Alex Rowley submits a monthly report to the Kelty Community Council outlining issues and taking up any points that the Community Council has raised with him. In the October report he said:
Councillors Report
Housing
Housing or the lack of housing is still the largest case load issue that Willie and I deal with every month. We are concerned at the levels of information that is available to applicants and we are asking for work to be done on this. Fife Council has re stated its aim to create 2700 new homes for rent over the next five years and we are working with housing associations and developers to bring forward innovative ways of achieving this.
Early Years
The Council agreed a further investment into early years of £7.8 million over the next three years. We have both had discussions with the head teacher at Clentry Nursery and are very much aware of the issues for the nursery and are working to get additional resources placed into Kelty.
Former Supermarket Building Cocklaw Street
I have over many years taken up the issues around this building and campaigned along with the community council to have the issue of the birds and the vermin dealt with. We were successful in getting money put in to have a cull and force the owner to get the place boarded up. More recently, when I learnt through the press that birds were getting back into the building I had action taken immediately to get the building secured.
On the wider question of the state of the building I have been repeatedly advised that the council does not have powers to force Mr Saleeem the owner of the building to take action to have it demolished. The latest advice I have had is that the Public safety team deal with the condition of the building. I have discussed the matter with the Lead Officer Public safety. He has advised me that at the moment the building does not present a danger and they continue to monitor the condition. The Lead officer Economic Regeneration has advised me that while he is aware of this building and its present condition budgetary constraints limit the options open to his department. From the viewpoint of the technical officer at environmental health, he states while the building is not aesthically pleasing, there are no current public health issues arising and he is unable to pursue the matter further.
I accept that this will not please the person living next to the building and it does not please me either and while I will continue to pursue the matter, I cannot force the owner to either demolish the building or act on the planning permission he was granted to convert it. I have talked to other developers about the potential of the site and I will continue to do so. I will also continue to work on the theme of take a pride in Kelty as this is the right thing to do.
Take a pride in Kelty
I have worked with the Kelty Ex-servicemen Club over a few years to find a way of getting the front of the Club cleaned up. Through the area manager and the committee it was agreed a few months ago that an environmental improvement project would be carried out that would clean the area up, extend the car parking and make the recycling bins more accessible. This work has begun this week.
Another round of weed killing of pavements and edges was carried out last week which will keep the weeds down. This is the second time this work has been done this year as the heavy rains have resulted in more weeds growing. This work is important as weed free streets make the place more tidier and pleasant.
The garage sites at Blackhall Road , Netherton Gardens and Oakfield Street have been scraped and cleaned up and a hard ash surface will be put down later in this month. Further fencing will be erected in a number of streets over the next few months and work will be done to improve the visual area at Blackhall Square . I am continuing to push for more fencing work to be done in the village.
I have had discussion with the owner of the land next to the Club and he has said that they will get the area tidied up. He also advises me that he intends to bring forward a planning application to build a development on the site in the coming months.
I discussed the works to be carried out on the Main Street to clean up and paint a number of the shop gables and frontages. The funding package for this is now in place at a cost of approximately £15,000 and this work will go ahead in the coming weeks weather permitting.
Roads
The works on Oakfield Street and Station Road have now been completed at a cost of £400,000 and the surface is much better. There is £5000 in the budget to do traffic calming works on Oakfield Street and a scheme will be worked up in the coming months.
I am continuing to report pot holes and to get them repaired and anyone who sees a pot hole should report it. I am also pushing for further surface works to be done and for flooding black spots to be addressed.
The funding package has now been put in place for the new zebra crossing to be put in at St Josephs Primary School and this work will go ahead in the financial year.
Work is ongoing to identify funding for off street parking in a number of streets in the village.
Contact Alex Rowley 08415 555555 ex 442201 – 01383831158 cllr.alex.rowley@fife.gov.uk
Willie Clarke 01592 860251 cllr.william.clarke@fife.gov.uk
