MINUTES
Minutes of a meeting of the OPEN SPACES COMMITTEE held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 20th January 2021 using the Zoom platform.
PRESENT Cllr A Barnes (Chairman), Cllrs D Brett, M Caton, J Harding, J Hudson, J Kavanagh,
F Richards, Cllr Wallace-Jarvis and T van de Bilt
ATTENDING
Mrs R Clifford – Clerk to the Council
Mrs E Philbrick – Admin Assistant
Mrs L Azure-Marxen – Committee & Project Support Assistant
Cllr J O’Brien
1 member of the press
469 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE – None
470 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST – None
471 TO RECEIVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 16TH SEPTEMBER 2020
RESOLVED to accept the minutes of the meeting held on 16th September 2020 as a true and accurate account.
472 MATTERS ARISING AND ACTION POINTS FROM PREVIOUS MEETING
No matters arising
Action Points not yet completed:
378 – Clerk to speak to UDC concerning Mountfitchet Estate – Chased but still no response.
379 – Fly tipping – Reported but not removed.
380 – The Clerk has received the map and will look at it.
383 – The Clerk has chased and so have the District Cllrs.
386 – Notice boards – Will be ordered.
388 – Failed to be put on agenda. Discussions took place regarding the TPO’s on trees around the village. It was agreed that Cllr Brett would look at Pennington Lane first to identify any trees the Council may wish to request TPO’s for and it will carry on being done area by area until all the village had been covered. The Clerk stated that she had a comprehensive record of the trees in the village prepared by students a few years ago. This would be a good starting point. With regards to the skatepark The Clerk advised she would be speaking to Seann Thompson and Lee the handyman regarding work/repairs they feel may need to be done.
473 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Cllr Barnes reported the following:
The rabbit proofing at the cemetery had been completed and thanked Daniel Robinsons for sponsoring the project.
The large planter at Blythwood Gardens has been repaired and redesigned and advised that any planting ideas for this summer would be welcomed.
He is still looking for a volunteer for someone to be a Stansted In Bloom Committee member so please let him know if interested.
Thank you to Cllrs J Harding and T van de Bilt who have taken on the task of assessing the play areas on the Mountfitchet Estate and Foresthall Park. Subject to approval of the budget
by the Full Council, they will plan what new equipment could be installed and obtain quotes from suppliers for discussion at a future meeting.
Thanks also to Emma who has worked on getting the Elms Farm Allotment records in good order and sorting out the New Tenancy Agreements for 2021.
474 LITTER
The Clerk advised that there was nothing new to report and no issues. The Environmental Rangers had been working throughout the Pandemic and the Chair of Personnel had sent letters thanking them for all their hard work.
475 CEMETERY
a INTERMENTS
Carol Ann Butterworth – 4th October 2020
Patricia Parker – 23rd October 2020
Maureen Childs – 28th October 2020
Doris Alford – 26th November 2020
MEMORIALS APPROVED ON THE GRAVES OF:
Maurice Johnson, Peggy Osborn, Carol Butterworth, Hilda Hitchings, Tilly Davies, Patrick Deehan and Patricia Parker
b EXTENSION UPDATE
The Clerk advised that she still had no answers. She had been chasing continuously and had even spoken to more senior officers but still nothing. Laila has now been tasked with chasing and had sent various emails. Laila advised that she had received an email back this afternoon advising that they were writing the document. She had also contacted the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management who gave her details of other companies to contact for advice on how to move the project forward if approved. Cllr Barnes asked the Clerk what the next steps would be for the Council and she advised that it the outcome of the Pre-App was positive then she would work on submitting a Planning Application straight away. The first steps would be to look at securing the site and looking at the drainage. The Clerk will work with Laila to put a plan together.
Post meeting note – a positive pre-planning application response has been received and work on this project will therefore be progressed
476 TREES
a NEWMAN’S PLANTATION UPDATE
The Clerk advised that the contractors had completed phases 1 & 2 of the works at the same time and are, therefore, on schedule with this project. There are 3 items which they stated needed to be checked after the first year which will be coming up soon. Cllr Brett advised that this really needed to be done before March as it should be done before the growing season. The Clerk advised she would chase.
b ESSEX FOREST INITIATIVE
The Clerk reported that the scheme was still open for the Council to apply for trees but we would need to notify by Summer 2021. It was agreed that members would put forward lists of sites for consideration and, if appropriate, discussion with landowners. All Councillors are asked to consider this as they walk around the village and send suggestions to the Clerk.
c TO CONSIDER EMAIL FROM RESIDENT RELATING TO BIRCHALLS, HIGH LANE
The Clerk advised that an email had been received from a resident concerned about four lime trees in the area and the Clerk confirmed it had been a while since any work had been carried out on those trees. Cllr Brett advised that he had carried out a site visit after the email was received and he did not feel the trees were of any urgent concern at this stage. After some further discussion it was agreed to await the outcome of the tree survey before making any decision.
477 ALLOTMENTS
a ELMS FARM
As previously advised, Emma has put in a lot of work to get the Allotment documentation up to date, new Tenancy Agreements have been sent out, new Allotment Policies put in place and also a revised Tenancy Agreement to come into force in January 2022 as tenants require 12 months notice of any changes. There are 55 plots on the site, and all are occupied. 4 new tenants had started in January and there is still a waiting list. The allotments are looking very healthy and lots of pre-work for spring cultivation is going on. The allotment side is about to receive its first beehive and a separate Tenancy Agreement has been agreed with the plot holder.
Tenants have recently received COVID-19 restriction reminders and they appear to being adhered to.
b WALPOLE MEADOWS
There has been no progress with this site since the allotment fencing and paths had been put in and we are no nearer establishing direct communications from UDC on this. The Clerk had spoken to the Director of Finance who said they will chase the Development Manager, Nigel Brown, who is now dealing with this as Emma Barry was still off on long term leave. Cllr Caton asked that if we have not heard anything by Friday 31st January 2021 that this be chased with Dawn French. The Clerk will do this.
478 PLAY EQUIPMENT
a REEVE ROAD
Cllr Harding advised that they were no nearer with a date of getting this re-instated. Laila has drafted a general letter to residents advising what is happening generally regarding play equipment, but this cannot be sent out until the Council has a better idea of timescale. The Clerk advised that she is speaking to a contractor, who has done other work for the Council and is priced very competitively, about what they would charge to re-instate the equipment and also checking to see if they had the storage facilities for when it comes back from Croudace as the Council doesn’t have anywhere big enough. Uttlesford have confirmed they will cover the costs so once a price had been agreed the logistics of getting it back and finding a suitable vehicle for the load would need to be looked at.
b & c MOUNTFITCHET GREEN & FORESTHALL PARK
Cllr Harding and Cllr van de Bilt are looking at both play areas and what equipment they think could be installed. The budget will hopefully be approved at the Full Council meeting next week. Cllr Harding has approached 7 playground providers for some quotes and would like to wait for a couple more to be received back before comparing costs.
479 FOOTPATHS
a PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY
Cllr Wallace-Jarvis had previously mentioned that she would like to see updated mapping of the Public Rights of Way and Permissive Paths. The Clerk advised that they could re-produce an updated version of the one previously used but it comes at a cost. Cllr Wallace-Jarvis asked if it could be put out on Social Media sites and our Website instead? The Clerk advised that she would speak to Dan our Communications Assistant to see if he thought it would be possible to enlarge enough to do this without losing any of the data.
b PERMISSIVE PATHS AND DOG/LITTER BINS AT STANSTED PARK
The Clerk advised that she had walked the paths with the Environmental Rangers who would be responsible for emptying them and the Handyman who would be installing them and agreed where they felt were the best positions so they will now be ordered. Cllr Wallace-Jarvis asked if a noticeboard could be installed but the Clerk advised there was no budget for this and also the land had not been handed over to the Council yet so wasn’t possible.
c MAINTENANCE AND EQUIPMENT
Cllr Brett commented that this is something that will be starting at some stage in the future. The Clerk confirmed that she will hold the money until they were ready for the equipment to be ordered. They will just need to let her know what to order.
480 STANSTED IN BLOOM / ANGLIA IN BLOOM
Cllr Barnes advised that he had received an update from Trevor Lloyd. SIB had been tasked with looking at restoring the Knight sign as you enter the village from the North. They are currently looking at local companies to do this. If COVID-19 allows then they will look to run Stansted In Bloom again this year and will start putting notices up advertising this in early spring.
481 WORKING PARTY REPORTS
These have been covered in the agenda.
482 MATTERS TO BE RAISED FOR THE NEXT AGENDA
Cllr Richards asked what the summer planting was going to be? The Clerk advised that she would be speaking to the contractor but if anyone had any suggestions then please get them into her as soon as possible.
Cllr Brett suggested that the Skatepark needed to be made a formal agenda item. This was agreed.
Meeting closed at 8.55pm
ACTION POINTS
472 – Noticeboard to be ordered.
472 – Cllr Brett to look at trees in Pennington Lane and advise any he feels should have TPO’s.
472 – Clerk to speak to Seann Thompson and Lee Beresford
476a – Clerk to chase contractors for work to be done before March if possible.
477b – Clerk to chase with Dawn French if no response by 31st January 2021.
479a – Clerk to speak to Dan Schlanker about the possibility of putting on Social Media.
479b- – Dog & litter bins to be ordered.
482 – Make the Skatepark a formal agenda item.
AGENDA
You are summoned to attend a meeting of the OPEN SPACES COMMITTEE to be held on Wednesday 20th January 2021 at 7.30pm using the Zoom platform.
AGENDA
1 To receive apologies for absence
2 To receive declarations of interest
3 To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 16th September 2020
4 Matters arising and action points from the previous meeting
5 Chairman’s Report
6 Litter
7 Cemetery a) Interments and memorials b) Extension update
8 Trees a) Newman’s Plantation update
b) Essex Forest Initiative – to consider any sites for appropriate tree planting and develop a tree planting strategy (one resident has asked for more on FHP)
c) To consider email from resident relating to Birchalls, High Lane
9 Allotments a) Elms Farm b) Walpole Meadows
10 Play Equipment
a) Reeve Road update
b) Mountfitchet Green
c) Foresthall Park
11 Footpaths
a) Public Rights of Way
b) Permissive Paths and dog/litter bins
c) Maintenance and Equipment
12 Stansted In Bloom/Anglia In Bloom – To receive an update
13 Working Party reports – Cllr Barnes to update
14 Matters to be raised for the next agenda
Ruth Clifford, Clerk to the Council – 14th January 2021