WILFORD COMMUNITY GROUP

Minutes of the Committee Meeting

held on Monday 15 December 2008

at Wilford Social and Bowls Club

1. Apologies received from: David Boulton (Secretary) and Stephanie Taylor from the Committee. PC Nigel Brown and Darren Tattersal also sent their apologies.

2. Committee Members Present: Brian Hardy (BH); Roger Steel (RS); Sheila Atherton (SA); Daniel Atherton (DA); Chris Allsopp (CA); Josie Foster (JF); Bill Roughton (BR) and Frank Wakelin (FW). Elaine Stenson (ES) from the NCC and 5 residents (4 from Grange Close)

BH asked JF to take notes in the absence of Steph Taylor. BH also suggested that he would open the meeting by discussing the issue of planters in Grange Close.

3. Planters in Grange Close: These had recently been the topic of an article in the Nottingham Arrow and had been objected to by a resident, Mr Taylor, of Main Road/Grange Close. FW was asked to open the discussion, who went on to explain that these had been requested by various residents in Grange Close to stop parking on the pavement, in particular a large business vehicle. At the time of the planters being placed insitu BH and ES had visited most of the residents in Grange Close to ask their opinion and most had agreed in principle to them being placed in Grange Close. Two residents, whose addresses are Main Road but their property backs onto Grange Close, objected to the planters at the time of placement but agreed that once they were planted up they, were no longer objecting to them. The main issue was now the parking. Mr Taylor, the driver of the vehicle, said he had been told by a police Sergeant that this particular area was the safest place to park as it caused problems if he parked on the road, giving poor visibility to his neighbours entering or leaving their property with a vehicle, his own entrance was too narrow to safely place the vehicle on his own driveway but that he intended, when circumstances allowed, to make this entrance wider.

RH made the suggestion that the pavement area in question be taken up and made into a parking bay, several reasons were given as to why this would not be a satisfactory answer to the problem. ES: This may not be the solution since it would need council approval and the money would not be readily available.

A further suggestion was that the front of the houses on Main Road had a service road built at the front of their properties, however, this would not be allowed, as it is a conservation area.

After much discussion and arriving at no particular solution BH said that he felt the WCG could not see any way in which the group could be of any further assistance and, basically, the parking issue was a very personal problem to be resolved by the residents of Grange Close.

In conclusion ES stated that the City Council is drawing up an Environmental Parking Area Plan for the whole area of Clifton/Silverdale and Wilford Grange Close was just one of many cul de sacs that have similar problems with parking. The Council are drawing up a ten-year plan called a Strategic Regeneration Framework Plan for the whole of Nottingham.

Finally, there have been several requests for more planters around the area.

4. Wilford Social and Bowls Club: BH informed the meeting that there had been an Extra-ordinary Club Meeting the previous Tuesday because the club is losing much of its’ custom; the Brewery, Copley Leisure, when the money runs out the club will close; this is probably around February 2009. ES thought the City Council could probably be involved and take some responsibility ie through the auspices of Youth in the Community – leisure opportunities.

The club is losing £6,000 a year, turnover is less than 6 years ago and the club needs to take £500 a month and would not be a problem for the Council.

ES would investigate further.

5. Waste Bins: ES said the Street Scene still feel the best place to site a waste bin by Wilford Endowed School. A further suggestion, as the dog waste bin will be removed at some time in the future, to replace this with a general waste bin ie by the stile outside BR’s house, 83 Main Road. A vote was taken on this suggestion and was carried unanimously.

6. Planters: There will be no Nottingham in Bloom in 2009 instead it will be called Neighbourhood in Bloom. Available will be 40 unites of troughs and planters for general planting around houses. It was suggested appropriate sites would be outside the Maypole and the Co-op.

7. Scarfe Walk: The vacant area of land on Scarfe Walk is a public right of way and is not adopted.

Responsibility for developing this area will be Chas Wolsley, Street Scene; Parks Development Officer; Highways Officer will take up all slabs, grass over and realign paths at a cost of £5/6,000. The Council will be responsible for cutting the grass. This proposal will be placed before the March Area Committee meeting.

Vernon Avenue: Residents whose homes back on to the railway line would like the trees cutting back. This is known as “Chamber Land” and the Council are responsible for it, Anna Murphy is the tree specialist at the City Council.

Pigeons: Have the Council a responsibility to net the bridge? Andrew Price and Tim Spencer are going to be asked to look into surfacing the footpath and lighting along the footpath beside the allotments and as the pigeons are a health hazard this could be dealt with at the same time.

Alan Foster (AF) mentioned at this point about a meeting held between allotment holders and Alan Schofield (City Council) with regard to replacing fencing around the perimeter of the allotments and the railway bank. AF will ring and ask Alan Schofield to liaise with Andrew Price and Tim Spencer. ES will also ring.

8. Bader Road: Bader Road sign still needs replacing ES will email Nigel Baxter to expedite the work.

9. At this point ES had to leave the meeting and Brian Hardy thanked ES for all her help that she had given to the WCG during the past 12 months and wished her a Happy Christmas.

10. Crime Report: Beat Officer, Nigel Brown, had sent an email giving figures for Wilford stating that reported crime was down by 21.62% by comparison with last year. Dwelling burglary is down 39%, damage is down 42%, robbery down 68%, vehicle crime down 38%, assaults down 21%. The only upward trend has been shed/garage burglary, which is up by 32% (allotments have been the biggest problem of late) and drug offences up 100% (actually 2 crimes up from 1 is not a problem). Crime is standing at 174 from 1^st April, which is down by 48 compared with the same period last year, a big drop. Most of the crime though is on the Wilford side of his beat, Silverdale has very low crime to date.

11. The Library: Extension of Library opening hours will extend to the end of January 2009.

12. AOB:

(a) BH will ring Andrew Price with regard to any help available from the Council for the Club.

(b) RS handed over a cheque for £100 as a donation to the WCG from the proceeds of the Rotary Clubs’ Bonfire Night. Due to the inclement weather on the night takings were severely effected, however, they were able to send cheques to CLIC for Three and a half thousand pounds and one to the City Hospital for Two thousand pounds.

The Meeting closed at 9.30 pm