Draft Minutes
Minutes of a meeting of the OPEN SPACES COMMITTEE held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 11th September 2024 in The Mountfitchet Exchange, Crafton Green, 72 Chapel Hill, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex
PRESENT Cllr J Kavanagh (Chair), Cllrs A Barnes, M Caton, A Guney, A Love and T van de Bilt
ATTENDING Mrs Ruth Clifford – Parish Clerk, Mrs Emma Philbrick – Deputy Clerk, 3 members of the public (1 via Zoom)
148 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Braeckman – Family Event, Cllr Khan – Holiday and Cllr Prior – Stuck in traffic
RESOLVED to accept the apologies for absence from Cllrs Braeckman, Khan and Prior.
149 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None
150 TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 17TH JULY 2024
RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 17th July 2024 as a true and accurate account.
151 TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON ACTION POINTS FROM THE LAST MEETING
101 – Office to check with contractor if they are watering the Wildflower areas – Confirmed
102 – Office to contact the S106 officer re the state of the Walpole Meadows Allotments – Done
104 – Raise the issue re Sustainable Stansted with the Millers – subsequently established that this may have been incorrect information.
105 – Close off the slide at the Recreation Ground – Done
105 – Pursue Wicksteed regarding the rotten timbers under the guarantee – Ongoing
105 – Convene a meeting of the Play Area Working Group once updated quotes have been received. – Meeting held
106 – Write a job specification and advertise for a third party/site manager for the Elms Farm Allotments – In hand
107 – Contact members of various gardening group – In hand
109 – Meet with Cllr Guney and prepare a report for the S106 re Elms Farm Park – Done by Cllr Kavanagh.
152 TO RECEIVE A REPORT FROM THE CHAIR, CLLR JO KAVANAGH
Some good news to start – with Anglia in Bloom
Virtual awards – the Social club was awarded a Gold Award and St Mary’s Churchyard a Silver Award;
Special Awards – Human Roots were nominated and awarded a certificate;
Main categories – Stansted was awarded a silver gilt under the “Towns” category.
Feedback suggests that there was some confusion over what categories had been entered. Everyone enjoyed the day and though disappointed in not all getting gold, they were happy to have maintained last year’s standard.
Everyone attending agreed that AIB was the event people wanted to enter, it may be time to consider enlarging the organising committee to gain a better understanding of the award structure and get new ideas and more enthusiasm from the people involved. Cllr Barnes noted that many of the groups were supported by officials e.g. many Mayors were present.
Gardening Monitoring Report The Clerk and I met with our gardening contractor last week. Amongst the subjects discussed was the area outside the offices. We will be getting a tree surgeon to reduce the tree. We will then need to look into what we can do to improve the look of this focal point. The area is not ideal for planting, as the tree takes a lot of the moisture and nutrients from the soil and plants do not thrive.
The area is also a very popular dog toilet, so we have discussed the installation of a knee rail along the boundary to see if this discourages dogs. Members of the public are kindly reminded to clear up after their dogs and use the bins provided.
Grass cutting at St Mary’s Churchyard and the cemetery has gone well with the extra cuts. All we need now is for UDC and ECC to do their bit to make Stansted neat and tidy over the summer months.
Walpole Meadows Allotments are an agenda item at this evening’s meeting, where we will be deciding whether or not to finally adopt the allotments. Photos showing their recent condition have been shared with councillors. We have been assured this will be tidied before handover.
Walpole Meadows Wider POS – We have been advised by UDC that we could start this transfer bearing in mind the time the allotments have taken. All remedial works to be completed by February 2025 when the one year maintenance period has ended and continue to be maintained until transfer has been completed.
Elms Farm Elms Farm allotments are also an agenda item this evening, following correspondence received from a plot holder. The issues raised cannot be discussed in a public meeting at this stage, but the letter has been acknowledged and discussions are ongoing, with a meeting planned. We will update councillors.
We also discussed with our gardening contractor tidying up works to the car park.
Disappointingly, the area designated to be public open space (also an agenda item) has not been visited or treated for the past 12 months. We are pursuing this with the s106 officer and I have asked for input from our Stansted South district councillors.
Other Matters Litter – Following comments from members of the public and social media posts about the lack of bins at the Aubrey Buxton Reserve, we asked UDC if they would add the reserve to their route.
Dog poo still seems to be a problem in random areas around Stansted, while most dog owners are responsible, I would ask all dog walkers to clear up after their pets. The situation is monitored by our environmental rangers – please use the bins supplied. ANY BIN WILL DO. End of Report
153 TO RECEIVE A CEMETERY REPORT
This was circulated in the Clerk’s report to members with the agenda
154 TO RECEIVE A REPORT FROM SUSTAINABLE STANSTED
Sustainable Stansted is concentrating its efforts in two areas:
Collecting data for the Biodiversity Survey which should be published in the Spring.
Preparing the Energy-Saving & Sustainability Open Day on 5th October. This day is being in partnership with Community Energy South. Publicity will be achieved through posters and a a leaflet drop through every door. Elsenham will be involved.
Sustainable Stansted will have a stand at the Wellness Day on 13th October at St John’s Church.
It is hoped to work with SMPC on improving cycle routes alongside the group in Bishop’s Stortford. End of Report
155 ELMS FARM
- a) ALLOTMENTS – TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE
A report from the Chair, Cllr Kavanagh, was circulated to members ahead of the meeting.
- b) OPEN SPACE – TO RECEIVE A REPORT FROM CLLRS KAVANAGH & GUNEY
A report was circulated to members ahead of the meeting. A less than satisfactory response was received back from the developers today so the S106 officer has been asked to set up a site meeting with herself, the developers and the Parish Council.
156 WALPOLE MEADOWS – TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO SIGN THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP DOCUMENT FOR THE ALLOTMENT SITE ONLY
Cllr Caton raised concerns that we should be asking Bloor to carry out work at the allotments to put them in a good state before signing the document. The Clerk advised that their reasons for not doing it now is that it would need to be done again before the handover, so they are waiting until just before the handover so the site is ready for new tenants.
Cllr Kavanagh agreed with Cllr Caton’s view, but she and Cllr Barnes commented that they thought it had been going on for long enough and that they were just going to have to trust Bloor to do what they say they will do. The Clerk also advised that it had come to light today that UDC signed off the Public Open Space in February 2024 so Bloor would only be responsible for the maintenance until February 2025. A decision on whether to take this on will now have to go to the next meeting.
More discussions took place on the pros and cons of signing the document and having been proposed by Cllr van de Bilt and seconded by Cllr Barnes, it was unanimously
RESOLVED to sign the Transfer of Ownership document for the Walpole Meadows Allotment site.
157 TREES: TO APPROVE A QUOTE FOR THE CROWN REDUCTION OF SYCAMORE ON THE RECREATION GROUND ADJACENT TO WINDMILL CLOSE
Details of why this work needed to take place and the quote received was circulated to members with the agenda.
The Clerk advised that the resident had since sent pictures of what the tree looked like when they first bought the property and this showed the extent to which it had grown.
Having been proposed by Cllr Caton and seconded by Cllr Kavanagh, it was unanimously
RESOLVED to approve the quote for the specified work to be carried out on the Sycamore tree on the Recreation Ground adjacent to Windmill Close.
158 TO CONSIDER THE PURCHASE OF A LITTER/DOG BIN FOR THE CAR PARK AREA AT THE AUBREY BUXTON NATURE RESERVE
The Clerk advised that despite being asked UDC said they would not pay for a bin to be installed but would empty it as long as the location worked for them.
Having been proposed by Cllr Caton and seconded by Cllr Love, it was unanimously
RESOLVED to purchase a litter/dog bin chosen by the office for the car park area at the Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve and agree location with UDC for them to empty it.
159 BUDGET 2025/26
The Clerk reminded the Committee that we are now entering the budgeting cycle and to let her and the Chair know if there were any projects they may wish the Council to consider. Cllr Barnes mentioned that getting quotes for the goals on the Recreation Ground turned 90 degrees to help restore the damaged surface has previously been mentioned. It was agreed that quotes would be obtained by the office.
160 TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE REPORT ON FOOTPATHS
The footpath report was circulated to members ahead of the meeting with the comments from the office attached for which members thanked the Deputy Clerk – they are very helpful.
Cllr Kavanagh volunteered to look further into the ownership of Cooper’s Alley and Norman’s Way footpaths.
Meeting closed at 8.26pm
Action Points
156 Put the Transfer of Ownership for the Walpole Meadows Public Open Space on the next Open Spaces agenda
158 Agree a location with UDC for the new bin
159 Obtain quotes for the goals on the Recreation Ground to be turned 90 degrees
160 Cllr Kavanagh to look further into the ownership of Cooper’s Alley and Norman’s Way footpaths.
Agenda
1 To receive apologies for absence
2 To receive declarations of interest
3 To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 17th July 2024
4 To receive an update on action points from the last meeting
5 To receive a report from the Chair, Cllr J Kavanagh
6 To receive a Cemetery report – see Clerk’s report attached for members
7 To receive a report from Sustainable Stansted – if available
8 Elms Farm:
- a) Allotments – to receive an update from the Chair
- b) Open Space – to receive a report from Cllrs Kavanagh and Guney – attached for members
9 Walpole Meadows – to decide whether or not to sign the Transfer of Ownership document for the allotment site only
10 Trees: to approve a quote for the crown reduction of sycamore on the Recreation Ground adjacent to Windmill Close
11 To consider the purchase of a litter/dog bin for the car park area at the Aubrey Buxton Nature Reserve
12 Budget 2025-26
13 To receive an update report on footpaths
Any intention to record, film or take photographs during a meeting must be notified to the Clerk prior to the start of the meeting.