(Chairman)

(Vice Chairman)

(Secretary and Treasurer)

(Minute Secretary)

P Copland opened the meeting.

Apologies:  V Bland

The Chairman reminded anyone who had an interest in any of the topics to declare it.

2.1 (4) Water at Rose Street

Cllr Docherty asked if the Community Council (CC) would like to have a meeting with Fife Council representatives to let the CC know what Fife Council had done with Scottish Water.  G Brown said that he thought that would be useful, especially if they came with the history of what was done by Fife Council.  Cllr Docherty said that when he heard back from Fife Council he would discuss details at the end of the meeting.

Cllr J Docherty

There had been no update regarding the costs.  P Copland said that he would pursue our contact at Fife Council.

P Copland

Cllr E Riches said that the road signs that we are waiting to go up have still not gone up.  She added that she would keep chasing them.

Cllr E Riches

B Allan said that the rusty poles at the beginning of Braehead have been removed.

W Buchan said that this appears to have been caused by rabbit warrens.

The Chairman asked about Community Payback.  B Allan said that they do not respond to your emails.  She said that she had telephoned Clive Allan and left a message on the answering machine – no reply.  She then said she sent a text – no reply. She phoned again – and got a text back saying Craig Hutton is the man who deals with your area.  G Brown said that he was told that Craig Hutton had moved to the West and Clive Allan was the man to contact.  B Allan said her emails had been forwarded to Craig Hutton and she was waiting to hear from him.

B Allan

B Allan said there are still some bins left on the pavement.  The Chairman said it may just be a case of keeping on to Waste Aware.

B Allan

The Chairman said that a big thank you goes to Marjory Ashworth for organising the beach clean.  There were 53 helpers.  A big thanks also went to Balcaskie Estate and to Jim McClure the Estate Manager who gave up his Sunday to drive the forklift truck.  M Ashworth said that it was a good turnout.  She said that they were, however, still waiting for Fife Council to pick up the skip.

Regarding the area from Inverie Street down to the junction at Braehead.  P Copland said that he had emailed Colin Stirling, who will get in touch with his colleagues and email back.

P Copland

G Brown said that the tar is complete.  It is just waiting for the paint and the lights.  G Brown said that he had a meeting with Alan Bisset this week.  The Chairman said that it is being used by the youths of the area. B Allan asked how it is going to be managed.  G Brown said that part of the condition to get the Trust to give grants was that it should be open at any time.  There was a discussion about whether it was padlocked at the moment.

G Brown

Cllr J Docherty said that there was mention at the last meeting about planters blocking the footpath on Miller Terrace and George Terrace.  An inspection was carried out and they found one planter that they could walk around.  A member of the public asked about mobility scooters or wheelchairs.  Cllr J Docherty said that if it remains an issue then he said he would be happy to keep chasing it up.  The member of the public asked if you can put anything on the pavement if you can walk past it.

Cllr J Docherty suggested that someone could take a photograph of it.

B Allan

Proposer:  W Buchan          Seconded:  M Ashworth

The Chairman again thanked M Ashworth for her work regarding the beach clean adding his thanks to those who helped.

On Saturday night we had a Band Night featuring Crosswater and Morven, Martin and Mills.  £271.20 was raised which goes towards the floral display funds.  There was good music and good chat.  The Chairman thanked Ena Hughes for allowing the CC to host the event.

The Autumn Club has been given a donation to assist which has been given anonymously.  Thank you.

Sergeant Turner said that most would know Jill and Tracy – they are my Ward Officers for the East Neuk; and to please let him know if there are any major, or minor issues.

 Crime in the Area

Sergeant Turner said since 1 April until that day we have had 10 recorded crimes in St Monans.  Seven are detected and 3 are undetected.

The church unfortunately seems to have been a scene of a number of incidents.  The fire extinguishers were taken and found on the beach.  There are a number of assaults: one between a mother and a daughter.  Vandalism: a plant pot was smashed over a wall and on to a pavement.  There was a house break-in.  That has been detected.  Also we have had a modern equivalent of a breach of the peace: an 8-year old who came out with a knife.  Another incident was adults arguing in a shop.  It was just a verbal argument.  There was a drunk driver – a 53 year-old male driving at almost 4 times the limit.  We then had an assault on the same night, connected with the drink driver – detected.  There was a breach of the peace at the church.  A male who was asked to leave.  He was spoken to outside and afterwards was shouting at people.  He has been charged.  There were definite mental health issues.  He had not taken his medication.  We will be in touch with Social Work and the NHS. Unfortunately, there was quite a nasty one on Sunday.  The caretaker of the church was assaulted and an attempted robbery.  Two fourteen-year olds had given him cheek.  They took something from him and assaulted him.  One has been charged and the other has been charged and the gentleman is OK.

M Ashworth asked about the damage that was done at the old church at Balcaskie Estate regarding the gates.  Sergeant Turner said that he believed the Ward Officers were looking into it.

M Ashworth said they had spent all day working on the gates and within an hour one of them was destroyed.

B Allan said that we do seem to have a group of youths who seem to want to destroy things.  One of the pieces of play equipment was dismantled and in the park they ripped off panels of wood.  Sergeant Turner confirmed that Tracy and Jill had been speaking to schools.  They had been in one of the primary schools that day and they work their way round them all; including the topics of road safety and internet safety.

Sergeant Turner said that they were reliant on people from the community letting them know of any issues.  The Chairman thanked Sergeant Turner.

Regarding Planning and accessing information online.  On the Planning website it says that the benefits of registering include – the ability to track significant planning issues, and planning issues you are interested in.  However, G Brown said, things he is interested in have vanished off the tracking.  Certainly he said that he did not ask for them to be taken off.  That night at about 6 pm he received a Development Management Satisfaction Survey, which seems to indicate that most people are very satisfied with the service they are receiving from Planning.  M Ashworth said that she would like to question that because there are great problems trying to contact Planning.

G Brown said that, as had been mentioned, the Band Night raised just over £270.  Last week he was informed by Bill Porteous that he had been speaking to Stephen at Pathhead, who said that all the capillary baskets were either now no use or not there.  It would appear that when they were emptied out the mats were emptied as well.  Tony Chater disagreed with this.  We need to replace them.  They are £5 a time.  One hundred are ordered.  Delivery is £35.  Without them the baskets are worse than useless.

G Brown said that this morning there was nothing on the Council website other than planning had been applied for.  The drawings are there now for a house on Braehead.  When you look at the drawing of the existing and proposed, they are absolutely identical.  The only difference is that the windows will be double glazed timber, sash and case; new door will be exactly the same in timber, so, G Brown said that he did not see how anyone could do any more. (No-one raised any objections.)

8.1 No 6 Station Road

A member of the public said, that he felt he had come to the end of the journey regarding the sale of No 6 Station Road.  The last communication he had from the Council was on 22 April, saying that they did offer these properties to everyone – no community group submitted an offer; or expressed an interest and said that if the CC had an issue they can contact Planning with their concerns.  The member of the public said that he had not got help from the previous MSP, but he had a ‘phone call from Willie Rennie’s Researcher, just saying that there had been some communication with the Council.    G Brown replied that not only did we express an interest, we put in an offer on behalf of the CC.  For them to say that we did not express an interest is untrue.  G Brown said that, after speaking to Helen I did email the Surveyor and also the Solicitors, which I was advised to do by the Councillors.  I got a long reply which we took to the MSP.  Cllr E Riches said that, to be honest, she thought that the CC should contact Sharon Ward saying that it was claimed that no interest was expressed, but that, as G Brown said, an interest was expressed.

Cllr J Docherty said that he would still contact Rod Campbell and his PA.

G Brown said that he could not see how this can progress in any way which will be in our favour, if the missives are concluded.  Cllr E Riches said that she did not think they have been concluded, because the signs have not been removed.   The member of the public said that he would just stop now because he had gone round in a full circle.  G Brown said that if the missives are concluded he did not see how they can go back on them.  Cllr E Riches said, “Let’s find out.”  Cllr J Docherty said that their statement should be challenged.  Cllr Riches said that there are 2 issues:

–       Have the missives been concluded?

–       Point of principle

and asked G Brown to please forward the email.  Cllr J Docherty asked if he could please also send it to Rod Campbell.

The Chairman said to the member of the public that we have good reason to believe that that statement is incorrect and that the CC have said that they did make an offer for the property.  The member of the public said that it is like they push it aside at all times and come back with a lot of flannel.  They have told me to go back to Helen Rorrison.  G Brown said that he did not know whether they are deliberately telling lies or that one hand does not know what the other hand is doing.   But it is terribly frustrating when you get nowhere.

The member of the public said that he would need that document in hand to say that the information he received from the Council is not correct; or, he asked if he should contact my MSP.  Cllr E Riches said that she would certainly take this further.

G Brown

Cllr J Docherty

G Brown /

Cllr E Riches / Cllr J Docherty

Cllr E Riches

Cllr E Riches said, regarding the local dump being shut for 4-5 days that she had asked what was going on.  She said that she was told that the closure was mentioned on the Fife Direct website.  She said that if she had filled her car with rubbish that she would not go on a Fife Direct website.  Also, she went on to say, it could cause an accident with people queuing up.  There was no sign at the side of the road saying the dump was closed.  M Ashworth said that it had encouraged illegal dumping, and confirmed that they now have illegal dumping on their property.  Cllr E Riches said that it was to do with vehicles needing repair and Fife Council did not have an arrangement for such a circumstance.

Cllr Riches said that the dumps are to be run by Fife Council by what we call an ‘arms-length organisation’. She added that she thought that this will cost small businesses.  The ticket that small businesses buy does not cover the cost of the landfill, so the new company will up the charges.

V Salvage said that someone is throwing fishy water and rotten fish over the harbour wall.  There were very long fish bones up the West End beach where we held the Beach Clean.  She was advised to report this to SEPA and Moir Gibson, and John Lecya of Environmental Health.

W Buchan said the he got an email from the caravan site, regarding who to contact about getting the 30 mph speed limit moved at the Pittenweem side, also they would like either a big sign or a repeating sign.  A member of the public said that St Monans just have a slow-down sign but a lot of places have repeater numbers.  He wondered if it would be possible if we could have the actual speed like at Lundin Links and St Michaels.  The Chairman asked for the email to be forwarded to him and said that he would forward it to Colin Stirling.

W Buchan /

P Copland

W Buchan said that there is a lamppost at the back of Miller Terrace where they did not put the glass cover back correctly.  The lamppost is breaking up.

M Ashworth asked who to contact regarding a designated border to the road at Abercrombie which is full of potholes.  (M Ashworth said, they intended to do some improvements on their side.)  She was advised to contact Ross Walker

M Ashworth said that the seat at the Sandy Kirn is broken.

G Brown said he should have mentioned under the Secretary’s Report the consultation regarding Town Halls from 23 May to 30 June.  There is a drop-in session on the 7^th June from 4-6 pm in the Town Hall regarding the future of the Town Hall.

The Chairman said that disappointment had been expressed in how the Braes had been cut – that they had cut the bluebells and daffodils – and bluebells are a protected species.  Cllr J Docherty commented that Scottish bluebells are much under threat.

P Copland said that he had had a chat with our Coast Watching Team and they are asking about having a dog waste or waste bin along at the windmill.  There used to be a bin there but it was taken away.  If there is a problem with emptying it the Coast Watching Team are volunteering to empty it.  Cllr J Docherty said that he was happy to chase that up.

Cllr J Docherty

A member of the public who lives on Station Road said that she had received a letter saying that the street lamps would be renewed.  She was worried that the old-style lamps would be changed.  The Chairman said that the last time they put in old style street lamps.  Cllr E Riches said that in a conservation area they would have to put in for planning permission, and said that it would not harm to ask what they are going to do.  G Brown said that it is still on the planning website so it is easy enough to check.

G Brown

A member of the public said that there is a crack going up a house at Miller Terrace.  There is a walkway right next to the house, and the whole house looks as if it is crumbling.  It is a holiday house.  V Salvage said that she will try to telephone the number displayed on the house.

V Salvage

A member of the public complained about a lot of regular dog fouling beside the church, particularly at the top of the steps as you cross the burn.  He said that a dog had been seen.  He asked if the dog warden ever come to the area.  The Chairman said that he would contact the dog warden.

P Copland

There was a long discussion about Planning matters regarding the construction of this new building.  Several members of the public were unhappy and upset about the way this had been dealt with.  There were many complaints.

A member of the public said that he had written to Fife Council Planning Department pointing out several deviations from the Planning Application.  He got a prompt reply from Lyall Smith saying that he would receive a reply within 20 days.  He said he was still waiting.  P Copland said that Fife Council are not keeping their word with regard to the response time to your queries.

The Chairman said that a lot of things are outwith our remit.  However we can assist you.  We put in our concerns when it was brought up because we are a Statutory Consultee representing the concerns of the people of this area.

Two members of the public said that various people (in homes nearby the building) had not been notified. G Brown said that he had a list of those who Planning Department claimed to have notified.  He read out the list, which included properties in Forth Street and Braid Court.  The Member of the Public said that none of the properties in Forth Street or Braid Court had received notification.  He said that the only people who have received notification seem to be people who live in George Terrace behind the building.  He said he thought it was very strange that none of the people who are totally overlooked did not raise an objection.  One of the members of public said that the only time he knew about the proposed building was when construction started.  He said that there has been a series of errors in administration.  The Chairman said that he had received an email from Chris Smith, Lead Officer, Chartered Planner who summarised the whole planning application from the day the application was made to the present day and it is basically a timeline of everything that happened.  It says that on 1 August 2012 notifications were sent via Royal Mail to 36 notifiable parties.  According to Fife Council, these are ones with an address within 20 meters of the site boundary.  P Copland said that they may have sent them out and they may have never arrived.  He said that he did not know how many were lived in by the owners and how many are holiday rentals.  After the Chairman had read out the list of properties that Fife Council claimed to have notified, a member of the public said that he noticed that they did not mention that they notified some properties in Leven.  A member of the public said that they are the closest neighbours and they certainly did not get notification.  The Chairman said that, according to the information he had received, the Royal Mail did deliver these notifications on 3 August and one address was returned to the Council as unable to deliver.  He said that the email runs to half a dozen pages and offered to forward it to the members of the public, so they could read and digest it.  But, he said, basically it says that we have done everything we should have done and everything is fine.  G Brown said that they are saying that there is no need for a site visit – that everything is within tolerances.  A member of the public said there are a number of anomalies one of which is in the original plans it was 319 sq m but the actual application states 349 sq m.

A member of the public said that he has put what I believe is my land on his title deeds.  He has his 2 parking places on what is my and another person’s land.  They are putting drainage through ground which he is claiming.  The member of the public said that he had been advised by Planning to go to a lawyer and went to see Douglas Turner and we put up fences.  Douglas Turner said that in the original title deeds that we have the right to use the ground.  The only access along this road is by communal consent.  The plot which has no title is built on privately.  Planning has been given in principle, but he has to ask for permission.  He has to go through the Solemn Rights of the George Terrace residents.  The other party of the land, which is off George Terrace is actually owned by 23 Forth Street.  They would be completely within their rights to block the access to the site.

The member of the public said that the person building the house knows that it is not his land.  It clearly says under Section 2 that they did not have title to the land and they have made extensive searches to ask who does, but he has not asked any of the neighbours, and, mysteriously, we have never received any notification.

A member of the public said that we have a deed from 1927 saying we own the lane which is George Terrace.  The Chairman asked if they had presented this to Planning, the reply was that they have been told.

A member of the public said that there is a discrepancy. Transportation state that a condition is that there must be 2 parking spaces within the curtilage of the site.  There are major concerns here whether this person has legal access to the territory.  A member of the public said that he was pretty sure that they have access and egress.  A member of the public said that they had been told it was common.  It was right of use in common.

A member of the public said that the only title to the land was in the Register in 1998, but that did not identify that the land was under title of George Terrace and 23 Forth Street.

A member of the public said that the land is described as ‘brownfield’.  It was the garden area of 23 Forth Street.  So, in fact it has never been turned into brownfield.  It continues to be a greenfield site.

The Chairman said that we have to be seen to be impartial and be facilitators rather than taking a side.  I do not know if there is anything our Councillors can assist us with.

The Chairman said to the members of public concerned with this issue that if you have title deeds he suggested they presented them to the Council.  The member of the public said that they kept on saying it was nothing to do with them.  The Chairman said that they should demonstrate in legal terms that they have ownership of that land.

The Chairman said that the only thing that he could suggest was that all those who feel that their land has been misappropriated, if you can gather together copies of your title deeds, and submit these to Planning Department showing that that part of the land has been misappropriated.

Cllr E Riches said that she thought that the timing for that is good, because Condition 2 only needs to be complied with prior to the occupation of the dwelling house.  So there is still time to comment on land which you feel has been misappropriated.  So it is not too late.

There was some discussion of changes that had been made to the original plans.  P Copland said that they have measured the footprint and there seem to be no substantial difference.

A member of the public said that, from a conservation point of view, no conservation body has been consulted regarding this application, bearing in mind it is in the middle of the conservation area.  He said that he would have thought that would have been on the original application.  Cllr J Docherty confirmed that they have not consulted.  The member of the public said that slates have gone on the roof that have no bearing on the roofs of any of the buildings in St Monans.

Cllr E Riches said that the original plans and the revised plans were approved and you think you know what you will get, but then you get ‘non-material variations’ which are in theory not material enough for Planning to be contacted again, eg revised windows, spacing of rooflights.  No-one knows that these ‘non-material’ variations have been made, so you just see things happening – you don’t know there has been a change to the plans.  However, there was no reason to stop the application because the dimensions were not materially different.  A member of the public said that there is the addition of 2 chimneys and the changing of the position of the building. This changes the shadows.  The overlooking new windows prevent any privacy from any of the gardens.

A member of the public said that he obviously did not look closely enough at the original plans, but he said he was looking straight into their house.

G Brown said that, going back to the point that the Planner who dealt with the revised drawings thought that the changes would not cause any issues regarding overlooking or privacy.  A member of the public said that it is a false statement.  He said that he had never come across a Planning Application that has so many concerns and so many dismissals of the concerns of the community.

The Chairman said that he would forward the emails that he had received, and again suggested that they should look out their title deeds and present them to Planning Department.  He went on to say that we will represent where we can but we cannot be seen to be taking any sides.  G Brown disagreed, saying that we can because we already objected to this on a variety of grounds.  He said that he thought that there is also a bigger issue here.  He said that he knew what they were all saying and he felt exactly the same as they felt.  He said that as he understood it the CC were set up initially to assist with Planning Applications and to represent local views.  We represented local views and pointed out it was a conservation area.  It makes you wonder why we are sitting here doing this.  They take no notice whatsoever.  You would think that, being a conservation area the Planners should take into account views, especially views of those living close by.  He went on to say that he thought planning is a disgrace: the way it works just now.

W Buchan said that there were two petitions: one in the Spar and one in the Top Shop.  Cllr E Riches said that we did sit on that committee, but, if we are to object we need to have a planning issue.  She said that we should have come and had a look because then we could have disputed on grounds of overlooking and privacy.  The 3 of us were on the same Committee.  She said that she did not feel proud of that.

A member of the public asked about what happens when you make a false statement on the Planning Application (for example the change in sq m.  (He said the Planning Application indicates it is 349 sq m when it is clearly 319 sq m and built on the boundary.)

Furthermore, he said, the building was on the plot on which was a historic building which probably should have been conserved and should have been listed.  (The old Gospel Hall building outside had been repaired fairly recently and the inside was dry apart from one corner which had some damp.)  This was described as a falling down hut.  What was a historic building has been demolished, without anything being put forward to anybody.  If you remove a building of such significance from such a site without informing the true nature of the building, that in itself is an act of deception.  They did not provide the true history of the building.  Cllr J Docherty said that their initial plan at the time did not provide enough information.  Cllr E Riches said you have given us more information, but I have been sending this to the Head of Planning.  She said she thought this should be dealt with by one Planner, to give attention to all these false bits of information.

G Brown said that this is not the first time that we have been given wrong information.

Cllr E Riches said that she agreed that it was a wrong measurement from the Architect, which should have been noticed.  That, she said, is why we need to keep going.

The member of the public said that, if the information you are given initially is incorrect, this has a bearing on the decisions.

V Salvage asked if you are building something that, according to Planning has to have 2 parking spaces, how do you get 2 parking spaces when there is nothing on that lot for 2 parking spaces.

Cllr E Riches read that all reasonable attempts were made and Mr Allan had approached the trustees in January 2013 – (so he knew full well who owned the ground).

The Chairman advised the members of the public concerned to go forward with your bits and pieces and said that the CC will ask Cllr Riches to back to Planners.  Cllr Riches said to add about the demolition of an existing building of historic interest.

The Chairman thanked everyone and closed the meeting.

The next Ordinary Meeting will be on Monday, 20 June 2016 at

7.30 pm in the Mayview Hotel Function Suite.