Attended by: Tam Coyle (Chair), Gary Atkinson, Rosalind Atkinson, David Cowan, Peter Hayman, David Hughes, Niall McColl, Gordon Millar, Ross Naismith, Scott Thornton; Ward Councillors Eva Bolander and Angus Millar; Police Constables Gentian Rapi and Teigan McLeod; Alasdair McDougall representing Kaukab Stewart MSP, Gregor McIntyre representing John Grady MP; RA, MC, DF, KF, MG, TMcK, EM, PP, CS, DMcS.
By Zoom video: Alice Cowan, EM, NM, RMcL, JR
APOLOGIES
John Grady MP, PC Nathan Baxter, Colin McKay
DRAFT MINUTES OF 25 MARCH MAIN MEETING
Adoption proposed by David Cowan, seconded by Tam Coyle. Approved.
POLICE REPORT
The Secretary read PC Baxter’s monthly report for the MCTCC area.
- During the period 1-17 April a total of 106 crimes were reported of which 56 had been detected.
- The Community Policing team had continued to conduct local days of action in response to complaints of illegally modified e-bikes and e-scooters in the city centre. These had led to a number of seizures and reports to the Procurator Fiscal. Local deployments would continue.
- The team had continued to engage with buskers and information about their Code of Conduct had been provided.
- Priority locations included Virginia Street/Glassford Street to deter ani-social behaviour and drug misuse, New Wynd/Old Wynd re drug misuse, and The Trongate, especially around the night time economy area. Patrols had been in inform, on cycles and in plain clothes.
- In response to a question from DF, PC Rapi said police needed a reason to search anyone stopped in relation to an illegally modified bike or scooter.
- In response to a question from Tam he said eight people had been arrested in the St Enoch Centre following assaults. A report had been sent to the Procurator Fiscal.
- RA said drug users were continuing to use a lane around Virginia Court. Gates which had been locked to prevent access had not been fixed for three years. PC Rapi said all owners of the affected residential block needed to agree on such repairs but Councillor Bolander said permission could be granted by only 50% of the owners. She will contact RA. ACTION: RA/Councillor Bolander
- Gary Atkinson raised the issue of policing of the anticipated celebrations by Celtic football fans of their team’s latest Premiership League victory, expected to take place on 17 May.
- He and Scott Thornton had represented MCTCC at a top level meeting at Hampden on 28 March convened by MSP Kaukab Stewart and attended by, among others, the Chief Executive and Operations Director of the Scottish Premier Football League and senior representatives of Celtic, the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council as well as representative of Celtic and Rangers’ fans.
- There had been a genuine common desire to come up with a solution but it had proved a missed opportunity to halt the probability of further serious civil disorder in mid-May.
- Scott reported that MCTCC and neighbouring Calton Community Council had written to the Chief Executive of Celtic FC on 22 April, asking the Club to publicly call on their supporters to refrain from anti-social behaviour. They had suggested that Celtic organises its own celebration in Parkhead stadium, across the road at The Emirates or at a venue of its choice. However, they had not yet received a reply.
- The Club was not legally bound to control its supporters outside Parkhead stadium.
- MSP Kaukab Stewart had achieved success by getting so many senior figures round the table but the Hampden ‘summit’ had heard reasons from all sides as to why nothing practical could be done at this time.
- Alasdair McDougall said the MSP’s aim had always been to achieve a long term solution to the problem.
- Councillor Millar said Glasgow City Council had continued to put pressure on Celtic management to stop their fans misbehaving.
- In response to comments from the floor about the cost of policing Gary said Celtic could be made to pay for this if they asked for it, but it would not do so. Celtic FC should pay for any clean-up and damage caused.
- Tam will ask Inspector Watters about the actual policing cost when he, Gary and Scott meet him on 2 May, and report back to the Mid-Monthly Meeting.. ACTION: Tam
- RA asked if individuals could be charged for offences or the club fined by the SPFL. Scott said deduction of points by the SPFL could be an effective deterrent but the football authorities apparently had no intention of doing so.
- Councillor Millar said GCC had no powers to fine the club.
ELECTED MEMBERS’ REPORTS
- Councillor Millar said GCC’s communications strategy concerning re-development of George Square had been improved and there would now be updates at least monthly.
- The contract for ground works would be discussed in the relevant GCC Committee later this week.
- Quoting the recent announcement that George Square would no longer have a water feature, Ross said this was disappointing. Councillor Millar said this would have cost £6m and was unaffordable. The decision to axe the water feature had been taken several months earlier but had not been publicly communicated until last week.
- Gary added this showed a serious lack of ambition on the part of GCC. Other Avenues projects could have been delayed to pay for such a feature. George Square was being re-created now; other projects could wait a few years. This would be a missed ‘once in a generation’ opportunity. ACTION: Councillors Bolander and Millar.
- Councillor Millar replied it was a tricky balance but other streets, including those around the Square, could not be left in their current states. There could not be a “red line around George Square where everything is bright and shiny” with other streets in the vicinity in a poor state.
- In answer to a question from RA he said some contracts concerning The Avenues had yet to be allocated.
- EM told the meeting that local residents had expressed their desire to have a water feature. If the City Council had been minded to ditch it surely they should have local residents for their views?
- Ross said it was disturbing that the decision had been taken without contact with the public. Ward Councillors should make sure that residents’ views in the current situation were put firmly to this week’s Committee meeting. ACTION: Councillors Bolander and Millar.
- RA complained about rough sleepers in front of the bus stop near Tesco in The Trongate, blocking access to pedestrians and prams. This and beggars outside Queen Street station gave visitors a very negative impression of Glasgow.
- Councillor Miller said police and street teams regularly spoke with rough sleepers to ensure they had access to social services.
- Councillor Millar said enforcement action was being progressed against the owners of the derelict site at Dixon Street/Clyde Street.
- Some 3,000 job applications had been received in response to GCC’s announcement that it was hiring several hundred new cleansing operatives, parking attendants and community enforcement officers.
- Scott asked Ward Councillors for an update on the consultation on public toilets. MCTCC had received no information since submitting its comments on 15 January. ACTION: Councillors Bolander and Millar.
- He also asked when GCC was going to review its Busking Code. ACTION: Councillors Bolander and Millar.
LOCAL PLACE PLAN
Scott said an MCTCC sub-group is drafting this in connection with local residents’ proposals and aspirations for better use of land and property. This would include use of derelict sites and empty properties.
MCTCC would be pro-active in putting the LPP to local residents who would be asked for their own views on what further improvements they would like to see.
ACTION: Scott/David Hughes/Ross
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
City Centre Improvement Grants – Gordon had attended a meeting which was largely about use of vacant properties.
Trees – Ross is liaising with Ward Councillors on a possible GCC budget. ACTION: Ross/Ward Councillors
David Hughes said of the 7 trees in Ingram Street which would be left after those in the ‘Merchant City Park’ site had been felled to make way for 109 apartments, 3 were dead.
LEZ Community Fund – Scott has asked to be notified when the next bids can be submitted. ACTION: Scott
BBC TV drama series ‘Minted’ – Scott has met the film company’s location manager and expressed concern about extensive late night filming in and around Wilson Street, especially until dawn on Friday and Saturday 2 and 3 May. Interior filming in a penthouse at 28 Wilson Street would take place on Wednesday and Thursday 7 and 8 May from the early afternoon to 1 am and 12.30 am respectively, and exterior filming would be on Tuesday 6 May from 3 pm to 1 am.
Communication with residents had appeared haphazard. He has been liaising with GCC’s Film Office and will write again to the production company. ACTION: Scott
AREA PARTNERSHIP
David Hughes will represent MCTCC at the next meeting on 1 May. ACTION: David Hughes
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
Niall (project manager/Webmaster), David Cowan and Scott have been trained on the new Website which will be totally under MCTCC’s control when it goes live. The session was recorded so all Community Councillors can view it.
In a later phase local businesses will be invited to advertise on it.
Niall is arranging repair of a broken notice board including new locks.
ACTION: Niall
PLANNING
- Ross summarised priority developments.
- Old Wynd (West) (student accommodation) – Planning approval had been granted, and developers were now ‘on site’. He was happy with the architecture.
- EE reiterated she had objected to the original application which was for a 98 unit residential scheme and remained in contact with GCC Planning on the issue.
- Old Wynd/ Osborne (East) (student accommodation) – Planning approval had been granted, subject to conditions. He had attended a meeting of the Planning Applications Committee (PAC) on 22 April and spoken about the over-saturation of student accommodation in the area and the need for flexibility to take account of future market changes.
- EE said it was unrealistic to expect that applications for student flats would be converted to those for residential accommodation.
- Ross was concerned about the massing and height – 14 storeys including a power plant on the top level – and the materials used. Both the above developments would be red brick.
- Conditions imposed also concerned environmental improvements.
- Tam said the area was indeed being over-saturated with student accommodation but there had been no mention of badly needed social housing.
- Gary said developers of the King Street car park might regard such a building height as having set a precedent.
- Councillor Bolander said she had stipulated at the PAC meeting that there should be a fixed percentage of student/residential accommodation. This percentage tended to vary case by case.
- Submitted on my own behalf, I herewith object to Planning Application 23/01027/FUL on the grounds that it does not comply with the allocated designation as a Consented Housing Site within the local Development Plan with an indicative capacity of 98 units.
- Granite House, Stockwell Street – Planning permission has been granted, subject to conditions which Ross said he had not seen but was less worried about that.
- He had met Councillor Millar about vehicle access and other alterations at Candleriggs, and the High Street and Clyde Avenues projects.
- EM said the initial planning application for the East side of Osborne Street was for residential apartments, not student housing.
- David Hughes said the issue of student accommodation was relevant to the proposed Local Place Plan since this gave MCTCC an opportunity to exert influence through its Policy Statements.
- Peter reminded the meeting he had raised a personal objection to noisy air-conditioning fans installed on top of the City Halls without planning permission.
- EM said it was astonishing that Glasgow Life was unable to say who owned City Halls and was therefore liable for the fans.
LICENSING
Tam reminded the meeting that a public consultation on whether the current provision of taxis in Glasgow was adequate is due to finish on 28 May. Details are on the MCTCC and GCC Websites. The issue will be on the agenda for the Community Council’s next internal mid-monthly meeting.
FRIENDS OF THE RAMSHORN GRAVEYARD (FORG)
- David Hughes reported bookings were going well. He had also received an enquiry about a group visit by 20 disabled people which might need to be run as split events.
- Posters had been printed and flyers distributed.
- Free tours would take place every Wednesday in June, July and August.
- New benches had proved popular and more would be appreciated.
- David asked Councillor Bolander about a notice on opening times outside the Ramshorn Graveyard. A GCC officer had said the City Council was no longer responsible for this because MCCTC was now involved through its setting up of FORG. Would planning permission be required? ACTION: Councillor Bolander/David Hughes
- Tam said he was mystified as to why recycling bins had been removed.
- Niall will create a facebook Page for FORG. ACTION: Niall
RECYCLING FACILITIES
- Ex-MCTCC Chair Duncan McLaren has complained about the absence of recycling bins in Montrose Street. They had been moved under a nearby railway bridge.
- Glass recycling bins on King Street have been removed as has one in Metropole Lane off Howard Street, the latter on the instructions of a business which said it owned the lane. Scott said he understood the lane was jointly owned, adding that GCC should actively be providing more recycling facilities.
- Peter said a priority was food recycling bins which should be maintained and cleaned by Glasgow City Council.
- Gordon asked if GCC had a list of recycling facilities. Councillor Bolander will report back. ACTION: Councillor Bolander
THISTLE FORUM (Hunter Street safe drugs injection facility)
Gary and Tam attended the latest meeting on 1 April. Some 250 drug users had made 1,600 visits in the past month. The Social Hub and Tron Theatre had also been involved. The next meeting is on 11 June.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Gordon reported a current cash balance £5,607.25.
The second half of payment for the Website (£1,590) has been paid.
Thanks to Gary we have received our annual administration grant from GCC.
INTERIM ELECTION OF COMMUNITY COUNCILLOR
An interim election is being held to fill one vacancy on MCTCC. Completed Nomination Forms should be returned by the closing date of 6 May. Details are on the MCTCC Website and have been posted on three sites within the MCTCC area.
So far there has been one nomination. If there is more than one nomination a secret ballot will be held at our meeting on 27 May. If not, the nominee will be elected unopposed. Qualifying residents whose name and address appear on the Electoral Register within the Community Council boundary will be entitled to cast one vote during the ballot opening hours. ACTION: Scott
PARADES
Ross said the Community Council should object to a procession on 7 June marking the relief of Derry. It was a religion-based provocative hate crime which would impair residents’ quiet enjoyment of their city.
Tam noted that he and Ross had met GCC’s Parades Officer and been told banning such parades would be contrary to freedom of speech and opinion.
NATIONAL VOLUNTEERS’ WEEK
Scott noted this was taking place between 2-8 June and honoured the work done by volunteers such as those on Community Council. He urged the public to join in MCTCC’s efforts to improve the area.
NEXT MEETING
Tuesday 27 May, 6.30-8.30, City Chambers