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Classification: Approved
Minutes of Bridge of Allan Community Council AGM
Held at 7pm on Tuesday 21st June 2022
Virtual Meeting held online via Zoom
Present:– Mike Watson (MW) CHAIR; Janie Meikle Bland (JMB VICE) CHAI); Leslie Harkness (LH) SECRETARY;
Alasdair Taylor (AT); TREASURER; Anna Doeser (AD) COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER; Sandra Davidson(SD0; Bill
Fortune(BF); Emma Fradgley (EF)
Apologies: Andrew Drummond Baxter (ADB);); Siobhan Hencher (SH); Alastair Heron (AH) PLANNING
OFFICER; Moira Randall (Associate Member) (MR); Alyn Smith MP; Councillor Ewan Dillon; Councillor
Douglas Dodds; Councillor Graham Houston; Douglas Nielson ( Vice Chair, Friends of Bridge of Allan ); PC
Paul Gilliland; PC Ross Barclay)
In attendance: Crawford Bell (CB) Community Development Manager, Stirling Council; Councillor Douglas
Councillor Alasdair Tollemache; Alexander Stewart MSP; Graham Rusell ( Chair of Friends of Bridge of Allan);
Gavin Drummond
Abbreviations – Community Council (CC), Common Good Fund (CGF), Stirling Council (SC), Annual General
Meeting (AGM)
1. Welcome and Apologies
MW opened the meeting at 7.00 pm and welcomed everyone to the meeting.
The apologies were noted as indicated above.
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2. Approval of Minutes of Previous AGM
The minutes of the previous AGM held on 15th June 2021 were approved. (Proposed: BT; Seconder: AD)
3. Matters Arising (MW)
LH confirmed that there had, in fact, been no imminent need for succession planning during the previous
session and that Neil Harman had reluctantly had to resign from the CC for personal reasons. CC members
expressed their satisfaction that MW has decided to stand once again for the post of Chair
4. Chair’s Report (MW)
Classification: Approved
The following summary covers the key points in the Chair’s annual report.
A busy year has seen the CC addressing an ever-growing number of local issues, with an increased workload
for the CC team members.
Regrettably, the CC has lost two valued members, Iain McCusker and Duncan McDougall. As planning lead,
Iain did an outstanding job fronting our response to key planning issues, including the controversial Coop site
location and the Henderson Street care home development proposals; in addition he has carried full
responsibility for the day-to-day oversight of the ever-changing planning landscape. Duncan, over the past
decade, has been a priceless asset, fronting both our significant objection input to the Airthrey Kerse
(Grahams Dairy) planning applications and the formal appeals process at both local and Scottish Government
level; he has done so on behalf of our own CC and also Causewayhead CC. The CC, however, has been
fortunate to recruit two new members, Alastair Herron, who has taken on the planning portfolio, and Emma
Fradgley who will be assisting Alasdair Taylor with the oversight of the Christmas lights.
Regrettably, we are about to lose Janie Meikle Bland who has done an outstanding job, often encouraging
the CC to think out of the box. She has led on several important developments, in tandem with key partners,
including the accessibility and inclusivity access work with Carylin Fraser of Stirling Council and the Visit
Bridge of Allan initiative.
Planning has been a major issue throughout the year. The Park of Keir outcome, following ministerial
intervention, was undoubtedly a low point. After many years of work by RAGE, Dunblane CC, BoA CC and our
elected members, this outcome, undermining as it did the local planning process, was a significant blow and
a potential threat to maintaining future greenbelt expectations. In the same context, the future shape and
development of the village will be included in the new Stirling Council Local Development Plan. It is the
intention of the CC to exert its influence on the plan through the consultative process.
As ever, the constant issues of traffic management, speeding and parking have been an important t feature
of the CC’s agenda, involving working through our elected members. Specific issues highlighted have
included those relating to the access and egress for the new Crossing Gates and also those relating to speed
restrictions in the village.
After several years on our agenda, with a key input from Bill Fortune, it is gratifying that the ongoing saga of
the Tennis Courts now appears to be closer to a resolution, with potential access to major funding being
made available to Stirling Council through a new Lawn Tennis Association stream of funding.
Christmas lights provision was a potential problem due to storage, funding and maintenance issues. The
significant shortfall in funding was overcome through the drive and imagination of Anna Doeser and her
crowdfunding initiative. This success created a welcome and much-valued festive feel in the village at an
important time of Covid recovery. Future strategies for addressing the above issues are now a priority for a
small working group. The challenge is complicated by the future closure of U.G with whom we were in
consultation over potential storage and minor maintenance cost-saving options.
Despite considerable work done to create a clear administrative system for community access to the
application procedures relating to the Common Good Fund, uptake over the year has been disappointing,
partly due to misunderstandings on the part of Stirling Council officials who have sometimes appeared to be
on a different page in respect of the administrative management of the CGF. This is a matter to which the CC
will give full attention in the coming session.
Concerns over the quality and delivery of appropriate grass-cutting services have been highlighted
frequently during the year, coupled with concerns about litter and waste bin provision. These are ongoing
issues and the CC will be seeking to secure an acceptable level of service provision.
Classification: Approved
The Comms group has worked hard throughout the year making improvements to our digital communication
on a wide variety of issues. This is increasingly appreciated by the community.
In conclusion, the Chair would like to thank his colleagues for their commitment and support, particularly
Anna, Janie, and Alasdair for their support throughout the year and during his sabbatical. He would also wish
to thank the Secretary for his invaluable support and mentoring.
The Chair is grateful to our elected representatives for their greatly valued, much-appreciated and whole
hearted support, one of our key strengths as a proactive CC. The support from Stephen Bly and his team at
Stirling Council is also appreciated.
5. Presentation and Adoption of Annual Accounts (AT)
The 2021-2022 accounts are presented to the Community Council for acceptance. These accounts run from
1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022. In June 2022 the accounts were independently checked and verified as
accurate by Gavin Drummond. Many thanks again to Gavin for performing this role.
At the start of the period our funds stood at £34,994.70, consisting of a residual from the administration
grant of £140.76, a residual in the Christmas Lights fund of £24.00, Playpark funding of £29,896.06, Larder
funding of £2156.07, and £2727.81 in our unrestricted funds.
The biggest expenditure in the period was on the playpark project, with £29,896.00 spent to implement the
park which is now in place for the community. There was also an additional income for the playpark project
of £2000.01 from fundraising for future enhancements.
The second biggest expenditure during the period was on the Christmas Lights. During 2021, it became
obvious that the lights had degraded further and were in need of a major overhaul. As this would be
expensive, a major fundraising exercise was started in the community, including crowdfunding. This resulted
in a fantastic response, with a healthy total of £14,233.49 being raised from businesses and residents to
repair the lights. This then allowed the overhaul to be completed, plus electrical services and storage,
totalling £12,380.40.
The larder project has continued during the period, with a “Good Food for All” grant from Stirling Council of
£4000, fundraising from Stirling & Bridge of Allan Round Table of £300, and a donation from the Co-op of
£150. Delivery of the larder project during the period cost £1438.46
As usual, the running costs of the Community Council were funded by an administration grant from Stirling
Council, which for this period was £654.66. Our costs during the period were £741.28 however, consisting of
£440 to fund a Minutes Secretary, £72 on Branding and Website costs, and £229.28 on other sundry
expenses including an annual Zoom subscription, since most of our meetings during the period have had to
continue to be held on Zoom. We entered the period with an administration grant surplus of £140.76, but
would still have overspent in the period were it not for our minutes secretary stepping down. Although there
is an opportunity now to go back to face-to-face meetings, if we wish to continue with the improved
community access which Zoom attendance allows, then further funding support will be required to achieve a
satisfactory mixed attendance format for meetings ( in person and on-line ), as this is likely to be more
expensive than either method alone.
During the period, there was overall income totalling £21,338.16, and expenditure totalling £44,248.94. At
the close of the period our funds total £12,033.92, comprising £54.14 in the administration fund, £1877.09 in
Classification: Approved
the Christmas Lights Fund, £2543.27 in the Playpark fund, £5,167.61 in the Larder fund, and £2,391.81 in our
unrestricted fund.
Our Assets remain unchanged from last year. They include a PA system, 18 Christmas Lights and associated
infrastructure which is stored at Gordon Electrical in Dunblane and the BT Telephone box on the corner of
Inverallan Road and Station Road.
6. Election of Office Bearers
Under the procedural guidance of Crawford Bell of SC, the six office bearers were elected as indicated below.
Chair: Mike Watson (proposed LH, seconded VM)
Vice Chair: Anna Doeser (proposed MW, seconded LH). AD expressed a desire to retain her role as
Communications Officer in addition to serving as Vice Chair and this met with full agreement.
Secretary: Leslie Harkness (proposed AD, seconded AT )
Treasurer: Alasdair Taylor (proposed BF, seconded LH)
Planning Officer: Alistair Heron (proposed LH, seconded BF) Alistair not in attendance and needs to accept
the position formally
Communications Officer: Anna Doeser (proposed BF, seconded Alasdair) - Accepted
Control of the meeting returned to MW as the newly elected Chairperson.
7. AOCB
There being no other competent business, the Chair declared the meeting closed at 19.25 pm.
8. Date of Next AGM
The Chair indicated that the next AGM would take place on Tuesday, 20th June 2023.