Notes from Newport Town Council Minutes
These are not full transcripts of the Minutes. They are my own notes.
1953-54 (May 1953 - April 1954) Source: Newport-on-Tay Council Minutes, B79-1-52
| Election: Ward 1 - Alfred C Newell, 8 Prospect Terrace, 601 votes; William Paterson, 1 Craighead Road, 118 votes; Newell elected. Ward 2: David Brown, 10 Craighead Road, 36 votes; Alexander S Lowson, Rhufaada, Westfield Terrace, 311 votes; Lowson elected. Ward 3: Arthur Fearn, 26 Craighead Road, 63 votes; Ralph Fyfe Smith, Craigower, Hillpark Terrace, 318 votes. Smith elected. |
| Council: Ward 1: Alexander S Reid, elected 1951; Richard Lowry West, elected 1952; Alfred C Newell, elected 1953. Ward 2: John Dunn, elected 1951, Provost; Alexander D Forrest, elected 1952, junior bailie; Alexander S Lowson, elected 1953. Ward 3: Thomas J Wishart, elected 1951; John Whiteford, elected 1952, senior bailie; R Fyfe Smith, elected 1953. |
| Woodhaven: offer by Council to buy Scouts' premises and lease to Scouts & Pattie. 'Scouts can only sell what is theirs, not what is Pattie's.' |
| Sub-committee to meet police about parking of cars in burgh streets, sometimes all night. |
| Tom Duncan's site: to be named 'Coronation Garden'. |
| Ground at Station Road allotments is very sandy. |
| Parking: a 'No Parking' sign in Blyth Street is to be removed. Street to be an official car park. |
| Woodhaven: Scouts agree to sell and go onto a 10-year lease at £1 per annum. Lease to Pattie £12 per annum. |
| ? Ground at Victoria Street to be a bus station? |
| Craighead tenant: A Bisset, 2 Railway Cottages. |
| Medical Officer of Health report: Arthur's house at The Terrace (Valuation roll no. 1063) is unfit. Olsen's house adjoining is borderline. Mrs Mackie will not re-let at present. |
| Gap sites: 1. Seacraig Cottages, James Street; 2. Kempstane, Tay Street; 3. small field west of Castle Brae; 4. Pluck-ye-Craw Point, Newburgh Road; 5. field opposite Wormit School; 6. 2 vacant plots on south side of Newburgh Road, Wormit. The only suitable site is Seacraig - this site comprises garden ground for a block of houses known as Seacraig Cottages. At present 5 sub-standard houses are occupied in the block, the remainder being condemned. The site area is 2.7 acres; approximately 20 houses could be built in tenement blocks, completing the north end first to rehouse the 5 tenants presently on the south end. |
| Alexander Gilruth appointed Town Clerk. |
| Waterstone House accepted by the County Council as an eventide home. |
| J Armstrong Barry & Miss Frances Towns appointed deputies to the Town Clerk. |
| Curr's Cottages: purchase empty house (previously Findlay's) and the house now occupied by Elder. £310. |
| August 1953. Death of ex-councillor Boath. |
| Feu disposition by Council to South of Scotland Electricity of ground at Craighead. |
| Houses at The Terrace (1952/3 V.R. numbers 1063 & 1064) owned by Mrs Mackie, Abercraig, are both unfit. |
| Visit of Moderator to St Thomas' church. |
| Freedom of Newport to Frank Morrison. The coat of arms isn't registered (and can't be - Lord Lyon). Leave coat of arms off the burgess roll. |
| The Terrace: offer to upgrade by Mrs Mackie. |
| Ferries: increase in fares - justified by accounts. |
| Buses: still want stances removed from Pierhead area. ? stance behind Newport hotel, or at Kinbrae, or east of ferry pier, or even at the gates of Tayfield [!]. [This suggestion from Ministry of Transport.] |
| Formation of an Old People's Welfare Committee. |
| Houses at The Terrace (Mrs Mackie): proposals to deal with rising damp are inadequate. |
| Bus station - report on 3 possible sites: |
| Bus station site 1. behind the Newport hotel, whole ground between the hotel & the river. All existing buildings (garages, stables & light engineering works) would have to be demolished. Levelling would require costly strengthening of the wall at the river's edge. |
| Bus station site 2. Kinbrae - widen & improve the main entrance and drive to Kinbrae House and form bus station on a platform on the north side of the drive. Requires access paths for pedestrians. Ample space for 9 buses. Cost to lay out £2500. Requires widening of junction of High Road & Boat Road. Existing lodge could be converted into public lavatories., waiting room & bus office. |
| Bus station site 3. Tayfield entrance - the pond at Tayfield North Lodge, the Lodge & part of the drive. Require to demolish wall, drain the pond, infill, lay 36'' pipe to take the 2 streams feeding into the pond, pathway & steps. Cost £6500. Use lodge as at Kinbrae. Disadvantage - is on an s-bend. |
| Bus stations: Kinbrae is considered the best option. Recommend acquiring the site. |
| ? Light on the path from Nicoll's shop to the housing scheme? Yes, provide one. |
| Kinbrae: ask for report about the use of the rest of the subjects. |
| Right of way at Seymour Hotel: extends along the foreshore towards Tayport and has become dangerous. Extends beyond the burgh boundary into St Andrews District. Find out their views first. |
| Work to be done at Curr's Cottages: tenders for plastering include one from Charles Wellwood, Kirk Road. |
| Discontinuation of Newport Local Fuel Office: transfer business to St Andrews. Council want it transferred to Dundee - Ministry approve. |
| Public enquiry into increase in Tay Ferries charges. |
| Retiring: Reid, Forrest, Wishart. |
| Following the Coronation celebrations £28 profit handed to Council for Coronation seats. |
| W Alexander's don't consider there is any congestion at the ferry and are not interested in a bus station elsewhere. Council move to make an order under sec. 90(1) Road Traffic Act prohibiting public service vehicles from picking up or setting down passengers or waiting in Boat Road. |
| Brownlow Duncan, Meldrum Square: 2 houses to be made into 1 - grant approved. Maximum letting rent in future is £25. |
| Woodhaven slipway: application from Hamilton Bros., Air Ministry Contractors, Buckie to place RAF bombing target on the pier for repair & storage - to be removed within the week. |
| Angus Fenton, 10 Woodhaven Avenue: tenancy of picquet post at west approach to the pier - £5 rent. |
| March 1954. Still awaiting draft lease (Pattie's shed) from Scouts. |
| Curr's Cottages: each of the 2 cottages belonging to Council to be rented out at £28 per annum. |
| Leng Home (Waterstone House): to be used as a home for elderly women by Fife County Council. |
| Right of way at Seymour Hotel: St Andrews District Council think they have no liability, therefore erect notice at the dangerous parts. |
| RAF target: can't be repaired, therefore dismantle. Taking time, so Council charge them £1 per day. |
| The Terrace: Mrs Mackie agrees to make alterations / repairs. No authorisation to let it out until repairs are completed. |
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