WESTHILL COMMUNITY COUNCIL

GALA DAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2008; SCHEDULE OF EVENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Purpose

The Westhill Community Council is holding a Gala Day, from 11-5 on Saturday 20 September 2008 at Cradlehall Primary School. As well as providing an entertaining day for everyone, young and old, the aim of the gala day is two-fold:
• firstly, to advertise the existence and work of the Community Council and so encourage more residents to play a part in the activities of the Westhill Community, ideally including joining the council, and so make the Council more effective in its business; and
• to promote the activities of the various community groups active in the Westhill area.
Any money raised - by the raffle etc - will be used by the WCC to offset the costs of the event; any excess revenue will be taken into the WCC bank account. Stall holders will not be charged for participating, and they will retain money they raise through sales etc. Prizes, other than those offered by individual stall-holders, will be financed by the WCC.
The following proposed advertising arrangements, list of suggested events and lead organisers, and associated arrangements was drawn up at a meeting of the sub-committee at its first meeting on 28 April 2008

Advertising

This includes:

Promotional leaflet preparation
 Neil 
Leafleting -distribution ??? Identify and invite volunteers to distribute leaflets;
provide leaflets to Cradlehall (270) and Smithton Primaries (?);
invite shops and churches to hold and distribute leaflets

(Other ) advertising ?? ??

Events

These include:

Event Lead Comments
Groups/events  
General Catriona (and Craig) To encourage more groups to take up the offer of a stall
BBQ Craig  To arrange the BBQ, and Hog Roast, and to invite Harry Gow, and the Cradlehall bakers, to supply/donate rolls etc
Stalls Janet (and Joan) To arrange the provision of stalls (HC own Farmers’ Market stalls)
Bunting Janet (and Joan) HC has bunting – contact in Kiltarlity (?)
Stall games Janet (and Joan) To organise a selection of games (list to be drawn up)
‘Beat the goalie’ Lawrence To invite Cradlehall football team to organise this event
Best decorated/topical bogey (soap box) competition Mark Prizes for ‘best entry’ and ‘first across the line’
Potted sports Colin Detailed list of events to be prepared
Guides and Scouts demonstrations Angela To include tent demo.
Fancy dress (incl. Judge selection) Mary-Jane (as chief judge) and Katy Categories: different age groups, and sexes.
Police dogs, and police motorbike Janet 
Fire engine (no water!) Janet 
‘Flan the teacher/Councillor’ Mary-Jane and Katy 
Face painting/tatoos Julie 
Raffle and bottle stall Janet (and Joan) (All) to bring ideas for prizes to next meeting
Forestry Commission Neil 
McLeod Organics Neil 
Danse Ecosse Neil 
Celebrity Katy To contact Nicola Mc Cullie at MFR
Caley Thistle Katy To enquire whether the club wants to man a (merchandise etc) stall
Associated arrangements:  
Finance Neil  To request an (initial?) £1000 funding from the WCC
Programme (of events) Neil 
Insurance Catriona To arrange public liability insurance
Signage Katy Laminated signs to include: arrows, toilets, teas, raffle.
Car parking signage Lawrence In top and main playgrounds (though the availability of parking not to be included in the advertising)
Teas Cradlehall PTA Lawrence to contact the PTA
PA system Lawrence 
Inviting Culloden Academy plus Cradlehall school reps. to join the gala day cttee..  Lawrence Ideally, two boys and two girls from Culloden Academy plus pupils from Cradlehall
Music Lawrence To contact the Culloden Academy Ceilidh band
School plan/layout  Lawrence Cttee. to attend Cradlehall School function on 24 May to help draw up gala day layout
First Aid Neil  To contact St.John’s/Red Cross

Present: Catriona Johnson, June Alexander, Kenneth Cox, Brian MacGregor, Craig Ewan, Neil Hornsby,.
Councillors : Cllr. Crawford
Police and Residents: PC Kinnaird plus five residents
Apologies: Cllr. Holden

1. Announcements: the Chair: informed the meeting that, sadly, Samantha Behan had resigned from the committee; thanked Bob Chalmers and Rab Inglis, the Council’s outgoing Chair and Secretary respectively, for their contributions to the Community; and advised that the Council would endeavour to post agendas for future meetings on local notice boards.

2. Minutes of meeting held on3 December: these were accepted.
Acceptance of minutes: proposed by Craig Ewan, seconded by Brian MacGregor.

3. Matters arising
• Maxwell Park: the Chair read out a letter from Mrs Maxwell, which advised the Council that one provision of her and her husband’s gift of the park to the Highland Council (HC) was that no building should be allowed to be constructed on it. Cllr. Crawford reported that the HC’s TEC services had advised that the cost of draining the park would be considerable, exceeding the funds available in the discretionary budget. ACTION POINT: He undertook to ascertain the actual estimate. 
• Proposed Baptist Church (Caufield Road):The Secretary reported that he had received a letter from HC confirming that the planning application had been refused. The secretary also reported that the playpark would be sited at the top end of the park.
• Dog bins: a letter had been received from HC explaining that general waste bins could (also) be used as dog bins, and that bio-degradeable bags were available. ACTION POINT: residents were invited to advise the Secretary of suitable sites for waste bins.
• Notice Boards and Postboxes: no apparent difficulties were perceived in siting a noticeboard near to the Spar shop. ACTION POINT: Secretary and Minutes Secretary to contact the Royal Mail about providing a post box, also near the Spar shop.
• Tea Urn: the meeting expressed its thanks to the Secretary for arranging the provision of a tea urn for community use.

4. Community Police report: PC Kinnaird reported that, in recent weeks: there had been one serious assault incident; some complaints about late-night noise; and some occasions when officers had relieved youngsters of alcohol. He also reported that three additional community police officers were due to join the Culloden station soon. In response to a question about road accidents, he said that many were due to the low light levels at this time of year or inattentive driving.

5. Planning: 
• Community facilities at Milton of Leys: discussion to be held at Inshes Church at 7pm on 29 Jan.
• Care Home (Cradlehall Farm): The Secretary said he had not yet heard whether this application was intended to replace the earlier one for a restaurant on the site. ACTION POINT: the Secretary to respond (to the current application): expressing the Council’s concerns about the potential for increased traffic volumes in an already congested area (during peak hours); requesting that, if the HC is minded to grant planning permission, the design should include maximum use of renewable energy technologies, both to minimise heating and lighting costs as well as the Home’s carbon footprint; and to seek clarification of the development plans for the area
• Balvonie Housing fair. The Secretary reported that, despite his request, the exhibition/meeting had gone ahead on 11 Jan. as it had been advertised for that date. The formal closing date for comments on the planning application was 21 Jan.
• Residential development at Woodside of Culloden: the HC planning committee would be making a site visit on 5 Feb.
• Hotfood catering shop at Westhill: the Secretary had asked why the Council had not been consulted. Cllr. Crawford reported that the application had been refused, under delegated powers.
• Bogbain: The Council noted Mr McGregor’s report about developments. ACTION POINT: The Secretary to express to HC the Council’s concern about the lack of clarification in the application.
• ‘Action for Planning Transparency’ (APT): The APT’s next meeting was scheduled for 7.30 on 27 Feb. at Bogbain Farm.
ACTION POINT: Mr McGregor to circulate details about APT.
• A96 Corridor plan: a copy of the most recent publication was available from the Secretary

6. Treasurer’s report: the Council noted that £37.50 had been spent since the last meeting, and that the balance now stood at £3,940.10, of which £1,100 was earmarked for garden projects. Cllr Crawford that work on Cradlehall primary school’s entrance was due to commence before the end of the financial year.

7. Mission and Challenge, and Gala Day: the Chair suggested that, (particularly) given the small size of the Council, members might make a priority of communicating information about its activities to the local community, including holding a gala day and resurrecting the newsletter. These proposals were welcomed and endorsed. ACTION POINTS: the Council to prepare and organise distribution of a newsletter; commence arrangements for a gala day, probably for September; invite local groups to participate in the gala day; and invite local schools to design a logo for the WCC.

8. Correspondence: the Chair reported: receipt of correspondence, originally sent to Bob Chalmers (in his capacity as the previous Council Chair), but now time-expired; receipt of an invitation to comment on H&I Airports’ intention to move to twenty-four hour opening and flying at Dalcross airport (although permission to do so was not required); that Inshes PO was to remain open for business, but that Kingsmills PO was due to close; and that HC were hosting a training day for Community Councils at 10.00 on 23 Feb. in the main Council chamber. ACTION POINT: Council members to advise the Secretary if they were interested in attending. NB Post-meeting note: the training day has now been postponed; no new date has yet been set.

9. AOCB
• Nairnside buses: Cllr. Crawford reported that he was still waiting to receive a timetable for bus routes taking in Nairnside
• Cradlehall bus shelter: ACTION POINT: Secretary to contact the bus company about moving the bus shelter to where it can be more easily seen by drivers.
• Guide projects: The Chair invited ideas for suitable projects for local Guides. Gardening, plus help with the newsletter and the gala day were suggested.
• Donation: The Chair undertook to progress the donation to Mr Mackay, who had served on the Council for many years.
• Cradlehall School handrail (see minutes of 18 June 2007): ACTION POINT: Secretary to contact Cllr Holden about progress

10. Date and time of next meeting: to be held at 7.45pm, on 18 Feb.

The meeting closed at 9.45pm