WILFORD COMMUNITY GROUP

The Tenants and Residents Association for Wilford

Minutes of the Committee Meeting

held on Thursday 6^th November 2003

at Nottingham Moderns RFC

Present: David Boulton (DB) Chairman

Roger Steel (RS) Vice Chairman

Sheila Atherton (SA) Treasurer

Josie Foster (JF) Minute Secretary

Mike Cathcart (MC)

Kate Clark (KC)

Brian Hardy (BH)

Invited Guest: Brendan Clark-Smith

			ACTION
1	Apologies None Absent Jonathan Shewell-Cooper
2	Minutes of the Previous Meeting The Minutes were approved
3	Review Actions from Previous Meeting
	3.1	BT Pole DB had sent a letter but had not as yet received a reply
	3.2	Location of Notice Boards The Notice Board has been sited on KC/BC property and information has been place therein.
	3.3	Website Advertising Carried over.
	3.4	Contact Constabulary Field Intelligence Officer RS has contacted Nigel Brown and exchanged messages but as yet they have not met. RS informed Nigel Brown that we were having a meeting tonight. RS missed meeting him at the Area Committee Meeting but will endeavour to meet him at the next Area Committee Meeting. DB asked RS to mention attending one of our closed meetings.	RS
	3.5	Bellway – Improving Site Line/Property fronting on to Pavement Letter has been sent – as yet DB has not received a reply.

			ACTION
	3.6	No 8 Cribb Close Letter has been sent – as yet no reply
	3.7	Wilford Beat Officer Already covered – see item 3.3.5
	3.8	Spring Bulb Planting MC has checked with Severn Trent – it is allowable for us to plant bulbs on the flood bank but we must not plant any trees. However, when they come to mow the grass in the Spring, regardless of whether there are bulbs in flower they will still continue with the mowing. Therefore, we shall plant early flowering bulbs such as crocus and snowdrops.
	3.9	Community Group Presence at Bonfire Event See Item 8.8.1
	3.10	Village Shop A letter has been sent but it was too early for a reply. BCS did not have any information to add except that it would be dealt with in a full Committee.
	3.11	Tram Consultation Will be discussed in more detail under AOB later.
	3.12	Portland Swimming Baths (possible closure thereof) DB has not written to Council as it has been reported in the media that the Council are having a general review of leisure facilities.
	3.13	2004 Open Gardens Day DB has not done anything about the advertising for a Garden Trail as yet. JF checked with the organisers of the Church Flower Festival and confirmed there would not be one in 2004.	DB
4	Update from Open Community Group Meeting on 30^th November DB and JSC attended this meeting. Two residents, Clive Bennett and Andrew Brooks, attended. Clive Bennett had two concerns as follows:- 1. Is it possible for us to pursue with the NCT a bus to travel from Wilford into West Bridgford via Compton Acres, which are probably the main shopping areas for many people in Wilford. Plus The Health Centre and Day Centre are situated at Compton Acres. BCS will investigate.		BCS

			ACTION
	2. State of the Pavements – Would we investigate having a bus turn round at the junction of Main Road and Coronation Avenue. Parked vehicles on the pavement to allow buses to travel along Vernon Avenue and Coronation Avenue are causing the paving slabs to break up. DB will write to the NCT. Dave Stretton, Leader of Street Scene, Area 9 – RS will ask him to replace slabs but not with tarmac. RS would also check which roads in Wilford have paving slabs Andrew Brooks of Ruddington Lane – is very concerned about the David Wilson Homes project. See later under Agenda Item 5.5.1		DB RS
5	Chairman’s Report
	5.1	David Wilson Homes DB has sent a letter objecting to the current proposals which he read to the committee. Briefly, the objections were along the same lines as before but asking why there had been an increase of 30 dwellings. 190 dwellings was too large a development for the area. Three and Four storey dwellings are unsuitable. Fixings House planning had been denied on the grounds of being out of character with the area. What is needed is semi- or detached housing. We object to the lack of parking and the junction onto Clifton Lane. We are also very concerned about the number of trees being removed.
6	Vice Chairman’s Report
	6.1	Update from Area Committee Meeting on 30^th October 2003 RS reported that festive Illuminations were on the Agenda for Clifton and RS had asked Tim Spencer if we could have some pea lights on the trees on Wilford Green near the Co-op. BH asked if we could also have some on the Village Green trees. Glyn Jones is in charge of Christmas lights and is the one to ask. There is going to be a review of traffic calming measures and Councillor Andrew Price is responsible for this. There will be four meetings in Clifton and one other. RS suggested the Becket School. The BBC is making an hour long documentary about traffic calming measures. RS commented that there are a lot of people at these meetings but only a few are allowed to vote. Policing in Clifton, Wilford and Silverdale. There is an open meeting at the Community Centre, Green Lane on 2^nd December at 7.30 pm. It is an important meeting because the Chief Constable Steve Green is attending. DB asked RS for a Community Notice to place on our notice boards.	RS RS

			ACTION
7	Update from Crime and Safety Meeting DB and SA attended this meeting organised by Parbinder Singh, Assistant Area Co-ordinator. This was a meeting set up to gauge peoples views on how they view crime. DB reported that not many people had been in attendance but they had pushed it from the Youth Club angle. The youth clubs should be a place where they could chill out and enjoy themselves, not be asked to fill in forms and be in a learning mode. Youth Clubs should be local to the area in which they serve and let the young people have some responsibility for the club to encourage them not to trash it. DB and SA learned that money would be available for deprived areas, of which Wilford is not one, but this should not exclude Wilford who do have a teenage problem.
8	Treasurer’s Report
	8.1	Bonfire and Fireworks Event SA thanked RS for a well set up and well-organised event. DB thanked SA & JF for their help. DB thought it was a success from our point of view. SA went on to report that she had been given 2 black bags of new soft toys, which made a significant contribution to the ‘lucky dip’. The total outlay was £13.00, monies received were £77.50 leaving us with a profit of £64.50. We now have a balance of £564.25. RS had attended a Council Meeting of the Trent Bridge Rotary Club and reported that they wished to make a donation towards the Community Group Funds.
9	Skateboard Park Not discussed due to JSC absence.

		ACTION
10	Spring Bulb Planting DB reported that bulbs have already been planted by pupils from the Wilford Endowed School, in the school grounds and on the grass outside the school. Emmanuel School are going to plant bulbs along the entrance to the School. Nottingham in Bloom has provided these bulbs. The Committee agreed that it was time to plant the bulbs along the Bee bank. KC said the cheapest bulbs were obtainable from Wilkinson and SA said she would buy 4,000. Sunday 1.00 pm – 4.00 pm on November 16^thwas arranged to plant up the bulbs with RS supplying the map indicating where they should be placed. In total there are 17 bays to be planted up along the ‘B’ bank.	SA/ALL
11	Sewage Pumping Station (smell therefrom) Severn Trent agree there is a fault but will give no firm date for repairing. The pumping station takes flood water and sewage. We will write to Brian Duckworth, Managing Director of Severn Trent. MC will ask his wife Chris to make some enquiries about the pumping station, on an informal basis. The City Council is not responsible for the pumping station. BH offered to write on our behalf.	BH
12	NET – Urgent Extra Item to Agenda Following NET issuing their consultation leaflet and with a response date of 26/11/03 we have to urgently consider our Newsletter and Resident Surgery Meetings. DB will draw up a fresh Newsletter posing certain questions raised from the Consultation Leaflet but it must be emphasised that the Community Group are impartial. Residents will be asked to respond by telephone, letter, e-mail or by attending one of the surgeries. Suggested dates for the ‘surgeries’ are Wednesday 19^th November at the Social Club on Main Road, BH to book and arrange a time. Thursday 20^th November 7.00 – 9.00 pm at the Beckett and Wilford Endowed Schools. RS to be responsible for booking these. A form will be drawn up with name and address to be handed to those attending these meetings. Residents will be urged to respond personally on the printed form available on the back of NET’s leaflet even if they attend one of the meetings. DB will have the Newsletter ready for printing by Sunday the 9^th November and KC will take it and collect either Monday or Tuesday from Instaprint. The Committee will then have them delivered to residents by Saturday 15^th of November	DB BH/RS KC DB ALL

		ACTION
	KC offered to buy cloakroom tickets for use at the meetings in order that residents were seen in the order of arrival. DB will draw up a form for residents to write their name and address, when attending the meeting. Notices to be placed in as many public places as possible informing residents of the various meeting places.	KC DB
13	Any Other Business (urgent items only) BH said he had not received a reply to his comments about maggots in the household waste – does he have the Committee’s permission to e-mail Chris Bailey? The Committee were in agreement with this action. RS asked would we be more comfortable in an upstairs room at the Rugby Club? The Committee asked RS to go ahead and book it.	BH RS
DB reminded Committee that the next Open Community Group Meeting would be held on Thursday 27^th November attended by SA and MC and the next Closed Committee Meeting would be on Thursday 4^th December with an invited guest Dave Stretton. The Meeting closed at 10.00 pm Signed David Boulton……..……………. Chairman Date 4^th December 2003..…………….