V

Torrance Community Initiative AGM

Mon 19^th April 2010 at 7.00pm

Caldwell Hall

Agenda

1.  Welcome

2.  Apologies

3.  Minutes of previous AGM

4.  Matters arising from the Minutes

5.  Annual Report (Chair)

6.  Accounts (Treasurer)

7.  Appointment of Auditor

8.  Constitutional changes

9.  Election to Committee

10.  AocB

11. Closing remarks

Open Discussion

The final draft of the council's Local Plan 2 states under the section 'Community and Leisure Facilities:

'consultation responses to the MIR and KPDR reports confirmed there were views of the community overwhelmingly against the delivery of a new community hall for Torrance'

This statement would surely be valid if only 2 people were overwhelmingly against delivery of a new community hall, therefore the statement is meaningless and misleading.  Under the section 'Green Belt', reference is made to the reason for the statement -the proposed sale of part of the community land, where the following statement occurs:

'submissions for, but predominantly against, residential development on green belt in Torrance to cross-subsidise a new community building'

The general concensus would appear to be that there is resistance to building on geen belt generally and in using part of the community land for housing: NOT that people in Torrance do not want a new community hall.

TCI has asked the council to publish the number of responses and the relative proportions for and against a new community hall, to substantiate their statement that Torrance residents do not want a new hall.

The conclusion from these two statements appears to be that:

1. For the council to build a new hall on council property is not an option.

2. Council believes the only option is for the community to build on community land, but that residents do not want to give up part of it for housing.  (n.b. building on green belt is permissible if there is seen to be significant community benefit.  This was always TCI's case)

TCI are the only group that has commissioned an independent needs and demand study of leisure facilities.  Indeed, the council would appear to have abandoned its long awaited review of leisure facilities in Torrance.  The review is part of the current Local Plan but is omitted in the draft of the new one.  Yet, the lack of a council review was given as one of the reasons for not granting outline planning for the TCI proposals.

The following questions must be asked:

1.  What evidence has the council got that the Torrance residents do not want a new hall? 

2.  Will the council publish that evidence?

3.  Why has the council reneiged on the review of Torrance leisure facilities?

4.  As the Caldwell Hall does not currently comply with the legal requirements for disabled access, How will the council address this issue?

5. What is the community usage of the new school hall?

If you have an interest in these issues, lets hear from you or contact our 3 local councillors who may be able to give you with answers.

This large and very welcome addition will complement our otherwise very inadequate community halls

School letting is the responsibility of Community
Services and is administered by the School Letting Office based at 36 Roman Road,
Bearsden, G61 2SQ. Tel: 0141 578 8695, email: letting@eastdunbarton.gov.uk.
 

 Community use time is between 18:30 and 22:00 during weekday evenings during
the letting period and on Saturdays between 09:00 and 17:00.

 The letting period roughly equates to term time not
including the weeks reserved for school use.

The Holiday Period roughly equates to the school holiday periods; i.e. summer,
October, winter and Easter.