Issue 75 - March 2019

Post date: 06-Mar-2019 00:39:19

COMMUNITY COUNCIL REPORT

The younger element was absent from our last meeting (and were sadly missed) but a decent number of people turned out on a warm(!) February evening to participate in a lively discussion on a wide range of topics. In his opening remarks the Chair, David Chisholm, commented that it was very pleasing to see people, including local families, moving into homes in Kingdom Housing Association’s Oakley Road development. David also congratulated Ann Hatton on her appointment as Secretary of Saline Golf Club. Ann and her colleagues have worked extremely hard over the last couple of years to carry out improvements and the Club is now a very valuable social asset.

Play Parks

The North Road Play Park is nearing completion and Nicola Smith and her colleagues in the Play Parks Group were applauded for their persistence in overcoming the numerous obstacles that had been placed in their path. It was hoped that there would soon be an official opening to celebrate their success. The problem of the collapsing retaining wall was in Fife Council’s hands. Jean Morris reported that it was expected that work on refurbishing the Steelend Play Park would commence at the end of March.

South and West Fife Community Plan

David reported on his attendance at the workshop the previous weekend at which representatives of all communities in the South and West Fife area worked with Council officers to flesh out the themes in the Community Plan. A lot of emphasis has been placed on continuing community participation to determine priorities and on establishing how diminishing financial resources are best allocated. David had stressed the importance of ensuring that the infrastructure of West Fife, particularly the roads network, is capable of supporting the increased levels of movement and activity envisaged in the plan. He had called for a strategic review with the Council’s Transportation team and representatives of all West Fife villages to examine the road network and determine appropriate speed limits on all roads, and preferred routes for any heavy lorry not making a local delivery.

The residential amenity of people living in hamlets like Kinneddar Park, Cowstrandburn and Shiresmill was being eroded by motorists ignoring advisory speed limits and heavily-laden lorries rat-running along country lanes. Officers in Transportation claim that their hands are tied when it comes to setting speed limits but the impression is that their allegiance is with car drivers and commercial vehicle operators, rather than pedestrians and cyclists. It was agreed that David should write to Michael Mathieson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, to seek his support for a campaign to make the roads in West Fife safer.

Commemorative Street Naming

A ceremony to unveil the street sign for Rev Downie Wynd has been arranged for 11.00am on Monday 15 April. The late Minister’s family will be present and the unveiling will be followed by tea, coffee and biscuits in the Church Hall. All residents who remember Reverend Downie, as well as people who have moved to the village more recently, are very welcome to attend. Some families have already moved in to homes in John Crane Close on the Allanwater development and a similar ceremony to remember John Crane will be arranged once the street sign is in place.

Saline Community Centre

The possibility of funding from the Scottish Land Fund for the preparation of a feasibility study and business plan for the community acquisition of Saline Community Centre is being pursued. Lisa Duncan, the pharmacist who is endeavouring to open a community pharmacy in the village that would provide a ‘commercial anchor’ for the building, has confirmed that the Health Board will be consulting on the idea. Notices will appear in the local press shortly and all residents are encouraged to respond positively. David also reported that he had spoken to the Practice Manager at Oakley Health Centre where the possibility of providing ‘satellite’ services alongside the pharmacy had been discussed by GPs. Sadly, a lack of resources makes this impossible to consider at the present time. However, Fife Health and Social Care Partnership are developing ‘Well’ projects across the area to provide support and advice for a wide of physical and mental health problems. In the longer term a facility might be created in Saline.

Possible Affordable Housing in Steelend

The sketch proposals for affordable housing on the former football ground site had been explained at a well-attended meeting in Steelend Club at the beginning of February. There had been plenty of comments and questions but, on balance, it appeared that local people are prepared to see the idea taken to the next stage. A major issue is ownership of the additional land that would be required to create access. At present, it is owned by Fife Council but Community Empowerment legislation means that if local people can demonstrate that they have a better use for land it can be taken into community ownership with support from the Scottish Land Fund who can provide up to 90% of acquisition costs. This would provide the community with a powerful bargaining tool in discussions with potential developers. At the present time only Kingdom Housing Association are showing any interest.

Galas, Fireworks and Christmas Lights

It is recognised that Steelend Gala is an event for the whole community for which the Community Council is providing financial support. However, several people associated with the old Saline Events Group and members of the more recently established Play Parks Group have shown interest in a small-scale summer event for children in Saline. The Community Council will be promoting another firework display in the autumn and the Golf Club will be hosting the event on Friday 8 November. Pyromancer, who provided last year’s show, have been booked again.

It is possible that the Coalfields Regeneration Trust might fund the rewiring of the street lamps to allow Christmas lights to be attached. If this is the case, then a sub group of the Community Development Trust would be established to manage the work and embark on a fund-raising campaign to identify businesses, families, and groups of families who might like to sponsor a lamp post. It is anticipated that there would be a small number in the first year but, as in other villages that have them, the numbers would increase over time.

Blair House Open Cast

A contractor has been appointed to carry out the reinstatement of the Blair House Open Cast site and work will begin on 4 March. Drawings shown at the Community Council meeting indicate a substantial reduction in the height and visual impact of the bing. Project managers MRL are arranging a meeting shortly so that community representatives can meet the contractor. Several people raised the question of access from Saline and Steelend and it was acknowledged that at present the paths network does not connect conveniently to the site. It was also felt that car parking is required in the vicinity of Cowstrandburn and Kinneddar Park. These issues will be raised in due course with the Forestry Commission, whose commercial arm will take ownership of the land on completion.

Fife Council Garages

In response to requests from several local groups who store equipment in the Council garages for additional accommodation, the Community Development Trust has agreed to pursue the possibility of community acquisition. A Stage 1 application has been lodged. If this is achieved, the Trust would take over the management of the garages and undertake essential repairs and improvements. Anyone currently renting from Fife Council could continue to do so and new tenants would be sought to make use of those that are currently vacant, for example local small-trades people who need space to store materials and equipment.

Steelend Club

Several Community Councillors attended the Emergency General Meeting of Steelend Club. There is no immediate financial crisis but the Club does need to increase usage. A number of ideas were put forward for music events including a ‘vinyl night’ on which those people who still have their collections of LPs and 45s from the 60s and 70s would be invited along to share them in a Desert Island Discs-style event (with men standing with their backs to the walls holding a pint watching ladies dancing around their handbags and waiting for a slow number). In addition, Kelty Community Cinema have agreed to bring their (professional-quality) projection and sound equipment to Steelend Club for a trial period which would see films for grown-ups (eg Bohemian Rhapsody, A Star is Born and the singalong version of Mama Mia 2 – all sellouts in Kelty!) on selected Friday nights and a Kids Film Club (complete with popcorn and juice) on the Saturday morning or afternoon.

Meetings

Community Council meetings are held on the last Tuesday of the month and are open to anyone living in the area. We are particularly keen to attract along people from the new housing schemes on Oakley Road. The meetings take place in Saline Community Centre at 7.30pm. The next meeting is 26 March.

Our Sponsor

This edition of the Bulletin is kindly sponsored by

Saline Golf Club

.

SALINE & DISTRICT HERITAGE SOCIETY

We were sent soaring up into the sky with our most recent talk on WW2 women pilots and kept on the edge of our seats with tales of bravery. It was a fascinating insight into the women who delivered planes to airbases at home and abroad.

Our next talk is on Wednesday 20 March, 7.00pm for 7.30pm in the Church Hall and is on a subject that most of us probably know little about - A history of Scottish Sundials. Without a watch or a clock, this was the most accurate way to tell the time.

Looking further forward, we will be welcoming some visitors to our village in May and June from the USA and Holland; more details to follow later. Tina is looking for artefacts/information on the subject of health and well-being in Saline and surrounding areas for our museum, so if you have a tale to tell, please let us know.

SALINE & BLAIRINGONE PARISH CHURCH

Editor's Note

The Editor reserves the right to refuse, edit or factually correct all items submitted for publication. All views expressed in this Bulletin are purely those of the author of the item concerned and are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Communications Group as a whole.

STEELEND MINER'S CLUB

(Use it or lose it)

Forthcoming Events

Friday 8 March: Games Night, 8.00pm. Pool, darts and domino competitions:

£1 per game. Come along for a laugh, food and prizes.