Aug 2022 Minutes

Public Meeting Minutes Date – 31^st August 2022

Emily McLaughlin Fiona Dyet Sue Dumbleton

Joan Murphy Andrew Fraser

Ashleigh Phillip Carol Robertson Alison Swanson

1) Welcome and record of those present and apologies

2) Declarations of Interest

No Declaration of Interest was recorded.

3) Approval of Previous Minutes

Minutes for June were adopted

Alison Swanson proposed; Ashleigh Phillip seconded

4) Matters Arising from previous minutes not to be addressed within the meeting

None arising

5) Reports

a) Chair

Joan Murphy expressed excitement for the coming year and the projects Riverside Community Council are engaged with.

Elections for the next community council with be held April 2023 and some current community council members may step down. It is hoped that any community members that may be interested in joining the team would consider being involved with the current activities.

Riverside Community Council is currently recruiting for one councillor. Information can be found here and the closing date is the 26^th September 2022.

b) Secretary

Police Report

There were two detected cases recorded in the reporting period which relate to violence and disorder and one undetected cases which refers to damage to a motor vehicle.

Ward 4 Councillors are now able to host surgeries.

Fly Tipping (Trolleys In The Forth) – This issue remains unresolved as Riverside Community council has exhausted all reasonable avenues in trying to ascertaining who owns the land and has the responsibility for cleaning the river – Stirling Council and SEPA do not.

Perimeter Barriers – There have been a number of the wooden barriers in disrepair and dangerous. This has been reported and addressed by Stirling Council.

Cambuskenneth Bridge Netting – this activity has been delayed due to the contractor withdrawing their resource commitment. A new contractor will be sought. The bridge is getting work done on the gas pipe.

Removal of School Trees - Service Manager in the Assets, Infrastructure and Delivery team has explained that large roots of trees in this area of the playground at Riverside Primary School had broken through the tarmac, causing a significant health and safety hazard. There had been incidents of children tripping and being injured as a result and the area around the trees had to be taped off as unsafe for children to access. Following consultation with the Assets team, the only satisfactory solution identified was to remove the trees, flattening the surrounding area and replacing the tarmac.

The school’s Parent Council have been involved in discussions and are also involved in plans to improve the area once works are complete, including installation of new seating. It is also important to note that Riverside Primary School has spent considerable time and effort making the exterior of the school a safe, practical and fun space for the students and frequently takes advantage of the other green spaces in Riverside for their outside learning and risky play. They were also awarded the status of Eco School again.

Notice of Public Procession Friday 9^th September 2022 , 5pm – 10pm – Starting at The National Wallace Monument to Cambuskenneth Abbey, to The Engine Shed, to the Stirling Highland Hotel, to the Tolbooth Gallery, to Queen Anne Gardens, to Smith Art Gallery & Museum, to the Scottish Gantry to the Old Stirling Bridge back to The National Wallace Monument.

Stirling Council has launched a new mental health service for local young people and is highlighting other available supports.Kooth is the latest platform to offer online mental health and emotional wellbeing support for children and young adults in Stirling.

Open Street Days - Over the weekend of the 10th-11th September 2022, Stirling Council and Go Forth

Stirling are planning to stage a Street Festival in Stirling. The festival is the first, in what they hope to be, a programme of ‘Open Street Days’ in Stirling City Centre over the coming years, with the inaugural event planned as part of a programme of events to mark Stirling’s 20th year as a city. Find out more here .

The Community Development Team have appointed two new Community Development Officers (Covid Recovery) who will engage with individuals, community organisations and businesses in areas out with the priority communities, to build positive relationships, identify need and support the development of opportunities and interventions for Covid recovery over the next 2 years.

Marnie Forster will focus on support to Community Councils in order to develop their resilience and strengthen the democratic process and relationship with both Stirling Council and partners.

Chris Burns will work collaboratively with communities and partners to support the community development activities within the rural areas to ensure the development of opportunities, restoration of social interaction, and community activities.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Cost of Living Support Fund 2022

The aim of Stirling’s Cost of Living Support Fund is to support local third and public sector organisations to tackle the impacts of the cost of living crisis on communities in the Stirling Council area. A total funding pot of £150,000 is available. Applications with expectedminimum value of £10,000 to a maximum of

£35,000 are invited.

Funding is available for projects which aim to ensure that everyone across Stirling’s communities who find themselves already in crisis or vulnerable to the rising cost of living is supported. Find out more here.

The next meeting of the CFSLA Payroll Lottery Committee is scheduled for the 5th of September, so all applications received within the next week or so should get a decision by the middle of September.

CFSLA Payroll Lottery currently has 3 funds available for small (turnover less than £25k) community groups in Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling. These are, in brief:-

1. Community Award - up to £600 for items of equipment

2. Community Celebration Award - up to £500 for an event which allows communities to celebrate together ( applicants need the support of a CFSLA member* to apply)

3. Hardship Fund (until Dec 2022) - up to £500 for grass-roots initiatives that through collective action alleviate the impact of the increase in the cost of living on people who are most affected by it.

The Community Learning & Development Digital Device Fund is provided by the Scottish Government and managed by SCVO. The objective of the fund is to provide capital funding to voluntary sector CLD organisations across Scotland to purchase digital devices that can be used by learners to support their learning.

Organisations can apply for up to £15,000 from the fund for the purchase of digital devices. Organisations must retain ownership of the devices and be responsible for set-up, ongoing management, and security of devices.

The deadline for applications is 16th September 2022. Find fund information and the application is here .

The NHS Forth Valley Health Promotion Community Grants Scheme 2022-23 is now open for applications. We welcome applications from community groups and organisations whose aim it is to reduce health inequalities and improve mental health across Forth Valley

We particularly welcome applications with a focus on addressing the challenges raised by:

· Fuel poverty or cost of living crisis

• Domestic abuse
• Homelessness

· Being part of a minority group e.g., LGBTQ, BAME

• Refugees
• Gypsy and travelling communities
• Living with a disability
• Tobacco and Substance Use

Cycling UK‘s Shift funding programme is open to organisations including community councils based in Scotland for 2022-23, offering organisations up to £1500 of funding plus additional support from a local Development Officer to cover the increased range of activities Shift is supporting. The Shift initiative is designed to fund projects which encourage and support more people to use bicycles for short journeys within their community.

Paths for All are holding a free event and have launched a new fund which may be of interest:

1) Managing Community Path Projects (Stirling), 28th September 10:00-15:00hrs – this event is useful for anyone who is thinking of planning a new path project that will require to be built with contractors.

2)The Ian Findlay Path Fund is a £1.5 million fund which supports the improvement of local paths. The fund is open to a wide range of community and third sector organisations. Funding of £10,000-£100,000 is available with 30% match funding required (15% can be in kind).

Some information is shared between meetings, including road closures, TROs and other Stirling Council communications and this is available on the Riverside Community Council Website. The weekly Planning Schedule is also available each Wednesday.

c) Treasurer

August

Expenditure: Jubilee celebrations: £100 was paid to Riverside Bowling Club for the hire of their hall for the ceilidh; £100 was paid to Fiona Dyet for provision of First Aid for the Family Fun Day (Fiona then chose to donate this sum to Lucky2BHere who provided the defibrillators in Riverside); and the profits from the ceilidh ticket sales were split between Riverside Bowling Club (who hosted the ceilidh) and Riverside Community Council (the organisers). Also, our annual website fees (£108) and data protection fees (£40) were paid this month from our Admin Grant.

Income: £67.50 from ticket sales for the Jubilee ceilidh was transferred to unrestricted funds.

Upcoming: We have been informed that our Admin Grant (£308.49) for 2022-23 will soon be paid into the bank account. A cheque (£150) has been written and presented to the Riverside 50 Plus group for the food for the Jubilee afternoon tea, but this has not been cashed yet.

May – June

Income: The Community Council applied for and received a grant of £775 for our Jubilee celebrations.

£135 (£125 and £10 paid separately) of income was generated from ticket sales for the Jubilee ceilidh. The Community Council received £56 in donations at the Jubilee Family Fun Day.

Expenditure: We used unrestricted funds to purchase holders for dog waste bags (£31.04) to be placed along the path by the river. We hired Riverside Bowling Club for our AGM and for our June meeting (£30 each). For the Jubilee celebrations we paid for: hiring equipment for the DJ at Abbey Road Market (£100); travel expenses for the DJ (£108.44); decorations for the afternoon tea and printing costs (£74.88); flowers for the afternoon tea and a megaphone for the Family Fun Day (£52.98); chocolates for the afternoon tea (£20.32); and crisps for the ceilidh and a gift card for Rosalie, who provided the games for the Family Fun Day (£54.97).

Notes: We have now used all our Admin Grant funds but we have not yet received our Admin Grant for 2022-23.

Also, there are more expenses for the Jubilee Celebrations still to be paid.

d) Planning

AMF Bowling has submitted notice of application for major variation with the Licensing Board. This involves using different entertainment platforms and increasing the number of pool tables. Riverside Community Council will not raise any objections.

You can visit Stirling Council’s Planning Portal for further planning information.

You can visit the Scottish Government’sTell Me W ebsite for further licensing information.

6) Sub-Groups

a) Active Travel and Sustainable Transport

Sue Dumbleton and Alison Swanson arranged a meeting with Paul Bullen to discuss the Cargo Bike Initiative that is being trialled in Collinton, Edinburgh and whether this is project that would be suitable for Riverside.

Manor Powis – The issue is taking longer than hoped for due to the complications in issuing a lease to Stirling Council on Network Rail land that is considered ‘operational’ and may be needed for future rail projects. This is being worked on by various people within Network Rail. Assurances were also given the there will be more communication regarding this project.

b) Environment

Ash Dieback Disease - Ash Dieback is a disease affecting over 50% of the British population of Ash trees. Stirling Council makes all decisions about any trees to be felled. It has been pointed out trees along the riverbank near the Cambuskenneth bridge that will become unsafe and will need to be removed. Riverside Naturally has started discussions with Stirling Council about what will be planted as a replacement.

Long Grass Patches – Stirling Council is looking to reduce grass cutting in some places and Riverside Naturally has identified that the two patches adjacent to the Cambuskenneth Bridge would be ideal and have approached Riverside Community Council for it’s opinion on this matter and to support this suggestion. Riverside Community Council agreed these patches are ideal and support Riverside Naturally in this matter.

Local Nature Conservation Sites (LNCS)

Stirling Council is proposing to designate 17 areas of land as Local Nature Conservation Sites (LNCS). For further information for each individual site is set out in the site statement and to offer comments and feedback please visit the Engage Platform .

c) The Green, Forth Place

Riverside Community Council attended a meeting on the 5^th of August with Michaela Jackson (Sustainable Transport Behaviour Change Officer) and Carlyn Fraser (Team Leader – Operations (Network).

Stirling Council are planning to submit a funding application to SUSTRANS with an Active Riverside bid that would include matched funding from Stirling Council, with evidence from our Active Travel surveys and reports and a letter of support from Riverside Community Council.

The aims are to:

· Make Riverside feel safe and accessible, so people of all abilities can travel sustainably

• through their neighbourhood.

· Make it safer and easier for children to travel to and from school actively by reducing

• congestion around the school.

· Increase the number of residents walking, wheeling and cycling locally as well as to the

• city centre and surrounding areas.

· Make the neighbourhood feel more welcoming with places for people to meet, play

• and rest.

· Reduce the speed and the number of vehicles travelling through Riverside.

The bid is likely to be submitted in the next round of applications which is estimated to be in six months.

During this time we will take the opportunity to work with Stirling Council, working on supporting activities, such as communications plan and behaviour change campaigns which could help speed up delivery if the bid is successful.

The two pedestrian crossing will not be delayed and installed as agreed.

d) Lovers Walk

Riverside Community Council requested some clarity regarding Stirling Council’s proposal to close Lovers Walk permanently. Carlyn Fraser, Operations (Network) responded:

“There are no plans to permanently close Lover’s Walk at this time. However, Stirling Council are exploring a number of options that could see the use of Lover’s Walk change over the coming years.

Option 1:

Road operation remains the same but works are carried out on the footway and at the riverside are to improve conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.

Option 2:

Road will undergo some changes to priorities allowing pedestrians and cyclists more space within the carriageway.

Option 3:

Road closed to motor vehicles - if this were to go ahead, it would be part of a wider suite of projects. These would include pedestrian infrastructure improvements on Stevenson Bridge, at the school and on surrounding roads all aimed at reducing the impact of school traffic on Riverside and improving the safety of child pedestrians and other vulnerable user groups. A closure could be carried out on a trial basis to begin with to ensure that it does not have a detrimental effect on the working of other streets in the area.

I must make it clear that no decision has been made on whether the road will be permanently closed to motor vehicles and if this were to be taken forward, a full consultation would be undertaken, including the statutory traffic regulation order consultation. Only when the view of all users had been considered would we permanently close the road to motor vehicles.”

e) Parking (inc School Streets)

School Street Trial Summary from final report 31^st August 2022

“The Riverside School Streets scheme was delivered by Living Streets in partnership with Stirling Council between 29th and 31st March 2022. The aim of the scheme was to identify effective measures that would reduce congestion associated with the school run and facilitate increases in walking, cycling and scooting.

Following a community consultation, the delivery of a School Streets scheme, and a review of the walking environment conducted by Riverside Primary pupils, Living Streets recommends the following measures to reduce congestion around the school gate and make active travel safer.

· The permanent installation of a school streets scheme to reduce traffic congestion outside the school during pick up and drop off times.

· Improvements to roads, pavements and pathways to make walking and cycling to school safer.

Following an extensive survey of local households, Living Streets were able to establish that there was public support in favour of a School Streets scheme in Riverside Primary School, both before and after the three-day trial. During trialling we collected data from the WOW Travel Tracker which revealed that there was a significant reduction in pupils being driven to school during these days and an increase in pupils, walking, cycling and scooting.

Marshal observations during the trial also noted that many preconceived concerns about lack of parking and traffic overwhelming neighbouring streets did not occur during the scheme.