Thornhill Community Council: June Digest (including AGM) (full Minutes will be published in Thornhill Library and on www.visithornhill.co.uk/community-council shortly after the September meeting)

• CCTV has now been installed at the Community Centre.  Police, however, still patrolling the area.
• There have been various thefts of tools from vans;  appears to have been with substitute keys, as vehicles, locks etc undamaged.  Police urge public to lock vehicles, sheds etc and report suspicious activity.
• New Fire & Rescue Service Group Commander wishes to increase use by community of local Fire Station, including use of its Meeting Room, also to stage higher profile events, demonstrations, school visits, attendance at Galas etc.  He acknowledges that community was not well briefed about the refurbishment of Thornhill Fire Station recently and highlights that as an instance of the communication he wishes to improve.  A larger scale demonstration etc of Service provision is planned for the Galloway Country Fare at Drumlanrig this summer.  He urges CC and public at large to approach him, and local officers about any relevant matter.
• Election of Office Bearers:  All Office Bearers (DW as Chairman & Secretary, DK as Vice Chairman & Minutes Secretary, RMcG as Treasurer), re-elected unopposed.  There will be formal elections in October, anyway.
• Tree Pollarding:  starting any day now. [25 June]
• Hanging Baskets:  About 28 baskets supplied and hung.  Fair amount of appreciative comment coming in.
• Planters (for A76 entrances to village):  ordered.
• Weeds:  No response from Amey, despite several prompts.
• Litter on A76:  cleared up, but no bins as yet.
• West Morton Street pavement:  has sunk further.  Cllrs will chase up.
• Playpark:  application now coming before Area Committee in July, thanks to Cllrs JD and GD.
• Mrs Adam’s Bequest:  DW outlined the activities of the Steering Group to date, including a site visit to the Duke William Building.  There has been encouraging interest from the Community, including Thornhill Arts.
• Notification of the availability of funds from the Clyde Windfarm has been posted on the (Thornhill) website. Applications are starting to come in.
• Gala:  Jubilee BBQ and event extremely well mounted and well attended; rain held off until almost the end.  Final accounts for this not yet to hand, but thought to have raised funds towards Gala proper.  Congratulations and thanks to all involved for their efforts. Gala Dance:  has had to be cancelled. Bowling Club not available and, oddly, potential attendees had expressed a lack of willingness to relocate to the Community Centre. There will be live music at Farmer’s and Elmarglen.
• Tattoo:  Arrangements proceeding well.
• Crichope Linn:  Detailed report from Richard Masters, D&GC Countryside Access Officer.  Likely to cost £50k to sort the lower half of the route;  upper half difficult to quantify, but would need far more. Some feeling that, with Lottery etc. funding, all of this might be possible, but also some qualms about turning a Natural Heritage area into a theme park full of safety equipment and disclaimer notices, as well as concerns of Risk Management.  Also, there may be more urgent things to spend £50k on, if we could get it. Felt that determined and skilled walkers could still use the route, avoiding the most dangerous parts, but not large numbers likely to use it, even if ‘Disneyfied’. Nothing further meantime, subject to Closeburn’s views, as it is in their area.
• Lack of a bin towards the bottom of Hospital Brae;  specifically for dog waste Cllrs fairly confident  that a bin  could be provided on the last lamppost
• DONM:  Monday, 17/09/2012, 7.15pm, in Friendship Club