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Minutes of meeting of Dunpender Community Council
Present: Mrs J Priest Mrs A Cosgrove Mr J Swift Mrs L Shaw Stewart Mr E Martin Mr B Craighead Mr R Russel Mr C McWhannell In attendance: Ms A Hunter (minutes) 1. Apologies: 2. Ms V Hoban was welcomed a new member by Mrs Priest and introduced to all. Each member reported on their interests and activities they have been progressing since the March meeting. 2.1. Mrs J Priest - Chair - written ELDA articles, involved with resilience paperwork and assisted in move to online banking. 2.1. Mrs A Cosgrove - Vice-Chair - East Lothian Council (ELC) Single Point of Contact for information about Covid. Working with Mrs Priest to ensure East Linton volunteers had the necessary information and equipment to assist older and more vulnerable residents for 4-5 months. Involved with RAGES, the Community Rail Partnership and RELBUS, the local rural bus users group. Attendee of the A1 Action Group (safety issues on A1). Representative on Dunbar and East Linton Area Partnership (DELAP) and the Viridor community panel. Involved in sourcing funds for projects in the village, as we don't receive much Council funding. The promised planning gain funds from the new housing development for an upgraded skatepark have not been received as yet. It is expected they will be delivered in the 21/22 financial year and we will have 5 years to use the funds from that point. The plan is for a poured concrete skatepark beside the tennis courts to be progressed once that area is no longer needed for construction of the station. 2.2. Mr J Swift - Markle representative. Involved in planning applications - writing letters of objections or support and appearing in person at planning committee meetings when required. Carried out the pharmacy run during lockdown delivering prescriptions to people who were shielding. Chair of Local Access Forum -an advisory body to ELC. Informed the meeting that the countryside was vital during lockdown with an estimated 10 fold increase in use of paths and the railway crossing at Markle by walkers and cyclists. ELC countryside and leisure team engaged with large numbers of wild campers during lockdown, providing bin bags for litter and advising BBQs only be lit below the high tide line to avoid damage to the ground. 2.3. Mr D Wight - Tyninghame representative. Member of Tyninghame Village Hall committee which has place on DELAP. The Area Partnership has representatives from community councils, residents and tenants associations and organisations within the Dunbar and East Linton area. Involved in a new Dunbar and East Linton local good food alliance initiative which is linked to Sustaining Dunbar. In Tyninghame looking at various traffic calming initiatives to reduce speed. Waiting on ELC costings for options to improve rumble strips or provide gateway notices to highlight existing speed restriction. Funding will be sought from DELAP. Liaising with ELC and local landowners to establish a new core path between Tyninghame and Binning Wood. Assisted Mr Reid in the installation of signs and bollards at Lawhead junction. Involved with establishing best location to site bench and seat made by Mr Craighead - they are in the cricket pitch are in Tyninghame. 2.4. Mr E Martin - Whitekirk representative and treasurer. Also treasurer of Whitekirk Community Company who have succeeded in purchasing the village hall which will now the legal offices of the community company. £400 was donated by DCC towards the purchase. DCC accounts were paper based and are now online. Mrs Priest is the second signatory on payments. Analysis of the accounts revealed approximately £1500 left to spend. As £400 had been donated to Whitekirk village hall and Tyninghame village hall it was proposed and agreed to donate £400 to East Linton village hall to assist with additional cost related to COVID measures. It was also proposed and agreed to donate £500 to East Linton primary school towards the additional reading books required to help assist pupils to make up lost ground due to COVID. 2.5. Mr B Craighead - Involved with Mr Russel and Ms Pearson in repair and installation of 24 benches and seats throughout the area. 1 bench is left to site. Mrs Cosgrove asked about repair of a bench at Braehead en-route to Hailes Castle. Ms Pearson confirmed a new planning application is not required for an existing bench. Rather than repair it will be replaced by a new bench. DCC member responsible for the defibrillators in East Linton and Tyninghame - carrying out regular inspections and checking batteries. DCC representative and vice chair of DELAP. DCC representative at memorial services in East Linton Park. This year the gates will be open from 8am until late afternoon and individual groups will lay flowers throughout the day - there will be no 1 minute silence and no piper. Unofficial DCC representative on Xmas Lights committee and involved in making the sledge to be used this year. Was the DCC representative on the Village Hall committee but currently there is no DCC representative on the committee. Mr Craighead confirmed that replacement lamps have been ordered for the fountain and Anderson will notify on delivery. The old structure was in poor condition making new lamps more cost effective. Sandies have provided a new estimate for paintwork to a higher quality specification to ensure a 5-10yr lifespan. The fountain will be taken back to original colour and the painting will include the memorial plaque. It will progress as weather permits. 2.6. Mr C McWhannell - EL representative - Telephone kiosk - complaints have been made about the condition of the telephone kiosk on the High Street. The Repair CafÈ are seeking approval from ELC to adopt the listed kiosk. If this is granted ELC will consult with BT and if consent is granted BT will disconnect the line and the Repair CafÈ, under the umbrella of Sustaining Dunbar, will adopt and tidy up the kiosk. Complaints have been made about waste bins left permanently on pavements. ELC waste services have confirmed that the required site visits cannot take place due to COVID but once there is the opportunity to undertake this they will look to investigate further. Representative to the Association of East Lothian Community Councils (AELCC). Meeting 9th Nov via Zoom - agenda items are resilience groups and review of green book in anticipation of CC elections next year. Caitlin McCorry, the ELC Service Manager - Connected Communities has indicated that current Scottish Govt policy does not include a return to shielding and COVID 19 response groups should not be reconvened. A draft reworking of the green book by Ralph Averbuch, AELCC chair, and Caitlin McCorry will be discussed prior to formal adoption. Mrs Priest has indicated that this provides an opportunity for us to review DCC constitution. Mr McWhannel has requested members to pass any matters to be raised to him in advance of 9th November.
Mr McWhannell suggested DCC invite contribution to DCC meeting from CAEL and the Repair Cafe to increase awareness of these groups. www.cael.community/ and www.repaircafeeastlinton.org 2.7. Ms A Pearson - Hailes and Sunnyside representative. Produced Dunpender News with Mr Russel - to be distributed with ELDA in December. Representative on the Joint Laws Advisory Group. Committed to sending the annual report to Ms Hoban for information. Involved with Mrs Cosgrove in writing letters of objection to the Museum of Flight proposal to cut down 300 trees to make way for new buildings. Mrs Cosgrove confirmed that the decision relating to this is on hold due to the number of responses. Involved in reviewing the planning application for Karele - attended the ELC planning local review body - planning refused and Karele should remove the portacabin and cease trading on site by 16th November. It is possible Karele might appeal to the Scottish Government and ELC will inform if that is the case. Assisted Mr Craighead with installation of benches. 2.8. Mr R Russel - EL representative - assisted Mr Craighead installing benches, arranged planning permission for Robert Noble notice board, refurbished the steps at St Baldreds well, produced DCC news (with Ms Pearson). 2.9. Mrs L Shaw Stewart - Whittingame representative - attending to local issues in the quietest area of Dunpender. Involved in securing money for the upgrade of the local playground. Echoed the increase, seen at Markle, in people walking and cycling locally during lockdown but confirmed that the numbers have reduced again. Assisted Ms Pearson with Karele planning issues. 2. MATTERS ARISING Railway Station - Mr Craighead raised concern about whether the ground available will take the 126 cars suggested in the information available from Network Rail. Mrs Cosgrove will raise this in the public consultation on 5th Nov. She will also raise the question of whether there will be a safe pedestrian route through the car park. Mr Swift highlighted that the underpass is an ancient right of way and canít be closed unless it is done legally. He also highlighted it is a safe route to school and questioned how long it would be closed and what the alternative provision would be. He suggested that the flooding could be solved at same time. He also questioned whether the new style of crossing at Markle would mean increased delays and whether this would be affected by a train in East Linton station.
Ms Hoban thanked everyone for their information and is looking forward to coming on board. Mrs Priest welcomed her as a valuable member of team. Mr Reid has resigned as a member of DCC. Mrs Priest thanked him for his contribution particularly around increasing the safety of the Lawhead junction. The vacancy for a representative from Tyningham/Whitekirk/Lawhead/Newbyth will be advertised on the website, noticeboards and social media.
Christopher Hutchison is the newest member of the Dunbar Community Policing Team and reported that Pop Up Jim will be deployed in the coming weeks in response to recent complaints of speeding. 5.0 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
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