General Meeting 8th July 2024
GOVAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL
GENERAL MEETING MONDAY 8 JULY 2024
Held in the Board Room, Elderpark Workspace at 7 p.m.
Present: Esme Clark, Danny O’Neill, Hannah Salome, Reinhild Gorniack, John Foster, Andre Videla, Che Campbell
Apologies: Marie Davidson, Betty Ross, Ruby Kelly, Annie Morgan, Humza Yousaf MSP, Councillor Alam.
Minute taker: John Foster
- MINUTES OF THE JUNE MEETING
These were moved as correct by Hannah Salome and Esme Clark.
2 MATTERS ARISING
a) Cleansing, environment, litter crisis and drains crisis
Issues raised in the previous minutes were noted. Once responses had been received from the two Housing Associations we should seek a meeting. Meanwhile Our Secretary reported that in her area – Elderpark Grove – the response to the new leaflet on how to allocate waste has been very unevenly taken up, In some parts not at all. Additionally two collections had been missed in the past month. More positively, it was noted that tetra packs and a number of other types of packaging had been added to the list of recyclables and that the ban on pedestrians delivering refuse to the Shieldhall depot had been lifted.
Arrange meeting with HAs for September.
b) Closure of Bank of Scotland: loss of cash machine – report from Gordon Mackay
Gordon reported on two separate aspects of the issue
i) Cash Machine
Esme and Gordon were congratulated on the article which appeared in the Evening Times on 12 June. It was noted, however, that our own submission to Link had been unintentionally inaccurate as the cash machine at 920 Govan Road had been converted to a non-pay machine the previous month. At the same time it was felt by the meeting that this was not a satisfactory solution to the problem of making cash available in the evening after the two other shop-based cash machines were closed. That section of Govan Road from the Lyceum to the shipyard gates was notoriously disorderly in evenings with three pubs and a snooker hall and relatively frequent street fights. Most people, especially the elderly, avoid it. It was agreed that we should continue with our representations on this basis – if possible securing confirmation from the Police and adding evidence on the growing size of the population from Central Govan Action Plan (Hannah promised to forward details of Police contacts now that Inspector Bob Anderson had moved on). It was also noted that FCA would secure new compulsory powers this autumn. Our Secretary proposed a letter to Barclays Bank, whose new local HQ was adjacent to the ‘squinty bridge’ up-river, proposing that they install a cash machine in the underground. This was AGREED.
ii) Banking hub in the underground
Our former MP Chris Stephens had been very active in seeking support for a banking hub in the Govan underground. This would involve collaboration between a number of banks. It was felt that given the FCA’s new powers we should press on with this. It was noted that Cllr Alam had said he would seek a letter of support from our four City councillors.
c) Elder Park Library: Reopening and Provision of Café
The Library was finally officially opened on 25 May – although considerable work remained in terms of painting and outfitting. Our Secretary admitted considerable disappointment. Hours were just 10 to 5 (apart from late opening on Monday till 8 pm). This was not good for children doing home work or those at work during the day. The general atmosphere was ‘that of a dentist’s waiting room’ and not a traditional library where the availability of books came foremost. Additionally there was disquiet at single sex toilets and changing facilities for babies that were open to public view. Hannah Salome stressed that some of problems might be sorted out during the final stage of the revamp and that the supervisor of the Library was very helpful – but agreed that the new arrangements were far less than perfect. In addition the building was now very noisy which made study difficult.
d) Community Notice Board in the Shopping Centre
Our Secretary had talked to the new area manager, Douglas Castle, who was very amenable to the development of closer links to the community and to the provision of an effective noticeboard. Esme was asked to continue the discussions stressing the willingness of the Community Council to fund a larger and more accessible noticeboard.
e) £1 million Infrastructure Improvement Fund
Allocations would be made at the meeting in August.
f) Show People’s access to their site
No new information.
3. BUS TRANSPORT
Agreed to comeback to this issue. The submission on franchising had been sent to a consultant and no response was yet available.
4. REPORTS ON CITY COUNCIL CUTS
It had been AGREED that councillors should seek to identify where cuts had been made across the Council services and supply the July meeting with details of the number of jobs lost. No councillors were present.
5. COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETINGS – BOTH MONTHLY AND ‘PUBLIC’
Betty Ross had confirmed that the Café area in the PI was available at £30 for two hours of an evening. It was agreed to hold our AGM either there or in the Library if available (decision September meeting. Minute Secretary to confirm.
6. GOVAN FAIR FRIDAY 7 JUNE
Members felt that generally the Fair was successful. The football tournament had been widely welcomed, the event in the Pearce Institute went very well and the numbers walking in the procession was up. Nonetheless it was felt that it would be helpful if we have closer liaison in the future and that the Community Council gave greater support.
7. SECRETARY’S REPORT
Future of the Lyceum
No further progress to report. The official petition was still open (and available at Maslows). Members were urged to sign and get others to do so – noting that all signatories had to be on the voters’ roll.
Mary Barbour statue
It was felt that some of the ideas expressed at the previous meeting on further raising the profile of Mary Barbour might be achieved through Glasgow’s 850^th^ anniversary celebration fund in 2025 – with bids being agreed this coming autumn. We should continue with the proposal to name the new bridge, ‘the Mary Barbour bridge’ although there was a report that plans had already been made to call it the Billy Connolly bridge. It was also AGREED that we should also make contact with Partick Community Council to discuss how the bridge would impact on both our areas and issues of common interest
8. CHAIR’S REPORT: THE NEW SUBWAY CARRIAGES
Our chair reported that services had not improved – apart from the restoration of wifi. In particular there were issues with the information system. Electronic displays of train arrival times had been repeatedly misleading and journey times continued significantly longer. Nor had any action yet been taken on the violent vibrations. Andre Videla felt that a rail system designed to be ‘autonomous’ and self-regulating should not have these problems. It was AGREED to invite a representative of STP after the summer.
Che Campbell raised the issue of the lifts for disabled passengers. There currently only two (Govan and St Enoch’s) and St Enoch was out of action. He reported an incident whereby a severely disabled passenger had been allowed to use the lift in Govan but therefore found no way of exiting at St Enoch’s.
9. TREASURER’S REPORT
Reinhild reported that there was currently £5062.55 in the Council’s account – with most of the expenses from the Spring public meeting and newsletter met. Reinhild was thanked for her work.
10. COMMUNITY COUNCIL ORGANISATION
a) Themes for our monthly meetings
September: Fire and Rescue services
October: SPT – underground and franchising issues for bus transport
b) Website
Andre Videla had now taken over responsibility and purchased a fresh domain name and site (which would also enable the CC to maintain control should the current owner go out of business). The Council APPROVED the expenditure (very moderate at less than £50) and the Treasurer reimbursed the amount. Andre would continue to develop the site and come back on developments to the September meeting.
c) Membership of the Community Council
It was noted that we had at least three active attenders who were by residence eligible for membership and that we also now had over three vacancies. The meeting AGREED we should approach the City Council to initiate proceedings whereby nominations could be sought and if necessary elections held (otherwise the CC nominated members would become members automatically). It was hoped that any election ballot could take place immediately prior to the AGM on Monday 7 October. It was also AGREED that the AGM formally appoint a number of those contributing to our work as ASSOCIATE members.
d) Next issue of the Govan Letter
it was agreed that we should seek to issue this towards the end of in September ahead of our AGM and Autumn public meeting. Our September meeting should discuss themes
11. COUNCILLOR’S REPORTS AND ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
There were no councillor reports in the context of the Council break through July.
It was AGREED that a letter of thanks be sent to out late MP Chris Stephens expressing appreciation for his comprehensive and sustained constituency work and his support for the Community Council (mentioning also his constituency assistant Alistair Shaw).
It was also agreed that we seek to make contact with our new MP Dr Zubir Ahmed.
12. AOCB: POLICE ACTION AT THALES
In her email of apology for the meeting Annie Morgan had raised the character of police action against non-violent protesters outside the Thales armaments factory on 15 May. On that occasion, and again at a subsequent protest, over 60 police officers appeared to use a measure of confrontation and force rarely seen in recent years against a smaller number of peaceful protesters blocking the entrance. There was a further protest three weeks later. Protestors faced police action both outside Thales and on Govan Road down to the underground station (which had been closed). It was AGREED to raise this with our MSP Humza Yousaf as a Scottish government responsibility. It was noted that Thales claimed that the drones they manufactured jointly with the Israeli firm Elbit were for the UK’s government’s MoD. It was not their responsibility that that the British government supplied them to Israel.
12. NEXT MEETING MONDAY 2 SEPTEMBER at 7 p.m. in Elderpark Workspace