General Meeting 4th Match 2024

GOVAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL

GENERAL MEETING MONDAY 4 MARCH 2O24

Held in the Board Room, Elderpark Workspace at 7 p.m.

Present: Esme Clark, Daniel O’Neill, Hannah Salome, John Foster, Annie Morgan, Robert Preston, Gina Preston Cllrs Alam, Dornan and Hutchison, Alistair Shaw (representing Chris Stephens MP), Gordon MacKay, Hannah Michie, Ruth, Katherine McNab,

Apologies: Reinhild Gorniack, Betty Ross, Humza Yusaf MSP (27^th^ apology), Jaime Fitzpatrick, Alan Bell, Teresa Johnstone

Minute taker: John Foster

1. MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY MEETING
   These were moved as correct by Hannah Salome and Esme Clark

2 SPECIAL ISSUES

a) As raised by Annie Morgan: Cleansing, environment, litter crisis and drains crisis

Annie was accompanied by Katherine McNab, tenant of Elderpark HA and Treasurer of Elderpark pensioners. The following points were made.

The problem

Cleansing pick-up, fly tipping, dog fouling, flooding and street debris were particularly bad in Crossloan Road, Elderpark Street, Luath Street (where dumped timber had caught fire: fire brigade had to stop spread to tenements), Shaw Street with new street bins not reducing dumping. Elderpark HA informed but not responding. Annie and Gina noted that situation in Renfrew much better: more regular collections, days of collection continually updated on web and on leaflets, instruction on what litter to put where. Issues of flytipping, dog mess and unsafe parking had been raised with police and council for prosecution but not seen to warrant action. Gordon MacKay asked if the new bin project in Pollokshields was a pilot for the City:

Proposals

• It was agreed that the problem did not lie with cleansing staff who were seriously depleted compared with ten years ago – probably by over ten percent – and with age profile (and health and injury vulnerability) correspondingly higher. Urgent steps were needed to create a bigger younger workforce (Ruth suggested that this might be a good option for asylum seekers now looking for work). There was some scepticism about moving bins into the street and about bigger street bins

• Bin hubs, as piloted in Pollokshields, were suggested by Cllr Alam (if properly managed). It was noted that Linthouse HA operated a weekly clean-up and close liaison with both cleansing and tenants.) Gordon MacKay asked if this pilot was to be extended to the whole city and expressed some scepticism.

• Annie Morgan suggested, and it was agreed, that we actively learn from Renfrew’s tenant, union, council, participation scheme and a conference involving all parties in Govan to discuss. However, the statutory authorities could not shift responsibilities to local residents – the key issue fo residents was better information (in multiple languages) and education.

• Comments by Councillors: agreement that a conference would be useful; Cllr Hutchison would make enquiries with Cleansing and also seek employment data since 2004: Jim Shaw, representing Chris Stephens MP, noted the collapse of the service over Christmas across the constituency.

b) Dig-it conference and sponsorship by Barclays Bank: Annie raised the issue of the bank’s involvement in the financing of armaments and mineral extraction damaging the environment: agreed to return to this next meeting.

c) Closure of Bank of Scotland

Alastair Shaw reported that our MP was pressing for the BoS building to be made over as a bank hub with a cash machine. He was considering a public meeting over the Easter break.

Gordon MacKay reported that the BoS had come back with nothing positive apart from saying that the post office in Craigton Rd had a cash machine (although only available during opening hours).

The previous meeting had agreed to canvassing for a cash machine in the bus/subway station. Cllr Dornan committed himself to make the request to the meeting of the SPT Executive on Wed 6 March.

d) Bus Transport and petition: agreed to return to at the next meeting

e) Living Rents and Tenants issues: rents and repairs The Living Rent speaker gave apologies (ill health)

f) Govan Music Festival: members were encouraged to participate: Our Secretary would attend and review (for Govan Letter).

3.MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

Issues not covered so far

a) Show People’s access to their site at Water Row:

A letter had been sent by our Secretary to the City Council. No response had been received so far (although cc. to Councillors). Cllr Hutchison asked that any reply be sent to all Councillors. The issue remained urgent. Theresa was pushing for a meeting with the Council

b) Maslow’s use as community surgery for CC

Ruby confirmed that the premises could be made available

c) City Council Budget

Cuts were reported by Councillors as teaching staff, Glasgow Life, transport (complete loss of capital budget), housing (but in Glasgow via Has) and posts ion adult community education training. Other cuts were passed through the joint Council-Heath/Social budget. Funding raising initiatives were being investigated in terms of visitor parking (to go mainly to Glasgow Life), extension of parking charges (GCC needed to get legal cover: a year’s delay) and, at Scottish government level, more progressive council tax banding (freezing existing bands proportionately assisted the better off). There was concern about the Westminster budget later in the week and likely further cuts in budgets affecting public services.

d) Govan Notice Board in Shopping Centre

Rob Preston will make enquiries and report. A letter will then be written offering to pay.

e) Reopening of Elder Library

Now scheduled for June. It would contain toilets; no information so on a café (Councillors to investigate)

f) Community space

Hannah Salome will come back with ideas at the next meeting

4. COMMUNITY COUNCIL PUBLIC MEETING

5. GOVAN LETTER TIMETABLE, CONTENT AND DISTRIBUTION

6. CHAIR’S PREPORT

7, SECRETARY’S REPORT

8. COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS

1. SPEAKERS

a) Paul MacAlinden on the Third Govan Music Festival Wed 13 March to Friday 15 March

Members welcomed the third Festival as an important demonstration of Govan’s talents and the role of music in the community. The Festival would start with the choirs of all Govan primary schools in the Fairfield Club at 1 p.m. on the Wednesday and be followed by a ‘Dance and Sing’ event, also in the Fairfield Club, from 7.30 in the evening. On Thursday there would be a Bizet-inspired country and blues concert (remembering that the first work performed in Govan Lyceum opera house in 1898 was Bizet’s Carmen) followed by Mahler’s Fourth Symphony played by a chamber orchestra. On the afternoon of Friday 15^th^ the Four Govan Barons would play a Debussy violin quartet followed in the evening by two parallel events: in Park Villa from 6.30 to midnight there would be a rap event ‘Freed Up – In Recovery’ and at Edmiston House (Rangers) an event organised by ‘Musicians In Exile’ on the theme of the impact of the climate emergency as well as the special commitment of our refugee community on this issue. A detailed programme would be available by the end of the week.

b) Teresa Johnstone on the issues facing Govan’s Show People

Theresa had spoken more than once before on the challenges facing the Show People at Govan Cross and the failure of the City Council to carry forward their commitment to find viable alternative accommodation or to make their existing accommodation secure, serviceable and safe (especially for their children) Theresa indicated that the combined impact of the new housing at the Cross and the construction of the new bridge was bringing about a crisis situation whereby they had now been told by the City Council that from April to October access to their site would be severely restricted and movement of their heavy trucks and transporters no longer possible. This, Teresa noted, would end the ability of the families to earn their livelihoods by setting up funfairs across Scotland during the holiday periods. Their dialogue with the City Council City Properties section had so far failed to produce a solution. Cllr Dan Hutchison agreed to take up the issue as did Alistair Shaw on behalf of Chris Stephens MP. It was AGREED that the Community Council write a letter to Chris Burrows as director of City Properties expressing our concern.

1. MATTERS ARISING FROM DECEMBER MINUTES

a) Use of Maslow’s for a Community Council surgery

Esme will contact Ruby Kelly about potential use of Maslow’s as a drop-in centre whereby advice can be given on local issues and who to contact. Cllr Hutchison noted that he had held surgeries these (second Tuesday in the month and they proved very busy.

b) Community Space: Hannah will come back to this issue.

c) Budget crisis for Scottish councils and urgent need for policy change on tax raising

Cllr Hutchison reported that the budget for the coming year would be lodged and debated in the coming week. The government had set a £107m savings target to be made over the next three financial years. A significant cut to the budget for bus transport was being suggested among many other proposals. The Greens were advancing ways of enhancing income: an entry tax for cars from outside Glasgow; a tourist tax earmarked for bins and parks; a work place parking levy that would match the monies needed for bus franchising. It was agreed to come back to the issue at the next meeting and seek information from City Council unions and Glasgow Trades Union Council.

d) Housing and Rents in Central Govan

JF had again contacted George Lavery of Living Rent and sought a representative. One had now been promised for the March meeting, Jamie Fitzpatrick and it was agreed to put together an agenda of issues after consulting Betty Ross and others. One item would be the stalled petition lodged in the Scottish Parliament to amend the Scotland Housing Act 1984 to limit the scale of rent increases by restricting comparable rents to those in the same immediate locality as proposed by the Court of Session. Others would include unreasonable addition of special changes to rents (as for bulk uplift), failure to undertake repairs in due time and exclusion of certain repairs. Hannah noted that some of these could be raised with the Housing Regulator.

1. CHAIR’S REPORT

Closure of the Bank of Scotland’s Govan branch

The branch was now closed. None of the submissions, whether from the Community Council or from Councillors, our MP or local campaigners such as Gordon Mackay had been answered adequately. Additionally it was now noted that the Byers Road branch would close on 23 March (offered just six months ago as an alternative by the Bank of Scotland). A particular issue was the failure of Bank of Scotland to address the loss of the last secure and generally available cash machine. This was now being raised by Chris Stephens MP. It was proposed that the most appropriate and secure location would be the Subway and that the request should be made the SPTE (letter to Cllr S Dornan) as also a community banking hub as proposed by Chris Stephens MP. Gordon MacKay was writing to the banking Ombudsman.

Bus transport

Danny reported on the coming AGM of Get Glasgow Moving and the obstacles now being placed in the way of bus franchising by the current budget cuts. It was agreed that we return to the issue at the next meeting.

1. SECRETARY’S REPORT

No further issues needed to be raised apart from those already on the agenda. A request from Scottish Water on local attitudes to their service delivery had been received (no printable comments were made although it was established that Scottish Water was not in general responsible for street drainage).

The main issue that Esme wanted to raise was the need to involve more people and, in particular, the two or three hundred new residents moving into housing at the Cross and the old shopping centre car park. It was AGREED that we produce a letter for distribution to all households at the same time as Spring issue of the Govan letter is published and invite them to a special meeting (full details to be discussed at our March meeting).

It was also AGREED that there was an urgent need for a Community notice board in Govan and it proposed that we approach the manager of the Shopping Centre to reinstate the noticeboard previously there. Given the size of our current reserves the Community Council should offer to pay for the notice board and its installation.

1. TREASURER’S REPORT

Esme reported on behalf of Reinhild that the accounts had been duly submitted and that our total reserves now stand at £5843. Reinhild was congratulated and thanked for her work.

1. THE NEXT PUBLIC MEETING AND THE SPRING GOVAN LETTER

It was AGREED that the next public meeting be held in the week beginning 25 April and that if possible we book the McLeod Hall in the Pearce Institute. We should invite three speakers as suggested by Hannah including one representing the refugee community, one with experience of homelessness and the specialist housing reporter of the Ferret.

The Govan Letter should reflect this content – with the aim to secure Royal Mail distribution by the first or second week in April and aiming to be with the printers by the 1 April. Hannah would review and propose relevant content – including food banks, asylum seeker and refugee housing. It would also need to include proposed council cuts and responses to them and other Scottish government cuts such as the local Fire and Rescue service (Cllr Hutchison would secure a short article from Ross Pollok at the Govan station, an officer of West FBU).

1. COUNCILLOR’S REPORTS

Councillor Hutchison raised five issues

a) The need for a CCTV camera at Garmouth Street/Golspie street to deter flytipping at the Salvation Army bins

b) The trial of street recycling bins in Langlands Road

c) The failure of bin collection over the Christmas period – now, he hoped resolved

d) Planning application for the Dry Dock development now available on the web

e) City Council Infrastructure fund for local development (1£m) now available for local bids

Alistair Shaw for Chris Stephens MP

As expected at the last meeting the government had totally failed to resolve the backlog of asylum cases and used it to force asylum seekers out of existing housing. Chris had run a campaign in this and managed to stop two evictions of handicapped asylum seekers. Other issues had been covered earlier in the meeting.

Other elected representatives

The meeting once again expressed its disappointment at the lack on any attendance or involvement by our local MSP.

1. NEXT MEETING MONDAY 4 MARCH at 7 p.m. ELDERPARK WORKSPACE