General Meeting
Bowburn & Parkhill Community Partnership – Charity Number 1112151
Tuesday 19 May 2009. From 7.00pm to 8.30pm
Present: W Bates, J Blackburn, J Blakey, K Calvert, S. Colquhoun, M Dee, J Geyer, A Gregory, K Haigh, J Kane,
G. Kitson, R. Millerchip, S Raine, A Richardson, V Richardson, M Robinson, J Shields, M Syer, S Thompson,
R Walsh (Acting Chair), D Whittaker
In Attendance: J. Anson, G. Marsden, M. Ridley
1. Apologies for absence: Mgt Robinson, S Robinson, S Walworth, M Williams
M Bell, R Cowen, N Dixon, B Gregory, K Griffiths, I Hunter Smart, R Jackson,
2. Police Report: Parkhill: 1 assault (1 person arrested at the time), 2 criminal damage (1 house and 1 car door).
Cassop: 1 assault, 1 garage broken into. Bowburn: 3 assaults (enquiries ongoing into persons responsible).
A member asked for everyone to be on the look out for bogus callers – one, ‘selling jumpers’, had stolen £100 from
an elderly lady at Croxdale after he had forced his way into the house.
3.Masterplan Updates – Community Development Officer and Project Leaders
Highways: Meeting to be arranged.
Parkhill: The consultation on the communal building should be finished for the AGM on 9 June. Residents are
fundraising for the summer planting.
Heritage Room: More equipment has been purchased and the room should be opened in June.
Community Centre: Various options for the kitchen and computer suite will be discussed this week. When a
decision is made quotations can be put into the applications for funding the equipment plus windows and doors.
There have been delays in getting the heating and electric specifications.
Youth Centre: Unfortunately County Durham Foundation turned down funding for the group but another application
has been submitted to AfA.
Church: Discussions with Henderson Doors are ongoing and hope to be finalised soon.
Centenary – Bowburn School: There is to be a meeting to discuss the centenary celebration planned for 10 July.
Unadopted Roads: Three Streets are awaiting word from the County Council about the decision to agree the
funding for the project. The group will lobby the government for funds - to encourage employment in local
companies which could carry out the work to upgrade unadopted roads.
Park Project: The new tender procedures in County are delaying Phase Two. Cllr Blakey is to check on this.
A member was concerned about the mound of earth in the park. Julie Anson said the earth is being spread out and
the boulders removed.
Julie will get an update on the future of the bungalow as soon as possible. Cllr Blakey will inform of any breakages.
A member asked about the timescale for the lights, CCTV and paths, but Julie could only repeat that it depends on
the tender process. It was also said that the cost of upgrading the bungalow was taken out of the Park budget.
Another member thought that £7000 was a high price to pay for signage in the park, and Julie explained that it was
for signs throughout the whole of the park area.
Environment and URRI: The environment schemes are also waiting for a decision on funding from Cabinet.
Tamsin Harrison has not provided the full costs for the Co-op area. On Wednesday Service Direct will replace the
header bricks on the wall to complete the scheme. This will be overseen by the police to deter vandalism. Once the
wall is complete the project will be handed back to the owner through the agent.
At the site visit of Somal’s car park it was estimated that the cost would be £65000. This is more than the amount
remaining in the funds after the co-op has been paid for, and as the scheme is on private land Tamsin has given the
Partnership the go ahead to tender for the resurfacing.
A discussion took place around the money being spent elsewhere and Julie said that would be a Partnership
decision. It was asked if the shopkeepers could contribute to the resurfacing as other schemes had to match fund. It
was asked if Romaine Square was getting done, but the answer was no because of the lack of funds. A member
asked when the CCTV camera at the Co-op would be set up. Julie explained that this depended on the Park
cameras for the sensor.
It was agreed to ask Tamsin Harrison to come to the next meeting. (Action Janet)
24. Minutes of last General meeting and matters arising - 21 April 2009:
When the word ‘and’, in the Parish report, was changed so that it read “the clearance of the beck can take place
from November ‘to’ March” the minutes of the last meeting were approved as a true record.
There were no matters arising that had not been discussed in the meeting.
5. Trustees’ meeting - 5 May 2009:
Discussions took place about the URRI scheme at the Co-op, masterplan project updates, and housing issues.
6. Correspondence
The following correspondence was received from:
> K Humble concerning the Esh press release
> The Freedom of Information Office advising of the monies from the housing sites. Unfortunately as, “DVRC is a
commercial organisation and therefore not subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act”, the majority
of questions could not be answered.
> Parkhill Panthers FC asking for advice regarding funding and running a club.
The following correspondence was sent to:
> J Anson to support Bowburn Youth FC in preparation for funding applications for Bowburn Park.
7. Items of Any Other Business: (i) Clearing the Beck (ii) Mr Abrahams (iii) Education
8. Treasurer’s Report:
The Treasurer tabled a written summary of transactions and balances.
In April expenditure amounted to £1273 for the Judo Club and Quiz; income totalled £361.00 from the Community
Chest.
This left £4681.12 in the funds, made up of Restricted Funds - £2359.92, and Unrestricted Funds - £2321.20.
Quiz – ‘Around the North East’ at £1 per entry – closing date 17 July
Raffle for Fundraising: The raffle was won by M. Syer. With thanks to K Calvert for donating the prize.
Regeneration Working Group/Walkabout: No walkabouts have been organised but Cllr Blakey has ‘dropped in’ to
the local depot to discuss reinstating the path on Tail upon End Lane; signage for the footpath; grass cutting on the
opposite side of the road from the construction site. Members asked for the footpath to be put back as soon as
possible but it was thought that the drop kerbs may have to be installed before the path is opened.
A member noted that the seat had disappeared from the corner of Tail upon End Lane, and would like it put back.
The secretary will contact Haslam Homes concerning this matter. (Action Janet)
A full planning application for the changes to the houses has been passed.
Prince Charles/Horton Crescent: The central traffic calming ‘table’ in Phillip Avenue will take three weeks to
construct. In Prince Charles the pot holes have been filled in but further work has to be done on the drains.
There was concern about the boarded up houses but it was said that these had been bought.
Tail-upon-End Lane Site: See above.
Mabey housing site: Planning permission has been granted for the site with the addition of conditions concerning
the sewage works.
Parish Council: There has been no meeting since the last one. The next meeting is tomorrow, Wednesday 20 May,
when it will be the AGM. The Parish Council has, however, had the meeting with Terry Coult, ecologist, re Bowburn
Beck, and he agrees that the works (to clear the beck) were correctly done according to his specifications. The only
thing which could have been done was the cutting back of the tree which grows across the beck. This was not done
due to a misunderstanding, but will now be done.
A member asked if a drainage pipe was to be opened up at the bottom of the allotments but it was said that no work
was done there but at the bottom of the fence.
Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS): No report.
Quarry Liaison Committee: A planning application has been submitted for Cold Knuckles Quarry but it is not
complete and is therefore not validated.
12 Villages Representative:
Q Hill – banner unfurled in July; W Rainton – garden produce sale; Brandon – youth club started and a community
café; Ludworth – 2 raids on cannabis farms; N Brancepeth – ASBO problems; U Moor – community plan discussed;
Bearpark – citizens advice meeting held; Cassop – war memorial at the community centre; Esh – petition for salt
bins and winter maintenance; S Hill – concern about the future of the existing community centre.310. Group Noticeboard:
Banner (M Syer): 10 July – Eve of Gala social event in Bowburn Club; 11 July Gala Day – there are problems with
the road closure; the banner will be marched from Dallymore Drive to Marlene Avenue, George Street, Horton
Crescent, Phillip Avenue and Margaret Court ending at the war memorial in Prince Charles Avenue.
BVC (Maureen Robinson): The next issue of the Interchange goes out in June. Please pass on articles and
photographs as soon as possible.
Football Teams (A Wilson, G Parle, G Hutchinson):
> Bowburn Youth will have 10 teams or more next season including a new Under 8s Tots. The other teams are
Under 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, and 17 years. Many children are from the village. 27 June is Presentation Night in Bowburn
Club; in the summer there is a free trip for the children to Flamingoland.
> Crowtrees FC: It was with regret that the club closed this season as they struggled to get players all year. The
club would like to thank everyone over the years for their support.
> Cooperage FC: The team finished 4th in League 3 of the Durham & District Sunday Morning League. They did
aspire to win the league but there could still be a possibility of promotion to Division 2. Presentation night was 16
May with Robert Hurton topping the bill as top goal scorer, players’ player of the year and player of the year.
History (M Bell): The next meeting is this Thursday. The group attended Yesterday Belongs to You and had a trip
around Crowtrees Colliery and down Cassop Vale.
Website (G Hutchinson): Information for www.bowburn.net. April summary shows 6 New Topics, 26 New posts, 68
New Members, 11 Most Online and 4513 Hits. May summary so far 7 New topics, 51 New Posts, 17 New Members,
7 most Online and 3132 Hits. Now registered are 591 members, 1134 Posts, and 167 Topics.
Church: Thanks were given to M Ridley for the top soil. Areas around the church will be fenced off and there will be
an overflow car park.
Unadopted Roads: There will be a Quiz Night on 5 June in Bowburn Club at 7.30pm. £1 per team member.
11. Any Other Business:
(i) There will be no more work on the Beck until November. Even though no voles may have been seen there is
evidence of their presence. It was said that the footpath in front of Lansdowne Crescent has been washed away.
(ii) Mr Abrahams is confident that Durham Green Business Park will be a success and make a profit. As he is to
give some profits to charity it was asked if B&PCP should contact him. (Action Janet)
(iii) A member asked members to congratulate Cllr Blakey for gaining the Regional Award for Adult Learners, and
this was duly done. Well done Jan.
12. Date and Time of Meetings: 16 June 2009 at 6.30pm in Bowburn Community Centre
4