Mark Makers - MAKING PLACES - Phase 2
Defining + Protecting Future Community Space in East Pollokshields
Community Consultation 1 - Meeting Minutes
Date: 11th February 2019
Location: Community Centre Pollokshields, 15 Kenmure Street, Glasgow G41 2NT
Event: Community Consultation 1 – Kids vs Vehicles
Community- Led Design process facilitated by-
Representing - The Pollokshields Trust
Bill Fraser – Chair
+ Mark Makers - project based team to 31st March 2019
Andrew McAvoy – Architect + Project Manager from Retool Architecture.
Tabassum Niamat - Community Engagement Manager.
Barbara Vecchione – Part 2 Architectural Assistant + Community Design Coordinator.
Community Attendance - 20 Adult Members of East Pollokshields Community+ Kids.
1.0 Welcome and Introduction
1.1 Bill Fraser introduced The Pollokshields Trust’s aims and objectives, explaining the process from the Charette in 2016, establishment of the Trust and registration as a charity, through funding applications to beginnings of the current project.
1.2 Further, that the Trust via the Mark Makers project is focussing for now on community recreation and wellbeing in East Pollokshields. This enables us to be thorough and focussed on a community of approx 8000 residents and 800 buildings that are acknowledged to be in poor condition structurally. The former Kingston Bowling Club provides a Project Space at the north end of Kenmure Street desperately required by the residents of East Pollokshields.
1.3 Bill then explained the problems being experienced by this new boundary area and the new constitution toward support and funding for that area of East Pollokshields.
1.4 It was stressed that The Pollokshields was working and supporting other projects outwith East Pollokshields, but the task to hand was a large one and the resource mostly voluntary at present.
1.5 The Trust was presently supported by funding from Architecture and Design Scotland on this community-led design process on a specific redline area and has a team appointed to end of March.
1.6 The Trust is working with Urban Roots on activating the space from early spring and an initial timetable was in place
1.7 Andrew McAvoy then highlighted the current area as FRAGILE and summarised previous work undertaken in the Phase 1 Project in 2018 which focussed on Mark Makers Project Space within the ex-Bowling Club space. On conclusion of Phase 1 in May 2018 it was decided to address the components of its fragility and to address sustainability of service provision offered by the project. key components as developed in the current phase including two further community-led design sessions. This session - Vehicles versus Kids, 11th Feb – community land transfer and a Community Energy Project to address long term self-sufficiency financial stability and thirdly in late March a participatory master planning exercise.
1.8 Andrew explained that without a capital budget for infrastructure, the Project Space now had 2 containers serviced with water and electricity and that ground drainage had been put in place to allow for kitchen and toilet connections when capital budget allowed. This had been possible by generous gifts in kind from Fulton Electrical, WH Malcolm and other local businesses. Mostly it had been undertaken through volunteering and work given in kind. From May 2018 to October 2018 the project space had been manned through volunteering due to absence of funding. This explains why gates had been mostly closed till now.
1.9 The team explained why that had happened! - funding problems were encountered for all Aspiring Community Projects across Scotland – Mark Makers was not alone. Bill Fraser explained that Project was awaiting news on half the time allocation and half the funding previously anticipated from a complex Scot Gov + European Social Fund package.
1.10 Further access to Infrastructure budgets towards buildings and maintenance were hindered due to limited tenure over land. Good progress was being made to address that
1.11 Funding opportunities for long term sustainability beyond funding cycles was also a primary focus at this time and with community purchase being pursued and Aspiring Communities Phase 2 funding approved, we would make further progress
1.12 All of this focussed the Trust on having to develop parallel project strategies to avoid closure in the future due to tenure restrictions and funding gaps. We are now pursuing two parallel strategies toward sustainability. Strategy A assumes maintaining the Mark Makers project space within the confines of the ex-Kingston Bowling Club. Strategy B considers other neighbouring land and repositioning into it. Effectively a two site and two associated funding approaches toward the long-term sustainability of the project. Importantly one does not exclude the other and if both work out, the community can look forward to a larger community common with much more space and potential.
1.13 Under Strategy A, positive feedback from community consultations has prompted
exploratory discussions with Community Land Scotland on community right to buy which may avoid having to move equipment from the current site. The Trust are abreast the legislation and working hard on that as instructed by the community under whose direction we operate. Securing planning permission was a big step in making sure that whatever happens, the Bowling Club area remains as community recreation and green space and avoids development pressures for a change of use.
As part of our lease conditions all structures on the bowling green are temporary and can be relocated. Community Consultations have resulted in initial discussions with Community Land Scotland concerning community right to buy. Although we will negotiate with the landowner for an extension and possible purchase, in the unlikely event that neither are achieved, we must remove the developed infrastructure to another site.
1.14 Under Strategy B, we have expressed an interest in negotiating, by Asset Transfer
from the Council, ownership on behalf of the community of the adjacent land parcels which now houses the community centre, health centre and blaise pitches. To that end a registration of interest in these areas has been submitted. The initial response from Glasgow City Council + Education Department looks positive. The health centre is excluded from this possible purchase.
2 The Trust has consulted concerning community’s and existing stakeholders’ interest in the community taking ownership of neighbouring land. The Trust will present findings on the 28th February at the next community consultation. It will seek community endorsement to negotiate through Community Empowerment Asset Transfer provisions with Glasgow City Council, ownership of the adjacent land plots. As well as abandoned land the plots contain the Community Centre, blaise pitches and includes associated streetscape. The health centre is excluded from this possible transfer.
To that end a formal expression of interest in these areas has been submitted following a 2018 Making Places study (https://www.markmakers.org.uk/report). The initial response from Glasgow City Council & Education Department looks positive.
2.1 Community support and input is required in abundance.
2.2 Detailed engagement with local stakeholders has begun toward one shared community focussed vision for everything within the red line study area as a future Community Common, where the agenda will be set locally and management on community-led priorities.
2.3 This consultation runs to 31st March 2019 allows the community to master plan this community asset in and around the Mark Makers space. There is no pre-determined idea of the outcome and the job now is to gauge opinion, record and present.
2.4 Making Places Phase 1 Outcomes - identified common community requirements for the Bowling Club as a protected green space serviced to provide – ‘A pee, a cup of tea and a marquee’. That has not changed, this exercise looks at what is happening around it.
2.5 Team explained that all going well – The gates of the Mark Makers space would open again in April with help from the Aspiring Communities Fund and that progress would then be made toward completion of toilets, community kitchen and purchase of a marquee for community use, via volunteering and skilled work in kind. A volunteer co-ordinator was required, subject to additional funding.
2.6 Service Provision – The principal Mark Makers Project Space aim for 2019 to 2020 was to open the Bowling Green gates daily after school for safe play as a minimum requirement.
2.7 Activity – with work completed on toilets and kitchen the project could then welcome and facilitate the community programming their own activities. Gathering space, café cooking, play space, growing space, learning space, making space and some creative programmes.
2.8 An additional focus was on the development of a volunteer base and local practical skill base. All subject to Funding. Openings at the moment are via in kind contributions by volunteers.
2.9 All previous project work completed in 2018 had been reported and documentation was available on the Mark Makers website – The current consultation process was to be 100% transparent and published immediately on completion at www.markmakers.org.uk
2.10 All work undertaken in 2018 toward seeding the facility and activities culminating in Ready Steady Grow festival was presented on the walls of the Community centre via posters graphics and reports.
2.11 The main topic of this first Community Consultation under the current live project, Making Places Phase 2, was introduced: Kids vs Vehicles. In summary with - Traffic and pollution increasing, what can we do to make the redline area including some key public buildings streetscape and the Mark Makers Project space safer for the public?
2.12 Questionnaires were handed to all attendees asking them to score between 1 and 10 on their individual priorities. These to be added to the website for transparency.
2.13 Emphasis was made that the model and process were to be available for continued community led process during library opening hours each Monday and Tuesday, enabling those not able to participate that evening to do so.
3 Community Engagement Workshop 11th January 2019
3.1 Barbara Vecchione introduced the start of the live Community led Design process to
the attendees (please see images below).
3.2 The attendees were provided with a model to scale 1:200 of the Study Area and with
sets of simple coloured flags that allowed the attendees to interact with the model.
Priorities in the areas of traffic blocking traffic calming, green streets and active travel were then positioned on the model and a record was made.
3.3 The attendees gathered around the Model to actively participate in the Workshop.
3.4 The process provided for open discussion in and around the model and drawings.
The following main points were highlighted:
3.4.1 There are NO trees in the streetscape of East Pollokshields and traffic noise very prominent.
3.4.2 Concerns for pollution and raw effects of confluence of children at school and walking to ever increasing heavy vehicles and increased domestic traffic.
3.4.3 Trees and green space need to be introduced in the neighbourhood.
3.4.4 Trees and natural elements should be considered relative to buildings and hard surfaces and buildings to avoid any potential damaging effects
3.4.5 Requirement for provision of outdoor active facilities such as safe walking roots, unpolluted streets, Outdoor gymnasium away from roads - suggested as precedent, the public park in Finnieston, Glasgow
3.4.6 Lack of Wildlife Areas combined with national curriculum and to help with reducing noise and pollution
3.4.7 Conflicts in parking near Glendale Primary School.
3.4.8 There is NO parking for bicycles.
3.4.9 No café provision at north end of Kenmure Street and promised Community Café Space required ASAP with facility for parents to watch kids play.
3.4.10 Missing Hall Space - Artisan Spaces working spaces, studio spaces – Pollokshields is a creative Community no place available other than Tramway
3.4.11Strachan Antiques Building should be saved from ruin and usual pattern of demolition. Maybe new creative hub.
3.4.12Better links to public transport – Shields Rd to Subway very dangerous and off putting.
3.4.13Connections to South- and Southwest Cycleways.
3.4.14Children generally worried about climate and lack of action causing distress.
3.4.15Referrals for child respiratory problems including asthma are increasing locally, parents worried and correlation statistics are desperately needed.
3.4.16 The model with notes and coloured flags was then removed and placed upstairs in the Pollokshields Library where it can be viewed and contributed to at the next consultations and between the hours: -
10.30 am and 5 pm each Monday
10.30 am and 8 pm on Tuesday
Until the end of March 2019
4 Next Community Consultation
Thursday 28th February at Nan McKay Hall which sits at the westerly extent of the Study Area and East Pollokshields
Next subject – Community Land + Energy
We wish to facilitate the Community in:
(A) How the Bowling Green/Mark Makers Project Space can be protected from development and kept as a community recreation and a green space by use of the Empowerment Act 2015, Community Land Scotland and the Scottish Land Fund.
(B) How the Empowerment Act and its Asset Transfer Provisions can allow for the areas of redundant land around the ex-Bowling Club, to be transferred from Glasgow City Council ownership to community control extending the size, nature and possibility of the redline area as one community owned Common. A Common free from external development which the community can control what is agreed by consensus to be in their communities’ interest.
(C) To engage with the idea that future sustainability of the Community Common might be underpinned by the development of renewable energy generation apparatus.
(D) An Energy Common arranged sensitively around the edges of the wider common, giving the community free energy and directing all profits toward the maintenance of the Community Common. This effectively would function like off-grid profitable Island Communities.
See Community of Ulva website http://www.isleofulva.com/.
