General Meeting 13th January 2025
GOVAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL
GENERAL MEETING MONDAY 13 JANUARY 2025
Held in the Pearce Institute at 7 p.m.
Present: Esme Clark, Danny O’Neill, Reinhild Gorniak, John Foster, Annie Morgan, Robert Preston, Gina Preston, Andre Videla, Marie Davidson, Willie Jones, Claire Dickson, Greg Burns, Cllr Hutchison.
Apologies: Gordon Mackay, Ruby Kelly, Betty Ross, Humza Yousaf MSP, Cllr Alam, Cllr Bell, Cllr Dornan, Dr Ahmed MP
Minute taker: John Foster
It was announced at the beginning of the meeting that our Vice Chair Hannah Salome was having to demit membership as a result of moving away from Glasgow to take a new job. The meeting expressed its gratitude to Hannah for all the work she had done on housing, homelessness and environmental issues and wished her all the best for the future. A formal letter of thanks to be sent.
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MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER MEETING
These were moved as correct by Robert Preston and Esme Clark -
MATTERS ARISING AND CONTINUING ISSUES
a) Cleansing, environment, housing and roads
It was AGREED to postpone the meeting with housing associations till March and to invite Wheatley housing as well as the two major local associations and Jim Ellis from the City Council. The focus should be on the environment, cleansing and infrastructure as well homelessness and the optimum usage of existing accommodation. We should time-table up to half the meeting for this discussion.
b) Active Travel consultation on road modification to improve cycling safety
Councillor Hutchison responded to points made at the last meeting about the shortage of time allowed for consultation on the reconfiguration of roads, cycle lanes and footpaths proposed by Sustrans. Only two modifications had been made. One to permit easier passage by Johnson’s lorries and the other to modify the pavement on a street corner. In response to the call for more time he reported that there had been an extension of two weeks. The feeling of the meeting was that this was inadequate. The revised plans will be presented at a meeting in March.
c) Lyceum
The Chair had not yet had the opportunity to discuss with the two elected members their apparent support for an alternative proposal to that endorsed by the Community Council and the community more widely. He would do so and report to the February meeting.
d) Police actions on 3 July at Govan underground
A response had been received from Community Inspector (SW Glasgow) Jamie Lyall to our letter asking for clarification on what appeared to be, from evidence given by those involved, excessive force used by the Police. Inspector Lyall’s letter stated that events at Govan Cross Underground station arose from an earlier incident at Thales where one demonstrator used unwarranted force against an officer, at a level meriting arrest, but where it was felt advisable not to arrest immediately and to do so away from Thales at Govan Cross. Resistance there resulted in what was claimed to be violence against officers, a police call for assistance and the closure of the station. Inspector Lyall’s letter noted that an investigation was ongoing by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner and in light of this and the forthcoming court cases now postponed to March he could comment no further.
He did, however, offer to discuss other policing issues locally and it was AGREED to issue an invitation to our February meeting.
Annie Morgan will forward the letter from Inspector Lyall to those facing court cases.
e) Naming of the new bridge after Mary Barbour
The relevant City Council Committee had initially not endorsed our proposal, or others, on naming the bridge – although the Council Leader had subsequently contacted our Secretary and stressed that the Council valued Mary Barbour’s contribution and would acknowledge it as part of the 850^th^ anniversary celebrations. Subsequently our Chair had submitted a formal petition which was likely to go to Committee in March. It was AGREED that we should ask that witness be given in addition by a representative of the WASPI women and a female academic with standing in the field of labour history.
f) Fire and Rescue Services
Councillor Hutchison had been in touch with the FBU. Further consideration was likely in the course of the coming year in light of budgets made available by the Scottish government. We would need to come back to the issue then.
g) Banking Services in Govan
Gordon had been unable to attend but had sent the following message: ‘during 2024 we gave our attention to cash machines and access to cash – but recent bank closures in G52 now result in G51 customers having to travel to Glasgow City Centre for banking services. This justifies a banking hub in Govan Town Centre.’
h) Opening hours of Elder Park Library
Our Chair reported that Mike Dailey had agreed to take up the case for the Sunday opening of the Library and he would be in touch with him.
- NEW ISSUES
Developments in Elder Park
Willie Jones reported on volunteer efforts and work by the Community payback team to redevelop the park. GThis had brought a transformation of the ROSE garden and the cleaning of statues and memorials. However, the graffiti problem remained (especially on the Portico). It was suggested that GYIP might be a useful contact in terms of knowledge of local youth.
Elderpark Festival
Annie Morgan reported on plans for a Festival in Elder Park on 16 August to mark the 850 anniversary of Glasgow and the 85^th^ anniversary of Mary Barbour. Bids were being made to grants authorities for £30,000, Partners included Sunny Govan Radio and the Friends of Elder Park. Those agreed to participate included Paul MacAlinden, the Library with an exhibition, the Govan Weavers, Galgael and Bushcraft.
- OFFICERS’ REPORTS
Chair
Franchising of bus services
Our Chair reported on the current state of discussions to bring forward the franchising of Scottish bus services that would give local authorities powers to require bus companies to bid for franchises on terms required by Councils. This provided for democratic control over routes, charging zones and fares. The system had been introduced in England and had led to a radical improvement in services in Manchester (with
a 20 percent increase in usage).. Although the underlying legislation in Scotland had been in place since 2019 the supporting regulatory system had not yet been framed. The Scottish Parliament had now set up a Committee to discuss further action. The key pressure group for Glasgow was Get Glasgow Moving. Danny urged participation. Its AGM was on 18 February.
Condition of resurfacing work on Sauchiehall Street
Our Chair raised the deplorably uneven and dangerous character of the new brickwork surfacing and called for City Council intervention with the contractors. He noted that the state of the City Centre should be an issue for all Community Councils across the City.
Secretary
Local environmental issues
Our Secretary raised new environmental issues. These issues included the increase in the number of abandoned trolleys (LETTER to ASDA) and the dangerous littering of pavement by abandoned signs for road works and traffic redirections during current building work (LETTER to Elderpark HA as commissioners of this work). There had also been continuing issues of blocked drains (flooding at the pedestrian crossing of Govan Road at Govan Cross) and also dangerous pavements (no response to our letter on the state of pavement on the east side of Pearce Street and also on the south side of Brechins Bar and Harmony Row). Councillor Hutchison agreed to follow up these issues.
Elder Part Library: winter warmer
Esme reported on the welcome new service of providing a hot drink and enabling users to stay for up to 4 hours for respite from freezing temperatures.
Treasurer
Submission of accounts
Our Treasurer reported that the accounts had been audited by Money Matters and submitted to the City Council prior to the New Year. We currently had £4,528.60p in our account, prior to the full payment for the Govan Letter and its distribution, and any new grant allocation due for 2025. It was AGREED to make a small gift to the auditor in thanks for auditing the accounts.
Reinhild was thanked for her detailed work as our Treasurer.
- COMMUNITY COUNCIL ORGANISATION
a) Our website
Andre was congratulated on on-going work and his appeal for assistance noted. Our Chair and minute Secretary would try to retrieve more of the former minutes and issues of the Govan Letter.
b) Facebook site
Willie Jones was congratulated on his creation of a GCC Facebook site. It had so far had 112 visitors. There was discussion of how to ensure the regulation of the site in line with the legal status of Community Councils and to exclude comments that were sectarian, racist or directly party political (though not excluding issues of policy). Willie explained the procedures he intended to adopt.
c) Govan Letter
Our Chair reported on the patchy Royal Mail delivery of the Autumn Letter and noted the agreement of the previous meeting to increase supplementary distribution through shops as well as public locations. We should begin preparations for the Spring issue over the next month with a view to distribution in April.
- COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
Cllr Hutchison reported
Council Budget
This would be set subsequent to the Scottish Budget. This originally looked hopeful. However, there were now significant doubts. In particular Westminster would only provide around 65 percent of the likely costs of the new National Insurance payments arising from the higher size of the public sector and the strict enforcement of the rule for ‘Barnet consequentials’.
Friends of Elder Park
Agreement had finally been reached on satisfactory arrangements for the storage of tools and access to toilet facilities.
- DATE OF NEXT MEETING
This would be the [first]{.underline} Monday: 3 February at 7 p.m. in the Pearce Institute.