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Open Spaces Draft Minutes, Reports & Agenda – 9th October 2024

Open Spaces Uploaded on October 3, 2024

Draft Minutes

Minutes of a meeting of the OPEN SPACES COMMITTEE held at 7.30pm on Wednesday 9th October 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, L Prior and T van de Bilt

ATTENDING   Mrs Ruth Clifford – Parish Clerk, Mrs Emma Philbrick – Deputy Clerk, 3 member of the public (1 via Zoom)

186      APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Khan – work commitments and Cllr Love – unwell

RESOLVED    To accept the apologies for absence from Cllrs Khan and Love.

No apologies were received from Cllr Braeckman

187      DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST      –           None

188      TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 11TH SEPTEMBER 2024

RESOLVED    To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 11th September 2024 as a true and accurate account.

189      TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE ON ACTION POINTS SINCE THE LAST MEETING

156      Put the Transfer of Ownership for the Walpole Meadows Public Open Space on the next Open Spaces agenda – on the agenda

158      Agree a location with UDC for the new bin – location agreed and will be added to the UDC collection schedule once installed.

159      Obtain quotes for the goals on the Recreation Ground to be turned 90 degrees – one quote received and awaiting another.

160      Cllr Kavanagh to look further into the ownership of Cooper’s Alley and Norman’s Way footpaths – ongoing

190      TO RECEIVE A REPORT FROM THE CHAIR, CLLR JO KAVANAGH

Elms Farm

Open Space: We have asked for an on site meeting to discuss the public open space, but no date has been set yet.

Allotments: Cllr Barnes, the clerk and I met with members of the EFAA committee to discuss various matters.

We will be reviewing the legal documentation, and have agreed some actions regarding boundary maintenance, the community shed and clearance of vacant sites.

We also discussed the setting up of an allotment working group, who would be the liaison between the EFAA and the Open Spaces committee – as an interim measure initially to deal with issues around the plot inspections or other matters raised by the allotment holders. They will report to the OS committee where appropriate. Recruitment of a permanent allotment manager is under discussion as to the necessity and appropriate job description.

Walpole Meadows: The Clerk will be signing the Transfer of Land Ownership documents on Friday in respect of the allotments.  We have sought clarification of the extent of the areas of public open space which are to be handed over to the parish council as this is needed in order to obtain quotes for maintenance for next year’s budget.

Budget 2025/26: Suggestions received so far:

Additional sockets on the Rec to enable goals to be switched by 90° when the goal mouths are worn.

An allowance for additional wildflower planting

£2,000 to install water troughs at the Walpole Meadows allotments as with only 13 plots it will take time to build a reserve fund from tenancy fees. End of report.

Cllr Barnes asked for the good work of the EFAA to be acknowledged.

The Clerk explained that the water trough for the Walpole Meadows Allotment site will hopefully not cost £2,000 but that it will also help to cover the start-up fees.

Cllr Prior asked if photos could be taken of the work carried out by the EFAA and posted on social media.

191      TO RECEIVE A CEMETERY REPORT

Interment –      Kenneth Wingfield – 16th September 2024

A new inscription has also been approved for Peter Dukes

192      TO RECEIVE A REPORT FROM SUSTAINABLE STANSTED

The group’s Energy Saving & Sustainability Open Day took place on Saturday 5th October at St. Theresa’s Hall.

Bob Burton led on organising the event in collaboration with Community Energy South. The event included exhibitors and a programme of speakers on subjects such as heat pumps, solar power, community energy schemes, as well as energy-saving tips and advice for homeowners on applying for energy efficiency grants. There were representatives from UDC, Essex County Council, Ecopower, Saffron Walden Community Energy and Sage Heating.  Elsenham’s sustainability group, the Elsenham Eagles and Sustainable Stansted’s environment group also participated in the event. The environment arm of Sustainable Stansted presented information about the biodiversity study and Will O’Connor, the lead ecologist on the project, delivered a talk and presentation about the project.  There were 42 registered attendees to the one day and lots of positive feedback on the day. The event also provided a significant opportunity for discussions between local groups, the councils and local businesses.

Members of the Environment group have begun the field work required for the biodiversity study. After additional training with Will O’Connor, the identification and recording of habitats across the parish is underway.  The parish has been divided into six areas with pairs of volunteers working together on two sections each. The recording is done digitally, mainly out in the field, using tablets and dedicated ecosystem documentation software, QGIS and QField and employing the UKHab habitat classification system.  The aim is to complete this aspect of the field work by the end of October.  

The Environment group encourage members of the Parish Council to engage with the Essex Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which is currently open for consultation until 25th October. The strategy can be accessed at https://www.essex.gov.uk/about-council/plans-and-strategies/environment-and-planning/local-nature-recovery-strategy

Cllr Kavanagh commented that she had attended the event and thought it was very helpful and seemed to have a good turnout.

Cllr van de Bilt said he had been speaking to the organisers and although attendance was good, they were disappointed as a leaflet drop arranged for the village as it had not reached all households, so the event was under promoted.

193      ELMS FARM ALLOTMENTS – TO SET UP A WORKING GROUP

Cllr Barnes and Cllr Love have already been involved in the inspections and other aspects so have agreed to be on the group. Cllr Guney also volunteered, and it was agreed that Cllr Barnes would approach Cllr Khan to ask if he would as he is a resident at Walpole Meadows.

The Chair pointed out that if he could not take this on then another member of the council – not on the committee – could be asked.

194      WALPOLE MEADOWS – TO CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT TO SIGN THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP DOCUMENT FOR THE PUBLIC OPEN SPACE

The Chair and Clerk outlined what areas a previous council had agreed in principle to take on.

Cllr van de Bilt advised that he had met with representatives of the Rivers Community Orchard based near Sawbridgeworth and gained some advice on the upkeep and costs. There will be a lot of maintenance involved and they have also agreed to visit the site to help establish if the trees there are proper growing trees or not. The first 4 of 5 years of them growing is the critical stage and this has already expired, and they do not appear to have been maintained properly. There are a lot of dead trees.

Discussions between members took place about the current state of these areas including the play area and paths etc and Cllr Caton wanted it noted that the S106 officer has put us in an awkward position by signing the Certificate of Satisfactory Completion back in February without telling us.

The Clerk and Chair advised that they have been pushing hard for answers from the S106 officer but that they are not getting satisfactory responses back to the issues being raised.

Members agreed that they would defer this item as there are too many questions at this stage and the paths in particular would be expensive to repair if handed over in the current state. Cllr Prior said that she thought we should refuse to take any of it on if things are not rectified but Cllr Barnes thought we owed it to the residents to take it on and make it a nice area.

It was agreed that the Clerk and Chair would request a face to face meeting with the S106 officer.

195      TO RECEIVE AN UPDATE REPORT ON FOOTPATHS

Not available.

Meeting closed at 8.20pm

ACTION POINTS

190 Pictures of work carried out by EFAA to be put on social media.

193 Cllr Barnes to ask Cllr Khan to join the allotment working group.

194 The Clerk to arrange for her and Cllr Kavanagh to meet with the S106 officer.

Agenda

1  To receive apologies for absence

2  To receive declarations of interest

3  To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 11th September 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

7   To receive a report from Sustainable Stansted – if available

8  Elms Farm Allotments – To set up a Working Group

9   Walpole Meadows – to consider whether or not to sign the Transfer of Ownership document for the Public Open Space.

10  To receive an update report on footpaths

Parish Clerk – 3rd October 2024

Any intention to record, film or take photographs during a meeting must be notified to the Clerk prior to the start of the meeting.