BENARTY COMMUNITY COUNCIL AGM
THURSDAY 12 MAY 2022
Present: Tom Kinnaird, John Purdie, Jack Colquhoun, Brian De Placito, Brian Menzies, Debbie Doyle, PC Kirk, PC Black
2 Chair Welcome
Chair welcomed all to the AGM.
4 Apologies
Cllrs, Sarah Jane Ratcliffe, Margaret Greer, Anne Hay.
19 Declaration of Interests
No declarations were made.
5 Minutes of the Previous Meetings
The minutes were read. They were proposed as correct by Jack Colquhoun and Seconded by Brian Menzies.
6 Matters Arising
Brian Menzies raised the issue of Westfield, from the previous years statement, and that there had been recent news about the Scottish Government now allowing new incinerators. Chair said that Westfield had planning permission and would not be affected by that.
19 Chair Annual Statement
Before I start, I would like to convey my gratitude and appreciation for my fellow office bearers, John Purdie, our Secretary and Stuart Colquhoun our Treasurer. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my admiration for all of our Community Councillors over this year and the years previously for the great work in steering our community through some difficult times.
For myself, I have really enjoyed the role of Chair and the responsibility of stewarding this great community.
I’ll be standing down from the community council after this AGM, to give my family my full attention. I do so feeling confident that the talent we have around our table will carry the community council forward in the years ahead.
The last 12 months have been relatively quiet as we all tentatively emerge from the COVID pandemic to a more normal way of life, and the election last week opens a new chapter in Fife.
We wait patiently to see who will be running our Council and closer to home, the Cowdenbeath Area Committee and for me personally, I hope it changes for the better, and fairness in funding and allocation of resources is paramount.
For years now, there has been a grossly unfair imbalance of funding to the wards, and Benarty fell further behind in many areas, sinking lower in the deprivation tables which I didn’t think was possible, but we know now, if Fife Council is run by people with their own personal agendas, obsessed with advancing their own towns, then places like ours suffer. Direct evidence of that was seen in the blatant attempt to reduce the physical Benarty area by hiving off part of Glencraig for the Lochgelly Northern Expansion Zone, which remains on the FifePlan as a priority development despite our realignment of the boundary.
Thankfully now, the agents leading the attack on Glencraig have been consigned to the back benches on Fife Council, and let that be a lesson to them, that your actions have consequences. The people of Fife are watching, and you will pay dearly at the ballot box for your mischief.
Democracy has been dealt a heavy blow by the advent of giving away decision making powers to Council officers under the delegated powers regulations. These powers are often interpreted differently by some as to just how far Officers can go before elected Councillors can intervene, but I think some Councillors have been too happy to sit back and allow Officers freedom to do as they please, and that can mean trouble if there is no scrutiny, as we’ve seen with the arms-length-trusts and the way they carry out their duties, or don’t as the case may be.
To all of Fife’s 75 elected Councillors, I would say this; You are all quite well paid to be Councillors, with expense accounts, pensions, laptops and phones provided and it’s my opinion that most are riding the gravy train, contributing little except a hand in the air at committee votes. That has to change. Here in Benarty there is a mountain of work to be done, most of it quite urgent, and the power to do it rests with the elected Councillors, to make the case in committee and fight for the people who have chosen our wee corner of Fife to settle with their families and build a life here.
To close, I would like to pass on more thanks to our army of community volunteers, in the Events Group, the Forum, the Heritage Group, the Foodbank, the Food Angels, the Pantry at BRAG, the Parent Councils, the Ladies Circle, the Old Folk’s Council, the Management Committee, the Environment Group, and all the other volunteers doing all they do. I apologise for those I’ve missed, but just look at the length and breadth of volunteering going on here and wonder at the possibilities if Fife Council matched that effort with help and support in Benarty.
Thank you, that concludes my statement and I thank you all for your friendship and support during my time in the Chair. It has been a great honour and privilege and I will look back on this time with great pride.
Thanks folks.
8 Finance Annual Report
The Treasurer presented a financial report. Issues of online banking were raised, which were hoped to be sorted soon.
19 Procedural Decisions
The following motion has been proposed by John Purdie, seconded by Tom Kinnaird
Motion to amend standing orders
The current standing orders do not take into account the increase and decrease of community councillors during the term. I propose that we adjust 6.1 of the Standing Orders to allow for variation in Community Council membership by removing the number five and keeping the required number for a quorum at thirty percent of the total community council membership at the time of any meeting.
Current:
6.1 A quorum shall consist of the greater of at least one third of the actual number of elected members or five of such members of the Community Council entitled to vote upon the question before the meeting.
Proposed
6.1 A quorum shall consist of one third of the actual number of Community Councillors.
The motion was passed.
19 Election of Officials
The office bearers stood down. Jack Colquhoun was returned as Treasurer and John Purdie was returned as Secretary. Brian Menzies agreed to take the Chair on an interim basis.
12 Any other Competent Business
There was no additional business. The meeting was closed.
