Members Present:  Iain G Mitchell (IGM), Mary Finlayson (MF), Jim George (JG), David Shields (DS), Peter Selbie (PS)

Fife Councillors: Cllr David Barratt (DB), Cllr Dave Dempsey (DD), Cllr Alice McGarry (AM)

Members of the Public: Victoria Banks, Mike Lowe, David Neill, Elizabeth Seviour, David Skivens

Agenda Reference

Description

Action

1. Apologies

Lin Collis (LC), Sheila Foggon (SF), Barbara McKechnie(BM), Christina McKenzie (CM), (Cllr Lesley Laird now MP for Kirkcaldy)

2. Minutes of Previous Meeting

Minutes Approved

3. Matters Arising

Station steps.  Alternative access signs are up – discussions with Abellio and Transport Scotland on railings are ongoing.  Network Rail staff carried out a condition report during the week and were alerted to the absence of a railing.

SF/DS

4. Police Report

None received.  Cllr McGarry recommended we advise Inspector Stephen the dates of NQCC meetings.  Richard Duncan has since advised that the increase in calls in May was due to a noisy party and protesters at Deep Sea World.

DS

5. Coastal footpath

Transport Scotland responded to Annabelle Ewing MSP regarding rerouting around the headland citing privacy issues at Admiral House.  Proposed a site visit and meeting with FRC representatives which CC will accept.   DS will advise date and time

DS

6. Beamer Rock Light relocation

Councillors will pursue suggestions for location at East end of Inchgarvie or West Bay and set up a more complete consultation with the village by means of a ballot.

DB/DD/AM

7. Forth Replacement Crossing - tickets

100 tickets have been allocated for CC to administer the bridge official opening tickets.  32 are directly to 8 of the 9 Community Councillors releasing any unused and at least 14 to volunteers in the village.  Balance of 50+ is to be divided between Community Groups.  It will be their responsibility to select who goes from their allocation.  

One condition would be that tickets are for residents of the village.  

JG/MF suggested that nearest CC’s get together on this matter and express disappointment and discontent at the limited number of tickets issued to communities next to the bridge

JG proposed a ‘Constructor Day’.   

Sub Committee to distribute Admin meeting required

JG/MF

JG

8.  Edinburgh Airport Consultation

MF stated that Transport Minister Humza Yousaf says this is not a devolved issue.  Research by resident Bruce Finlayson has revealed otherwise and he has written back on this matter.  No response to date.  IM expanded on the legal response – see NQCC website.

DD is now Fife Council’s representative on Edinburgh Airport Consultation Committee.  Expect further engagement in August / September.  The airport has been busier in recent months.  There is a new tracking system on the airport website and they are looking for Beta testers.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are currently running a survey for members of the public who are annoyed by aviation noise to tell the CAA which issues they feel should be prioritised when it comes to acting to reduce noise. The CAA are keen to understand what communities think they should be doing as they develop their work programme.  You can access the survey via this link https://consultations.caa.co.uk/policy-development/aviation-noise-impacts

Pass CAA Link to Ferry News and post on Facebook

9. Traffic issues: management at time of carriers passing etc; Speeding on B981

Recent passage of the aircraft carrier caused a great deal of congestion with parking on pavements.   There was no access for emergency services and barely any police intervention.    

Cllr McGarry recommended deployment of Traffic Enforcement Officers. 

MF asked for more advance notice with intended passage time.  Cllr McGarry will take this up with MOD

JG proposed that he write to the police to establish what proposals they have for controlling traffic during the next (at least five) passes by Aircraft Carriers.

The Traffic Management Plan is still in the ether and must be progressed.  Three areas: Ad hoc events / Forth Bridge Visitor Centre / Lorries

We were not able to fully discuss speed limits on B981 and Ferryhills Road. 

Lights at Park and Ride – it is hoped fitting another detector will bring improvement.

AM

JG

10. Tourism Project Group

The draft Tourism Strategy developed for the Forth Bridges Forum through the Tourism Group needs to be discussed by the CC and made available for local comments.  However it will not be released until after the Forum's meeting on 15 August but it has to be finalised before our September meeting. LC has seen a summary of the draft actions and urges the CC to hold a meeting to consider and form a response.

Distribute and post to website  review discuss

and meeting required late August

11. Cruiks Quarry Liason Group

Nothing to report

12. Rotary talk

Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay Rotary Club has invited the CC to have a speaker give a 15 minute overview of our work for the community.  MF has offered to do this

MF

13. Community Group Updates

CM for Community Centre reports that Fife Council are looking to appoint a contractor for the MUGA by the end of this year and for the project to start February 2018.   There is a MUGA working group, made up from the com centre management committee and the junior football club.   There is a funding shortfall, well into the thousands, an application is being made to the environment fund (which has given good and positive feedback).

14. Fife councillors’ reports

Cllr Lesley Laird now MP for Kirkcaldy and Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland.  She has not stood down so there has not been a bye election yet.

15. Planning Applications

1: Malinke Cottage, Helen Lane.  The only visible alteration is the substitution of a garage door for glazed patio doors

2: New signage at Hilton Doubleday Hotel – already installed.

16.  Treasurer’s report

Funds currently held are £724.38, however, £767.64 is set aside for specific purposes leaving negative funds of £43.26 until the grant for the current year is received.

17. Floral Enhancement

Cllr McGarry alerted LC to free bedding plants from Fife Council. This was greatly appreciated: we have used a car load around the village.

A permanent Christmas Tree would require a £ 220 Planning Application and it was felt that lights would be inappropriate around the War Memorial.   Decided to buy a one off tree.  

18. Defibrilator

Proposal nearing completion.  Funding applications will include Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay Rotary Club and the Mary Leishman Foundation

DS/SF

19. Correspondence

Nothing to report

20. Any other competent business

Victoria Banks and David Skivens raised matter of a large quantity of airborne rust specks arising from work on the railway bridge.  (These have also been encountered elsewhere e.g. Coastguard Cottages).  There has been at least one successful claim against Network Rail (for damage to a car) but there is now an issue with attributing responsibility.  NR’s Legal Department is now denying any damage arising from the work.  Cllr McGarry suggested they contact HSE and copying in Fife Council Environmental Services Chief Officer Brian Hill and also Linda Turner.  DS will ask Victoria and David to keep CC up to date on this matter.  DS suggests CC copies to Craig Bowman at NR

brian.hill@fife.gov.uk linda.turner@fife.gov.uk

JG asked if there has been progress with Amey / Transport Scotland re levelling the football pitch.  IM will continue to press on this matter.

JG reports that seats in the village are being restored by Community Payback.

David Skivens reminded CC that the loose paving setts on Main Street are still an issue.

Next Monthly Meeting:  Thursday 14 September 2017, North Queensferry Community Centre 7.30pm. 

Residents of North Queensferry are welcome to attend all Monthly Meetings

DS

IM