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Members Present:

Innes Stephen (Chairman)

John Thomson (Vice Chairman)

Barry Cook

Jimmy Lynch

Linda Mackie

Jenny Wagstaff

Donny Chisholm.

Also present at the meeting were Councillor Paul Johnston, PC George Hall and 16 members of the public.

Apologies:

Glenison Foster-Axten, Ros Deane.

As the secretary was on holiday, the chairman agreed to take brief notes of the discussions.

1. Minutes of Meeting on March 21, 2000 were approved, subject to the addition of apologies by Donny Chisholm.

2. The chairman reported that Donny Chisholm had attended a roads maintenance meeting, and that his report was minuted; that a local plan training session was to be held on May 10 at Gordon House, and Linda Mackie and Barry Cook agreed to attend along with the chairman; that the Community Council review continued to be held up because of ward boundary problems in Garioch, and the meeting agreed to express its concern at the delays; that a proposed new bus service linking Strichen, New Deer, Methlick, Tarves and Inverurie had been intimated to the Bus Forum, and the meeting agreed to seek more information; that there was to be a joint post of community development officer/Ythan project officer for the Formartine Partnership; that planning permission had been granted for the new village noticeboard; that there was to be a meeting of the Community Safety Group on April 27, but the Community Council would not be represented as there was no volunteer.

3. There was a lengthy discussion during which members of the public voiced their vehement objections to the road-calming scheme. The chairman had reported that he had received four calls from objectors when work started. He pointed out that there seemed to be widespread support for efforts to slow traffic speed in Duthie Road. The traffic calming scheme was an Aberdeenshire scheme, and the Community Council had simply been asked to host the public consultation meeting, and had also put in its own proposals to Aberdeenshire Council agreed at a monthly meeting of the council following the public consultation meeting. The chairman was criticised for failing to call a second public meeting, which some members of the public said he had promised. One member of the public said he had heard nothing about the scheme until work started and several others proposed alternative ideas for traffic calming, and criticised the spending of the money. Among difficulties highlighted were: cars racing to beat others to the chicanes; westbound vehicles having to stop in the bus parking area at the school in the face of oncoming traffic; uncertainty as to right-of-way; congestion caused by chicanes and vehicles parking at the bakery and a possible similar problem when chicanes were constructed near Duthies' shop. No-one voiced any criticism of the proposed speed cushions in Braiklay Avenue, but concern was raised that drivers were using Braiklay Avenue, Bede Way and Manse Walk as a route to avoid the traffic calming in Duthie Road. The Aberdeenshire Council notice about the 30-mph extension traffic order was raised by several members of the public, who believed it suggested that there was an opportunity to submit objections to the traffic calming scheme. Councillor Johnston said that he accepted that the notice should not have mentioned the traffic-calming scheme, and could be construed as misleading.

Linda Mackie said that she thought the traffic cushions in Braiklay Avenue, Bede Way and Manse Walk should go ahead, but that the road engineers should look again at the build-outs proposed near the Melvin Hall and Duthies' shop and the Community Council agreed to back her suggestion and to write to Aberdeenshire Council asking for the build-out problems to be looked at again.

4. The community council decided to pass on to the School Board and the PTA a briefing paper sent by the Director of Education about the budgets from 2000 to 2003.

5. The council have now received funding support from the Formartine Partnership for the floral gateways which are a voluntary effort to support traffic calming at the entrances to the village. The public were asked to volunteer their help in constructing the gateways.

6. The Webgroup have now been told by com.com Holyrood that the village is to receive one of the free BT computers, and the Community Council agreed to express its thanks to the Melvin Hall committee for agreeing to the siting of the computer in the Queen's Room.

7. There have been at least three accidents in the past month at the Braiklay crossroads, and members of the council expressed their concern pointing out that many regular minor incidents went unrecorded. It was agreed to write to the Aberdeenshire roads department requesting a new examination of, and action on, the problems at the crossroads. The Community Council also appealed for people who experience dangerous driving or near misses at the crossroads to report incidents so that more evidence is available to back the request for action.

8. Whitehills Community Council asked for support for a protest at the next meeting of Aberdeenshire Council against toilet closures. Tarves expressed support and hoped that a representative or representatives from the community could join the protest.

9. Donside Community Council wrote saying they were to petition the Scottish Parliament asking for a review of the consequences of the financial reductions imposed on Aberdeenshire and asking for similar action from other community councils. Tarves agreed to write back to inform Donside that letters had already gone to the Scottish First Minister and Finance Minister protesting at the cutbacks, and arguing that rural Aberdeenshire should be recognised as a special case deserving of additional support rather than cutbacks since areas away from the immediate Aberdeen city received few benefits from the city's prosperity but had to shoulder the consequent financial burdens.

10. Constable George Hall reported that Tarves was again suffering annoyance from local youths, with several incidents having been reported to the police. There had been stone throwing in Gordon Place with numerous windows damaged; residents in Old Aberdeen Road had been subjected to acts of vandalism; and youths had been seen on the roof of the school. Inquiries were being made and those responsible would be charged.

11. The roller-bladers' "quarter pipe" was still at the bottom of the Old Aberdeen Road, and concern was again expressed that there could be a serious incident. The chairman agreed to speak to the youngsters or responsible parents about having it removed and the Community Council was to investigate finding a possible, safe, alternative site for it.

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