Present: General Meeting
Bowburn & Parkhill Community Partnership
Charity Number 1112151
Tuesday 18 December 2007.
From 6.30pm to 8.30pm
K Barber, W Bates, M Bell, J Blackburn, K Calvert, S Colquhoun, P Dawe, N Dixon, A Gregory,
B Gregory, K Haigh, John Kane, Judith Kane, R Jackson, B Jennings, S Jennings, G Kitson, R Millerchip,
S Millerchip, J Pickering, S Raine, V Richardson, Maureen Robinson, W Rumney, J Shields, S Sudder, M Syer,
S Thompson, R Walsh, D Whittaker, A Wilson
In Attendance:, M Ridley, P Sinclair
1. Apologies for absence: P Anderson, J Anson, J Blakey, PC B Cockburn, R Cowen, Geyer, A Hindshaw,
D Hindshaw, K Howe, J Howe, I Hunter Smart, G Hutchinson, R McGrath, G Marsden, P Nixon, A Richardson,
Maggie Robinson, M Williamson, Joan Wilson,
2. Police Report: Cassop 2 Burglaries, 2 Theft, 1 Criminal Damage; Parkhill Nil; Bowburn 1 Burglary, 7 Theft,
6 Criminal Damage.
3. Masterplan Updates – Community Development Officer and Project Leaders
Highways: The Wheatley Hill Link Road is currently on time for completion by the end of August 2008; It is hoped
that a strip of land will be retained through the Cape site to allow for the construction of the Western Spine Road;
Changes to the Regional Spatial Strategy are now expected in January 2008 when it is hoped that the arguments
for Tursdale as a major development will be accepted. The County Council would like the Durham Green Business
Park to develop a holistic plan to avoid undermining the future of the rail freight facility, and the City Council did not
think that the proposal should prejudice the long term development of the freight facility and outline planning was
approved subject to conditions.
Parkhill: Are submitting more funding applications for the recreations areas.
Heritage Room: No change.
Community & Youth Centres: There has been a meeting with the Community Centre to identify the priorities and
Stephen Hawley is now preparing plans and costs.
There have been discussions with the Stephen Hawley regarding the Youth Centre’s priorities.
A member reported that the Youth Centre is again a separate project from the Community Centre, and is more
modest in nature. There is to be a Community Chest application to update the Weights Room and an application to
the Regeneration Pot of approximately £30 000 for the access and toilets.
The two projects, Community Centre and Youth Centre, will be taken as separate items in future.
Church Application: The Chair introduced the application from the Church Group to build a Worship Centre by
saying that the trustees had decided to take advice from the Charity Commission because the Masterplan entry for
the church had not been updated from a temporary structure to a new building. Therefore the trustees may be
passing something which they technically should not agree to. The Charity Commission does not see that it will be a
problem and once they have seen the details of the application they will be able to clarify the situation.
A member said that a new build church was in the Masterplan; PS reported that the words ‘plans to build a new
church’ in Para 9.01 of the Masterplan had been obscured by a photograph; and JA’s report supported the Church
Group to progress the application to the B&PCP to re-build the church.
Discussion took place with reference to:
>A preference for the application to go through before the December deadline to ensure that the church will be
given funding, and the uncertainty that there is a December deadline. There is a need to check with B Spears.
(Action Janet)
>A sentence in the Masterplan referring to the building of a church does not mean that it has to be carried out.
>Concern for the trustees because they could be liable in law if they slip up, not the members. The problems lie in
the fact that we did not have a project manager to co-ordinate all the projects before the start of any work so that
the Regeneration Pot could be divided reasonably. The trustees can only do the best they can. There was a worry
that the trustees were being bulldozed into a decision which should be thought about.
>A member being unclear what the trustees could be liable for.
>A request that the application be taken forward subject to conditions.
The following motion was put to the meeting:
“The application should be agreed in principle up to £100 000, subject to conditions to be agreed on by the
trustees.”
1As the members had no objections the proposal was carried.
A member felt that there had been no discussion about the merits or otherwise of the application for the church.
It was said that the plans for the church had been seen at the last Partnership meeting and no-one raised any
objections.
It was agreed to move on to the next item on the agenda.
Environment:
The Environment Group are to arrange a local meeting in the New Year where they could hear about a proposal
from Maggie Robinson to use a budget she has for street furniture in Bowburn.
The URRI road improvement scheme has occurred entirely from the extra funding, which has been approved by
cabinet and can therefore go ahead. The work has been programmed to go ahead and there are no problems
concerning the ‘interim period’ for the possible Unitary Authority.
Unadopted Roads: The Three Streets Group continues to raise the profile of unmade roads and remain a strong
group. The winners of their Xmas raffle were drawn at this meeting and the results were as follows –
1st S Rowe, 2nd C Whitfield, 3rd J Shields.
Park Project: There has been a meeting with D Holmes to jointly work on the Sport England Funding Part 1, plus
work is ongoing with further funding applications. J Blackburn has been contacted regarding equipment details for
the Garfield Weston letter of interest, which is being put together with J Kane. A business plan has been prepared
for Bowburn Park to submit with the Biffaward application. Various meetings have taken place with PARC to
progress all the applications and prepare an article for the Interchange newspaper.
There should be a decision on the planning application by March 2008.
Centenary – Bowburn School: Meetings take place in the New Year to organise events for the 2008/09. Contact
Janet or the Infant School for further details.
At this stage of the meeting Pam left, and the chair thanked her for attending and wished her a Happy Xmas.
4. Minutes of last General meeting – 20 November 2007:
The minutes were proposed as a true record by R Walsh, seconded by K Barber, and the meeting agreed them
unanimously.
Matters arising:
> Item2. It was asked why GONE did not put a Section 106 on the Tail upon End site application. Even if this had
been expected it was too late for such a restriction to be put in place.
It was asked if there could be further clarification about: ‘a block on substantial amounts going out of the City’;
spending on contracts over £100 000; how the land in Robert Terrace is ‘protected’; why will a deviation from the
plan not need new planning permission.
A member explained that if the changes described were to meet planning conditions then no new planning
application would be needed.
It was agreed to ask for a copy of the full planning application for the Horton Crescent/Prince Charles Avenue site
and a Copy of the Amendments as they come in, so that these can be put to future partnership meetings. (ActionJanet)
> Item 5. A Pyrus Chanticleer tree has been planted behind the War Memorial through the National Tree Week
Scheme.
> Item13. It may be possible to transplant the trees from the Tail upon End site around the village. (Action Janet)
The PO is varying the cost of business mail not mail to the general public. Also Coxhoe PO will remain open but it is
not known if Bowburn PO will stay open in the round of closures in 2008, and the advice is – support your local PO.
5. Report - Trustees’ meeting – 27 November 2007:
Footpath 29 is receiving attention and there will be a response in the New Year.
The chair attended the local Racial Equality Council meeting and put forward the suggestion to have a meeting with
residents and Partnership members to discuss the Family Fun Day. The next REC meeting is in January.
Three trustees met with F Brettwood, D Carmichael and J Tindale concerning changes to Fig. 5 in the Masterplan.
The Church submitted a draft application to the Regeneration Pot for the trustees’ comments.
The trustees’ minutes from the October meeting were distributed to members.
6. Correspondence:
Letter from the Parish Council explaining that there may be a delay in the commencement of the Landscaping
Scheme at the Group Garage site in the area of the Medical Centre in Bowburn because CISWO wishes to have a
survey ‘to satisfy themselves that the footpath coincides with its layout on their existing maps of the area’.
7. Items of Any Other Business – Register title of issue for Item 12:
Footpath from the Community Centre to Croxdale Park.
28. Treasurer’s Report:
There was a fall in the restricted funds this month as the 3 Streets Group opened there own bank account. After
payments to the 3 Streets Group, Xmas event, Room Hire and Poppy Wreath the balance of funds is £2115.47.
As our main income comes from the Quiz, members were encouraged to take part as quiz sheets are still available
for £1.00 and entries do not have to be returned until 11 January 2008.
9. Community Chest:
Bowburn Junior School thanked the Partnership for funding the Sensory Room and will be sending a second quote
for the Environment project as soon as possible.
The seats are installed in the green at Parkhill for all to enjoy, and A Richardson sends her thanks on behalf of the
residents in Parkhill for the money from the Community Chest.
10. Reports and matters arising:
> Regeneration Working Group/Walkabout – plus questions for next meeting: There has been no Regeneration
Working Group or Walkabout since the last Partnership meeting.
> Cape Public Enquiry: No change.
> Tail-upon-End Lane Site: No change.
> Parish Council: No report. The Miner’s Tub will be ‘unveiled’ on Wednesday 19 December at 1.30pm.
> Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS): An in-depth timetable for the New Authority has been published and there will be
a consultation process in the New Year.
> Noticeboard: Ongoing
> Quarry Liaison Committee: No change.
> LSP: R Blackburn has moved to the North Police Authority so some aspects are being shared and no meetings
have taken place.
> 12 Villages Representative: No report.
11. Group Noticeboard:
>Banner: The Ohio brass band will be playing the Bowburn Banner into the Gala in 2008.
>BVC: The current edition of the Interchange has just been distributed. Stories for the March 2008 edition should be
submitted at your earliest convenience.
>Football Teams.
Juniors: It is the Xmas break at present when the U12’s will have a party and the U15’s will go Ten Pin Bowling. As
the girls’ teams are playing out of the area there will be delay in the application for funding to the Football
Foundation. There is further anxiety about the state of the pitch, which is in desperate need of maintenance.
(Action Janet)
Seniors: Crowtrees FC have improved and have secured more players – although some of them are from outside
the village. However there are signs that younger players from Bowburn want to join – contact the club at
crowtreesfc@aol.com if you want to join or want to be on the committee now or next season.
>History: The club meet Thursday 19 December at 7pm to view pictures on Bowburn Schools.
>Website: No update.
>Xmas Event 7 Dec: The Big Band Dance night was a great success and enjoyed by everyone who attended.
12. Any Other Business:
It was suggested that the path from the Community Centre to Croxdale Park should be surfaced to make the
Community Centre and Park more accessible.
A member said that plans to construct this a few years ago had been abandoned because CISWO was not in favour
of footpaths becoming rights of way because, if they ever wanted to develop the land, it would be difficult to do so if
the footpaths were adopted. However this path was still on the Partnership’s list of hoped-for environmental
improvements.
As there was no other business the chair closed the meeting with wishes for a Happy Christmas and a Happy New
Year to all the members.
13. Date and Time of Meetings:
General Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month.
Next meeting is on 15 January 2008 at 6.30pm
Date of future meetings in 2008: 19 Feb, 18 Mar, 15 Apr, 20 May, 17 Jun.3