GENERAL MEETING - Bowburn & Parkhill Community Partnership - Charity Number 1112151
Tuesday 15 January 2013 from 6.30pm
Present: M Bell, J Blackburn, J Blakey, K Haigh, G Kitson, S Raine,
In Attendance: PC Cockburn, M Ridley
1.Apologies for absence: P Bage, R Cowen, K Griffiths, J Geyer, D Paget, P Parker, A Richardson, M Syer, S Thompson, S Walworth, M Williams
2i. Police: PC Cockburn reported on reported incidents over the past 4 weeks.
Cassop: – Theft of diesel from Hill Top Farm;
Bowburn: – 1 Burglary at the Cooperage (2 bikes stolen from a shed), 1 Arson at Henry Avenue (hosepipe melted), 5 Theft (3 of diesel fuel, 1 vehicle Sat Nav, 1 Taylor Wimpey site equipment), 1 Criminal damage (motor vehicle tyres slashed).
Parkhill: – No incidents.
2ii. Neighbourhood Wardens: P Parker and P Bage sent their apologies as they were called out to a case just before the start of the meeting.
2iii. PACT meetings: The PACT meetings are to target 3 areas of anti-social behaviour as follows:
McDonalds restaurant where bored young people cause problems; the pathway between Horton Crescent and McCormick Close which is used as a rat run causing damage to a flower bed and anxiety about a parking area; Norton Avenue.
A member reported cones on the Old Quarrington Road which appeared to have been dropped from the Motorway.
3. Minutes: The General meeting, 18 December 2012, were approved as a true record and agreed by members.
Matters Arising:
>Item 6Ai Service 59 did not operate on Boxing Day.
>Item 6vi Park bungalow – awaiting a response from a letter sent last week.
>Item 10 School bus service 57A – Cllr Blakey is in discussion about the problem of overcrowding on the service/school buses.
4. Finances:
>Income: Tea & raffle (December) £6.00 less £1.00 costs.
>Expenditure: Bowburn Community Association room hire (Nov. & Dec.) £34.00; DCC (Marlene Avenue room hire) £5.00.
> Raffle prize: As so few members were present, the prize was held over until the next meeting.
Prizes donated in: February by R Cowen, March by K Griffiths
> Quiz: “Link the words” prizewinners First I. Smith, Second J Hughes, Third S Raine. Next quiz is in February.
5. Item for Any Other Business: None
6A. Masterplan Updates – Project Leaders:
i) Highways: The next Highways meeting is 28 January at 6pm.
ii) Parkhill: Residents of Hollyhock Terrace have asked if their pathway can be highlighted for repair.
iii) Community Centre: The plans and specifications for the outside were submitted to the Planning department on Friday 11 January. The pantomime Aladdin was well attended and enjoyed by everyone.
Tenders for the outside work are being asked for in February.
The WOW (Wellness on Wheels) gym (plus generator) has attracted a lot of interest.
The next board meeting is on Wednesday 30 January when all group representatives should attend.
Computer for beginners – the course includes an introduction to the internet.
It will be held on Tuesday evenings from February. Contact Ian Boseley on ianboseley@hotmail.com
iv) Youth Centre: Youth workers report.
The Wellness on Wheels community gym has had a fantastic response from the young people – far better than imagined. Some NEET young people spend up to 4 hours a day there and have shown an interest in becoming volunteers if the Youth Centre gym is opened as a Community Gym. A lot of girls have joined as they have an interest in the cardio-vascular machines. The workers in WOW have said ‘the initial response here in Bowburn is massive, the most I’ve seen join up so quickly’. This bodes well for the Youth Club gym.
The young people are focusing on ‘healthy lifestyle’ projects which include – staying safe with drugs and alcohol; healthy eating; and physical activity.
There is a press release on the first “Six months of success for Bowburn’s junior Youthie”
v) Environment: > Street Lighting from Broadmeadows: we are still awaiting the costs.
vi) Park Project: The maintenance of the Bowling Green is still under review.
CISWO has been contacted concerning the bungalow to see if some action can be taken to resolve this matter.
vii) Regeneration Fund: Julie Anson is still waiting for the final payment for Broadmeadows lights and then a decision can be made about spending the monies on projects from the Masterplan.
viii) Planning: Cllr Blakey did not take part in the following discussion:
Planning application for housing off Grangepark Crescent, Bowburn.
Henry Jones, senior planner, is looking into this application and sent the following information:
>Regarding the potential school expansion, I am seeking to gain more information on this from my line managers and also from my Planning Policy colleagues. The site is not allocated for a school expansion within either the present Local Plan or the preferred options on the County Durham Plan. Therefore my view at this stage is that limited weight could likely be attributed to the potential need to retain the site for a school expansion. However, please note this is my officer view at this moment - I may well from further discussions with others in the Council learn more on this matter which may affect this opinion.
>I have spoken with the agent about the potential access to future development. The agent has told me this is not supposed to suggest a future residential development or anything of that nature. It is proposed to indicate a vehicular access for the benefit of the school gaining access to the fields beyond the site for whatever purposes they need. This vehicular access is shown on the layout plan.
>My understanding is that this part of the field was not designated as a playing field. However, I will also look to gain more clarity on this.
>The site is not included as a housing site within the preferred options of the new County Durham Plan. I have received a further response from the agent regarding the Bowburn Masterplan. The agent effectively agrees that the site was not specifically identified within the Masterplan. His reference to the "6th development" was meant to suggest this is the 6th site Keepmoat have been involved in. It was not meant to suggest that it was effectively an official identified 6th phase of the Masterplan.
It was said at this meeting:
>That the planning application will go to consultation.
>A member noted that the CLASP construction of the Junior School and the increase in numbers of children would make the need of a replacement primary school essential.
>Members noted that the ‘Daisy field’ had been used for football training until some 5 years ago, and there is a need for extra pitches.
The field had been in the original plans for the football ground but a large amount of funding was dependent on stringent criteria and was not followed through.
>Not a planning point, but it was pointed out that the name of the site is very similar to The Grange site on Durham Road which is confusing
ix) Housing: See above.
x) Integrate new residents: The ‘Bowburn Village Information Leaflet’ on going.
6B. Future Masterplan/County Durham Plan/Big Society:
Because of low numbers at this meeting it was decided to carry over this item to the February meeting.
Please bring the table of information showing ‘Future Plans’ for Bowburn which were discussed in the original Masterplan of 2004 and how they have progressed to the February meeting for discussion. (ALL)
7. Correspondence:
>Active Life Centre Coxhoe. Invitation to the Official Launch of the new X-Biking Virtual Cycling Studio at Active Life Centre @Coxhoe on Wednesday 16 January, from 6-7pm.
The Trixter X-Bikes and high-tech studio and classes will offer a visual virtual ride experience. Instructor, Neil Troutman, will be at the launch and teaching a master class at 7pm. There will be taster sessions to try out the X-Bikes, and Virtual Cycling videos will be on display.
>Carers Card – The Durham and Darlington Carer’s Card entitles unpaid carers dozens of exclusive offers and price reductions. For information contact 0300 005 1213, email admin@dccarers.org or www.durhamcarers.info/carerscard
>In the forthcoming year County Durham Community Foundation (Grant funding team) will hold a drop in sessions at the Durham City District CVS - Wednesday 16 January 2013 from 10 am – 12 pm.
>Disability North Abseil 2013
On Sunday 24 March, Disability North is organising an abseiling challenge at the Vermont hotel in Newcastle.
Also be in the chance to win 4 complimentary tickets to this year’s Ladies Day event on Saturday 27th July at Newcastle Racecourse, which will be awarded to the individual who raises the most amount of sponsorship.
Registration cost is £25 per person and we ask you raise a minimum of £100 sponsorship.
Disability North - Hadrian’s Wall Challenge 2013
84 miles in 4 days! Walking the historic trail from Bowness to Wallsend from the 16th- 19th May 2013.
To find out more and please e-mail us by clicking on the following link: Hadrian’s Wall Challenge 2013.
8. Reports and matters arising:
(i) >AAP East Durham Rural Corridor Area Action Partnership Special Board Meeting 5 December 2012
● There has been a request to change the name of East Durham Rural Corridor Area Action Partnership.
Board members agreed that the ‘name’ requires further discussion and due to the cost implications, pending elections and possible boundary changes felt it appropriate to postpone the discussion to a future meeting.
● Board members expressed disappointment that Trimdon Infants and Juniors School are not taking part in the Young Enterprise project. (Contact Alison Wilkinson, Young Enterprise Manager, on T 0191 5166290 M 07739524974 E alison.wilkinson@y-e.org.uk if you are interested in being a volunteer to run the courses).
● Contact will be made with Regeneration and Development (DCC) enquiring of a start date for the works of the Targeted Business Improvement Scheme (Shop fronts).
● Board members were directed to a report entitled ‘Priorities Review/Discussion 2013/14’ posing the question: What Priorities will the Board be focussing on for 2013/14?
● It was agreed that the ‘It’s Up 2 U’ Steering Group would develop/review the timeline, framework, application form and guidance notes and will update Board members at its meeting on 6 March 2013.
● Next meeting will be held on Wed 6 March from 5.00 pm – 7.00 pm at the Active Life Centre, Coxhoe.
ii) Parish Council:
1. Discussion re Gilesgate 11-16 school possible closure. Clerk to write to the County Council expressing concern at yet another change in 11+ education, which would once more affect Bowburn/Park Hill/ Old Quarrington and Cassop children, and disrupt education for those children who had opted to go there in 2013, unaware of the impending change.
2. Parish agreed to support Bowburn Community Centre by contributing towards the cost of the pantomime.
3. Clerk reported on information received from the County Council, showing the Parish income for next year from the County Council will be reduced by approx. £4,600 if the Parish Council’s Council Tax contribution remains at the same level, and the contribution would need to rise by 19.2% to keep the Parish income stable. (This is due to changes in Revenue Support Grant from Central Government). The Parish agreed to convene a meeting of the Finance sub-committee to discuss this.
Point 3 - the main issue is that our income will be down unless we charge our Parishioners more.
Next meetings: 16 January and 20 February 2013 in Bowburn Community Centre.
Litter Pick: Saturday 2 February and 2 March 2013 - meet at 9.30am in Bowburn Community Centre Car Park.
iii) Quarry Liaison: Meeting 11 January 2013 – Lafarge/Tarmac needed to lose one quarry; Raisby has been sold off. There will now be two separate community consultation groups, but people can attend either group. The footpaths will be constructed to the agreed plan but work has not started yet,
9. Group Noticeboard:
>Banner: The next meeting is 28 January 2013 from 7pm.
>www.Bowburn.net: The site is very quiet but improving. Bowburn also has its own Facebook page, and also Bowburn News & Surrounding Area |events is another Facebook page, which is going well.
>BVC: Interchange 65 has been distributed.
Please send articles and photos for Issue 66 to Mike on msyer@btinternet.com by the end of February.
>Credit Union Bank: The collection point re-opened on 11 January.
New members can join in Bowburn Community Centre on Fridays from 11.00 am to 12.00 noon.
>Durham Times: Articles are needed on club, community, pub events. Send information to bowurnnews@aol.com.
>Football: >Bowburn Youth FC teams are all doing well in their leagues. In the winter break 4 teams entered a tournament at soccarena where the U8s won the tournament, and the rest got to the last eight.
Three of the U7s go to the Middlesbrough school of excellence.
Bowburn FC: G Hutchinson is the new manager and is confident he can lift them out of the bottom of the league. More players are needed and a volunteer committee contact bowburnfc@talktalknet. The team are desperate for funds with £483 needed for the pitch fees immediately – follow them on @BowburnFC.
>Fun Day: On hold until arrangements are made for a Fun Day in 2013.
>History: The group meets the third Thursday of each month at 7.00pm in Bowburn Community Centre. The next meeting is 17 January. For more information please contact www.bowburnhistory.co.uk
>Radio Bowburn is now Radio Frosty because other shows have been added eg football – starting to get popular.
>
10. Any Other Business: None
11. Date and Time of Next Meeting: 19 February 2013 at 6.30pm. in Bowburn Community Centre.