide
  an update and to obtain a CC input on establishing an appropriate engagement with the wider community.
  The Community Council Enquiry Coordinator wrote to all community councils to indicate that, in relation to
  the facilitation of community council meetings, the present arrangements would be reviewed by SC at the
  October meeting. A further communication confirmed that consultation on the return to face to face meetings
  would be undertaken before SC’s October meeting. In relation to this issue, the CC has, in fact, received a
  communication from our Community Police officers asking when meetings can return to normal so that
  partner agencies can attend.

   

  SC has forwarded details of an online Community Resilience awareness session.

  SC has notified the CC of its launch of public consultation on ensuring the Common Good Land and Buildings
  Register is updated.

   

  There will be an online meeting of the Civic Panel at 10.00 am on Thursday, 23rd September.

   

  Residents’ Communications:

  A regular correspondent has raised again the issue of providing the Stirling Observer with a precis of the salient
  outcomes of the CC meeting immediately after the meeting. Gavin Drummond has pointed out that, during
  his term as Chair, this was done via the free newspaper, the Allan Water News, although he has stressed that
  this was a time-consuming exercise. The resident has also asked if there are any developments regarding the
  telephone box which he suggests be located outside Lloyds, be painted green and serve as a repository for CC
  minutes.

   

  A resident wrote to point out that exiting the Health Centre car park into Fountain Road was hazardous due
  to cars being parked on both sides of the road and she raised the possibility of having double yellow lines on
  at least one side of the road. Councillor Dodds has raised this with SC and the relevant department has
  confirmed that the matter will be investigated. Councillor Dodds has also written to SC to propose a pelican
  crossing for Fountain Road, given the growing safety concerns of residents. Another resident has asked if
  thought has been given to parking issues which might arise when the new Co-op is in place and has also raised
  the issue of how the police will enforce the 20mph limit throughout Bridge of Allan.

   

  A resident suggested warning notices should be provided for Coxburn Reservoir in view of the surface algae.
  Apparently, the matter has been reported to SC.

   

  The Save Blairforkie Greenspace group has sent an update indicating that it has prepared a comprehensive
  Objection Report covering all the relevant issues related to the application and that this will be submitted to
  SC.

   

  General Communications:

  The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations sent details of the Scottish Charity Awards.

  B1967 Treasurer’s Report – carried forward as AT not in attendance
  B1968 Residents voice (All)

• Request for next CC meeting to include an agenda item ‘Development of a Community Resilience
  Group’ which would include flooding, snow, disaster etc.

• Common Good Fund – query regarding the register that SC has issued and in relation to Patterson
  Clock whether assets will appear in the balance sheet of the common good fund.

• AD to share summary of work planned on Henderson street for awareness.

   

  B1969 Planning (IMcC)

• Planning for Royal Hotel has been withdrawn (Section 75 was never completed).

• Co-Op Planning Application – no building warrant has been applied for yet.

• Care Home on Henderson Street – agreed that IMcC to proceed with objection on same grounds as
  previous objection

• The Forglen road application for erection of 2 properties has been withdrawn.

   

  B1970 AOCB

• War Memorial Cleaning was confirmed as in hand.

• A CC member has recently stepped down and the CC agreed that a recruitment process can start to
  replace the member.

 

Meeting closed at 9.20pm. Next meeting set for 19th October 2021.