BENARTY COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Minutes of the Meeting 4 April 2019
Present: Anne Hay, Jim Christie, Willie Clarke, Jack Colquhoun, John Purdie, Tom Kinnaird, Claire Graham, Sharon Kinnaird, Cllr Erskine, PC Smith
Also Present: 7 members of the public
Apologies: Brian Menzies, Brian Di Placito, (Cllr McLelland was at an appointment but hoped to attend)
Absent: Cllr Lockhart, Cllr Liewald
Chair Welcome
Chair welcomed all to the meeting and notified that there had been an application to join the Community Council from Sheila Ross. Jim Christie proposed Sheila and Sharon Kinnaird seconded.
Minutes of the Previous Meeting
The minutes of the previous meeting were read.
Matters Arising
Anne Hay mentioned she had been unable to attend the Lochore Meadows Group meeting but would look to attend the next one. The Bells Project was discussed and it was hoped to progress this to completion as it had been ongoing for several years.
Police Report
PC Smith gave a report to the Community Council, noting that 129 calls were received resulting in 22 crime records being created. The clear up rate was 60%. One driver had been reported for road traffic offences. There had been vandalism at Benarty Primary and 3 assaults. PC Smith said that he and others were aware of the issues at St Kenneths and that it was being monitored. Anne Hay asked if he was aware of the children going around the streets with a spade? And PC Smith said yes, and he intended to talk to those involved. Willie Clarke raised the issue of speeding in Glencraig and said it was an accident waiting to happen. PC Smith said speed survey strips had been be put down and there should be results on it. Cllr Erskine said that this had been raised at Ward meetings. Chair thanked PC Smith.
PC Smith left.
Treasurer Report
Treasurer gave a verbal update on the report provided, looking to add signatories.
Secretary Report
The Community Council discussed the correspondence received. Secretary informed the Community Council that the application for containers to be situated in Lochore had been withdrawn. The Community discussed a request for donation from Polar Academy and Benarty Events Group. Cllr Erskine gave more details on the Polar Girls Exchange, informing that it was the idea of local girls and involved exchanges with a small village in Iceland. The Community Council agreed a £200 donation. The Community Council also agreed a £200 donation to the Events Group to be split between the Gala and the Pipe Band sponsorship. A draft email was circulated to Councillors in regard to the Community asset Transfer of Ore Park and this was discussed. There was general disappointment it was being transferred for such a low rent and sale price: it was raised that local teams had approached the Council to rent the park but had been given pricing f £3,500 per annum and not the £750 per annum agreed with the body involved in the Community Asset Transfer. Anne Hay asked if they have sole use and the answer was that it seems so, and they also have the option to purchase for £5,000 in year five of their 25 year lease, meaning they would gain a valuable asset for a total of £8,000. The community council felt this was a very low sum and the email was agreed. The email is reproduced below for records.
Dear Mr Kendrick
Benarty Community Council is disappointed to learn of the loss of a community asset after the fact. The Community Council wishes to formally complain about the Community Asset Transfer process of Ore Park in Glencraig.
The Market value is very low, and it is doubtful this is a true market value. A ready made football ground with changing facilities, clubhouse with a bar, fencing, car parking, and shelter in additional to toilets would not be on the market for anything less than £250,000; for Fife Council officers to value this at £66,000 is unbelievable. For it to be transferred and removed from public ownership for a total of £8,000 is bordering on the criminal.
It is time Fife Council stopped valuing public property at a fraction of market value and it is time elected Fife Councillors stopped nodding through the transfer of public property at these ridiculously low prices. Benarty Community Council believes that Councillors Gary Guichan, David Alexander, Alistair Bain, Alistair Cameron, Alex Campbell, Mick Green, Kathleen Leslie, David MacDiarmid, John O’Brien, Graham Ritchie, and Jonny Tepp have acted with prejudice to the Benarty area and the Fife tax payer by agreeing to the transfer of a public asset within a regional park for much less than the knockdown price decided by Fife Council Officers, and Benarty Community Council also believes this is a dereliction of duty by said councillors.
In addition the valuation scoring matrix score is very low, just getting over 50%. For the Fife Councillors to agree to a transfer with such a low score is of huge concern.
There is also confusing information presented about Fife Sons of Struth, stating they have been operating in Lumphinnans, for over four years but since February 2018 for some reason became a Benarty organisation. This indicates they became a Benarty organisation solely to have the community asset transferred to them. They are after all Fife Sons of Struth, not Benarty Sons of Struth. It is also of concern that the founding director of Fife Sons of Struth resigned from the company just weeks prior to the Asset Transfer request being validated. Did Fife Council ascertain what impact that had on the running and financial standing of the company?
3.2 of the Fife Council report says:
The group undertook community consultation which showed that a community hub would offer opportunities for all as services to combat social issues in the wider community. The consultation also identified current barriers to the uptake of leisure provision, including transport, financial hardship and equipment.
There is no indication or evidence of any public consultation process having taken place in the Benarty Area.
3.4 of the Fife Council report mentions the annual rent of £750 to be “in line with the Council’s decision on rental for football grounds”. This is blatantly untrue when other organisations have come forward with statements of rent being offered to them at £3,500 per annum.
It appears to Benarty Community Council that a degree of secrecy existed during this process whereby the clubs and community members of Benarty were deliberately kept in the dark as to what was happening and an unfair advantage was gained by clubs from out with the Benarty area. It is clear that national standards for community engagement were not met.
Benarty Community Council hereby request that this transfer is halted pending a full investigation followed by a re-start of the procedure with a full public consultation being carried out. We are not insisting that only Benarty teams and organisations should be considered for the lease or transfer of the asset, but that all teams and organisations across the community are treated fairly and given the same opportunity to bid.
John Purdie
Secretary
Benarty Community Council
Fife Councillors Report
Cllr Erskine gave a verbal report concerning distribution of Easter eggs, raising money for defibrillators, looking at what can be done to tackle poverty and detailed information on Café Inc, a project running in the area providing free meals not just for children but for adults too. Cllr Erskine asked the Community Council and others to advertise this as widely and encourage people to go along to them. Cllr Erskine mentioned a visiting delegation from Greenland who were keen to keep ties going as there was a lot of twinning projects going on.
Public Questions
No public questions had been received.
Procedural Decisions
Signatories
Signatories were asked for and Sharon Kinnaird and Sheila Ross volunteered.
Micro Grants
It was agreed to look at publicising the micro grants.
Any other Competent Business
A member of the public raised the issue of the tunnel at Lochore where there has been 24 hour noise and disruption, underage drinking and locks on the gate broken. The Community Council agreed to look into it but it would have to be determined if it was part of the core pathways or not. Chair would contact people in the vicinity about it. Willie Clarke mentioned that the Community Shop had been on television and that showed it was a great success. The shop was in contention for awards and grants. Willie Clarke brought up the subject of Westfield and asked if neighbouring Community Councils can be contacted to see if they are interested in meeting to develop a common policy. Karen Hunter informed the Community Council that she and others were there from the Friends of Lochore Meadows Group to notify everyone about the survey taking place, to participate in the survey and spread the word on it, and there was also a facebook page called Friends of Lochore Meadows which people could like and share. Community Councillor Jim Christie gave a short presentation on a Heritage Centre which could be located at Lochore Meadows. It had been promised to the meadows for more than 35 years. He presented plans which he said would complement the current facilities and teach about geology and history. Admission would be free but books and other items would be available for sale. Willie Clarke said that others had tried to start Heritage centres around the local area but they had failed due to not having the footfall that the Meadows has. The Community Council agreed to support the idea.
Chair informed of the next meeting date and also that the AGM would be on the same date.
Citizen of the Year
The Community Council met in private to further discuss and detail policies and procedures for the Citizen of the Year Awards. Community Councillors raised some procedural matters and the Secretary advised on options.
