GENERAL MEETING - MINUTES
Bowburn & Parkhill Community Partnership - Charity Number 1112151
Tuesday 21 August 2007. From 6.30pm to 8.30pm
Present:: W Bates, M Bell, J Blackburn, J Blakey, S Colquhoun, R Cowen, P Dawe, N Dixon, A Gregory, K Haigh,
A Richardson, V Richardson, Maureen Robinson, M Syer, S Thompson, D Whittaker, J Wilson
In Attendance: P Blair, J Kelly, M Ridley, P Sinclair
1. Apologies for absence: J Anson, B Cockburn, K Griffiths, G Marsden, R Millerchip, S Millerchip,
Maggie Robinson, S Robinson, A Shutt, I Hunter Smart, W Stainthorpe, G Stoker, R Walsh, S Walworth, A Wilson
2. Police Report given by PC Paul Blair:
Cassop 1 burglary; Parkhill 2 assaults 1 theft;
Bowburn 2 burglary, 2 assaults, 3 thefts, 4 criminal damage.
It was reported that an increase in antisocial behaviour continues in Parkhill.
PC Blair was aware of the problem and alcohol had been seized in that area. Patrols are initiated by a graded
response but local PC’s will be proactive in preventing antisocial behaviour so that it did not escalate.
Drug paraphernalia has been seen in Philip Avenue and residents are advised to report this to the Neighbourhood
Warden who will pass on the information to the police. Cannabis is illegal and would be acted on by the police and a
youth was arrested as a direct result of a police stop and search.
Members reported music until 2am in the woods opposite Tweddle Terrace, and youths drinking at 7.30am on the
Co-op wall.
PC Blair said please do not think that anything is too trivial to report so that resources can be prioritised.
It was thought that there had been an increase in crime this month and it was asked if the Street Safe Scheme
could return to Bowburn or possibly Parkhill.
PC Blair explained that such schemes are evaluated in detail and if a need is identified then it would be put in place.
The people of Bowburn have ownership of the village and this month’s statistics could be a blip; however he is
concerned about the thefts and damage.
3. Masterplan: Updates, and Report read by Pam Sinclair on behalf of Julie Anson
Highways: No meeting last month.
Parkhill: Awaiting plans. Today there had been a presentation for a grant of £50,000.
Heritage Room: No progress.
Community & Youth Centres:
Julie met with the Community Centre to discuss environmentally friendly priorities that would assist the group when
looking for external funding.
Julie met the Youth Centre to discuss an application to the Coalfield Regeneration Trust, and the costs associated
with disabled access.
Church: No progress.
Environment: There was a presentation to the Partnership by Paul Anderson on 23 July in Marlene Avenue to
discuss in more detail the URRI proposals. It was agreed unanimously to match the £100,000 from the County with
£100,000 from the Regeneration Pot for Bowburn, and it was agreed by a majority vote to support the three
schemes – Durham Road, Romaine Square and the Co-op area.
It was asked if conditions had been attached to the funding. Firstly the relevant parties are to be consulted and then
the community will have their say.
A member asked for a date to be fixed so that the consultation event could be advertised in the Interchange.
(Action Janet)
A member asked if the spend on the City Council’s Hearts of the Villages Fund is checked?
It was thought that was the case. However the URRI scheme will be done by the County Council not the City
Council and the shop owners would not be given any money themselves.
Unadopted Roads: The ‘Three Streets’ group is making every effort to raise funds towards the cost of making up the
roads to adoptable standard in Lansdowne/Neville/Grangepark.
1Bowburn Park Project: Julie has met with Janet Blackburn, Judith Kane and Carrie Whitfield to go through funding
applications and prepare supporting letters. An Expression of Interest form has been submitted for the Banks Fund.
Julie met with Alan Wilson to discuss plans for the Football Foundation Application. They are still waiting for figures
to calculate the costs for the usage of the All Weather Pitch. Julie met with Jan Hilary to discuss the PR Strategy.
Today there had been a presentation for a grant of £50,000. The project is in the second phase for the People’s
Millions funding. There is also the possibility of the Coalfields Regeneration Fund.
Centenary – Bowburn School: A meeting will be held in Bowburn Infant School on 12 September at 4pm to pool
ideas for celebrating the centenary of Bowburn School.
4. Minutes of last General meeting and matters arising on 17 July 2007: The minutes were proposed by
J Blakey and seconded by M Bell as a true record and the meeting agreed them unanimously.
The minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting on 23 July to present the URRI projects were proposed and seconded
as a true record by J Blakey and N Dixon, and the meeting agreed them unanimously.
5. Report - Trustees’ meeting: 24 July 2007:
It was agreed to accept the changes to the constitution as written by R Cowen, and recommend members to
approve these at the general meeting in September.
It was agreed to write to B Spears expressing the views of the trustees concerning the Executive Summary of the
masterplan.
The same letter of agreement was sent to the City Council for Parkhill Park as was sent for Bowburn Park excluding
the bullet point concerning the lease.
After some discussion it was decided that trustees should forward their own comments to the RSS if they so wish.
It was agreed to ask J Blakey if she would replace M Syer on the Walkabout.
As the numbering of the ‘Housing Phases’ in the regeneration process has been changed it was agreed to ask for
the areas to be referred to by their street names e.g. Horton Crescent.
6. Correspondence:
Letter from The Planning Inspectorate – the secretary for state will issue her decision on or before 2 Nov 07 about
the ‘Cape’ Site.
Email from R Walsh – he is able to be the representative for the Partnership in the Bowburn Park tendering
process.
Email from P Thorpe – acknowledgement of the application to the Parish Council for funding to be considered in
October.
Letter from GONE – acknowledgement of the letter concerning views on the Tail-upon-End Lane site.
Letters from MP – supporting the Partnership’s views about the Tail-upon-End Lane site.
Letter to BS – noting the contents of the Masterplan and Executive summary but asking him to note our opposition
to significant parts of it.
A discussion took place about the planning application for Tail-upon-End Lane site.
GO-NE will report on whether the Secretary of State has decided to intervene in the application on 23 August.
Members were concerned that the planning application had been changed without consultation. Firstly two houses
were added then removed from the plan, and secondly houses near the entrance to Kirby’s Drive were moved ‘to
improve sightlines. The City of Durham Council decided that it was not necessary to submit these changes to the
public for consultation as they took into account objections that had been made.
It was agreed to write to GO-NE asking if the changed plans should have been taken to consultation. (Action Janet)
A member asked if a percentage of money had been agreed from Tail-upon-End to come into the village projects.
The answer is a definite ‘No’ and this is one of the objections which has been forwarded to GO-NE concerning no
conditions on planning to give anything to the village projects.
It was asked if there are legal requirements for this, but there are none, however GO-NE may add such a condition.
A member reminded the meeting that B Spears had said that money would come to the village.
Members were informed that B Spears has agreed to come to the October meeting to take questions.
7. Items of Any Other Business:
Register title of issue for item 13: Query concerning the minutes.
8. Treasurer’s Report:
As agreed at the AGM surplus money from earlier funding was transferred to the General Fund giving a total of
£724.10. The balance was divided between the Christmas event, Noticeboards, Projects and Unadopted Roads.29. Community Chest:
Re Parkhill application – A quotation has been received for the benches and waste bins so that application is now
being processed by the City Council.
There was one new application from the Parish Council. M Syer and J Blakey declared an interest.
J Blackburn, P Dawe presented the application to the meeting. A request for funding of £5000.00 is to go towards
landscaping work on the group garage site, near the medical centre, in Bowburn. The secretary read out a detailed
explanation from the parish clerk asking that the City Council’s quotation be accepted as the overall cost for two
schemes is less than the quotation from Lumsden & Carroll.
As there were no objections the application for funding was granted.
10. Constitution – Notice of changes to Items G2, P2, Q 1, 2:
The need for changes to the constitution, drafted by R Cowen, was explained to the meeting as follows:
>The voting rights did not currently apply to the AGM.
>There was currently no means of co-opting trustees if there was not the full quota of 15.
Advance notice of the changes, which would remedy these omissions, has been given so that a decision can be
made in September.
Clause E2, referred to in P2, will be printed for reference at the September meeting.
11. Reports and matters arising:
> Regeneration Working Group/Walkabout – plus questions for next meeting: There are 6 apprentices all from
Bowburn starting an apprenticeship in September. Their transport to work will be paid for from SHIP monies.
The trustees have written to B Spears expressing concerns over the Executive Summary in general and a plan,
labelled Fig 5, in particular which needed to be signed off. It is significantly different from earlier plans and the
Partnership’ representatives felt that it had not been consulted on. Mr. Spears, however, believed the Partnership
was wrong about this.
B Spears gave assurances that major proposals for the village could only happen with full consultation. It was felt
that the City could have handled the situation better.
There are major changes due in local government if the 8 existing councils disappear to become 1 unitary authority.
If Regulatory Orders take place in November then the City’s assets will be frozen and large sums of money cannot
be spent. This could affect the Park schemes and the future development of Tail-upon-End if they are not
contractual, as the new authority may not honour these.
Also the City Council forms 49% of the DVRC and, as there could be no City of Durham District Council, future
members of the board may spend the money elsewhere, unless required by law to spend the money in Bowburn.
Again questions can be put to B Spears in October when he hopes to have more information on this matter.
The Walkabout pointed out holes that had appeared in the footpath at Prince Charles Avenue. It was said that they
would be seen to, and there are assurances that the holes in the Tail-upon-End site will be filled in.
> Cape Public Enquiry: The outcome should be known in November. See item 6.
> Tail-upon-End Lane Site: See Item 6 concerning ‘discussion’ about the planning application.
> Parish Council: No report.
> Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS): No update.
> Noticeboard: Permission has been granted for the third noticeboard to be placed on the library site. However the
only space available is in a flower bed so the County Council has been asked if it is possible to place the
noticeboard next to the footpath in land owned by the Highways.
> Quarry Liaison Committee: No update. It is suggested that I Smith be contacted for news about the consultation.
> LSP: No report.
> 12 Villages Representative: No report.
312. Group Noticeboard:
>Banner:
8 September, from 10am to 4pm, the Community Centre is open, as part of the Heritage weekend, to exhibit a
display of Banners. The Brenda Collins concert on 28 September has been cancelled. Discussions are being held
to decide the scale of next years’ Gala event for Bowburn.
>BVC: The AGM is on 20 September at 6.00pm in the Community Centre. The next Interchange is due out in
September. Enquiries are being made about a set of railings to secure the wreaths, which will go in front of the War
memorial.
>Football Teams: The Youth teams will become an FA Charter Standard Community Club, the highest level a club
can reach. The U17’s are now playing and the Junior teams play at the start of the school term. The club now has
135 members and rising. There are still problems with dog fouling on the pitch.
A letter of thanks was sent from the Hare & Greyhound FC for the equipment from the Community Chest.
>History: At the last meeting there was an interesting and varied slide show presented by B Swinburn.
>Website: No update. It was pointed out by a member that the Church website is now up and running.
13. Any Other Business:
It was asked if businesses were reconsidered for the Community Chest at the extraordinary meeting of the URRI.
It had not been but would be put onto the agenda for the next trustees meeting.
14. Date and Time of Meetings:
General Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month.
Next meeting is on 18 September 2007 at 6.30pm
Dates of future meetings in 2007: 16 Oct, 20 Nov, 18 Dec.
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