GENERAL MEETING - Bowburn & Parkhill Community Partnership - Charity Number 1112151
Tuesday 17 May 2016 from 6.20pm
Present: J Blackburn, R Cowen, K Griffiths, G Kitson, B Little, D Paget, C Parker, F Salisbury, S Raine, M Stone, M Ridley, M Syer
1.Apologies: M Bell, J Blakey, S Walworth In attendance: PC Bruce Cockburn
2. Declarations of interest: Declarations of interests would be made as required throughout this agenda.
3. Security (i) Police report from PC Cockburn:
Cassop - 1 Criminal damage; Parkhill - 1 burglary, None payment of taxi fare; Bowburn Public order incident with enquiries ongoing, 1 theft, 1 criminal damage, 1 shoplifting.
PC Cockburn is retiring but no one has been appointed to replace him for our area. In the meantime Sergeant Jim Cowell is the contact until such an appointment is made, and Abby Patterson is the PCSO.
4(ii) PACT: Ron Hog’s office replied that PCSO’s are to encourage parents outside the Junior/Infant schools to park with responsibility. Next meeting 22 June at 6.00pm. ALL
4(iii) Neighbourhood Wardens: Contact the wardens is 03000 261000 and report environment offences online to DCC or to your local County Councillor Jan Blakey 03000 268685.
The Partnership thanked PC Bruce Cockburn for his help and information over the last 12 years and wished him well in his retirement.
4. Minutes: Meeting 19 April: The minutes were approved as a true record and agreed by members.
Matters arising Item are within the agenda. Item8Bii Planning: Comments have been made on the Council’s consultation on its Statement of Community Involvement.
5. Finances: Income £15.50 tea/raffle (21/03/16), net of £1 costs; Expenditure of £2500 to DCC for Bowling Green works. £210 from the restricted funds has been paid to the fairground operator.
Members agreed to pay an annual amount of £11.00 to Janet for the tea and biscuits for 2015/2016.
Bank account: It was explained that from 4 June Unity Trust would be charging £6 per month for the bank account, and there is free banking available from the Co-operative Bank.
It was agreed that the existing account with the Unity Trust Bank be closed and an account be opened, instead, with The Co-operative Bank plc ("The Bank"). It had been noted that the Trustees, having carefully considered the terms and conditions for the new account and the Bank's Service, had agreed to accept and comply with the terms and conditions. It was further agreed that the signatories to the new account be the same as before, namely Janet Blackburn, Richard Cowen and Mike Syer.
5ii) Raffle prize: M Syer won the prize, donated by the Partnership. Next month R Cowen will donate a prize.
5iii) Quiz: The next quiz is ‘City Sights’ at £1; closing date 13 August 2016.
6. Item for Any Other Business: Outside gym; Durham Road West; Dog waste bins
7. Current Masterplan: 7A Regeneration Fund: Apart from tidying the corner areas next to the Tattoo parlour and B&B; repair the surface of the footpath on ‘old’ Henry Avenue, there are no other environment suggestions.
Janet is liaising with Mr Peter Lee to cost and situate 3 large planters filled with compost and planted with seasonal flowers along the A177. Janet
The local councillors are to purchase seats for Bowburn; details to follow. Jan, Janet
7B Reports:
7Bi) County Durham Plan: At a meeting held by Stuart Timmiss he reported that the refreshed County Durham Plan is to go to cabinet next month and then the options will go through a six week consultation period.
At the meeting concerns were expressed about the Bowburn infrastructure, and it is hoped that County will give consideration to this.
7Bii) Planning: It was asked to enquire about the trigger for the S106 monies from the Esh development on the former site for industrial purposes. Janet
7Biii) Janet has contacted Mr Stephen Reed concerning the S106 application for the railings as the Partnership would be responsible as the principle contractor if they completed the application form. He suggested contacting Julie Anson of the regeneration Team in DCC. Janet
7Biv) Highways/Environment Group: Next meeting is 31 May at 6.00pm in Bowburn Community Centre.
7Bivb) MW roundabout markings to Coxhoe: Colin Mortimer A1+ has re-assured me that B&PCP would be contacted with the results of their survey in the near future. Continue to await a response. Janet
7Bv) Parkhill: The planters should be in place in early June
7Bvi) Community Centre: The bi-monthly meeting of the management committee is 24 May at 6.30pm.
Oddfellows has given a grant of £250.00 towards the cost of the defibrillator, which means that it can be bought and installed in the Centre.
7Bvii) Youth Club: Discussions are taking place to secure the future provision of Youth Work for the young people and also the future of the gym for public use and that of the Youth Club.
Contact the Youth Club on Facebook; coxhoe&bowburndistrictyouthclubs; Visit any time; Phone 07788277321
7Bviii) Coal column: Contact Esh about taking the S106 application forward. Janet, Jan, Mike, Richard
7Bix) General housing: No updates.
7Bx) School parking: Further contact will be made with Ron Hogg’s office to stress the dangerous parking outside the two schools in Bowburn through the Highways Committee and PACT meetings. All
8. Correspondence: Tesco environment grants: Community groups are invited to apply for up to £12,000 to improve local spaces – closing date noon 3 June 2016.
9. Reports and matters arising:
9i) EDRC AAP Board Meeting: The Area Action Partnership would have a £40,000 Participatory Budget in 2016/17 for capital projects, with minimum grants of £5,000. (A further £60,000 would be allocated to Health, Older People and Children, with grants to be determined by a panel.)
Next meeting AGM/Board – Tuesday 17 May from 5pm in Quarrington Hill Community Centre.
9ii) Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council:
Discussion took place to examine the planters in Bowburn and Tursdale to see if they could be repaired or have to be removed. Local County Councillors suggested that they may be able to find funding to place a ‘Tursdale’ name-stone at the end of Ramsay Street, subject to checks on the utility services. The County Council had approved the payment of a Strimming Grant to enable the Parish Council to cut grass on certain Local Footpaths and Bridleways in the Parish Area for the year ending March 31st 2017
Next meeting: 18 May and 15 June (Cassop), Next litterpicks: 4 June and 2 july
Neighbourhood Plan: There is a meeting on 18 May at 5.30pm to discuss how to engage with the public in our Parish area about a refreshed Neighbourhood Plan. This will take place on 23 June in Bowburn Community Centre.
9iii) Quarry Liaison: Work has re-started and a large clearing has been made with new gates.
10. Group Noticeboard:
(i)Banner: The Centenary banner and the Children’s banner attended Beamish for the Old King Coal festival.
(ii) BVC Interchange: Issue 79 is being prepared for distribution at the end of June. The Quiz night on 20 May went well and the next quizzes will be held on Fridays 15 July and 30 September in Crowtrees Club at 7.30pm.
(iii) Credit Union Bank: The bank is open on Fridays from 11 am to 12 noon in the Community Centre.
Both schools have opened a Credit Union Bank for children and family members.
(iv) History: The talk by John Davison went well and there was interest in the guided walk.
The Resources Room is open every Wednesday 1pm till 3pm.
11. AOB: Outside gym – users were disappointed at the muddy state of the area around the equipment.
Durham Road – bushes have been cleared completely from outside the Tattoo Parlour.
Dog waste bins – it was suggested that there should be more dog-waste bins available between the quarry track and the C12A junction.
12. Date/Time of Next Meeting:
21 June 2016 at 6.00pm in Bowburn Community Centre