CATHCART, MERRYLEE AND MUIREND COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
11 February 2026
7-9PM
| Item | Notes | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome and apologies | Present: Carolyn Lochhead (CL) – CC, Yla Barrie – CC, Kim Van Deere – CC, Mhairi Taylor – CC, Pauline Kelly – CC, Lynn Thomson – CC, Kate Lonergan – CC, Fiona Linton – CCMichelle Letowska, Emma O’Hare, Councillor Sean Ferguson, Margaret Crawford, Calum Shaw, Katherine Vallis, Luke Stronach – from Gordon McKee’s office, Anne Walsh, Kevin McGarrigle, Andrew Hewitt, Councillor Ballish, Elliot MillerMarion McMillan (Cathcart and District Housing Association)Apologies: Ross Taylor, Irene McCann, Steven McCann, Louisa Maddison Fiona Templeton, Councillor Paul McCabe, Councillor Stephen CurranOnline: Baillie Morgan, Crystal Forbes-Muir, Rachael Rodrick | |
| Actions and matters arising from last meeting | Nothing to report | |
| Approval of the minutes of last meeting | Proposed – Mhairi TaylorSecond – Pauline Kelly | |
| Chair’s report– Carolyn Lochhead | Maintaining pavements and road – 1 comment online New pitch at Merrylee – Council Ferguson, Yla Barrie and Ross Taylor to have a walkround with the Head Teacher to look at pitch and discuss customer journey. Improving holmlea park – Mhairi submitted NIIF funding to Langside Area Partnership based on the survey to include upgrades to play equipment and new planting and orchard trees and bird boxes. All to be costed then the partnership will make a decision on it. Waiting to hear what the update is. No funding from the NIIF funding for the lights on the bridge. Arch survey done 10 years ago and online info available. Kevin to post on whatsapp page. Lynn in touch with Paul Sweeney re potential assistance . Improving Merrylee park – Cala homes – community pledge – £12k to repaint existing park – agreed for 2027. NIIF funding potentially available from the works to the pitch. Question asked if this could include any improvement to the lighting in Merrylee park ? Councillor Ferguson will look at the lighting funding – potentially other pots available. At Newlands Auldhouse some funding was agreed to improve Auldhouse Park lighting. Will check infrastructure funding. Play equipment in the park – Council has set aside £18,000 to improve the park but this will also potentially be 2027 also. Couper Institute: Big Band night – very successful. Continuing to work to find out what needs done / improved. As a Community Council we may be be able to utilise some funding that the Council are unable to access. Meeting held earlier in Feb with Councillors re the Couper – we should now seek some media coverage on what we are trying to do and establish an advisory group for the centre – let holders etc, who would be available to advise. Contact Chief Exec & Chair of Glasgow Life to try and push for some info / how to move on. Yla Barrie reported – Glasgow Life have had a proposal from ReConnect to take over the lease of the Couper. Pete Sneddon – CEO will attend next CC Committee meeting. ReConnect are proposing adjustments to the Couper to allow theatre model to run – panto – nov – jan – minimal staff – theatre company go between 3 venues. Attendees raised the following questions: Still letting capacity for smaller hall – who controls the pricing for lets ?3 years isn’t long – what length of lease would he be interested in taking on – more detail requiredWhat failsafe do we have if it goes wrong ?Would hate for the building to fail if this was refused.Also not good if the large hall turns into seating venue – local competition – Eastwood theatre etcParking – lack of parking currently and new restrictions are coming into forceCommunity transfer – but GCC own the building – who pays the costs – this new company ?Sounds quite adventurous – quite confident the panto will sustain the year round funding – not using council contractors (is that the case if it’s a council building ?)Only lesser hall available / Auchinloss room – not accessible – potential chair lift – this has been mentioned as being a possible solutionAre any internal parts of the Couper listed – check and seeInaccessibility is quite an issueAsk if ReConnect are a living wage employer?Insurance ? The CC suggested a potential visit to bathgate theatre to see how it operates If the ReConnect proposal does not work out – something needs to be done to save the Couper, but definitely keen to engage and see the proposal. Also worth asking Glasgow Life about the current letting system for the Couper as it seems quite confusing and there is a lack of contact when trying to book spaces. Key holder issue – progressing | Yla and Ross Kevin Cllr Ferguson Carolyn |
| Events Plan – Pauline Kelly | Busy month – Big Band Night at the couper – first big event in the Couper since covid – standard number of no shows. Survey – 56 responses – overwhelmingly positive – 84% said they would potentially pay for a similar future event, seeing the Couper in use – best issue. 71% not attended community events before and shows desire for live music evening events. General feedback – lots of requests for it to be repeated. Issues faced – booking process with glasgow life is challenging. Sound desk / pa desk in Couper – would be great if it could be tested and used. No. of volunteers worked well. Potentially will run even 6 monthly. Accessibility was an issue for certain individuals. Micro talks 2nd birthday – 31st Jan. Great event as usual. Next Micro talks 25th April. 2 speaker places available. Teasers for micro talks on social media.Window Wanderland – 20-22 February. Global community arts event – 3rd year its been done. Almost 50 registered windows. On Sat 14th creative workshop in couper library for some ideas 10-12, 2-4pm. Material packs available to take away to decorate your window.Thanks to everyone for handing out fliers. Looking for music for window wanderland – space available Youth events area partnership funding – Yla and Ross working on a film and game night at the CouperMacro talk – CC in touch with Gavin Bell for a crime writing talk.Cala agreed for funding this year towards a new screen and speaker for the film eventsYla submitted application for chair yoga / 2 film events / tea dance at the couper in July. | Yla and Ross |
| Area Planning Partnership report – Mhairi Taylor | Area partnership meeting for Linn is tomorrow. NIIF application for the front of the Couper still outstanding. Christmas tree – more info tomorrow. Nothing to report from Newlands / Auldburn recent meeting. Deadline for annual application for area – Langside on 3rd March. Amend last years. 2026/2027 applications in for 3rd March. Catherine – system change needed- ie, online booking system / enough staff in procurement teams, | Carolyn |
| Summary of Councillors’ written updates: | Sean – lobbied for Ashmore to be resurfaced to Cherrybank. Various streets to be completed – he will continue to lobby. Remaining section of Langside Road & Monreith Road. Jim Kane – local ward co-ordinator – to deep clean Merrylee within the next month – gutters / mud / vegetation etc. 2nd phase of connecting Battlefield – Sean will check and come back Baillie Morgan – support for the re-development of the Couper – has enquired about the delay in booking. Couple of incidents of graffiti – in touch to have it removed. Large graffiti in Dairsie Street – waiting to hear about removing it from the shop. Carolyn will follow up with police re tagged graffiti. Rubbish being dumped – batteries / carpets etc. | Carolyn |
| Licencing report – Steven McCann | Nothing to report | |
| Planning report – Louisa Maddison | Carry over to next meeting – local place plan to be discussed | |
| Treasurer’s report – Kim Van Deere | See attached. Lots of transactions for Big Band night. Great event | |
| AOCB | Suggestion box – get a clean up in the area. Smoking at the bus stop. Fly tipping an issue Rachael – raised concerns about developments on Newlands Road. To be followed up by email. Crystal – sent an email with some photographs of paving issues for wheelchair users. Carolyn will forward to the relevant parties to follow up. Lynn Thomson – would like Councillors to be more aware of issues with missed bin collections. Merrylee Primary School pupils raised money for a defibrillator to be put on the wall at the school and this has been refused permission. The parent Council are intending to contact the media to see if this will help raise the issue to be dealt with. Education Department – Christina Cannon – Education Leader also to be contacted. School Zone not appeared back on Langside Drive – will perhaps be reinstated when all road re-surfacing complete Funding applications been submitted for musical instruments / cycling Noted that Castlemilk pool opening hours have finally been extended | Louisa Carolyn Yla |
| Date and time of next meeting | 11th March 7-9pm |
