GENERAL MEETING - Bowburn & Parkhill Community Partnership - Charity Number 1112151
Tuesday 19 January 2016 from 6.00pm
Present: M Bell, J Blackburn, J Blakey, G Kitson, C Parker, S Raine, M Ridley, F Salisbury, M Stone, M Syer
1.Apologies: W Bates, R Cowen, B Little, D Paget, T Slater, Cllr M Williams
Jan Blakey, vice chair, chaired the meeting in the absence of Richard Cowen, the chair.
2. Declarations of interest: Declarations of interests would be made as required throughout this agenda.
3. Security (i) Police: The secretary has made contact with PC Abby Pattison who will forward future reports.
Report via Parish meeting: Parkhill 1 Burglary, 1 Harassment; Cassop 1 Burglary; Bowburn 3 Assaults, 1 Theft from motor vehicle, 3 Damage to motor vehicle, 2 Criminal Damage, 1 Harassment
3(ii) PACT: Next meeting 17 February at 6.00pm when the number of parked cars at the Infant School during the day and not just at opening/closing times of the school to be discussed at the next meeting. (All)
3(iii) Neighbourhood Wardens: There was a good response to the offer of free microchips for dogs on Friday 15 January. Durham County Council residents can also contact DCC kennelling contractor at Stray Aid in Coxhoe who will microchip a dog free of charge.
Contact the wardens is 03000 261000 and report environment offences online to DCC or to your local County Councillor Jan Blakey 03000 268685.
4. Minutes: General Meeting 17 Nov: The minutes were approved as a true record and agreed by members.
Matters arising Item 3ii The loss of the pavement in front of the Cooperage is still causing problems. It was suggested the footpath should have a boarded walkway to keep the path open. This idea and others will be discussed at the Parish on 19 January and reported back to the next Partnership meeting. (Councillors)
5. Finances: i) Expenditure of £1260 for legal advice on the Parkhill application for houses; £100 in-and-out grant which was handled for the Polka School of Dance; Quiz prizes of £30.
5ii) Bowling Green: The work to open up the bowling green is progressing and when the ground has dried out the final covering of topsoil will finish the landscaping. The landscape works total of £6,420.00 (ex vat) and the Partnership will contribute £2500 towards this cost using the grant for such purposes.
This decision was approved by the meeting. (Mike, Janet)
5iii) Endowment Fund: There was a suggestion to set up an “endowment fund” with the County Durham Community Foundation where excess unrestricted funds could be deposited. Although the website page says that a minimum of £25,000 is required, this may not be so. With that amount, annual pay-outs can be in the region of £1,000. But smaller amounts can be paid out from a smaller fund. The management charge is 1.5%.
Large balances in the accounts could prevent B&PCP from applying for grants from other sources and the Charity Commission may challenge excessive unspent holdings. The charities etc. that set up these endowment funds can specify how grants from it are allocated and who decides how they are allocated. Once set up, such a fund could attract further donations from elsewhere. Local businesses and residents could be asked to add to it, for instance, and people could be invited to leave money to it in their wills. Donations would qualify for Gift Aid (adding 25%, at current income tax rates) and businesses would get their own tax relief.
Agreed: Mike find out details of the County Durham Foundation and other such endowment schemes. (Mike)
5iii) Fun Day Meeting: A grant of £100 from the Parish Council is to be added to next year’s Fun Day account.
5iv) Raffle prize: M Syer won the prize, donated by J Blackburn. Next month J Blakey is to donate a prize.
5v) Quiz: The next quiz is ‘Party time’ at £1; closing date 13 February 2016.
6. Item for Any Other Business: (i) Garages at the Crowtrees WMC; (ii) Parking at the Infant School.
7. Current Masterplan: 7A Regeneration Fund:
Lighting: It was thought that a street light should be put in the dark area connecting Runcie Road to the car park at the back of the Community Centre – for safety reasons.
It was suggested that, firstly, the hedge could be trimmed to allow the light from the car park into the grassed area, followed by a request for a lighting column if this did not resolve the problem. (Community Centre)
7B Reports:
7B(i) Planning: County Durham Plan: Ongoing. (Richard)
Parkhill legal advice for a “village extension”: A claim for the chair’s costs was refused.
Integra61 DM/15/03912/OUT: Citrus have submitted their application which states it is for “High quality phased industrial and distribution park (Classes B2/B8) of up to 170,859m2, alongside retail and café/restaurant spaces of up to 2,267m2, car showrooms of up to 1,860m2 and a 70-bedroom hotel; together with phased mixed use development of up to 270 dwellings and 710m2 of other residential garden land, a 60-bed residential home, a GP surgery of up to 400m2 and a children’s nursery of up to 450m2; all with new access roundabout onto A688 and associated infrastructure, demolition, earthworks, landscaping and a solar farm of up to 3.96ha.”
At present there are only 2 comments on the website, one from education and one from employment.
The Education comments say: “A development of 270 houses could ultimately produce 81 additional primary pupils and 33 additional secondary pupils. Bowburn does not have a primary school; instead there is a separate infant and junior school. I will apply a split for Infant and Junior Schools based on the number of year groups the school provides for i.e. 3 year groups in an infant school and 4 in a junior school. This would mean 35 additional infant pupils and 46 additional junior pupils. There will be one space in Bowburn Infant School therefore we will require 34 x £11,705 = £397,970. There are sufficient spaces in Bowburn Junior School therefore no contribution is required. There are sufficient secondary school places.”
The Employability Team Leader concludes by saying
“However, the applicant’s planning statement highlights that TRT (Targeted Recruitment and Training clauses) will be included in the Heads of Terms so they agree to the principles and are happy to develop an Employment & Skills Plan should the application be approved to deal with local labour targets. With this in mind as well as the information provided in the planning application, supporting statements and the labour forecast calculation I would like to request that TRT is included within the planners report for committee for consideration and a planning condition or clause included in the S106 agreement to secure employment and skills training that will assist the local community by improving job prospects and employability.”
At this meeting members were opposed to housing but in favour, and stressed the importance, of employment.
There were concerns about: the increase in housing numbers with no direct access to the village and the prospect of horrendous traffic jams from the residential traffic on the A177 and A688; the application being submitted will get planning permission and that the only slim chance of reducing the number of houses in the future is to have a Neighbourhood Plan in place.
Agreed that Bowburn should get as many benefits as possible by proposing the following conditions; no vehicular access to the site from Durham Road; a connection between the 'old' village and the new estates with a light controlled pedestrian crossing in Durham Road; upgrade the old village by pointing the houses in Durham Road; the solar panels could be installed on the sheds eliminating the need for a solar farm (Richard)
Oak Tree DM/16/00082/FPA: Change of use from redundant public house to residential care centre for disabled children and young persons.
There were no objections to this application.
Keepmoat: Sarah Booth, Community Engagement and Investment Manager has been in touch to provide a quotation for the railings on the C12a.
7B(ii) Highways/Environment: Next meeting is Monday 8 February at 6pm in Bowburn Community Centre.
Railings on C12A: Two quotations have been received to remove the concrete fencing and replace agreed sections with birdsmouth fencing along the C12a:
Deerness Fencing @ £6,327.50
Durham County Council @ £17,761
The S106 application to pay for the fencing will be completed in the near future as The Meadows estate will soon approach its twentieth occupancy. (Janet, Mike, Richard)
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. (Janet)
7Biii Parkhill: No update this month.
7Biv Community Centre: The pantomime and New Years’ Eve Family Celebration plus the Xmas lunch were all well attended and successful events both for enjoyment and financially.
The next meeting is on Tuesday 26 January at 6.00pm.
7Bv Youth Club: There is no change to this term’s session times. All sessions continue to be well attended and popular. In the run up to Christmas young people organised a Carol Service for residents in the nursing home in Bowburn. They spent weeks practicing as well as preparing music and buying chocolates to give to the residents. It was a fantastic evening for everyone and the young people are already planning next years’ service.
Everyone at this meeting praised the young people for being so thoughtful and caring.
7Bvi Coal column: Henry Jones, chief planner for this area, has advised that the Partnership contact Esh to decide who is taking the lead on the S106 application and take this forward. (Janet, Jan, Mike, Richard)
7Bvii General housing: Keepmoat will be replacing roofs on houses at Parkhill
7Bviii Education: Comments will be made in the Integra61 proposal.
8. Correspondence: Email communications were sent out as appropriate.
North Durham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG): The secretary has joined the membership of the CCG so that BPCP members can respond to requests for feedback to consider the needs of the community.
At this meeting members completed a questionnaire about future priorities.
9. Reports and matters arising:
9(i) EDRC AAP Board Meeting: The autumn Forum date is to be arranged.
Date and time of next BOARD meeting – Wednesday 27 January from 5.00pm at Kelloe Primary School
Decisions on funding for Health & Wellbeing and Older People will be taken to the meeting.
9(ii) Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council: Next meet 19 January then 17 February in Bowburn at 6.30pm.
Report of Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council Meeting, December 2015.
Discussion took place on the Integra61 application with support for employment but not enthusiastic about the houses. The Neighbourhood Plan has been overtaken by events when Parkhill gained planning permission for 190 houses which exceeds the NP for the next 15 years. Inconsiderate drivers have damaged the verge at the cemetery and bollards may be installed as a deterrent.
Litter Pick 6 February 9.30am Bowburn Community Centre
Neighbourhood Plan: Four options for the future of the NP are to be taken to the Parish. They are: a) Continue with the NP as it exists; b) Add further elements to the plan; c) Join with another parish and expand the NP; d) Abandon the plan altogether.
9(iii) Quarry Liaison: There have been no meetings.
10. Group Noticeboard:
(i)Banner: Next meeting 8 February – note new date.
History: The talk by Richard Annis was excellent and well attended.
The next talk is by Gary Bankhead about medieval artifacts from the River Wear is on Wednesday 24 February at 7pm; admission £3 (free if LHS member)
The Resources Room was formally opened by Jim Milburn and is open every Wednesday from 1pm until 3pm.
(ii) BVC Interchange: Issue 77 has been delivered by volunteers to every house in Bowburn with favourable comments.
The next quizzes will be held on 29 January and 18 March 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.
The Infant School and Junior School have opened a Credit Union bank for both children and family members.
11. AOB
(i) The garage site at Crowtrees WMC where there is poor reinstatement of the area after electricity cables were laid near the entrance is to be taken to the Parish Council.
(ii) Parked cars at the Infant School. See Item 3ii
At this meeting Cllr Blakey suggested the need to DCC for over-sized kerbs along the C12a in front of the new estate to deter parking.
12. Date and Time of Next Meeting:
General Meeting 16 February 2016 at 6.00pm in Bowburn Community Centre