General Meeting 3rd March 2025
GOVAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL
MINUTES OF
GENERAL MEETING MONDAY 3 MARCH 2025
Held in the Pearce Institute at 7 p.m.
Present: Esme Clark, Danny O’Neill, Reinhild Gorniak, John Foster, Robert Preston, Gina Preston, Annie Morgan, Andre Videla, Marie Davidson, Ruby Kelly (Maslows), Willie Jones, Claire Dickson (Maslows), Cllr Richard Bell, Cllr Hutchison, Cllr Stephen Dornan, Fraser Grant-Rae (representing Dr Ahmed MP), Paul MacAlindin (Glasgow Barons and Govan Music Festival), Jim Ellis (Glasgow CC), Kirsty Ward (Wheatley Housing), Chris Gallacher (Elderpark HA), Jonathan Giddings-Reid (Elderpark HA)
Apologies: Reinhild Gorniack, Betty Ross, Gordon Mackay, Humza Yousaf MSP, Cllr Alam,
Dr Ahmed MP
Minute taker: John Foster
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MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY MEETING
These were moved as correct by Robert Preston and Esme Clark -
Paul MacAlindin on the Govan Music Festival 26 to 29 March
Paul introduced the 2025 Govan Music Festival lasting from Wednesday 26 March to Saturday 29 March. Key attractions would be the Govan Schools Concert at the Fairfield Club from 1 p.m., on the Wednesday (all primaries including musicians from Hazelwood Primary) followed at 7.30 by Becci Wallace and Steg G with their new Album After the Fog. On Thursday Paul will be conducting the Glasgow Barons Orchestra playing Bach, Aileen Sweeney and Piazolla in Govan and Linthouse Parish Church at 7.30. On Friday the Ronans will be playing for the Freed Up from 7 p.m. in Edmiston House, 100 Edmiston Drive and The Four Barons String Quartet will play at Kinning Park Complex from 7.30 pm. The Festival will finish with World Music Night, including Musicians in Exile in Govan and Linthouse Parish Church 7.30 pm. The Festival programme gives further details and prices (all very reasonable).
- DISCUSSION ON HOUSING AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN GOVAN
Mr Jim Ellis attended from Glasgow City Council, Kirsty Ward from Wheatley Housing and Chris Gallacher and Jonathan Giddings-Reid from Elderpark HA. There was no representation from Govan Housing Association. All had been contacted by letter and phone.
Our chair asked initially for HA representatives to identify their responsibilities.
For Elderpark HA Chris Gallacher had replaced Jim Fraser from February with responsibilities for the overall estate including closes and backcourts and general environmental issues. This had included setting up contractors to renovate the Langlands Cycle Path and a contract for litter picking.. Jonathan Giddings-Reid has responsibility for ‘tenant support’ within the Housing Team – liaising with local organisations to maximise tenant access to help for heating homes, for feeding children, for projects to transform environment (such as the current plan for the site of the former janitors house at Hills Trust as wild life garden centre) and wider interventions to change the political environment in favour of more and better public sector housing. Kirsty Ward for Wheatley Housing had only taken up her housing management responsibilities at the beginning of the year working out of the Dava Street office. They were challenging – ranging from housing management and repair to the needs of the homeless and asylum seekers.
For the City Council Jim Ellis of Environmental Services was responsible for liaison across Council services for the area that he described as a very challenging environment: more fly-tipping that any other area in Glasgow (quite a lot brought in from elsewhere) and streetscapes now fifty years old including irregular road surfaces and broken and overgrown planters and street furniture.
In discussion
Willie Jones raised the very dilapidated condition of the streetscape across Elderpark. Chris Gallacher reported that 31 planters had been identified for replacement and there were plans to restore landscaping. Jonathan instanced the improvements resulting from the joint redevelopment of the Library, including more community space, and the new housing built around the site of the old community hall. Annie Morgan disputed aspects of this and the loss of facilities and storage space [although see later report from Cllr Bell on the Library Sunday opening].
Jim Ellis outlined plans for redeveloping planters in Central Govan (Taransay Street and Howat Street) and noted that problems of street-scaping had arisen from past failure of general management and staffing. It was hoped that this would be transformed over the coming year. He was also hopeful that the introduction of Bin Hubs over the coming year would reduce fly-tipping and instanced the improvement in Paisley Road West with the level halved.. On pavements he noted that in future damaged monoslabs would be replaced by tarmac. Robert Preston complemented the Council on the pavement improvements on Craigton Road.
Clair Dickson raised the height of curbs and damage done as a result to mobility scooters and chairs – Roseneath Street was instanced as an example. Another problem noted by Chris Gallacher was abandoned road work signs in Elderpark. It was proving difficult to identify the contractors involved.
The issue of housing supply
A more general question was raised about housing supply and current demand. There seemed to be a particular problem of re-housing grown-up children – and hence maintaining community cohesion and mutual support, always an important factor in working class communities, and evidenced in Govan in the past
Kirsty for Wheatley Housing said the figure for homeless/urgent need of housing had increased from 17,000 to 25,000 across Glasgow over the past few years and this created priority demand – in face of a failure to build adequate amounts of new housing. Jonathan confirmed their experience that demand far exceeds supply in face of a legal obligation to rehouse nominees from the City who were themselves homeless. This problem had been getting steadily worse at all-British level for years in face of a big fall in funding and Housing Associations opting to build housing at ‘mid-market’ rents to increase revenue. Jonathan had seen such ‘gentrification’ eating into working class communities in England and cutting the availability of social housing for those who desperately need it.
Ruby and also our Secretary raised the issue of rehousing as households grew in size and complexity and the apparent lack of liaison across the housing associations in the area in identifying suitable accommodation. This was confirmed by representatives. Constraints were also often present in grant conditions of the Scottish government limiting four or five bedroom houses. In terms of new housing supply note was taken of empty land and claims that water (and previously the subway line and in Teucherhill coal mines) precluded development.
Fraser Grant-Rae (for Dr Ahmed MP) noted a significant dissatisfaction with the level of repairs especially in Elderpark. It was agreed that the level of communal (close) repairs – often more demanding – was not good but the record for house repairs was better. Andre Videla also raised the issue of close repairs and the better utilisation of space – provision for bikes, for instance – as well as more thought being given to people on the top floor growing old and finding the steps a physical/medical challenge. On the question of cycle storage Cllr Hutchison noted plans for the introduction of cycle lockers.
In conclusion our Chair thanked all speakers for their contributions. He noted the value of a friendly and supportive exchange but also the substantive issues identified. One he highlighted as local: the need for greater liaison between the three housing providers in terms of specific housing needs and rehousing. The second was national and an issue for the Scottish government. This was the requirement to limit the provision of funding for mid-market rents and direct it to the greatest area of need, affordable housing.
- MATTERS ARISING FROM MINUTES OF THE FEBRUARY MEETING
a) Active Travel consultation on road modification to improve cycling safety
Our Secretary noted that there would a further consultation meeting. She concurred with Clair Dickson in noting some adverse consequences. A number of organisations concerned with business and commercial development in Govan were worried about the impact of the plans on access for some shops as well as the two Workspace premises resulting from bans on cars, bans on parking and one-way systems. Willie Jones also shared concerns raised via our Facebook page from East Govan Community Council Chair Deidre Gaughan on the lack of consultation and the particular affects to local businesses – noting in particular the 40 Workspace units based in Govan.
b) Lyceum
The Chair had not yet had the opportunity to discuss with two elected members their apparent support for an alternative proposal to that endorsed by the Community Council and the community more widely.
c) Police actions on 3 July at Govan underground
Annie Morgan reported that cases were now proceeding to Court. She would report further later.
d) Naming of the new bridge after Mary Barbour
Our Chair reported that signatures were being collected to support the petition from the Community Council. Technically speaking such signatures were not required for a petition from a Community Council. There was so far no date for a Committee hearing. One witness would be Professor Elaine McFarland. Another might be from the Waspi Women.
e) Banking Services in Govan
Gordon had given apologies but noted in his letter that most local residents were now having to transact banking in the City centre.
f) Opening hours of Elder Park Library: legal obligation to open on Sundays under terms of Gift from Lady Elder
Thanks to our Councillor Ricky Bell this issue had been resolved with funding supplied for Sunday opening – also resolving some of the problems faced by the Friends of Elder Park.
g) Restoration work in Elder Park
Willie Jones and the Friends of Elder Park were congratulated on continuing progress both from volunteers and from the community payback team. The Rose Garden was restored, the pond cleaned, rubbish removed from the Portico, undergrowth cleared and rhododendrons trimmed.
h) English as a foreign language for local school children
It was hoped that this year’s financial settlement would enable the employment of relevant teachers.
- NEW ISSUES
a) Response of the Scottish Government to the Petition from Govan Community Council originally lodged in 2019 as Petition 1743 (subsequently renumbered) on the rights of appeal for pre-1989 Scottish Secure Tenants on rent increases. The government’s response had been sent to the Community Council by the Parliament’s Local Government Committee for comment before a hearing in the coming week. Previously the Parliament’s Local Government Committee, along with the Petitions Committee, had endorsed our petition, and its proposed amendment to the 1984 Act, and sent it for action to the Scottish Government. The response of the Scottish Government six years later appeared to be to sideline the issue, to claim that over the years the number of such tenants had ‘dwindled’ and that any problems could be addressed by a quite different Act of 2016 for private tenancies (which did not on examination appear to be the case).
The response from the Community Council had had to be submitted by 3 March and had therefore been distributed to members for approval prior to the meeting. The response challenged the relevance of the proposals and condemned the long delay. Waiting for those affected to die was a very poor legislative principle. The reply as distributed was endorsed by those present.
b) Discussion document on the tourist tax
This had been distributed to members. Cllr Bell spoke to it. There was general agreement – although it was noted that additional methods would be needed for any full rectification of Glasgow’s boundary/finance issues. This was agreed.
- OFFICERS’ REPORTS
Chair
No further issues
Secretary
Local environmental issues
Esme reported that in response to her letter to the manager of ASDA on abandoned shopping trolleys a meeting had been convened for the following day which she and Willie Jones would be attending. There had also been substantial coverage in Glasgow Live with quotes and photos. She was congratulated on this initiative.
Treasurer
We currently had £4,202.97p in our account after payment of all current bills
- COMMUNITY COUNCIL ORGANISATION
a) Communications
Website
Andre was congratulated on on-going work and his appeal for assistance noted.
Facebook site
Willie Jones was congratulated on the increasing use of the site and links to other sites.
b) Govan Letter
We should begin preparations for the Spring issue over the next month with a view to distribution later in April. It was agreed it should feature housing, as discussed, the local voluntary organisation for pensioner support and also report the Music Festival. The late Summer issue, prior to the Council’s AGM and election of members, should focus on the 50^th^ anniversary of the Community Council.
- COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
Councillor Richard Bell, City Treasurer, reported the budget recently approved. This, for the first time in some years, provided a net increase in funding. A significant part had been devoted to long neglected areas of infrastructure and cleansing. 213 new cleansing officers had been appointed allowing for a doubling of deep cleaning teams and road sweepers. There would be 100 new parking attendants and £3 put into parks in areas of greatest need including the provision of play facilities. In terms of local service coordination there would be a trebling of staff doing the kind of work currently carried out by Jim Ellis in Govan. There was £20m to fix potholes, £30m to buy back homes and free school meals for all in years 6 and 7. Partly this would be paid for by increased government grant and part by a 7.5 increase in Council Tax.
There was general approval for these measures.
All other issues had been covered previously
- DATE OF NEXT MEETING
This would be the [first]{.underline} Monday: 7 April at 7 p.m. in the Pearce Institute.
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Subsequent message from Jim Ellis
Cycle Loop - bike storage -
[https://cyclehoop.com/case-study/glasgow-network-130-bikehangars/]{.underline}
Bin Hubs - [https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/article/5254/Bin-Hub-Pilot]{.underline}
Roads & Lighting Faults (RALF) 0800373635 -
[https://glasgow.gov.uk/ralf]{.underline} Please report anything that you think is
dangerous straight away, the phone number is maned 24 hours.Jim also indicated he would be happy to take a walk around Govan CC area with members to identify environmental issues
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