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Markinch Matters COMMUNITY COUNCIL NEWS Chairpersons Blog Welcome to the latest edition of Markinch Matters. You will note we have SCOTTISH CHARITY NO: SC45810 had a bit of a makeover and hope you like the new design. Let us know what you think. I am delighted to announce that Markinch Community Council now has charitable status. We have always struggled to secure November 2015 funding for projects and this status now provides us with access to a Pages 1 and 2 variety of grant schemes. In this and future editions we will give you the latest news on current and forthcoming projects and are always keen to Community Council News hear any ideas or suggestions residents may have on how Markinch can be Find out about the work of the enhanced and improved. Community Council and important Finally, with Christmas just around the corner we would like to wish you all issues affecting Markinch. a very Merry Christmas and good health, happiness and prosperity in 2016. Page 3 Angela High . Community Safety Meet our Local Community Police NADFLY Safer Routes Project Gets Green Light Team and find out about the latest A new project designed to introduce a number of traffic calming measures, Police Scotland initiatives in our improve road safety and increase awareness of safe and enjoyable ways to area. walk and cycle around Markinch has recently received grant funding. The Local News project involves a collaboration between Markinch Community Council, Fife Find out what’s happening in and Council, Markinch School, Sustrans (sustrans.org.uk) and award winning around Markinch and we show our public art company NADFLY (nadfly.net). appreciation for some extra special Th e project originated through the Living Streets Audit commissioned by Markinch residents on our new Local Markinch Community Council and completed in 2014. This audit clearly Heroes Bulletin Board. identified a number of road safety issues within the 20 mile an hour zone and linked to road safety issues identified in the Markinch School Travel Page 4 Plan . Subsequently, several initiatives were implemented around the school Markinch School with the assistance of Police Scotland, but with limited success. As a result, the Community Council looked to identify alternative solutions in Read the Head Teachers latest blog and meet the budding artists who collaboration with Fife Council Transportation Services. This resulted in the created our fantastic new logo forthcoming project and Markinch School children have already been and mascot Marty the involved with NADFLY in the development of an ABC ROUTES map within Markinch Cockerel. the Markinch 20 mile an hour zone. Over the coming months residents can expect to see a new pedestrian crossing on the main road at Balbirnie, Where’s Marty? improvements to lighting, gates and paths in John Dixon Park and a staged Find out how to enter our introduction of the ABC ROUTES art installations across Markinch. Children’s Christmas Competition. Speeding/Parking Issues in Commercial Street Markinch Community Council was approached by residents regarding If you would like to comment on this speeding issues in Commercial Street. Traffic monitoring and calming edition or include a local event in the measures were subsequently introduced and this situation continues to be March 2016 edition, please contact us: at monitored by Fife Council. Business owners also raised concerns regarding www.markinchcommunitycouncil.org.uk the lack of parking available to customers due to the extent of double www.facebook.com/ yellow lines on both sides of the street. We subsequently reviewed this with MarkinchCommunityCouncil Fife Council and it was agreed in September that some of the double yellow Please note charity events will be included lines could be removed subject to consultation with residents. This free of charge, but a fee may be chargeable consultation is currently underway. for a business event. Page 1 COMMUNITY COUNCIL NEWS Summer in John Dixon Park Over the summer we opened the Pavilion in John Dixon Park providing refreshments and access to toilets for residents and visitors using the park. Children took part in some art in the park and we asked everyone who visited to complete a short survey so we could understand the facilities residents would like to see in the park. We had a fantastic response with lots of exciting ideas and are now discussing the potential for the introduction of a number of new features and improvements to the park environment with Fife Council. We have also recently funded extensive repairs to the Cage within the park. If you have any ideas or suggestions for John Dixon Park, please get in touch. Historic Environment Scotland - Balbirnie Historic Scotland recently conducted a consultation on the potential to remove Balbirnie from the Historic Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland. Markinch Community Council and Markinch Heritage Group raised a number of concerns with this proposal and as a result Historic Scotland has now confirmed that Balbirnie will remain on the directory with the entry updated to more accurately reflect the interest of the site. Fife Council will also now commission a proper management plan for Balbirnie as part of the future management of the site. Markinch Library We recently posted flyers all over Markinch to encourage residents to get involved in the consultation on the th closure of our library. The consultation closed on 6 November 2016 and we await the outcome from Fife Cultural Trust. For more information on the proposals go to: www.fifedirect.org.uk/libreview MARKINCH COMMUNITY COUNCIL (MCC) is one of over 1000 Community Councils established as the most local tier of statutory representation in Scotland. We are a non public body, composed of elected volunteers from within the community. Our primary purpose is to ascertain and express your views to the local authority and other public bodies on a wide range of issues which affect the community. Your involvement is therefore essential and very important to us, so you are always welcome to attend one of our monthly meetings to listen to discussions, raise any concerns you may have and talk directly to Community Council members. If you cannot make one of our meetings or your issue is urgent, you can contact the Community Council Chairperson through the ‘Contact Us’ page on our website. COME ALONG TO ONE OF OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS GET IN TOUCH We meet at 7.00pm on the first Wednesday of every www.markinchcommunitycouncil.org.uk month at Banners House Hotel, High Street, Markinch. www.facebook.com/MarkinchCommunityCouncil MARKINCH GALLERY We are currently redeveloping the Markinch Community Council website and want to establish an online gallery. Have you taken photographs or produced artwork of Markinch which we could feature? If so, please get in touch through the ‘Contact Us’ page on our website. Markinch Medical Practice Markinch Banking Services The Practice will be closed over the Christmas and New Year period on: The Royal Bank of Scotland Mobile th th Branch now visits Drummonds Car Park on Friday 25 and Monday 28 December 2015 st th the following days each week: Friday 1 and Monday 4 January 2016 Tuesdays 2.45pm to 3.45pm Should you require medical assistance whilst the practice is closed, please contact NHS24 (Dial 111). Wednesdays 1.00pm to 1.30pm Repeat Prescription Requests can be submitted one week in advance Services include cash deposits and nd th of their due date and must be submitted no later than 22 and 29 withdrawals, bill payments and account December 2015 to ensure these can be fulfilled before the public administration. holidays. This takes account of the 48 hour waiting time (excluding An ATM Cash Point is available during Saturday and Sunday) for collection of prescriptions at the surgery or 72 opening hours at the Co-operative Store. hours if collecting at a pharmacy. Page 2 COMMUNITY SAFETY Markinch Local Community Police Team I am delighted to have the opportunity to provide information on some of the initiatives we will be undertaking in and around Markinch and that community safety will now be a regular feature in Markinch Matters. I am sure many of you already know PC Paul McGlashan and regularly see him walking/cycling around the village. Paul is the permanent Markinch Community Officer and he can be contacted at Glenrothes Police Station. Please phone 101 or contact us online at www.scotland.police.uk (Fife Division). Remember, in an emergency always dial Sgt Kenny Greig 999; when someone is in danger, a crime is in progress or a suspect is nearby. PC Paul McGlashan Glenrothes Police have recently launched Operation After We continue our efforts to increase road safety and address Dark , an initiative which will run until March 2016. Local concerns surrounding driver behaviour, anti social driving police will be out speaking to residents in the community, and speeding and parking issues outside the school. providing a reassuring presence and supplying helpful Operation Park Safe has seen co-ordinated patrols outside security information and advice. Other measures will schools to encourage safe parking. Our Road Traffic Action include leaflet distribution, additional road checks and Plan has tackled driver behaviour utilising speed detection increased high-visibility foot patrols, particularly during the equipment and our ‘Pop Up’ Police Officer affectionately hours of darkness to reassure the public. This initiative known by the team as ‘Pop Up Jim’. This is a specially built coincides with Police Scotland’s commitment to tackle life size model of one of the team pointing a speed detection housebreaking across Scotland, ensuring that resources and gun towards oncoming traffic. This has been deployed on support are in place, providing extra resilience in tracking identified roads in response to local concerns identified at down offenders and bringing them before the courts.