GENERAL MEETING - Bowburn & Parkhill Community Partnership - Charity Number 1112151
Tuesday 19 September 2017 from 6.00pm
Present M Bell, J Blackburn, J Blakey, J Geyer, M McKeon (From 6.30), D Paget, J Richardson, S Raine,
M Ridley, F Salisbury. In attendance: Cllr S Dunn (From 6.30)
1.Apologies: R Cowen, G Parker, M Syer
2. Declarations of interest: Declarations of interests would be made as required throughout this agenda.
3. Security (i) Police: i) Agreed to request a joint meeting with the Parish to meet Sgt Kevin Hall JANET
ii) PACT meetings are arranged as walkabouts in the Bowburn area, and information is on the police website.
4. Minutes: Minutes of the General Meeting 15 August: The minutes were approved and agreed by members.
Matters Arising: History book progress: Noted Volume 1 of ‘Bowburn – a mining village’ will be on sale in
December 2018. MIKE
5. Finances: No change from the last meeting
5ii) Raffle prize: J Blackburn won the prize kindly donated by F Salisbury; Mike Syer will donate a prize in Oct.
5iii) Quiz: The new quiz ‘Down on the farm’ is on sale at £1 with a closing date of 18 November 2017.
6. Item for Any Other Business: Laptop; Footpath
7. Current Masterplan: The railings along the C12A were mentioned in Cabinet, funded through S106 money.
7A Regeneration Fund: It was agreed to leave the remaining £3301.50 in the Regeneration Fund.
FUTURE IDEAS: Install seats in the park particularly near the children’s enclosed play areas which contain
seats but carers with dogs are not allowed in.
7B Reports:
7Bi) Planning issues:
Surtees Avenue: The alternative areas for building the County Durham homes have not been agreed.
Carlin Close: Cllr Maura McKeon will liaise with DCC officers to resolve the problem of the damaged mesh
fence alongside the boundary of the site. CLLR McKEON
Hill Top View: The application to remove the planned footpath between the estate and the A177 has been
refused. Thanks were given to Cllrs Blakey and McKeon for speaking on behalf of this matter.
Integra 61: Archaeological Phase 1 is nearing completion; shortly intend to appoint a preferred
contractor and should start before the end of the year; planning conditions are largely discharged.
Parkhill: Members prefer that the site proposed for Miner’s bungalows to be built on the land next to the microbrewery
in Parkhill to be kept as a settlement break between Parkhill (Bowburn) and Coxhoe. However the
Black Trod may provide a natural boundary and there is a field to separate it from Coxhoe. As a result, and
bearing in mind the permitted development on the opposite side of the road, development of this site was
possibly inevitable. If that is the case, then socially rented bungalows for older people was the best option as a
number of older people live in Parkhill and may welcome such development.
Final views would be expressed by members when a planning application is submitted.
Park bungalow: The park bungalow is scheduled for demolition in 2017.
Ravensworth pub: The application has been withdrawn.
Project Notes
Pointing Durham Rd DCC conservation does not recommend raking out pointing which is satisfactory as it could harm the
bricks and allow water to seep in.
Grass strimming and
weed strimming
18/04/17: DCC Operation ‘Spruce Up’ tidied verges, planted trees, reduced litter, installed new litter/
dog bins along Mary Terrace and outside the Community Centre in Bowburn.
C HIndmarch can provide incentive schemes to encourage the children to continue ‘sprucing up’.
06/09/17: Trustees had discussed the possibility of seeking funding to pay a part-time project officer to
work with the schools.
Gas meter boxes in
Durham Road
After agreeing that the Partnership could contribute a reasonable sum towards improving this problem
it was agreed to contact all residents in Durham Road to gain ideas as to how to smarten up the gas
boxes. 8 new gas boxes were fitted 20 to 30 June, and all 32 painted by 17/07/2017
Children’s holiday
activities
A meeting is being arranged with Vitoria Grieves (AAP) to discuss ideas for
activities and funding for holiday activities for children.
Trees on Mary
Terrace
19/09/17: The Partnership is applying to the APP Participatory Budget for
environment projects to plant trees beside the A177 opposite Mary Terrace;
provide hedgehog boxes and a weather station to the Bowburn schools. Janet
Let by signs Request to remove ‘Let by’ signs in Durham Rd is being followed up.
Pick up a weed and a piece of paper every day to keep your pavements clear
7Bii) Bowburn Industrial Relief Road: Ongoing as we await the Durham Plan.
Air quality on A177: Awaiting the installation of the Air Quality monitoring equipment. JANET
7Biv) MW A1(M) junction 61: Cllr Dunn brought a report stating that there had been a consultation process
about the changes to the roundabout, but this was strongly denied by members.
7Bv) Community Centre: The centre is still going well. 20 October - Secondary School Reunion; 30 December
- Panto with admission held at £1 for all comers; 31 December - New Year’s Eve Family Night.
7Bvi) Youth Club: The next phase of Junior Youth has started. Contact the Youth Club on 0778827732.
Gym: The Spinning Classes have proved very successful which helps to fund the building.
New members always welcome. Times: Mon to Sat AM 9.15-11.30am; Evenings Tue to Thur 6-8.30pm
7Bviii) Primary school: The consultation process between the schools has started.
An alternative access road for the new school is being explored with the land owners.
School parking: Cllr McKeon has discussed various schemes in DCC such as ‘Walk once a week’; ‘Ride and
Stride’; Junior Safety Officers. These are incentive schemes to reduce the school parking problems.
7Bix) Shops: Coop Licence for Bowburn south: The licence application from 06.00 to 23.00 has been granted.
The application for a number of illuminated signage was questioned. RICHARD
8. Correspondence: None.
9. Reports and matters arising:
9i) East Durham Rural Corridor AAP: The Board meeting is taking place tonight, 19 September. Friday 22
September is the deadline for PB applications. The Leader Programme is open for applications.
The next Board meeting is 18 October in Kelloe School from 5.00pm
9ii) County Councillors:
Cllr Jan Blakey had given information where appropriate throughout the meeting.
Cllr McKeon met with officers to discuss referral for food vouchers; a universal bus pass is being trialled in
Durham City and may be county-wide if successful.
Cllr Dunn reported that there will be further cuts to funding; there have been 2,500 jobs lost from the County.
Report environmental offences on 03000 261000 or to DCC or to your local County Councillors Jan Blakey
(03000 268685), Stuart Dunn (03000 264342) and Maura McKeon (03000 268789).
9iii) Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council meeting 16 August 2017:
Planning applications non-contentious, including electric vehicle charging points at Bowburn Filling station, and
amendments to outdoor area at the Oak Tree Inn, Bowburn; no objections. The second and final grass cut of
bridleways/footpaths was to go ahead shortly. This is carried out by the Parish (Andrew Shutt with advice from
Mike Syer) and paid for by the County as they are responsible for the upkeep of officially designated footpaths.
A five yearly examination of headstones in the cemetery to commence soon. Any found unsafe will be laid flat,
and relatives of the deceased (where available) will be asked to pay for repairs.
Next Parish Meeting is 20 Sep; Litterpick 7 Oct meet at 9.30am in Bowburn Community Centre.
Neighbourhood Plan: A workshop will be held on 25 September between 4.30 and 6.30 to allocate topics for
the Plan, which if completed, could be published before the County Plan. FRANK
Coal column: Members of the parish will meet with Grace Crawford, Groundwork NE, at a later date.
9iv) Quarry Liaison: DCC is trying to resolve the problem of the unauthorised track to the anaerobic digester.
Old Quarrington Association: The problem of the Parish paths is ongoing. SYLVIA/RICHARD
10. Group Noticeboard:
(i)Banner: The Centenary banner has been taken to the Heritage Open Day; next outings are 7 October
Houghton Feat and 14 October Heworth. The group is to adopt a seat in the Miner’s Hall Redhills.
(ii) BVC Interchange: Thanks to Mike, Issue 84 should be ready for delivery by the end of the week, to
advertise the Fund Day.
Aycliffe Angels: On Saturday 21 October, the Mayor of Great Aycliffe is to present badges and certificates to
the families of ladies from Bowburn who worked at the Royal Ordinance Factory at Aycliffe during WW11.
The Quiz Night was enjoyable; the next is held on Friday 8 December 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 Bowburn schools also save through the Credit Union.
(iv) History: The Resources Room is open every Wednesday 1pm till 3pm.
(v) Fun Day: The Fun Day, Saturday 30 September, is open from 11am to 2pm; Table tops at £5; cars to be off
the car parks by 10am. Tiger-May Millington, Miss Durham, is to open the Fun Day.
11. AOB: There was concern about the overgrown beck in the park.
Agreed that the secretary consider getting a new laptop as the old one has ‘frozen’ and may not be reparable
12. Date/Time of Next Meeting and AGM: 17 OCTOBER 2017 at 6.00pm in Bowburn Community Centre
Pick up a weed and a piece of paper every day to keep your pavements clear