February 2024 Minutes | Stirling Council

Causewayhead Community Council Approved Minutes of the Meeting held at 7pm on Monday 5^th February 2024

Present:	Valerie Sinclair (Chair), Fiona Macleod (Vice-Chair), Stuart Wilson (Secretary), Susan White, Isobel Jackson, Joyce Carberry, Amy Britton
In Attendance:	Councillor Rachel Nunn (Scottish Conservative & Unionist), Esther Lim (Minute Taker)
Apologies:	Sonja Ross
Residents:	3 members of the public were in attendance

1. Welcome & Apologies
The Chair welcomed attendees to the meeting and gave the apologies.
2. Adoption of Minutes
The unconfirmed minutes of the meeting held on 4^th December 2023 were approved having been proposed by Stuart Wilson (SW) and seconded by Fiona Macleod (FM).
3. Election of Treasurer
The Chair informed the meeting that Sonja Ross (SR) has resigned from Causewayhead Community Council (CCC) and the position of Treasurer was now vacant. The Chair proposed the appointment of Amy Britton (AB) to the role of Treasurer. This was seconded by Stuart Wilson and agreed by the members present.
4. Matters Arising
4.1	Former Johal Convenience Store Following a discussion with Stuart Wilson, Allyson Allison, Empty Homes Officer for Stirling Council (SC) has contacted the owner of this property. The information requested by SC has now been provided and the application for demolition can be progressed. Once approval is granted, the owner has a period of 9 months in which to demolish the property.
4.2	Safety Issues – Hillfoots Road / Wallace Monument There have been 2 further incidents on this stretch of road since the last meeting and the damaged wall had yet to be repaired. Councillor Rachel Nunn (RN) confirmed that SC is proposing to implement extra safety measures on this stretch of road but she was not able to confirm the details at this time. Members asked that clear signage reminding drivers of the direction of traffic be placed on the University Wall opposite the junction. RN agreed to put this proposal forward. [Action: Councillor Nunn]

4.3

Sustrans – Update and Residents’ Concerns

The Chair shared an update from Scott Craig, Manager on Site.

· The islands in Dunster Road have now been paved with monoblocks and the planters removed.

· The pedestrian crossing on Airthrey Road, near Wallace High School, is being moved up the road towards the Sports Institute. Trees are also being removed to widen the cycle track.

· A new pedestrian crossing is being implemented at the top of Causewayhead Road.

· The pinch point at Bridgehaugh Road will be shared by pedestrians and cycles.

Residents expressed concern that:

· Dunster Road has been narrowed to the extent that the bollards put in place are likely to be knocked over as vehicles mount the pavement.

· Changes have been made at the junction of Easter Cornton Road and Castle Road which were not in the original proposal. The Chair confirmed that this matter has already been raised with SC who have agreed to review it.

· The crossing near Wallace High school which is in process of being moved is used regularly by many school children who are likely to cross at the same place but without the safety of a crossing.

It was suggested that CCC ask a Sustrans representative to attend the next CCC meeting. The Chair reminded the meeting that CCC has requested this previously. She shared residents’ frustration at the length of time the road works have taken and the huge upheaval they have caused. She stressed the need for the works be completed as soon as possible.

RN informed the meeting that in future, Walk, Cycle, Live projects will be delivered by Craig Brown of the Roads Department rather than Sustrans.

RN asked members and members of the public to send their specific questions to her and she will look into them. [Action: All and Rachel Nunn]

4.4

Post Office Closures

Concern was expressed at the last CCC meeting at the frequent closure of the Post Office in Causewayhead Co-op. In response to an enquiry from Valerie Sinclair (VS), Councillor Susan McGill has confirmed that Evelyn Tweed (ET), MSP is looking into this issue. VS has emailed ET and reiterated the concerns. She is currently awaiting a reply.

4.5

Rubbish, Easter Cornton Road

VS met with the School Community Police Officer and a Head of Department at Wallace High School to discuss concerns about rubbish left by school children.

They explained that the officer and a teacher regularly patrol the area at break times and agreed that the bin at the co-op is often full and needs emptying.

5.	Police Report The police report for the period from 5th December 2023 to 3rd February 20024 was shared by the Chair, having been forwarded by Officer Jacqueline Fisher and circulated to members prior to the meeting. The crimes reported included 2 undetected cases comprised of one attempted fraud and one housebreaking. Detected cases comprised one case of assault and theft and one case of possession of a bladed article and a controlled drug. The Chair asked members how helpful they found the report given that the information is not specific to Causewayhead but covers the whole of the Castle Ward area, including Raploch, Cambuskenneth, Cornton, Blairlogie, Riverside and the City Centre. RN reminded the meeting that more detailed information on crime statistics can be viewed online. Members agreed the report seemed to imply that Stirling is a safe place to live.
6.	Councillor’s Report The councillor’s report was presented by Councillor Rachel Nunn. She provided the following updates:
	6.1	New Pothole Assessment The Environment and Transport committee have created a new assessment for potholes in line with government guidance. Currently potholes are repaired depending on their width and depth. Going forward pothole repair will be prioritised on the basis of the presentation of risk. It is hoped this will bring improvements to the roads and give time for proper assessment of the work to be carried out.
	6.2	Changes to Bin Collection Service Changes are being made to SC’s bin collection service to make it more flexible and improve services. The current 7-day week is being reduced to 4 days of waste collection and a ‘spare’ day for flexible use. The changes are due to come into force in May 2024.
7.	Chair’s Report
	7.1	Cornton Pedestrian Railway Crossing The crossing will be closed from 23:00 on Friday 9^th February until 05:30 on Monday 12^th February to facilitate the realignment of the crossing and the installation of new lights.
	7.2	Shop Changes The old Co-op is going to become a Spar shop. The florist shop is to become a tatoo parlour.

7.3	Online Booking Polmaise Waste Management Centre From 1^st May residents will need to make an online booking to deposit rubbish at the Polmaise facility. RN explained that the changes are designed to stop businesses and residents from other areas using the facility. She assured CCC that residents will be make a last-minute booking when they arrive at the facility if necessary. Amy Britton (AB) asked if the re-use hub can be made more accessible. RN responded that she and other councillors had requested this and will push on this issue if there are problems.
7.4	Stirling Pollinator Strategy / Treelink Last week AB, SW and VS assisted in the planting of 700 trees at the rugby club. The plan is to plant a further 1700 trees along the course of the river.
7.5	Tree Felled at Abbey Craig This tree was cut down by the Scottish Woodland Trust due to disease. It has now been removed and the debris cleared.
7.6	Causewayhead Community Council Website The CCC website is up and running. Details of meetings and minutes will be posted. The site includes a facebook feed for up-to-date notifications and a link for sending emails to CCC. RN agreed to facilitate a meeting with the SC media team so that live meetings can be streamed on the website. SW will contact RN to discuss. [Action: Stuart Wilson & Councillor Nunn]
7.7	American Bulldogs From 23^rd February 2024 it will be a legal requirement for American Bulldogs to be muzzled and kept on a lead in public in Scotland. Further legal safeguards will be implemented from 31^st July 2024.
7.8	C30 Bus Route No decision has yet been made on the continuation of this service. Decisions will be made after the budget meeting on 29^th February.
7.9	Planning Applications There has been one planning application since the last meeting: · A one storey extension at 132 Causewayhead Road.

8.	Treasurer’s Report There was no Treasurer’s Report for this meeting. The balance of funds is currently £7,418.50.
9.	Any Other Business
	9.1	Pavement Parking A member of the public (MOP) asked if others had noticed pavement parking since the introduction of new legislation banning pavement parking. RN explained that this is voluntary legislation and councils can decide individually on whether to implement it. SC are currently working on their policy. RN thought it unlikely that there will be a blanket ban as there are areas in Stirling where the roads will be obstructed if residents cannot park their cars on the pavement. A MOP suggested an online portal for reporting parking infringements. RN asked him to email the idea to her and she will put it forward. [Action: Member of the public and Councillor Nunn]
	9.2	Cycle Lane from Bridge of Allan to Causewayhead A MOP drew attention to the fence on Graham’s side of the path being in bad repair and potentially dangerous to cyclists and pedestrians due to overhanging wire. The other side of the path is the responsibility of Network Rail who have already cut back foliage and installed new fencing. Valerie Sinclair volunteered to contact Grahams to ask them to repair this. [Action: Valerie Sinclair].
	9.3	Concerns About Road Narrowing A MOP expressed concern that road narrowing has made it harder for residents of Causewayhead to park without causing an obstruction. It has also made it harder for large vehicles and buses to negotiate the roads without going onto the pavements or into the oncoming traffic. The turning at the traffic lights on Dumyat Road was highlighted. The Chair confirmed that this issue had been raise during Jim Thomson’s walkabout with Craig Brown.
10.	Date of Next Meeting
	The next meeting of CCC will take place at 7pm on Monday 1^st April 2024 in the Function Room of the Birds & Bees, Easter Cornton Road, Stirling, FK9 5BP.