General Meeting B&PCP Charity No 1112151 Tuesday 21 June 2022 from 6.00pm
PRESENT: M Bell, J Blackburn, R Cowen, G Hutchinson, S Raine J Richardson
1 APOLOGIES: J Blakey, A Dolan, B Ismail, D Ismail, M McKeon, G Parker, N Ridley, C Styles
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST FOR THIS MEETING: Declare interests when appropriate.
3. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING: The minutes of 17 May were agreed.
MATTERS ARISING: 7ib) Richard wrote to planning supporting the increase in road widths.
4. POLICE: Crime stats for April 2022: Violence and Sexual Assault 5, Criminal Damage 10, Anti-social Behaviour 13; Other Theft 3; Vehicle Crime 2; Public Order 8; Drugs 2; Shoplifting 2.
Highest Incidence at: Petrol station 7; Clarence St 7; Prince Charles Avenue 5; Bow Street 4; Shoplifting 3.
Questions were asked about the details above. The secretary referred the meeting to the website.
Neighbourhood Watch: The NW reminds everyone to protect Pa$$WORds, and should; Create a separate password for your email; Use three random words; Turn on two-factor random authentication (2FA)
The deputy Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC), Nigel Bryson, has not yet been back in touch.
5. FINANCES:
i) TREASURER’S REPORT: Unrestricted income: £8.00 tea & raffle (17 May); £89.00 for the ‘In one’s element’ Quiz plus £2.00 yet to be banked for a cheque dated 2025.
Unrestricted expenditure: £11 Refreshments; £15 Quiz prizes but the second prize of £5 is still outstanding.
Unrestricted Income totals £995.06; Restricted income totals £4,538.42.
ii) QUIZ FOR FUNDRAISING: New quiz is ‘Play the game’ for £1, to return by Saturday 13 August 2022
iii) TEA/RAFFLE PRIZE: Jackie Richardson won the prize kindly donated by Maura McKeon.
19 July 2022 Sylvia Raine to donate a prize for the raffle.
6. ITEMS FOR ANY OTHER BUSINESS: Trees
7. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING: The AGM is to be held on 19 July followed by General Meeting – The committee is to stand down but is up for re-election.
8. LOCAL REPORTS:
i)PLANNING ISSUES AND UPDATES:
a) A letter of support for the solar array and charging points at Bowburn Services has been sent, but options are reserved for the illuminated sign should an application be made for it.
b) The Partnership supports the demolition of the classroom in the grounds of the former Infant School.
c) Richard made comments on behalf of CPRE, the countryside charity Durham branch, on the reserved matters for Integra stressing the need for cycles, showers, solar panels and biodiversity. It was agreed that similar comments should be made on behalf of the Partnership. RICHARD
ii) PARKHILL: No report this month.
iii) YOUTH CENTRE: No report this month.
iv) SCHOOLS: a) Bowburn Primary School was officially opened before half term.
b) Former Junior School: Work on the grounds is well underway to prepare a sports area and playground.
c) Former Infant Schools: The meeting felt that it was appropriate to reinforce the argument with DCC to preserve the façade of the school. RICHARD
v) ENVIRONMENT: a) Coxhoe Ponds Wildlife Area: Richard enquired of Cllr Hutchinson what DCC plans for the land and whether they are happy with the current arrangement. CLLR HUTCHINSON
b) Leamside Line: A newspaper article showed the Leamside line with dots indicating planned stations but none of the dots are for a station in Bowburn.
Members at this meeting felt that this line should not be reinstated without a station for Bowburn and a letter should be sent to this effect. RICHARD
vi) HIGHWAYS: a) Relief Road - the Levelling Up money will be known in July.
vii) UKRAINE: In Durham, out of 185 applicants 147 guests have been matched.
9. CORRESPONDENCE: All sent by email.
10. REPORTS IN THE WIDER AREA: i)EAST DURHAM RURAL CORRIDOR AAP: At the AGM and Board meeting on 19 May Cllr Varty was appointed Chair; A Stobbart Vice Chair (Partners); and A Blakemore Vice Chair (Public Representative) – for 2022/23. The Head of Transactional and Customer Services gave a presentation on the Poverty Action Strategy and Action Plan; have your say by the 26 August 2022. Approved - the Fun & Food applications for Bowburn and the Blooming Breakfast for Coxhoe.
There was a report on the funding managed by the AAP, and an outline of the financial resources available to the AAP in 2022/23. Included within the report were the findings from the AAP Priorities Survey 2022 to decide which priorities to focus on. The project call-out process will continue, and task group meetings will be held online via Teams. ‘Community Recovery’ is the priority for this financial year.
There is a vacancy for a public representative, A Neighbourhood Budget project; was approved for Kelloe Bowling Green Improvements funded by Cllr Maura McKeon to the sum on £2,664
Date and time of next meeting - Tuesday 19 July 2022 – 5.00 pm, Coxhoe Village Hall.
ii) BOUNDARY CHANGES: It could be 2023 before there is a final decision on the changes.
iii) COUNTY COUNCILLOR ROUNDUP by Cllr Hutchinson
The football field in Bowburn will be reseeded and the goal net repaired; funded by all three councillors.
An application to crown a tree in Kirby’s Drive needs to be investigated. The Summer Market held in Bowburn Community Centre was a huge success; there will be a Winter Market in December. However, this was the first time that the Partnership had heard about this and it was suggested that there should be discussions to see whether the event should link with the Fun Day or be kept separate. JANET
iii) PARISH COUNCIL: Report of Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council Meeting, 18 May 2022.
The first part of the meeting was the AGM of the Parish. Sylvia Raine was re-elected as Chair and Jim Robinson as Vice-Chair. Sub-committee membership was confirmed as before, ie, all interested members welcome to attend. (Committees: Finance and Forward Planning; Environment; Footpaths.) Final accounts and balance sheet were still being drafted and would be submitted to the members at the June meeting. Dates for future meetings were agreed. The normal monthly meeting then followed.
An update was received from Andy McEwen, with images of the progress of the work. It was confirmed that the sculpture would not now be ready for unveiling on 9 July, (Gala Day) and some members felt it should have its own special day. There was some discussion about who should be invited to the ceremony, but this was deferred to a later meeting. The PC had been notified there was a vacancy on the AAP board for a Parish Councillor from one of the seven Parishes covered by the AAP. Interested members to contact the Parish Clerk. The gate at the Park Hill end of Bridleway 39 could not be opened as the key was broken in the padlock. Therefore, the contractor who was to remove the tree which fell across the bridleway in a recent storm could not gain vehicular access. County Cllr Blakey was to look into the problem.
Report of Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council Meeting, 15 June 2022.
Planning applications received included one for the demolition of a demountable classroom at Bowburn Nursery & Infants’ school. This was welcomed by members, but some doubts were expressed as to the fate of the existing building, which was gradually falling into disrepair. A representative from Bouchere Lighting,
attended the meeting and outlined proposals for possible Christmas lighting schemes. The options of buying the lights outright or hiring them were discussed, also a catalogue of possible lights was left for discussion. This was left for members to decide, but the decision must be made soon. The final Accounts and Internal Audit were presented to the members present, and were considered and accepted, with thanks to the Clerk. There had been complaints from local residents about bonfires causing excessive smoke from the allotments, and the Clerk was asked to remind tenants that only garden refuse should be burned on the allotments. The fencing contractor who provided the lowest estimate had accepted the fencing work contract on the allotments. A member had heard complaints from visitors to the cemetery that it was in an untidy and ill-tended condition. Members agreed that someone should be found to care for it, rather than leaving it to the County Council, who cut the grass but little else.
Next Meeting 20th July 2022; Next Litter-pick in week before Gala Day.
iv) QUARRY LIAISON: Unfortunately, the meeting today had to be cancelled.
v) BVC: Interchange 98 is at the printers for delivery at the beginning of July.
vi) BANNER GROUP: On 30 June a Zoom meeting is arranged to start at 7pm. The Gala Day route has been organised from the memorial tub to the area for the mining artwork at the top of Mary Terrace.
vii) HISTORY GROUP: Gary Parker has recommended a volunteer to work in the Resources Room to digitise the books that the History Group have stored there.
11. AOB: Several saplings are leaning over in Mary Terr and need to be checked. JANET
Three gardens in Old Quarrington will hold a Garden Open Day on Sunday 26 June for charity.
12. ANNNUAL GENERAL MEETING: 19 July 2022 6.00pm in Bowburn Community Centre
Followed by GENERAL MEETING