General Meeting 12th May 2025
GOVAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL
MINUTES OF GENERAL MEETING
MONDAY 12 MAY 2025
Held in the Pearce Institute at 7 p.m.
Present: Esme Clark, Danny O’Neill, John Foster, Robert Preston, Gina Preston, Annie Morgan, Marie Davidson, Claire Dickson (Maslows), Andre Videla, Justina Kardasz, Katherine McNab, Cllr D Hutchison
Apologies: Ruby Kelly, Willie Jones, Reinhild Gorniack, Betty Ross, Gordon Mackay, Cllr Alam, Councillor R. Bell, Cllr. S Dornan, Humza Yousaf MSP, Dr Ahmed MP
Minute taker: John Foster
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MINUTES OF THE APRIL MEETING
These were moved as correct by Esme Clark -
MATTERS ARISING
a) Asda Our Secretary reported some reduction in abandoned trolleys but no sign of a bollard to prevent removal from the carpark. It was noted that more stray trolleys now seemed to be coming from Farmfoods. .
b) Walk around Govan with Jim Ellis to identify faults, hazards and required repairs, esp. to pavements and roads. Jim had replied saying he would be available most times in the first week of June. Secretary and Minute Secretary to contact Housing Associations.
c) Liaison between local housing associations on housing issues such as cooperation in finding appropriate housing in terms of household size and disabilities, esp. as tenants get older, and that this might be done initially through a common application form as well as a joint process for response to subsequent household changes. Raise this issue before or after walk-around with Jim Ellis.
d) Shortage of social housing
Two legal issues had been identified at the April meeting. The first was the ban, subsequent to the referendum thirty years ago, on direct council house building. The second was the weakness of City Council planning powers over private contractors employed by Housing Associations. Cllr Alam had yet to come back on the second issue: How far it lay within the powers of the City Council to enforce conditions and how far it required Scottish level legislation. It would also be useful to raise and explore how far the legal ban on council house building itself could also be reversed.
e) Rent levels being charged for ‘med-market’ rent properties
The minute secretary had been in touch with the representatives of the tenants at Water Row and an article had been supplied for the Govan Letter. It had been hoped that a delegation would also attend the Community Council but no delegates appeared (there may have been confusion on dates). It was agreed to maintain liaison and offer what help we could. Tenants were exploring options in terms of legislation on rent-setting and appeal and the terms of the Housing Bill before the Scottish Parliament.
f) Active Travel
Subsequent to the submission of evidence by this Community Council, a public meeting for all Govan had been convened, chaired by Drumoyne CC, and attended by up to 100 people. Attended by the relevant Planner, Mr Argue, it was agreed to re-run the consultation – starting with Community Councils, a mail drop and six week consultation.
g) Police Actions at Govan Subway last Summer
It was agreed that Chrissie Eldridge be invited to our June meeting to report on the current court cases. She might also brief the Council on the issue of the use of components from Elbit in the City Council’s security camera system. Annie Morgan reported that the cases were currently coming to court and that she was giving support to a number of those involved. She would report further.
h) Naming of the Bridge: Petition to City Council
This not yet been scheduled for Committee. As well as Professor Elaine McFarland, a representative of Waspi Women has also agreed to provide expert witness.
i) Petition on the rights of pre-1989 Scottish special tenants
The Minute Secretary noted that he had not yet had time to read the draft of the current Housing Bill before parliament and how far its terms would or would not help those individual tenants who remained in this category.
j) Welfare Cuts and Disability Payments
Officers of the Community Council had attended the Welfare not Warfare demonstration on 10 May at La Passionara monument at the Clyde. An article had been written for the Govan Letter.
k) Community Cohesion in face of rise in racist and anti-immigrant sentiment
Agreed to return to this issue
3. REMOVAL OF GRANT FROM URBAN ROOTS & MOOGETY COMMUNITY FACILITIES
Annie Morgan asked that this item be placed on the agenda to consider the implications of the removal of most the grant income from the Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership This now endangered the future of these facilities – while continuing failure to open the Library on a Sunday denied access to facilities crucial for volunteers from the Friends of Elder Park. One result was the inability to water plants planted in the Rose Garden and, despite some assistance coming from Elderpark HA, to maintain the Park and in particular to drain and clean the pound. This had now become a health hazard. It was agreed to give support to representation against these cuts, in the first instance through the City Council, and to make the argument that the social support provided to the elderly and the socially isolated, painstakingly built up over a long period, would, once removed, be very difficult to replace and that, in terms of physical health and well-being, would result in much more costly interventions by professional staff.
Councillor Hutchison explained that the failure to open the Library on the Sunday was the lack of staff able to work then. Options were being explored.
4. TRANSPORT SERVICES
a) Service on buses
Robert Preston reported that buses were moving off before passengers were seated (endangering the elderly) and that some did not stop for hand signals. Marie Davidson reported that she had been refused permission to use her phone when travelling to her daughter’s school where there had been a stabbing incident.
b) Fares
Our Chair noted the disproportionate increase in train fares for those in possession of concession cards
c) Strategies for Franchising or Public Ownership
Our Chair noted the five-six year delay in producing the subsidiary legislation on regulations to operate franchising and the statement by Paul Sweeney in the Scottish Parliament. The Minute Secretary noted discussions at this year’s STUC about financing either franchising or public ownership and how far monies might be made available over the next period through the second round of the City/Region Deal programme now being discussed. It was agreed to raise this with the City Treasurer.
4. ORGANISATION
a) Govan Letter
A draft was circulated. Some layout changes were agreed - giving more prominence to the public meeting scheduled for Wednesday 25^th^ of June at the PI 7 p.m. A final draft to be available by Wednesday 14 May to go to the printer. The Chair would take responsibility for the negotiations with Royal Mail.
5. OFFICERS’ REPORTS
Chair: Danny raised the dangerous precedents raised by the Public Authority Debt and Recovery Bill. This was currently before parliament and raised issues of major concern. It required banks to provide access to the accounts of all benefit claimants, uniquely for these individuals over-riding data protection provisions, enabling the direct recovery of overpayment without any further legal process and also including the cancelling of driving licences. It was AGREED to write to our MP expressing our grave concerns and its serious implications for Govan which had some of the highest level of poverty and disability in Scotland. We should invite our MP to attend a meeting of the Council at some point when parliament was in recess.
Treasurer Our Secretary was maintaining touch. There had been no new transactions.
12. COUNCILLORS’ REPORTS
Councillor Hutchison
Park: funding had been secured for a four-year package
Alcohol Licence: application from Morrisons refused on grounds of existing over supply
Area Partnership grants: these had been secured for Govan Fair; Govan Old Church, GIP, Sunny Govan Radio, Govan High School trips to Malawi and London, Pearce Institute Drama Workshop (Pride and Prejudice).
Other issues raised were:
Parking on Pavements: this was now illegal and 300 parking assistants had been recruited.
Possible City Council facilities for hosting our Website: Cllr Hutchison thought this unlikely but would enquire.
13. DATE OF NEXT MEETING MONDAY 2 JUNE PEARCE INSTITUTE at 7 pm