INVERKIP COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Minutes of Business Meeting
Held on Thursday 4th July 2002
In the Inverkip Hotel

Present: Robert Polland (Chair), Ian Barr (vice Chair), Lynn Chambers, Ann Sargent (Treasurer), Innes Nelson and Lorraine Marshall (Secretary).
Apologies: Paul Maloney and Cllr. Campbell.
In Attendance: PC Paul Renfrew & Barry Spiers.

Robert Polland welcomed all present. At 8pm the meeting was opened.

Police matters:
Crime figures for the period 4Th June 2002 - 6Th July 2002
28 Calls
2 Crimes (1vandalism detected and House breaking at the Pavilion)
9 complaints (mainly Main Street and Marina Areas, party noise)
1 Assisting Public
5 Alarms
1 Disturbance
1 Abandoned car
1 negative Drink Drive
1 Vehicle breakdown
1 Drug search
1 Fire
3 Traffic Calls

Cullen Crescent Play park: as there have only been 3 calls to this area in the last 18 months the police are unable to flag this area as "A Standing Complaint". They have asked that any disturbance/Complaint be telephone into the Greenock Office 492500. This will highlight the awareness to this area.

It was noted to the Police that two recent incidents had been notified within the village (break-in at the Pavilion and a gang of unknown youths) and no action had been taken or a very negative responses from the Control Room Staff had been received. This will deter people from telephoning in future as a 'don't care attitude is received'.

Paul Renfrew advised that there is a breakdown of communication within the station and he has highlighted this to his Inspector. Advised that we would support this by confirming these incidents.

Paul Renfrew also advised that he has no update on the Police Office, which may be happening within the Kip Lodge Development.

Resignations: We have received a letter of resignation from Jonathan Sage. It was decided that with the current changes and likely cut in numbers allowed we would not actively recruit new members.

Minutes: The minutes of the previous Business Meeting held on 6th June 2002 were approved and adopted without amendment.
Matters Arising: Bus Shelter the developer is to finance the reinstatement of a bus shelter (cantilever style not acceptable) this may cost in the region of £1.5K -£2k.

Cullen Crescent Play Park Cllr Campbell is aware of the correspondence regarding this and will endeavour to find out more on progress.

Secretary's Report: Lorraine Marshall advised that we had received varied correspondence.
Several letters had been sent out on the following subjects: The footbridge sign, Cullen Crescent Play park, Long unkempt grass, Overgrowth from viewpoint - PowerStation.

Newsletter/website/press matters: Newsletter the Newsletter had been printed and delivered and we had all received a copy. David Cairns wishes to advertise his forthcoming surgeries in the next Newsletter. Shop Mobility has opened a centre in Greenock. They wish to have an article written in next issue.
There is a shop in Paisley where the cartridges can be refilled for £25. We have agreed to try this and see if it will cut costs.
The Scouts have advised that £50 per delivery is not sufficient to cover their petrol costs!
They are requesting £100 per delivery. It was felt that this request is unreasonable and we will approach other groups. Possibilities are Guides, Youth for Christ Gap group, Safeway and Post office.
Website Robert Polland advised that he was finding it difficult getting time to update this as it required. Innes Nelson volunteered to help out where possible.
The IT Director of the Greenock Telegraph is friendly with Robert Polland and has agreed that
We can update our website with local articles of interest on request.

Robert Polland has been asked to check if we can enter the Calor Gas competition for websites.

Lynn Chambers and Ian Barr had attended the summer gathering at David Cairns and Duncan McNeil's office. Very few community councils were represented at this.

Planning Matters: Play parks - Ardgowan View and Ardgowan Brae: Despite phone calls and two meetings with Guy Phillips I have nothing too detailed to tell the Council about the proposed play park for the Ardgowan Brae/Stuart Milne development. Guy Phillips apologises and will send out to me details of the play equipment and a plan of the play park. It appears to comprise two discrete adjoining areas on slightly sloping ground. It seems pretty large but as Guy Phillips points out it's to accommodate all four phases of the development.

I told him that the Community Council's interest stemmed from the problems experienced by some residents who lived adjoining the Ardgowan View play park. I reported to Guy Phillips the nature of the complaints made to us at the last Council meeting and he said he was aware of the problems. He said too that the Planning Department had had to fight hard for the quality of equipment provided by the builders. Evidently the Local Plan requires builders developing a site of a certain size to provide playground facilities. The builder is then required to provide enough money to the local council to pay for maintenance of the facilities for ten (?) years. What usually happens I was told is that builders deduct the maintenance money from the amount intended for equipment leading to lower standards of equipment. However for the Ardgowan Brae play park the Council immediately took responsibility for the maintenance to ensure a higher standard of equipment. A basketball hoop does not appear to be part of the equipment intended for the play park at Ardgowan Brae.

Flood debris and damaged tarmac, bottom of Spey Road: I spoke to Jim Anderson of Inverclyde Council's roads maintenance department to report the debris and damaged tarmac at the bottom of Spey Road following torrential rain and flooding. In severely wet weather a positive torrent of water flows from the side of the road approaching the railway bridge. Jim Anderson said that he had discovered in the past that the land belonged not to the Ardgowan Estate but to Railtrack - or Network Rail, as we must now call them. He said too that they were traditionally slow to repair problems and undertook no routine maintenance. The cause of the flooding was a blocked grating on their land. Jim Anderson came out himself to inspect the site on a couple of occasions and has now - in agreement with Railtrack - organised that Inverclyde Council workers will undertake repair of the road and will unblock the grating too if that is not done in the near future by Railtrack. The Council then bill Railtrack. Jim Anderson said to a certain extent that it suited the Council - they had control over the workmen - whereas there was no guarantee of the quality of Railtrack sub-contractors.

Grass cutting of verges :I also asked if the roadside/pavement verges on Spey Road could be cut. The grass in the verges is now disgracefully long (as it was last year) and Spey Road looks very unkempt.

I reported to Amey that the grass on the Brueacre slip road heading for the village - despite the metre or so they cut with what must be the bluntest cutting equipment in Scotland - is so long that the ability to see oncoming traffic is impaired.

There is a planning amendment in for 78 houses at the top of Swallow Crescent. Lynn Chambers has agreed to contact Finlay McFee (Wemyss Bay Comm. Council) and then write to Fraser Williamson advising of our objections. Langhouse Road is incapable of coping with further increased traffic, The A78 is at capacity, still more housing to be put in by Stewart Milne in phases 3 &4, possible development of PowerStation. School at capacity. No infrastructure within the village to support further growth.

Betty Burn Guide Camp: It was agreed to leave this until next time so Ann Sargent can get an update from the Guides.

Scoping Meeting with Ardgowan Estate: Lynn Chambers and Lorraine Marshall attended this. Dick Scruton (Ardgowan Forrester) and Peter McGowan (Consultant) Have been working for the Shaw Stewarts in an effort to restore the physical and built landscape to the original plans if the 18thCentuary. The Forestry Commission imposes stringent restriction on any changes. Public access is to be maintained and increased.
They wish to run an article in the next issue of the newsletter.

Date & Time of Next Meeting: As several members are on holiday at the beginning of August it was agreed to have the next meeting on 5th September 2002 in The Inverkip Hotel at 8pm.

Other Business: Kilmacolm Community Council have received money from Inverclyde Council from a Special Fund for special events. Perhaps this would help if a celebration were decided upon for the relaunch of Recreation Park once the Kip Lodge development is completed.
IYFC are running a summer play scheme in Inverkip for only 3 weeks. Wemyss Bay has a play scheme funded by Inverclyde council. Local Councillors form a steering group for the funding of play schemes. Due to the growth in children numbers within the village, the cost of IYFC £13.50 per week compared to the council cost of £3.50 per week and the fact that the IYFC scheme only caters for children P4 and above we are being penalised by not having a Council run scheme.

There being no other business the meeting was closed at 10.30pm.