April 2013 Meeting Notes

SCRA Committee meeting, Monday 8th April, 2013

Attended by Ian Cunningham, Morag Fitchet, Dorothy Dobson, Isobel Bathgate, Joan Battersby, Amanda Farquhar Scott (for 1st 45 mins)  Apologies from Ian Mclean, Caro Tulloch, Amanda Bennett, Rose Pipes

Welcome to our 2 new members, Joan and Amanda F and thank you in advance for the time they are prepared to give to the SCRA.
Minutes – JW

Matters arising from AGM – minutes which were sent out by IM to be checked by all, any changes to be sent to IM and then IB will upload onto website and give IM instructions on how to upload for future meetings.  Action – all, IB and IM

A meeting has been arranged with the convenor of Friends of Rocheid Path (FoRP) prior to the meeting organised with Cllr L Hinds and J Wharrie of CEC to ensure that SCRA and FoRP cover all items of concern re the flood defence work and that the 2 groups think along the same lines and cover all aspects at the meeting with the council.  The SCRA committee meeting with Cllr Hinds and J Wharrie has been rescheduled to 24th April – IC, IM and RP will represent SCRA and the list of topics to be addressed has been distributed on the Grapevine so that residents can add additional items of general concern to the Colonies.

Events
Spring Clean Scotland (now renamed Clean Up Scotland) will run in tandem with the Water of Leith clean-up in the autumn and be co-ordinated with FoRP too.

Yard Sale – Sunday, 12th May 2-5pm.  Thanks to Isobel for designing this year’s poster and to Morag for printing and laminating the posters for advertising everywhere possible.  The soft copy has been distributed on the G’vine.  Action – all to advertise as widely as possible.
Already 12 participants have registered and the gazebo has been booked for a sale on Reid Terrace.
DD has offered to run the cake stall.
Face painter still needed – AFS will try to find someone for that role and liaise with IB for paints, designs and garden
Tombola – MF has confirmed that this will be held at 4 Kemp – thank you, Morag – with JW accepting prizes at 25 Teviotdale Place.
JW still awaiting confirmation from Stockbridge Pipe Band that they would like to use event for fund-raising and possibly a bit of entertainment too.
Depending on the tasks still to be done, JW may call a small sub-committee meeting before 12th May to finalise responsibilities for volunteer helpers for the yard sale.

Garden Competition – JW thanked JB for taking on organisation of this annual event.  JB had meeting with new judge, John Dunne from RBGE but the dates chosen are now deemed to be too early, given the extremely long cold winter.  JB will discuss revised date, probably for 26th June or early July with judge and organise posters accordingly and advertiseon G’vine. DD contacting Buffalo Grill for prize for garden competition.  JB to liaise with Gill Brittle re rosettes for winners and to buy prizes from RBGE (reimbursed by SCRA)

Sunflower competition – some have been sold and the rest await CT’s return.  Given the weather, it won’t be too late to plant them!  IB has designed a small poster for the notice boards which will be displayed after 15th April.  Judging day/party needs to be decided, once the summer arrives…

Ceilidh – SCRA will subsidise the event, possibly paying for the room hire of £120, to encourage as many residents as possible to attend.  The band will cost £360 including the caller whom we used at our jubilee street party in June 2012.  Action – IB to set up a poll on our website to gauge interest in the ceilidh if tickets are £5 per adult and £2 per child under 12.  We need to ensure we sell at least 72 adult tickets for it to be viable.  Possibility of setting up our own bar (wine, beer and soft drinks) using LifeCare’s licence could help raise further funds at the event – IB and AFS offered to run the bar.  If the event starts at 7pm, we need to think about food – the idea of everyone bringing their own picnic supper would seem to be the best solution so that no food is sold and so that there’s no risk of contravening public health regulations.
Street convenors could sell tickets to residents in their own street.
We see this as being an event for Stockbridge Colonies residents and their close family members.

Creative Colonies – November was judged to be an ideal time for this sale.  JW will be away but will inform the participants from 2012 so that they can take over the organisation of their own event.

Flood prevention – Sylvia Taylor of Lagan has left the company so at the moment, we have no point of contact.

Falshaw Bridge garden – AFS has kindly volunteered to plant and maintain this.  Since the soil is very shallow and of poor quality, we are investigating using excess sleepers from Inveleith Park allotments to form a raised bed and shall then need top-soil to create a much better garden – which may then deter dogs from using it as much as in the past.  Lagan is contractually obliged to restore the garden and the next steps are on the agenda for  24th April.

Environment – there is an increase in dog mess.  It is hoped that this will decline, once the footbridge reopens on Bell Place and the walkway from the Falshaw Bridge to Pizza Express.

Japanese knotweed – no sign of it yet on the Academy bank opposite the end of Kemp Place so it is hoped that the treatment carried out by the Academy in 2012 was successful.

FoRP – task force has worked hard at clearing the WoL banks etc and their update has been distributed on the G’vine.  The pruning of the laurel at the east end of the path has provoked concern but it will re-grow and with more daylight and space, will now permit some diversity in flora and fauna along that part of the riverbank.

Since the Rocheid Path runs alongside all our streets, Colonies residents are encouraged to support and get involved with FoRP as much as possible, be it at the active task force days or by attending their meetings.  Action – all

Newsline – IB to send notes (which were included on Newsline) on how to access residents’ forum on website to JW for G’vine, as a lot of residents say they have difficulties in registering or accessing their account on the forum.  Action – IB & JW

Website – IB says that it has ‘grown arms and legs’ since its launch and is in need of tidying up and revamping.  She suggests having local advertising which will pay for her time in overhauling it.  Action – IB

Grapevine – 197 residents are on the mailing list and the range of topics extremely wide.  Many G’vine subscribers would like to use the forum on the website if it was simpler but resort to the Grapevine, feeling that it’s more reliable.

AOCB – Jean Butterworth needs to be thanked for her many years of hard work on the SCRA committee.  Since her resignation was a surprise to most of the committee at the AGM, there was no time to prepare a card/gift for her. 
Action – MF & IC.

The state of the metal bollards on the pavement on Glenogle Road which have been knocked down by various vehicles recently makes our area look very untidy.  This matter will be addressed  at the meeting on 24th April with Cllr Hinds.

Some of the stone obelisks which form part of a perimeter of Colonies gardens have also been disturbed by vehicles.  If you witness such an accident, report as much detail as possible to the resident whose property it affects.  It is then the responsibility of that resident to get it repaired by claiming on their insurance.

MF is organising a replacement signatory for SCRA cheques, since Gill has left the committee.  JW agreed to fill this role.

Next meeting – Monday 10th June (please note that this is not the1st Monday in June, due to various committee members being away) at Dorothy’s, 23 Teviotdale Place at 8pm.  Many thanks to Dorothy for hosting and feeding us as always!