BONNYRIGG AND LASSWADE COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Minutes of the meeting held on 11th June 2020, held by Teleconference

Present: Jan Irvine, Chair
Diane Easton
Jackie Thompson
Marnie Crawford
Bill MacDonald
Rhona Matthews
Owen Proudfoot
Cllr Dianne Alexander

Apologies: Ruth Scott

Sheila Metcalf
Alison Thomson
Darius Namdaran
Cllr Derek Milligan
Catherine Duns

ITEM 1/2 Welcome and Apologies

Noted (i) Apologies noted as above.

ITEM 3 Minutes of last meeting May 2020

Agreed (i) The minutes were proposed (MC) and seconded (DE) as
an accurate reflection of the meeting.

ITEM 4 Matters Arising and Actions

Noted (i) That due to the current Covid 19 situation the cheque to
be handed to Lasswade Rugby Club is still outstanding.

ITEM 5 POLICE REPORT

Received (i) Police Report for May 2020.
Noted (i) That shoplifting incidents had reduced but alcohol
related domestic abuse incidents had increased.
ITEM 6 REPORT FROM MIDLOTHIAN COUNCILLORS
Received (i) Verbal update from DA:
 Noted there was a Council Meeting next week
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 and education would be on the agenda with
acknowledgement that this was an ever-changing
position at the moment depending on the current
guidance from the Scottish Government.
 Acknowledged that there were continued issues
around childcare for staff and this will be
addressed in time for the re-opening of schools.
 Noted that office-based staff are working from
home and this may continue in the future to
allow for cost saving measures to be
implemented.
 Acknowledged that funding had been received by
the Scottish Government during the Covid-19
crisis.
 Noted that planning meetings were due to
commence this week with the possibility that
drones may be used to facilitate site views.
 Noted that glyphosate based weedkilling has
resumed but is contentious due to its alleged
health and environmental concerns and grass
cutting had started again.
Noted (i) The tremendous amount of work and effort from
Council Staff to ensure the Council Services where kept
running as best as possible.
Noted (ii) That JL-D had received a report from SEPA regarding
managing the mine water from the former Bilston Glen
colliery.
Action (i) DE to circulate SEPA report to the Community Council. DE

ITEM 7 COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETINGS HELD VIA ZOOM

Discusse (i) That Community Council meetings held by the
d commercial Zoom platform would allow for more
people to attend the meetings while allowing DE to act
as host to facilitate visitor issues to be raised. Guidance
would need to be clear to visitors in relation to meeting
etiquette specifically the “muting” of participants.
Noted that visitor issues would be conveyed in the first

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 instance to the Community Council by email using a
specific template to allow the Chair to use her
judgement and invite the visitor to the next meeting.
Action (i) That Template 2 would be used for visitor issues with DE/Chair
the caveat the it will fall to the Chair to issue an invite
to the meeting and that guidance would be issued
relating to participants being “muted” during the
meeting.

ITEM 8 VISITOR ISSUES

Received (i) Issue received by email relating to the multi-use of the
Railway Walk, especially in relation to cyclists.
Noted (i) That DM had arranged for more signage to be displayed
along the Railway Walk.
Discussio (i) Around possible ways to allow the Railway Walk to be
n used safely by different users using different modes of
active travel.
Action (i) RM to put forward proposals in relation to Places for RM
People to request that the Railway Walk is widened
with the addition of a whin path alongside the existing
path and that existing vegetation and hedging is
trimmed.
Action (ii) RM to reply to the person who raised the visitor issue RM
with the proposals discussed.

ITEM 9 FINANCIAL REPORT

Received (i) Verbal Report from BM.
Noted (ii) That there have been no transactions in/out of the bank
account since the last meeting.
Noted (i) That the applied for debit cards should be received in
the next few days.

ITEM 10 SECRETARY REPORT

Received (i) Verbal report from DE:
 Noted that the BERT responses are waning as
restriction are lifted.

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  Noted DE and the Chair are attending the
Midlothian Federation meetings with topics
becoming more business as usual.

ITEM 11 Roads, Pavements and Traffic

Received (i) Verbal report from RM
Agreed (i) That a minority of cyclists using multiuser paths are
travelling at excess speeds.
Agreed (ii) That road signs indicating persons should walk in one
direction may be beneficial.
Agreed (iii) That the widening of the Bonnyrigg to Penicuik railway
multiuser path may be beneficial to encourage active
travel and in relation to safety.
Action (i) That any other ideas should be passed directly to RM. All
Action (ii) RM to report ideas discussed as above to the next RM
MTRAP meeting and feedback to the Community
Council.

ITEM 12 AOCB
Noted (i) That unused hand sanitizer will be donated to local care
homes.
Noted (ii) That DE and KM will receive a £50 Amazon gift voucher
for their outstanding efforts with BERT.
Action (i) That BM will source and deliver the voucher as above. BM
Action (ii) DE to add honorarium payments to the August 2020 DE
agenda.

ITEM 13 PLANNING
Received (i) Verbal update from MC regarding 5 Golf Course Road.
Action (i) MC to submit planning response relating to 5 Golf
Course Road advising that the Community Council
concerns remain unchanged.

ITEM 14 DATE OF NEXT MEETING

Agreed (i) 13th August 2020 at 7pm.

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