Ayton
Community
Council
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Minutes for meeting held Tuesday 7th October 2024

Held in Ayton Community Hall at 7:00pm.

Present

Apologies for Absence

The minutes of the previous meeting held on Tuesday 5th September 2024 were approved. Proposed by DH and Seconded by AW as a true and accurate reflection of events.

Christmas Market

Ms Isobelle Kelly attended the meeting this evening on behalf of the Christmas Lights Group to listen to plans for a Christmas Market in the village which it was proposed would take place on 1st December, the same day as the switch on of the lights. She advised the Community Council that the group did not have an issue with a market taking place however consideration should be given to parking and the space needed in the Crofts Car Park for Norham Brass Band to set up and entertain residents. Emily Sanderson had volunteered to offer support to AM in the organising of the market and after discussion about having to potentially close roads and the risks around not doing so it was agreed that we would proceed with a market, subject to sufficient interest from stall holders and this would be done on the Village Green area, by the School and Bowling Club. It was also agreed to approach the bowling club to see if it would be possible to use their facilities for the use of toilets as well as refreshments and a wider space in the event of bad weather. Emily reported that she already had a number of interested parties who were looking to have stalls including a food vendor. It was agreed to look for around 20 stall holders who would pay a small fee and any profits from the event could be split between the Community Council and the Christmas Lights Group. The Market will run between 11am and 4pm, finishing in time for the switch on of the lights on the High Street.

Vehicles Driving at Excessive Speed

PC Kris MacLeod, Berwickshire Community Beat Officer attended the meeting to discuss the issues raised at the last meeting around excess speeding in the village. He reported that, while speeding is a common occurrence, he was not aware of any specific or significant issues in the area. He has listened to members concerns, specifically regarding driving on the Road between the Church and Hill Burn House, The High Street and the Beanburn as well as cars approaching Old Town from Eyemouth. He reported that there were a number of measures that could be put in place but also reported that resources are extremely stretched in the current climate. He has recommended that both members of the Community Council and Members of the Wider Public report anything of concern. He talked about the positive effect that Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSO) who are pupils from the local Primary School can have on slowing drivers down and he agreed to explore this further with the school. He also reported on the possibility of a Traffic Section being added to Duns Police Station which will give additional resource and presence in the area and he promised to keep us updated on this.

In addition to Speeding, he also advised that there was no crime of note in the village in the last month although they had been 2 isolated incidents to premises close to the village which were specific and targeted, and he did not think a wider risk was posed. He asked member to encourage residents to go on Police Scotland’s website and complete the “Your Policing Survey” which is currently active and will help shape the future of policing in the area.

MMWR

The police report for the last month was circulated to members and there were no matters arising from either report.

Cllr J Anderson Report

Cllr Anderson was unable to attend due to prior commitments and no report was submitted.

Berwickshire Area Partnership

The most recent meeting had taken place on 5th September and AM had attended on behalf of the Community Council. He reported that funding for play equipment by the school had been approved at the area partnership meeting and he had acknowledged our gratitude and thanks. In addition to this he was made aware of Training for Mental Health First Aid that would be made available to anyone who was interested in completing this training.

Rotary Cycling Event

On Sunday 29th September a cycling event organised by Eyemouth Rotary Club had taken place. This passed off very successfully without any incidents.

Clock Tower Flag

DH advised that he had followed up on the enquiry at the previous meeting from a member of the public and a site inspection had taken place by Berwickshire Housing on 24th September. DH reported that there seems to be some confusion over who is responsible for the repairs and we have made it very clear to Berwickshire Housing that they have always maintained the flag pole and that the Community Council have supplied the flags. Discussions are ongoing and DH would provide further updates as they became available.

Treasurer’s report

PI was not present at this evening’s meeting but had reported that our annual grant of £630 has now been paid.

Project Account Balance stands at £903.28
Treasurer’s Account Balance stands at £963.28

AOB

A member of the public had approached several members of the community Council about a private residence on the High Street, whose garden had become overgrown and was now making use of one of the bus stops more difficult. It was agreed that TS would approach the resident informally asking them to take action to rectify this.

TF reported that a PHD Student would be visiting the village on Wednesday 9th October, and he would appreciate people’s support to help him with his research on the subject of people integrating into village communities. He is hoping to interview up to 40 people and is happy to meet with people who are interested. He had been invited to the coffee morning and was hoping to build on this with more meetings where possible. Please email J.Chen115@newcastle.ac.uk if you are interested.

Next Meeting

The next Ayton Community Council meeting will take place on 12 November 2024.