GENERAL MEETING
Bowburn & Parkhill Community Partnership - Charity Number 1112151
Tuesday 19 April 2011 from 6.30pm
Present: W Bates, M Bell, J Blackburn, S Featherstone, K Haigh, G Kitson, K Griffiths, R Millerchip, D Paget,
A Richardson, S Robinson, M Syer, S Thompson, R Walsh, S Walworth
In attendance: J Anson
1, Apologies: J Blakey, B Cockburn, R Cowen, S Raine, M Ridley, Maggie Robinson, M Syer, M Williams
2. Police: PC Cockburn is on holiday and will give an up to-date report at the next meeting.
3. Masterplan Updates – Economic Regeneration Team Leader and Project Leaders:
i) Highways: Residents at the north end of Henry Avenue will be consulted about the speed calming measures
on Tail-upon-|end Lane at the corner off the filling station.
There is no mention of the Western Relief Road in the Executive Summary of Local Transport Plan 3.
However, economic development and relief roads (without mention of funding) do feature.
The planners have said that the signal controlled pedestrian refuge island and protected right hand turn are in hand.
ii) Parkhill: Nothing to report.
iii) Community Centre: Costs are coming in for the servery and roof ready for a formal tender process, and
prices are being sought to mark out the front car park.
There is to be a meeting in the week commencing 9 May.
A member pointed out that there are weeds coming through the tarmac in the car park which need to be
treated.
1iv) Youth Centre: The AAP Small Grants Fund has awarded the Centre £2 800 to create a useable outdoor
recreation area. The young people will work with a professional to create a detailed plan next term.
Julie Anson suggested that the URRI (Urban Rural Renaissance Team) could give advice on the design. JA
will contact and liaise with the appropriate officers.
v) Unadopted Roads and Environment: JA is liaising with officers to update the costs of the environment
schemes including the unadopted road in the Three Streets.
There is a Quiz Night on 13 May in Crowtrees Club to raise funds for the Three Streets.
vi) Park Project: The £53 000 remaining from the Park funds is for the final stage, and will pay for the levelling
of the old ‘tennis courts’ and an outdoor gym area behind the football pavilion.
The consultation was mostly positive – with queries about the state of the road behind Broadmeadows, and
requests for more seating and dog bins.
A member queried the change of use for funding a stage 4 when Parkhill had not been allowed to put their
unallocated monies from the Community Building into another scheme.
Julie explained that originally the outdoor gym equipment was going to be in the play park but was removed
because of rising prices when there were extra charges from a firm went out of business. However the
Football teams opted out of the FA funding and standards for the football pitch because of its difficult criteria,
which mean that there is now money to install the gym equipment.
The chair declared that the change of use from a building scheme to outdoor equipment at Parkhill was a
radical change of plans; unlike Bowburn where there was only a change of location for the equipment.
Parkhill also requested signage for which they had been waiting some time.
The chair asked Julie to look into this issue. (Action
Julie)
Julie Anson was thanked for attending, and left the meeting at 6.50pm.
vii) a) Regeneration Fund: Nothing to report.
b) Regeneration Working Group: No questions.
c) Walkabout and housing Issues: No report
viii) East Durham Rural Corridor AAP: Note the change of date.
Date and time of next meeting – Wednesday 25 May 2011 at 5.00pm in Kelloe Primary School.
ix) Future Plans for the Partnership:
> Open Spaces: The Open Space Plan will be updated at the next meeting.
> Lighting: It is hoped that the C12a will be allocated a lower speed limit.
Works to upgrade the Parkhill footpath and install lighting is under discussion.
> Funding: The AAP Small Grants Fund has granted funds to the Banner Group and the Youth Centre.
> Planning applications: Low Butterby Farm: The planning authority was not concerned about the construction
of a track to transport felled trees.
> Housing for our area through SHLAA: The secretary will again be in touch with First Industrial to ask them to
attend the Partnership meeting in May to discuss the plans for Durham Green. (Action Janet)
5. Minutes of General meeting and matters arising 15 March 2011:
The minutes of the March meeting were approved as a true record and agreed by members.
Item 2: Members at this meeting completed a group questionnaire for the ‘Review of Sport and Leisure
Facilities’ as agreed at the last Partnership meeting - closing date 26 May 2011.
But it was agreed that everyone should be encouraged to fill in the questionnaire individually for the ‘Proposed
Changes to the Home School/College Transport Policy’ – closing date 10 May 2011.
Item 10 (ii) There is a Wear Rivers Trust.
Item 12 AOB: The metal fence has not been removed, but the chair said that he'd 'phone the council and see
what could be done. (Action R Walsh)
The Annual General Meeting will be followed by an ordinary meeting on 17 May.
The trustees from this year’s committee will stand down but are available for re-election except for J Kane.
2Voting papers were distributed to members to be handed in by 3 May.
6. Trustees meeting 5 April 2011:
As the computers in the Community Centre do not have Word 2010 or Office Publisher programmes it was
agreed to purchase as many of these programmes as possible with the remains of the Training Budget – after
the New College course is paid.
7. Correspondence:
> Job advert for a part-time Office Administrator based in Durham City.
> Easter Holiday activities at Coxhoe Leisure Centre.
8. Items of Any Other Business: None
9. Treasurer’s Report:
> Finances: Income: Quiz £80, Tea and Raffle from 19 April
> Expenditure: £10 Quiz, £4376.16 Street Lights at Park. The accounts are with the CVS to be checked by an
Independent Examiner.
> Raffle prize: J Blackburn won the prize donated by M Syer.
> Quiz: Winners of the ‘Cartoon Characters’ quiz - 1st Prize C Haigh, 2nd Prize K Haigh, 3rd Prize J Evans.
10. Reports and matters arising:
i) Parish Council: The Annual meeting of electors is 20 April.
The following meeting will be 18 May at 7pm in Bowburn Community Centre.
ii) County Durham Plan and Big Society: Nothing to report
iii) Quarry Liaison Committee: Nothing to report
iv) 12 Villages Representative: Nothing to report.
11. Group Noticeboard: Please contact the representatives after the meeting if you have any questions.
> Banner: (M Syer) Final arrangements are being made for the 2011 Gala on 9 July with a concert the night
before. A model Locomotion 1 will be raffled at the Toy Fair on 15 May in Bowburn Community Centre; tickets
50p each. The group has been successful in gaining a grant to hold this year’s Heritage Open Day banner
exhibition.
>BVC: The next edition of the Interchange goes out in June. There was an appeal for volunteers to deliverer
the Interchange – one has come forward for the Miners’ bungalows on the Grange Estate.
Members were asked to feed back on the last edition, and one commented that the articles did not flow evenly
through the paper which made the paper difficult to enjoy.
>Church: No report.
>Football Teams:
^Bowburn Youth: (D Paget) The pitch was inspected and needed remedial treatment which meant that teams
still cannot play on it, but the Junior School have offered their grounds when needed.
The presentation night is on 2 July when each child wins a trophy.
^Bowburn Cooperage: (G Hutchinson) M Ridley has become manager of the team. There are 3 games left.
>History: A representative from Durham in Time will bring software to the next meeting.
>Website: (G Hutchinson) Unfortunately the website is down and G Stoker is trying to sort out the problem.
12. Any Other Business: None
13. Date and Time of Next Meetings:
The Annual General Meeting will be followed by an ordinary meeting on
17 May 2011 at 6.30pm in Bowburn Community Centre.
Dates for your diary in 2011: 21 Jun, 19 Jul, 16 Aug, 20 Sep, 18 Oct, 15 Nov, 20 Dec
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