Minutes of LCC meeting - 7 June 2022
1. Welcome, attendance& apologies
Present: Karen Malcolm (KM), Elizabeth Walker (LW), Kerry McKendrick (KMcK), Duncan Adam (DA),Paddy Douglas-Early (PD-E),Steve Banks (SB), Richard Graham (RG), Jeannette Crawford (JC), Kerr Bryson (KB), Shona Finnie (SF) , Patrick Ramsey (PR),Ross Anderson (RA),Cllr Andy Doig, Cllr Emma Rodden, Cllr Gillian Graham, Cllr Chris Gilmour.
Also, a large public presence (see appendix)
2. Minutes last meeting
Moved by (KB) and seconded (SF).
3.Chair’s Report
AB resignation accepted. KMcK suggested that SB should stand in as chair for this meeting given short notice / business to attend. Role of chair will rotate until new chair elected. Approved unanimously.
4.Treasurer’s Report
KM £3738 in single account at RBS (including £228 public donation). Account will now move to BOS. £500 cheque issued as contribution to Burnfoot Planning Consultancy expenses as previously agreed.
5. Police Report
No report submitted this month by community police officers. SB to clarify.
6. Councillors’ updates
Cllr Andy Doig: re-elected.Independent.
Cllr Emma Rodden:re-elected. SNP.
Cllr Gillian Graham: elected Labour.
Cllr Chris Gilmour: elected Labour.
Cllrs Doig and Gilmour sit on Climate Change and Planning Policy Committee.
7. Co-option of new member to LCC
Mr Arthur Donnachie. Retired trade union negotiator with local authority experience. LCC can co-opt ¼ membership. Currently 12 elected members and one co-opted (SB). Proposed by SB. No objections.
9. Meeting with LCDT
Chair of LCDT has declined to attend.
A meeting with LCDT had been suggested by the LCC planning subcommittee (KMcK, RA, DA). The aim of this meeting was to information share, collaborate in local planning issues and avoid duplication of effort particularly now that a Local development Officer has been recruited by LCDT.
Many members of the public and ‘Larder’ volunteers were in attendance at tonight’s LCC meeting. They report email/online criticism of ‘The Larder’ and its volunteers. Some of the exchanges have been perceived as personal threats. (Kirsten Bisset, Tori Bell, Angela O’Neil). In addition a number of posts are reported as being made by LCC member(s).
Reassurance was given that the LCC per se has had no formal standpoint with regards to the Larder.
As a result, two community leaders have stood down.
Motion 1: (KMcK/KM) Cllr Emma Rodden will invite members of LCC and LCDT to meet and discuss.
Motion 2: (PR/LW) If any LCC member(s) are alleged to have posted derogatory posts on social media, it would be investigated with regard to the Code of Conduct.
10. Burnfoot /LDP
Re-briefing of new council members will proceed prior to Planning Board Meeting on 23 August 2022. **** Extra Meeting of LCC in July required prior to this ****
11. Lochead Avenue temporary works at Larder
A range of persons from the public seating spoke to the social and economic value of the work of the Larder with great passion and commitment. They emphasised it’s role given the “cost of living crisis” and the number of households in need of assistance.
KMcK reiterated that LCC has no objection but is on record as saying that ‘brown field sites’ (such as Lochhead Ave) are its preferred option for future house building rather than ‘Green field sites ‘and so we cannot guarantee future long-term support for protection if suitable housing sites required.
There were no objections to the temporary proposals.
12. Mr John Blackburn
Plea for help from LCC and local councillors from member of public who has been served with a writ by a neighbour. Public access issue. Court proceedings in due course. Advice has been offered as far as possible by Cllr Doig, SB and members of LCC. No further action appropriate.
13. Temporary Chair (SB) expressed gratitude for the presence and participation at tonight’s meeting by members of the local community. He hoped that the LCC had been able to reassure them of its intentions.
Next Meeting: 5 July 2022 7.30 pm at Lochwinnoch Bowling Club
Appendix: public attendance
T.Miller, A.Capuano, A. O’Neill, C.Keir, A.Hogan, V.Hutton, B.Irvine, S.Reid, L.McKinlay, A.Hutton, C.Harris, Z.Bhatia, R.H. Chambers, R.J.Blackburn, E.Beattie, E. Davidson, Janice and Dougie Long.