e.. I SALSBURGH COMMUNITY COUNCIL - lothMAY 2012 Minutes of the meeting of Salsburgh Community Council held in the Community Hall on Thursday IQth May 2012 PRESENT H. Cox [Chair], M. Hinds, 0. McAvoy, M. McLaughlin, C. Cox, N. McCann. J. Wilson APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE B. McLaughlin, G. Stephen. MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING 1. Minutes of the meeting of Thursday 12fhApril 2012 were submitted and approved. BUSINESS FROM THE MINUTES VARIOUS ISSUES 2. Members highlighted and discussed varioiis items from the previous minutes that were carried forward into general business. CORRESPONDENCE North Lanarkshire Council VOEF 11 JUN 2092 GENERAL BUSINESS ELECTION RESULTS 3. Members noted details of the outcome and results of recent North Lanarkshire Council elections and a number of issues were highlighted and discussed including; e Numbers polled arid votes cast for each candidate for the Fortissat Ward. e Advice and suggestion given to voters attending the voting centre that they need only select one or two candidates on the ballot papers. a Method of calculating how votes were attributed to each candidate and how if preference votes were not accorded for each candidate variance could occur in the election process. ATTENDANCE 4. Following the outcome of recent North Lanarkshire Council elections members decided to contact the elected councillors of the Fortissat Ward [3] relative to the numerous concerns being voiced to the community council by members of the local community including various complaints that have been noted in community council minutes for a period of time that have still not been satisfactorily resolved. VOICE OF EXPERIENCE FORUM 5. Members noted details of the forthcoming VOEF AGM to be held in the Tudor Hotel , Airdrie on the 23rdof May 2012. Members decided to attend the event. VANL 6. Members noted VANL membership has been renewed. STV LOCAL 7. Members were informed of the recent STV [STV Group PLC] Local event where communities are encouraged to advertise events that are happening in the local 1 I t SALSBURGH COMMUNITY COUNCIL - loth MAY 2012 ~ Community that can then transmitted through a network of local websites for towns, cities and communities throughout the Sn/ network area. STV Local allows communities to interact, contribute and showcase events, publish local news, announce functions happening [open days, charity sales, coffee mornings etc.] list local business and advertise if required. Contact numbers for STV Local are as follows; 0 STV Airdrie & Coatbridge - 0141 300 3489, website - [email protected] STV Motherwell & Wishaw - 0141 300 3499. website - [email protected] GBT FREE BUS SERVICE 8. Members asked for an update on the free bus service [pilot scheme] from Shotts GBT project to the Ravenscraig Sports centre at Motherwell that does not cater for the Salsburgh area especially as GBT had obtained a €35.000 grant from SPT to allow the service to operate, and the fact that Salsburgh was included in the application to allow GBT to start up and operate originally as the GBT project. Members were reminded that the issue had been highlighted & discussed previously [CC minutes; 8'h Sept 201 1 - 13thOct 201 1 - lothNov 201 1 & 12'h Jan 20121 along with SPT reports from the original grant funding [SPT] decision on the 1 April 201 1. Members noted that the pilot scheme was intended to run for a period of six months [SPT-approved 23rd March 201 I]and future funding was subject to future commitment from local authorities and other partners. Further matters are to be pursued for clarification. POSTAL ISSUES 9. Members noted problems relative to postal delivery services in the local community and especially signed for items that require collection from the main sorting office at Wish aw. Members were reminded the postal service was discussed in detail [CC Minutes gth Feb. 20121 and various details including Royal Mail customer services telephone numbers, was highlighted in the minutes for information. VOLUNTEERS 10. Members noted the request for attendance at a future community council meeting to highlight, and seek volunteers, to assist with a new project to help older persons in the community. TAMS LOUP QUARRY 11. Members noted the consultation request [proposal of application notice] from Dalgleish Associates Ltd [DAL - Environmental Consultants] on behalf of Tillicoultry Quarries Ltd for the future operationldevelopment of Tams Loup Quarry. The application relates to; e The variation of existing planning conditions relating to the time period for current extraction operations, the timing of the restoration operations in the eastern quarry void and the hours of operation on Sundays. e The extension of the excavation area within the current site boundary. 0 The installation of a modern, replacement asphalt plant at a new location within the quarry . AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT AREA 12. Following on the above item of business members highlighted previous community council minutes of lothJanuary 2008, 14'h February 2008, 12thJanuary 2012 and the 2 I * SALSBURGH COMMUNITY COUNCIL - loth MAY 2012 recent minutes of gth February 2012 where concerns were voiced regarding air quality monitoring by NLC locally. Members noted various health and other concerns regarding and linked to the increasing numbers of proposed developments associated to quarrying and waste disposal/incineration and other pollutant industries around this area and again questioned why North Lanarkshire Council revoked the Air Quality Management Area [AQMA] at Hirst Road, Harthill that monitored among other pollutants, PM” Harthill AQMA was one of six areas in North Lanarkshire that had exceeded pollutant levels and has now become the first area in North Lanarkshire and the first area in Scotland to have an AQMA area revoked. Members voiced concerns the AQMA at Harthill has been revoked and not only is Tams Loup Quarry starting operation again but Duntilland Quarry also have recently been allowed to remove their PM” monitoring equipment and now all permanent monitoring has ceased only a few months prior to a planning appeal for a waste incineration [pyrolysis] plant at Hassockrigg. CLINICAL WASTE INCINERATION APPEAL AT HASSOCKRIGG 13. Members noted that Healthcare Environmental Services Ltd [Shotts] have lodged an appeal with the Scottish Ministers against the decision by North Lanarkshire Council to refuse planning permission at the proposed former opencast site at Hassockrigg for a clinical waste treatment facility and a thermal treatment [pyrolisis] incineration plant. Details are to be confirmed by the Reporter regarding whether a hearing or public local inquiry is to take place. Details relative to the case can be accessed at the Scottish Inquiry Reporters Unit under case number PPA-320-2036. The appeal target date is 16thOctober 2012. HALL BOOKINGS 14. Members decided to book the community hall for future community council meetings on the following dates; Thursday 14th June 2012 Thursday 12thJuly 2012 Thursday 9th August 2012 Thursday 13‘h September 201 2 Thursday 1 Ith October 2012 Thursday 8th November 2012 Thursday 13th December 2012 Thursday 1Oth January 2013 Thursday 14th February 2013 Thursday 14‘h March 2013 Thursday 11th April 201 3 Thursday gthMay 2013 PLANN ING AP PL I CAT10 NS 15. Members noted details relating to planning applications for four [4] single wind turbines on separate farmlands in the local area. Matters were highlighted that the turbines being erected on land across North Lanarkshire under the guise of farmer and landowner diversification are not contributing to local community benefit either directly or indirectly and as such the local communities are gaining no advantage, income or commercial gain for the local economy for the blight on the local landscape and no redress for loss of right to roam, or other loss of amenity affecting the local community. The community council meeting concluded. The next community council meeting will take place on Thursday 14‘h June 2012 3 .