Full Minutes of Community Council Meetings are posted on the Community Council Page once they have been approved and can then be viewed or downloaded.  In the meantime, a summary of main points or decisions taken in recent meetings follow:

• Apologies for the postponement of the Meeting from last week;  this was done in the hope that DW would have recovered from illness, but it was decided to go ahead this week without him.
• Police had submitted their apologies;  unable to attend due to a ‘major incident’.
• Xmas Shopping Night considered successful;  positive feedback; various shops reported very positive trading.  SJ tendered his thanks to Robert & Fraser McGarva, who had helped with the construction of Santa’s sleigh;  also to Neil Hiddleston for lending the trailer.
• Tattoo:  arrangements progressing well:  Date now 22/09/2012.  Next meeting tomorrow evening.
• Drain/bollard in East Morton Street still hazardous.  Cllr JD thought to have reported this, but nothing happened so far.  Cllr JS offered to chase this again.
• Winter Resilience update:  there is a small (about 10) team of volunteers, slowly building.  We have submitted an application for equipment from D&GC, based on the volunteers we have at present. Steven Wylie (Emergency Planning Dept) promises this is under active consideration.  Once we know what equipment we’ll be given, CC can see what other equipment we might buy, and volunteers can meet to discuss deployment etc.  Emphasised that we are not offering a clearance service as such.
• Nithsdale View resident addressed Meeting about the latest development application for Nithsdale View:  for 3x 1¾ storey houses towards station end of Auction Mart site, though a little to the north (away from station) of previous application. Objections remain the same:  out of keeping with the existing buildings, road access, already inadequate surface and foul drainage.  Also fears that this would be the ‘thin end of the wedge’, clearing the way for more houses later on the more northerly end of the site. Asked that CC support Nithsdale View residents’ objection and write to Planning Dept in similar terms. Approved.
• Rumour apparently circulating that Virginhall Church is to be turned into a Nightclub.  Present application is to change to dwellinghouse; no-one knew anything else.
• Helen Tucker, an independent expert on Health Provision (previously involved in reconfiguration of hospitals in and about Nairn;  also N Cumbria -latter now seen as an exemplar of excellence) has beenasked to prepare a report.  She will be attending Moffat on 31/01/2012, and Thornhill, where there will be a Public Meeting in the Community Centre, at 7.30pm on 01/02/2012, from both of which she expects to gather information and evidence;  Poster is on CC Noticeboard.  Meantime, witnesses with direct experience of NHS provision in the area are being sought.
• Proposals for new DGRI discussed.  Seems pretty likely this will go ahead.  Several sites being considered, incl. existing site (prob worst possible option, owing to existing access problems, also the fact that new building would be put on existing car park, making for parking chaos during construction period);  sites on the A75, opposite Pines Driving Range (prob best option) or next to ICI/Dupont (also not bad); and sites by old Heathhall Tech (bad access) or at back of Locharbriggs/Catherinefield Road (bad access).  A75/Pines also seems to be NHS preferred option, but engagement with consultation process needed.  Consultation evenings 5-7pm 07/03/2012 at Thornhill Hospital; 21/03/2012 at Sanquhar Town Hall.
• Hospital would be provided under the new PPP/NPD (= Non Profit Distribution) model, whereby the amount of profit the developers can take will be capped.
• Draft of application for updates to Playpark Equipment made;  shortly to be submitted.  This is for Comm Centre area only at present.
• Gala Committee will hold its AGM on 07/02/2012, 7.30pm in the Buccleuch.
• Next Gala fundraiser is a “Strictly” event, to be held at WHA in first or second week in Feb.  Already sold out.  There will be a bar, raffles etc. Half of proceeds will go to Gala Committee;  other half to the joint organisers, Sanquhar Troopers (effectively the Sanquhar Riding of the Marches Committee).
• Arrangements for Gala should be much the same as last year.
• There had been meeting between representatives of CC, Cllrs and D&GC re possibilities of Duke William Building.
• Planning etc., had not raised any insurmountable objections;  even to do with access and car parking, which we had thought likely.
• Possibility of acquiring building for nominal sum, subject to approval of a business case.
• Question remains:  do we want the house as well, and what would we do with it?  Member of the public had suggested preparing it for adoption by the Youth Hostels’ Association, which would make the house sustainable and might also (in the form of a YHA warden) provide someone on site who might be able to put in a few hours a week as caretaker for the Duke Wm building.  Some suggestion that the Planners were less keen on this, though Cllr GD said there shouldn’t be a problem if a coherent case were put together – having particular regard to its not prejudicing existing accommodation providers in the village.
• Dog Fouling: letter received from WHPS Parent Council.  Seems to be a general problem in the village but perhaps particularly on school playing fields and, according to some Members, the War Memorial. Parent Council suggest putting up signs, provision of dog poop bins and bags available from One Stop Shop.  Meantime,  felt most effective way to deal with this would be to contact D&GC’s Enforcement Officer, and have officers attend and fine offenders;  this had been very effective in Kirkconnel.
• DONM:  Monday, 20 February, 2012;  7.15pm in the Friendship Club. All Welcome.