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Home , Buchanan Smithy, Forth and Endrick (ward)

Councillor Graham Lambie Forth and Endrick Ward Council Forth and Endrick News - - Wednesday, 11th December 2013

Arnprior Buchanan Killearn Councillor Lambie Report  PBB Priority Base Budgeting: This is the council’s new approach to budgeting which is designed to achieve savings of some £29 million over the next 5 years although officers have mooted that this program could extend to 10 years. The PBB has identified 3 core budget categories for each council service – A. Transformation Options. B. Efficiency Options C. Stop/Reduce Options. The latter category, arguably contains many of the more unpalatable option a number of which could have more impact on rural communities than urban. These include – Fintry Nursery Closure, Withdraw Specialist Teachers (Music), Reduce Grey Bin Collection to 4 weekly, Introduction of Charge for Brown Bin Collection, Introduction of Road End Bin Collections, Stop Treatment of Invasive Plant Species, Reduce Frequency of Grass Cutting, Reduction of supported bus service budget by 50%, Increase Council Tax on Long-Term Unoccupied properties etc. Community Engagement: There have a series of meeting throughout the Stirling Council area including a well-attended one at Balfron High on 2nd December. There is also an online survey for residents and groups to express their views: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SC-PBB-E The Priority Based Budgeting page on the Stirling Council website can be found by typing into Google - stirling council working together or there is a link on the council home page. The draft PBB report can be downloaded from the website.  Community Empowerment Bill (See Appendix 1) : This consultation seeks views on a range of proposals intended to give people in communities, and those supporting them in the public sector, a range of new ways to help deliver a better . It takes forward proposals that were supported in our previous, exploratory consultation in 2012, and others which have emerged from further discussion with stakeholders. Audience: Community Organisations, Community Councils, Third sector, voluntary and equality organisations, Public bodies, Local Government, Businesses and private sector organisations, Individuals Interests: Community Empowerment, Asset Transfer, Common Good, Land Reform, Community Planning, Defective and Dangerous Buildings, Allotments, Outcomes approaches at national, local and community level, Subsidiarity and local decision-making. The link to the page is on and closing date for responses is 24th January 2014. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/11/5740 (Note: Killearn CC may have already made a response to this. However, any individual resident can also respond.)  Roads Review: I spoke to Stephen Todd (Roads Area Manager) on Tuesday 10th Sept about what consultation will be taking place before publishing the road schedule. This would have to happen prior to the budget meeting in February and I have suggested that he requests a slot on the next rural forum. He indicated there would not be much deviation from the 5 day closure practice. Some residents have suggested that the roads department resurface longer stretches of road – however this could necessitate closure lengths of 10 days which I don’t think would be popular.

Page 1 of 6 Councillor Graham Lambie Forth and Endrick Ward Stirling Council  Road Closure A81 South of at Cockhill: This road is still closed due to significant tree fall. According to Stephen Todd, this closure may be longer than anticipated as there could be damage to the road surface.

 Roads Projects 2013: I had asked for confirmation of the following projects scheduled for this year: B837 Drymen Buchanan Smithy and Mill Burn – Surface Dress (Completed); A81 Strathblane (Glasgow Road) – Resurface (Completed); A81 Duntreath (Up to Spadework Entrance) – Resurface (Completed); B8037 Kippen (Fore Road) – Resurface (Cancelled due to Industrial Action); B822 Fintry (Clachan) - Footpath Reinstatement prior to Resurface in 2014;B822 Fintry Crow Rd (Completed), C22 Gargunnock Station Rd – Resurface (Cancelled due to Industrial Action), B8034 Arnprior to – Tipperdarroch and Station House - Resurface (Additional to original schedule – 14th to 18th Oct). (Update: Most of these projects have been completed and have been driven over by myself in both directions. There have been some additional drainage/culvert works e.g. A811 near turn off for A875, which are not on the roads repair schedule. Also, there is one section in the PBB which is looking to convert revenue spend into capital spend for culvert repair/replacement – which looks like a positive move and may result in better quality drainage and culvert rebuilds – this is my own view and would need to be confirmed by officers).

Road and Station Road Works: These are Scottish Water projects and are been carried out by a sub-contractor - Farrans Construction (Northern Ireland). I recently contacted them about road access for a funeral at Killearn cemetery and found them very helpful.

 Petitions Panel – Road A875 (Appendix 2): The petitions panel made a number of requests to roads officers for speed mitigation measures which, unfortunately, appear not to have been scheduled. However, this issue has been not been closed which allows the petitions panel to hold a further meeting on this issue. The Petitions Panel does not have formal decision making powers but it does have the authority to hold a further meeting and request that a council service provides an update on the decisions by a panel. I will ask the chair of the Petitions panel when this can be arranged – to my knowledge this will be the first time a follow up meeting for a ‘live’ petition will have been requested.

 LDP Letter: The council wrote to Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals in Falkirk on 31st May 2013 requesting reporter hearings for some specific sites – These included Fintry (Menzies Terrace and Main Street sites ), and Killearn (Station Road and Hospital sites). I have asked for a progress report on this and copied the request to all ward councillors and the Environment Services Portfolio Holder – Cllr Danny Gibson.

 Community Pride (Appendix 3): Communities are being encouraged to apply for Community Pride Funds as part of Stirling 2014. The applications must demonstrate how they intend to celebrate a key 2014 theme or event.

Page 2 of 6 Councillor Graham Lambie Forth and Endrick Ward Stirling Council  DRT Fare Increase: Councillors for the Forth and Endrick, and Trossachs and Teith wards attended a briefing from officers on this, and there has been subsequent coverage in the press on this issue. In summary the DRT has been a victim of its own success and has been so popular that it is facing a £37,000 overspend. To alleviate this, the minimum passenger fare has increased from £2 to £3, with all other fares increasing by 10%. National Entitlement Card holders will continue to travel for free. The fare rise is regrettable and we would be concerned about the effect on non entitled passengers. However, officers are carrying out a review of the service to see if it can be delivered at lower cost without impairing the service.  Brown Bin Update: At the last council meeting the administration agreed to run 2 additional brown uplifts – 1 for and and 1 for the whole council area. The Dunblane/Bridge of Allan collection will took place in October and the whole council uplift sometime in late November/early December. A motion from the council opposition for an alternative 2 uplifts in December was not supported by the administration.  Police Patrol: I attended a police patrol on the evening of 28th Sept with PC David McNally (Balfron Station). During the patrol a suspected house breaker was detained and questioned in Strathblane. This was one of the areas we were focusing on as there has been a rise in such crimes, although proactive police checks have seen a significant decrease in this activity over the last couple of years. A number of vehicles were stopped and the drivers and passengers addressed. Two drivers were advised to replace broken lights. The patrol also looked at some road safety issues – including missing white lining on the B818 road – Killearn to Fintry, a hole in the road in Fintry left by Scottish Water (Now repaired), and 40 mph signage on the B81 Glasgow Road Strathblane. The patrol focussed on the western section of the ward and we did not have time to cover Kippen, Buchlyvie, Gargunnock or East Loch Lomondside – although I have been to these areas during previous patrols. I have also tested the 101 number for non urgent calls and to contact individual officers. (Note: The missing white lining is near Claylands Farm which is in the Killearn CC area but probably has more significance for Fintry residents. I have been recently contacted by a resident about excessive debris on the B818 and passed this onto planning to see if this was a condition on the approval.)  Other Issues: o John Muir Way: A recent council email described this as passing through the communities of Strathblane, , and Croftamie. I have sent an email pointing out that the proposed route will also pass through the Killearn Community Council area which includes a section of the A809 and borders the Old Kilpatrick hills. o Dumgoyne Village 40 mph Signs: I have had a request from a resident that the western 40 mph sign should be moved further west. I would need more than one resident response to move on this issue and will be seeking the views of Killearn CC on this. Councillor Graham Lambie Stirling Council Old Viewforth Stirling FK8 2ET 0845 277 7000 [email protected]

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Appendix 1: Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill

Scotland’s people are its greatest asset, and best placed to make decisions about their future. The proposed Community Empowerment (Scotland) Bill aims to make the most of the talents that exist in our communities; deliver high quality and improving public services; and support strong local democracy and local decision-making.

The Bill will include:

 a new way for communities to take on public sector land and buildings

 opportunities for communities to be more involved in shaping and delivering better outcomes locally

 greater transparency in the management and disposal of the Common Good

 improved powers for local authorities to recover the costs of dealing with dangerous and defective buildings

 measures to streamline and extend the rural community right to buy

 new duties to strengthen Community Planning, so that public sector agencies work as one to deliver better outcomes for communities

 updated and simplified legislation on allotments

 new powers for local authorities to create local business rate relief schemes.

We are also inviting views on other ways to reflect local democracy principles, and considering how communities might benefit from legislation to strengthen the national and local focus on improving outcomes, currently implemented through Scotland Performs.

How to Respond

Please use the links under “Contents”, above right, to read the consultation paper and send us your views. You can respond to the consultation online , or download the consultation questionnaires and Respondent Information Form to respond by email or by post. Please make sure you include the Respondent Information Form so we know how to handle your response. You do not need to answer all the questions in the consultation, if you are only interested in certain topics. The consultation questionnaires are divided according to the chapter headings. We hope you find this helpful. If you choose not to use the questionnaire, please clearly indicate in your response which questions you are responding to. This will help us to analyse the responses.

The closing date for responses is 24 January 2014.

Page 4 of 6 Councillor Graham Lambie Forth and Endrick Ward Stirling Council

Appendix 2: Pt15 Petition – Road Safety between Killearn and Balfron

A valid petition entitled “Road Safety between Killearn and Balfron” was submitted for the Panel’s consideration. The petition had received the support of Killearn Community Council.

Decision

The Panel agreed:-

1. to note that Environment Services would be resurfacing a section of the road at Boquhan in July this year including white lining, installation of rumble strips, signs and delineation markers;

2. to ask officers to advise the community regarding the positioning of the rumble strips, signs etc.;

3. to note that officers would monitor the impact of these works on driving speeds and accident levels and would share this data with the community at the appropriate time;

4. to ask officers to consult on the possible purchase of flashing speed signs by the community;

5. to ask officers to provide further information to Members of the Panel about the suitability of the changes in speed limit along the length of the road from Killearn to Balfron;

6. not to close the petition meantime and to hold a further meeting of the Petitions Panel to consider feedback from decisions 1-5 above. This meeting would consider whether the situation had been improved and, if not, whether there was a need to recommend that the Environment & Housing Committee consider a change in policy; and

7. to ask officers to submit a report to the Environment & Housing Committee on the impact of the current economic situation facing Councils on the road network.

(Reference - Report by Head of Governance & Resources dated 30 April 2013 and Petition, submitted.)

Page 5 of 6 Councillor Graham Lambie Forth and Endrick Ward Stirling Council

Appendix 3: Community Pride Funds

Communities are being encouraged to apply for Community Pride Funds as part of Stirling 2014.

Applications must demonstrate how they celebrate one of the following 2014 themes or events: • Food and Drink Scotland • Active Scotland – our reputation as an active destination • Creative Scotland – a place of culture and creativity • Natural Scotland –a place of natural beauty • 700 • Commonwealth Games • Ryder Cup • First World War.

The Community Pride Fund is open to community councils, community development trusts and incorporated organisations, provided they’re delivering a project to a single geographic or community council area.

Stirling Council Funding Officer Jean Cowie said: “In recognition of the importance of 2014, we will accept more than one application per community, where funds allow, provided each application celebrates a different 2014 theme or event.”

Applications are now being accepted and will remain open until November 2014. Applications will be considered and awarded on a regular basis, with the final round of awards being made by early December 2014. All grants must be spent in full by the end of December 2014.

Jean added: “All projects must be fully inclusive and aimed at all sectors of the community, without political or religious bias.”

Application forms are available by phone (01786 233143), email ([email protected]) or from our website (http://www.stirling.gov.uk/services/community-life-and-leisure/community- advice/community-advice-grants/community-grants) ENDS For more information contact:

April Mitchinson Senior Communications Advisor Stirling Council Old Viewforth Stirling FK8 2ET

Tel: 01786 233037 Email: [email protected]

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