GENERAL MEETING - Bowburn & Parkhill Community Partnership - Charity Number 1112151
Tuesday 17 January 2012 from 6.30pm
Present: B Bates, M Bell, J Blackburn, J Blakey (Chair), J Geyer, K Griffiths, K Haigh, G Kitson, S Raine, J Sudder, S Sudder, M Syer, S Thompson, S Walworth.
In Attendance: M Ridley, S Rooke, M Williams
1.Apologies for absence: J Anson, PC Cockburn, R Cowen
2.Credit Unions: Mr Sid Rooke introduced himself and gave the following information:
Credit Unions are community banks which are spreading rapidly across County Durham. All savings are secure because Credit Unions are overseen by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). There are both Junior and Senior members who by saving can receive low cost loans. This service reduces the risk of doorstep lending, illegal money lenders and ‘pay day’ loans all of which charge extremely high interest rates. The Credit Union has the support of the Co-op to sell goods – again to overcome the high interest payments of ‘weekly payment stores’.
There are Credit Union members in Bowburn but they do not have a collection point and use Pay Point to deposit their savings, but there is a need for a community collection point in the village. It would be run by a group of volunteers, who are members of the Credit Union, for about one hour per week. They would complete a training course, and when they felt confident, run the collection point themselves.
Collected monies are deposited immediately after the session.
Before a loan is given you must be a member and save for so many weeks, and a credit committee oversee a request for a loan (this would not be the local group of volunteers). There are forms to complete for a loan either at the collection point or at the headquarters in Gilesgate.
The Durham Credit Union has 1 Full Time and 1 Part Time employer paid for through grants from the East Durham area. To be sustainable they must be able to employ 1 PT office worker.
Leaflets and membership forms were left for members.
As there were no more questions Mr Sid Rooke was thanked for his valuable information, and the secretary will contact him if there is an interest in setting up a collection point in Bowburn.
3. Police: PC Cockburn emailed the following information for the last five weeks:
Parkhill – Nil; Cassop – 1 Theft of diesel from farm; Bowburn – 1 Burglary (Bowburn Police Office) Bike stolen from within; 1 Arson (diggers set on fire on building site); 1 Assault ( Incident at Cooperage where male was assaulted – 1 arrested.); 6 Theft (Assorted areas involving theft of car mirror , number plates , whisky from lorry , shoplifting and 2 incidents of theft of catalytic convertors ); 6 Damage (Assorted areas involving damage to 5 vehicles and 1 damage to wheelie bin.).
4. Masterplan Updates – Project Leaders:
i) Highways: Next meeting 6 February at 6pm in the community centre.
ii) Parkhill: The footpath through to the park from the central green should be finished on Wednesday 18 January. Once this is done the lights will be connected.
iii) Community Centre: The plans to refurbish the toilets will be put to the committee at the next meeting on 25 January at 6.30pm. Bookings are up on last year and the centre is going well.
iv) Youth Centre: The garden project is waiting for the outcome of the Phase 2 funding.
v) Environment: >The Newburn Avenue to Mary Terrace footpath/mud track has been upgraded to an adoptable standard. The grassed edging is seeded but is very muddy.
>Awaiting a start date for the lights on Broadmeadows.
>The 3 Streets project will go ahead with a start date of 6 February. The secretary read out a ‘thank you’ card from the residents of the 3 Streets for the funding.
Tursdale park has been given a disabled picnic bench funded by the local members.
vi) Park Project:
A discussion took place about the future of the park bungalow – whether to fund its refurbishment or to demolish it.
It was noted:
That the land is leased to the council under the ownership of CISWO.
There is a wish for a park keeper, who could be housed in the cottage, but that is not going to happen.
There is CCTV in operation.
It was agreed to support demolition of the park bungalow, and let the council know of this decision.
vii) Regeneration: Northumbrian Water are meeting on Friday at Marlene Avenue to discuss the problems with drainage. Durham City Homes are also being responsible for drainage.
The beck is being cleared under the junction of Old Quarrington Road and the C12a.
7/9 February Durham City Homes have a ‘walkabout’ around their housing stock and will be available for discussion.
viii) East Durham Rural Corridor AAP: Area Action Partnerships Board meeting gave an update of the projects and took the decision at the Forum to prioritise Activities for Children and Young People, Community Spirit and Aspirations/Support for the VCS, Employment and Job Prospects. The theme of access would be woven into this, i.e access to activities, access to employment for the financial year 2012/2013, but accommodate the other three priorities if appropriate.
An allocation of the AAP funding will be put to a Participatory Budget where local groups have an opportunity to apply for funding for a particular project.
The next Board meeting is on 7 March at 5pm in Kelloe Primary School.
ix) Future Plans for the Partnership:
Masterplan: The Parish were positive about discussing ideas for future plans with the Partnership.
Housing:
> Update Open Space plan and protecting open spaces could be considered in a consultation process.
> Response to Planning Applications/Housing Allowance through SHLAA: None to note.
>Integrate new residents: A leaflet would be produced in the New Year.
5. Minutes:
Minutes of the General meeting, 20 December 2011, were approved as a true record and agreed by members.
Matters Arising: Cape crossing point – Further information is needed concerning an application to work on the road to construct the puffin crossing in January 2012. (Cllr Blakey)
Item 3 – Tarmac surface. Completion of the Infant School surface has been reported as well as the path outside the Community Centre.
6. Trustees meeting: There was no meeting in January.
Lawson Road Communal Centre is now closed, and meetings in February and March will be held at Marlene Avenue centre free of charge. However fees will be in operation from April - which would be difficult to fund.
The local members kindly offered to help with these extra payments.
7. Correspondence:
> Disability North Abseil in Newcastle on Sunday 25 March – £10 to register and £100 to raise in funds.
> The LINk news for Health & Social Care – December Issue.
> Change to Rubbish Collection – A new recycling bin (to replace the green bag) will be delivered between February and May. From the second week in June collections will alternate – put your recycling bin and box out for collection one week; the next, put your rubbish bin out. For your first collection date under the new scheme enter your house number and postcode into ‘My Durham’, available on every Durham webpage.
8. Items of Any Other Business:
Gym equipment
9. Treasurer’s Report:
Restricted - £59.99 for a printer toner for the IT course should have been under restricted funds – but this does not affect the final total. £160 computer room hire.
Unrestricted - £65.93 for a large printer toner, £32 room hire.
> Raffle prize: K Griffiths won her own prize.
> Quiz winners – First J Baker; Second S Raine, Third J Redsill
10. Reports and matters arising:
i) Parish Council: It is hoped that the former Cape site will be brought into Cassop cum Quarrington parish – this has been agreed by Shincliffe.
There will be a correction in the next Interchange to cover the error.
Localism Bill: There was some agreement for the Parish and Partnership to work on future plans for Bowburn.
ii) The County Durham Plan re Localism: See above.
iii) Quarry Liaison: There was a site meeting for the proposed new bridleway in the Tarmac field with a ranger and ecologist, who will consider their findings. The ‘bottom’ and ‘top’ paths were closed for only two weeks whilst work was taking place on a water main.
11. Group Noticeboard:
>Banner: The next meeting is 6 February.
>BVC: Please submit your articles and adverts to Mike as soon as practical for you.
>Football Teams:
Bowburn FC is currently in 4th position, but has games in hand. It is a home match this Sunday - weather permitting. There is a race night on 27 January at the Oak Tree with a female singer - £1 ticket and is nearly sold out; horses are available at £2 each but also going fast.
Bowburn Youth The Development Team won the league unbeaten – up to seven of the players have been selected by academies – congratulations; U13s are also unbeaten – well done; U12s were second. Nearly every team finished in the top half of their league.
>History: The Bowburn calendar produced by the group is on sale for £3.00
>Website: The website has not been updated recently; this is due to a broken laptop.
We urgently need people to help put material onto the website; we are also finding it hard to get stories even though plenty happens in Bowburn both good and bad. This website costs money to run each year mainly for the name and it is a possibility that if this does not improve then this website may close unfortunately. We would then go back to the free website with the longer name www.communigate.co.uk/bowburnnews/ instead of www.bowburn.net so we do need your stories of birthdays, weddings, news, sport, offers – etc.
At this meeting, members gave their support for the website.
12. Any Other Business: Unfortunately the area of matting around the outdoor gym equipment is not large enough to prevent users getting muddy in wet weather – the joys of outdoor sport.
13. Date and Time of Next Meeting: 21 February 2012 at 6.30pm in Bowburn Community Centre.
Future Meetings: 20 Mar, 17 Apr, 15 May (AGM), 19 Jun, 17 Jul, 21 Aug, 18 Sep, 16 Oct, 20 Nov, 18 Dec