Wilford Community Group

Minutes of the Committee Meeting

held on Monday 15 September 2008

at Wilford Social and Bowls Club

Present: Brian Hardy (BH) Chairman

Roger Steel (RS) Vice Chair

Sheila Atherton (SA) Treasurer

Stephanie Taylor (ST)

Bill Roughton (BR)

Josie Foster (JF)

Chris Allsopp(CA)

Ed Armstrong (EA)

Daniel Atherton (DA)

Local residents also attended the meeting as well as Elaine Stenson of the Neighbourhood Action Team.

	Apologies: David Boulton (Secretary), Frank Wakelin (FW), Ed Armstrong. Darren Tattersall had been invited to attend but also offered his apologies The Chairman began by welcoming Daniel to the meeting as the young people’s representative.	Action
1.	Minutes: Minutes of the committee meeting held on 14 July 2008 were read and approved.
2.	Matters Arising from the minutes: · Litter bins: Elaine noted that the Neighbourhood Action Team (of which she is part) does have some money but has funded planters for the village and can’t stretch to everything needed. It was felt that bins are most needed close to Emmanuel School on the embankment but ownership of this land (probably Rushcliffe) makes it complicated to resolve. Elaine will pursue. · Iremonger’s Pond: the launch event on 19 July 2008 had been very well attended. Outstanding work by the Environment Agency was to start of 22 September but the date had been delayed by flooding. Pathways will be put down as soon as possible and the site should be fit for purpose by April 2009. Fishermen using the pond have been informed that after that date they will be required to pay a fee. The Group has received a grant of £1800 plus £1000.00 for fishing equipment (8 sets). This helps to cover third party insurance. NCC is mowing grass around the pond regularly, · Bus: this had been raised at the Area 9 meeting but no one from WCG had been present to speak. BH asked any matters that cannot be dealt with at the time should be carried forward to the next meeting. It was reported that the bus owners are budgeting for 2 larger buses to run to QMC and one of these may be used for the first run of the day from Wilford into town. Everyone at the Area 9 meeting had agreed that Wilford’s 106 money should be used in Wilford but this will not happen until after April 5 2009. · Council House Tour: All those attending on 25 September 2008 should make there own way there at meet on the steps outside at 7.30 p.m. About 12 or 14 people are expected to attend.	ES
3.	Area 9 Meeting: Elaine reported that Notts County Football Club and Nottingham Forest Academy have funding for a 3 year project in Clifton starting very soon. It will be held 3 nights a week at South Notts College, Farnborough Road and they hope to get lots of 8-11 year olds involved. Not much information was available but BH will ring Graham Moran for more so that it can be advertised on the WCG website and notice boards.	BH
4.	Proposed Play Area in Bader Road: Elaine Stenson reported that it had been very difficult to find out who owns the triangle of overgrown grass. No one has admitted responsibility so far and it has not been adopted by the Council or a	Action
	private company. Residents would need to be consulted about any development and a questionnaire would need to be devised. Alan Foster (resident) knew some of the history of ownership of the site but its current status is unknown.
5	Community Arrow: it was clarified that anyone can contribute to the regular article, not WCG committee members. Elaine suggested submitting something about the proposed Bader Road play area. JF read out a very positive reply from the council to a letter from a 13 year old resident of Wilford who had asked for benches on the embankment and better lighting after an uncomfortable experience with her grandmother. This could be publicised. It was noted that there are no lights on the new path to the suspension bridge. It was suggested that DA should raise this at school because it relates to safety of the children using the path.	BH
6	It was also noted that there is no lighting on the path behind Vernon Avenue and alongside the allotments. BH agreed to raise this with local councillors. RS also Believed that the ‘pigeon bridge’ on the path should be netted to prevent droppings falling in such large quantities. This prompted speculation about the safety of bridges in the area and whether they are of any historic interest. No one knew why steps and a path had been provided on the part of the embankment that passes through Compton Acres and yet the Wilford section is completely overgrown. A resident complained about garden cuttings being “dumped” at the bottom of the embankment near her home behind the Bowls Club. Street Scene might be able to help and PC Nigel Brown offered to have “a sociable word” with the culprit.
7	Planters: there are now 4 in the village. BH had asked local residents what they thought about them and had received a generally positive response. More would be welcome outside the Village Shop but there is no more money. Some thought it had been placed wrongly but Elaine pointed out that it had been placed exactly where we asked for it! PC Brown suggested that Gleeds might be approved to sponsor more planters. BH agreed to write to them but it was noted that we should ensure these are what local people want rather than other items.	BH
8	Funding Opportunities: WCG committee members had received an email from Elaine about 3 year grant aid from April 2009. The deadline for applications was 25 September 2008. The maximum bid allowed is for £5,000. Go to www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/grantaid for details. The money is for running costs. Other grants may be more appropriate for one-off projects. JF suggested that seats on the river bank, notice boards with historical notes would be a good idea. She will pursue this. Bob Atherton reminded the group that there will be 2 of these beside Iremonger’s Pond. SA suggested a ‘Welcome to Wilford’ sign would be attractive but no one was sure where it should be placed. SA said that the group could hold fund-raising events if it wished.	JF
9	Any Other Business: RS raised the issue of a power box sited on the ramp giving access to the Rugby Club. This provides power for lights on the toll bridge but restricts vehicle access. It needs to be moved. Local Councillors have limited funds that they can spend as they wish in their area and it was hoped they would support this move. Elaine informed the group that half of the money given to councillors to spend has to be put in the Area 9 committee fund but that committee doesn’t have to agree on how the rest is spent. It has to be spent within a given period of time. RS is obtaining a quote for work on the box. Bob Atherton reported that the Holly Avenue allotments had been broken into and a few items taken from sheds. PC Brown had been unaware of this. PC Brown reported that in the last 90 days there had been only 5 burglaries in Wilford and Silverdale. As far as the break-in on Holly Avenue was concerned, somewhat had been arrested and charged and was on bail. The number of all crimes in Wilford and Silverdale in July was 15 in Wilford and 7 in Silverdale. PC Brown was keen that more Neighbourhood Watch Schemes should operate in Wilford. He also informed the meeting that Glenford (the Community Protection Officer for our area had been appointed as a police officer whereas he (PC Brown) was trying to decide whether or not to proceed to a 36^th year in the force! It was agreed that WCG committee should write to Glenford’s superior officer, Sgt. Matthews, at Green lane to say how much we had appreciated Glenford’s efforts in the community and that we would love to have him as a local police officer. Finally, PC Brown pointed out that the police priority notices on the boards were now out of date and should be removed.	RS

Approved………….Brian Hardy………(Chairman)

Date…………20^th October 2008……..