General Meeting B&PCP Charity No 1112151 Tuesday 19 November 2019 From 6.00pm
PRESENT: M Bell, J Blackburn, J Blakey, R Cowen, G Parker, J Richardson
In Attendance: Cllr Dunn Apologies: J Geyer, M McKeon, S Raine
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST FOR THIS MEETING: Declare interests when appropriate
3. SECURITY: Police: All crime and ASB 49. Anti-social behaviour 15; Burglary 2; Criminal damage and
arson 5; Drugs 1; Other crime 1; Other theft 5; Public order 2; Shoplifting 3; Vehicle crime 1; Violence and
sexual offences 14. Go to www.police.uk website, enter your postcode to provide details of specific crimes.
The rearranged PACT is on Thursday 21 November at 3pm
If any residents have any information or anything to report, contact Steph via the email
Stephanie.Clarke@durham.pnn.police.uk or contact 101; or 999 in an emergency.
ii) Speedwatch: Cllrs Dunn and McKeon to co-ordinate a timetable. To do. CLLRS DUNN AND McKEON
4. MINUTES OF GENERAL MEETING 15 October 2019 agreed.
MATTERS ARISING: Contact Slimming World to relocate advertising board at the new Coop. JANET
5. FINANCES: i) Treasurer’s report:
Income: Tea & Raffle £9; Community Kitchen is to donate £100 from the Fun Day.
Expenditure: £20 refreshments; £11 Tea and biscuits; £56 Rent; £30 Quiz prizes; £20 Remembrance
Wreath.
Summary: Total funds £5838.89 of which Unrestricted funds £1333.32
Coop Community Fund: The Partnership were successful in an application to the Coop Community Fund
for trees on Mary Terrace. The fund closes on 24 October 2020. Co-op Members will be able to choose
their local cause. Every time a member buys selected own-brand products and services, 1% goes to local
causes in the community.
Cllr Dunn informed the meeting that DCC has been successful in gaining Government funding to plant trees
throughout the county. Bowburn has been chosen to have trees planted in Mary Terrace, which means that
the Partnership will have to find another area to plant the Coop money in 2020. ALL
Xmas lights: 17 lights have been reserved, but 3 lighting columns have failed. It is hoped that these
columns can be repaired so that the lights will hang on every other column on the A177 through Bowburn.
ii) Raffle: J Blackburn won the raffle kindly donated by S Dunn. M Bell donated the next prize. MAL
iii) Quiz: ‘Buildings’ quiz winners 1st P Salisbury, 2nd J Wentworth and 3rd S Raine.
New quiz ‘Tis the season to be jolly’ £1 per copy, return by 15 February 2020.
6. ITEMS FOR ANY OTHER BUSINESS: None
7. LOCAL REPORTS:
i) PLANNING: The Durham Plan: The examination hearing sessions are ongoing and the Inspector has
asked that groups either amalgamate or select no more than two sessions to attend in view of the number
of people asking to attend various sessions
The Transport policy, which includes the Bowburn Industrial Estates Road begins 27 November.
Hill Top View footpath: See Parish report.
Cllr Dunn said that the residents of Hill Top View were against the construction of the footpath.
It was asked if the monies could be transferred to different footpath in Hill Top View which was wanted by
the residents. Cllr Dunn explained that the developer never had any intention of constructing the footpath
and it would have to be constructed at the expense of DCC.
Integra 61: See Parish report on cladding.
Signage alongside Bridleway 36, opposite the Community Centre: ‘Henry Jones DCC wrote that the
landowner (Integra) has erected the signage to highlight that the woods are private land. I (Henry) am not
aware that there are any development or tree felling proposals and the agent has suggested no such works
to me. He has informed me that there is no intention to affect the public use of the bridleway land at all but
simply to highlight that the woods themselves are private land.’
At this meeting, Richard noted that BW 36 is on the definitive footpaths map, but the paths off this
bridleway are not on the definitive map. However, if these paths have been walked on for a considerable
time then there could be ill-feeling from residents if they were stopped from walking on them.
Agreed that Richard should make enquires of Integra about the use if these paths. RICHARD
Parkhill site Nature Trail: Karl Henderson and Geoff Scott (Keepmoat) still have this (trail) at the forefront of
their mind however they have not been able to establish any kind of permission from the council to be able
to build the small podiums on/next to the surrounding paths and Bridleways. They are left with building on
the Trim track, which is part of the Keepmoat development, but it will be a long time before that area is
developed and so they feel it is too early to put anything in place.
Agreed to ask Karl which DCC officer was involved in the discussions about the podiums. JANET
Proposed Garden Village at Old Quarrington:
The development was taken to the EIP Durham Plan, but the Inspector would not consider speculative
developments. If he determines that extra houses are needed, he will refer the matter to the Council and it
is at the decision of DCC as to where they may be placed.
OQ Barn: A decision is expected before the end of the year.
Cornforth Moor Farm: There were no objections to the conversion of a milking parlour to a residential
bungalow.
ii) Community Centre: Next meeting Tuesday 26 November start time 6.30pm.
iii) Youth Centre: A change of gym fees for 18-year olds is proposed. The Gym would be £10 a month for
adults over 18 years and £5 month for 18 years and below. Young people will still be able to use the Gym
as part of their 30p youth club admission if they attend during a Youth Club session.
iv) Bowburn Primary School: The school is on track for opening at Easter 2021. A contractor will be agreed
in the New Year with work starting in March 2020.
Agreed to ask DCC to route the site traffic for the new school via the A688. COUNCILLORS
8. CORRESPONDENCE: Updated by email - DCA Newsletter; Wonderful Village photo competition; Third
Sector survey; CDCF Newsletter; Free Third Thursday History Talks in Records Office from 6.30pm
9. REPORTS IN THE WIDER AREA:
1.AAP: Due to the General Election the next Meeting scheduled to take place on Thursday 28 November
has been cancelled. Therefore, the next meeting is due to take place on the 27 January 2020 when the
Police Council Tax Precept for 2020/21 and an update on Primary Care Networks should be discussed.
ii) COUNTY COUNCILLOR ROUNDUP:
Cllr Blakey: Tree roots have blocked the drains at Parkhill above The Venue restaurant causing flooding.
Repairs will be made. Antisocial behaviour has escalated around the wall at the old Coop partly
demolishing it with the bricks needing to be removed quickly; Grass in the play park has been churned up
by a bike/car driving over the wet grass. The CCTV camera in the park will be checked for evidence, and
residents overlooking the park may be able to help.
Update: The damage to the turf was caused by a council wagon that was collecting from the bins; it got
stuck in the mud and a tractor had to tow it out.
Cllr Dunn: Waiting for a decision from the Parish to take on the cost of maintenance of 11 salt bins in
Bowburn which do not meet DCC’s criteria, and 17 planters in Cassop, before they are purchased.
iii) PARISH: Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council meeting on 16 October
Henry Jones, Principal Planning Officer, DCC, attended to discuss progress on the first building at Integra
61. The colours for the cladding had now been decided: basically shades of grey, not the horizon-merging
colours the Parish had suggested. Councillors were disappointed their opinions had been ignored. A
request for wildflower verges to improve the looks and diminish the adverse environmental impact of the
building was also unlikely to be put in place. Council agreed to send a letter stating their concerns
regarding the cladding to DCC and to James Taylor of Lichfields. A planning application for a further 21
houses at Park Hill, by Keepmoat, was objected to on the grounds of over-development. The proposed
footpath linking Hill Top View to the A177 had been discussed at the previous B&PCP meeting, where it
was suggested that some residents did not want the footpath. So it was suggested that the Parish should
consult with residents about their views before trying to get the work done by the developer. Cllrs Raine &
Blackburn agreed to carry out a simple survey asking if the residents were in favour of the link or not, to be
carried out before the next Parish meeting.
Neighbourhood Plan: Cllr Salisbury will update the Parish on progress at the meeting tomorrow. It was
almost complete apart from the Environment section.
Next meeting: Bowburn Community Centre 20 November; Cassop Centre 18 December from 6.30pm
Litter pick: Saturday 7 December and 4 January – meet at 9.30am in the car park of the Community Centre
iv) QUARRY LIAISON:
Richard mentioned that there was no further development since an email had been received at the last
meeting indicating that the proposed alternative path through the Nature Reserve had resulted in problems
regarding grants received from DEFRA. The ecologist has said he would consider an alternative but to date
nothing had been received.
He also mentioned that this may be a relevant consideration in the existing applications to seek revised
planning permissions for certain works at the quarry. Although the applications are stated to be for
“variation of conditions”, he stated that he understood the law to be that the council was not restricted to
consider only those conditions requested by the quarry. Consequently, if other conditions should be
appropriate, they could be imposed if the council decided to grant the application for a revised certificate.
10. GROUP NOTICEBOARD:
i) Banner: The Centenary banner was at the Remembrance Service. The tops of the poles are being
repaired
ii) BVC: Issue 93 is being prepared: Articles should be sent asap to interchangebowburn@gmail.com
Quiz night: The next quiz night is 6 December 2019 from 7.30pm in Crowtrees WM Club.
iii) History: 2nd Tuesday talks in Bowburn Community Centre at 7.00pm, for £3.00
10th December – Chris Lloyd ‘Attacking the devil and sinking the unsinkable WT Stead and the Titanic.
The History Room is open on Wednesday’s between 1.00pm and 3.00pm.
11. AOB: None
12. NEXT TRUSTEES MEETING: 3 DECEMBER 2019 AT 6.00pm Bowburn Community Centre
NEXT GENERAL MEETING: 21 JANUARY 2020 at 6.00pm in Bowburn Community Centre