Minutes of Steering Group Meeting
2nd May 2024

Present: Martin Calvert (Chair), Adam & Carol Bull, David Miles, Adrian Coltman, David Lumb, Theresa Williams, Emily Wilde.

Apologies for Absence Minutes of the Meeting Held 4th April 2024 Matters Arising Action Mornings Trustees Update Phase 2 Update (Gledhow Lake)

Phase 3 Update (Bamboo and Knotweed) Green Fair - One Day Closure of Gledhow Valley Road Gledhow Summer Fair 2024 AOB Dates of Next Meetings

1. Apologies for Absence

Steve Jones-Blackett.

2. Minutes of the Meeting Held 4th April 2024

Agreed as a true record.

3. Matters Arising

• None.

4. Action Mornings

• Sunday 14 April 2024
  The path on Gledhow Valley Road was cleared with positive comments received on social media. The Group also discussed hiring a sweeper machine to try and keep the path clear in the future. Trees were thinned and some of the hedging completed. More tree thinning is required as they are taking over parts of the wood, impacting on the bluebells and reducing diversity. The laurel near the lake also needs reducing as it is preventing the hedging from growing. Martin will contact the Council to ask if it can be done. Louise Gibson, our Ranger, is looking for actions that corporate volunteers can do in the woods. It was suggested that they could do some hedging.
• Sunday 12 May 2024
  Some clearing to do opposite Beck Pasture ready to do wildflower plug planting and hedging. The edge of the field also needs tidying up with divots replacing. Litter picking. Volunteers to meet at Beck Pasture.

5. Trustees Update

• The Trustee meeting will be held on 14th May 2024, and a date will be agreed for the AGM.

6. Phase 2 Update (Gledhow Lake)

Tomorrow the completion of phase 2 will be signed off. £10k worth of plants has been put in around the lake and the wetland areas. Veolia has sent us a plaque to put up in the woods. The Group discussed where to put it in the woods and who would be able to get involved in taking a photograph. The completion report needs to be completed for the Council for next week. David has been working on information sheets to put up in the woods to explain about the "leaky dams" and their purpose.

7. Phase 3 Update (Bamboo and Knotweed)

A site meeting is being set up to discuss the plan to clear the bamboo and knotweed near the junction of Gledhow Valley Road and Gledhow Lane with Leeds City Council, Flood Risk Management (FRM) and Groundworks. An FGVW trustee needs to attend.

The West Yorkshire Bat Group had 20 volunteers to do a bat survey in the woods on 30th April. The technology used recorded both numbers and the type of bat. We are waiting for the results. There were no bats in the wetland areas so the Bat Group are keen to monitor this over time to see if the changes we have made in the woods make a difference. The West Yorkshire Bat Group has also given us a donation towards Phase 3 and would like to continue their study as work continues in the woods.

David has applied for more funding as we have limited money for information boards and for paths in the area. The Group had a discussion on whether or not to keep the existing path or to build new ones. The local schools are keen to come and look at the area of invasive plants both before and after the work is done as part of their school curriculum.

8. Green Fair - One Day Closure of Gledhow Valley Road

The event will take place on Sunday 14th July 2024.

350 letters have been given out to the local community explaining what is happening. 50 more may be required.

The information boards are being worked on and David is hoping to share a draft with the Group.

David has contacted local schools to ask children to produce art work to put on the lamp posts.

David is meeting with the Allotment Association to see about a fruit and urban plant show.

It is hoped there will be electric bikes available to try.

David has also been asked to speak to other groups to help them organise similar activities and events.

9. Gledhow Summer Fair 2024

The Group agreed to attend the Gledhow Primary School Summer Fair on 22nd June 2024 from 1pm until 4pm.

10. AOB

• Adam shared a spam e-mail he had received addressed to Gipton Spa Bath House. It was an invitation to purchase luxury swim caps and shower caps for our spa!
• Emily agreed to step in and make refreshments at the Action Mornings when Claire was unavailable.
• Adrian has booked the Group to be part of the Open Heritage Days and Chapel Allerton Arts Festival again this year.
• Ashton's have given the Group a donation towards Phase 3.
• The information board about the becks has been vandalised. David is looking at changing the information and producing a new board although it's not entirely clear from the Flood Risk Management plans on the actual route of the beck.
• David L has been researching turning damaged trees into tree sculptures. He has spoken to someone who has done sculptures with a chain saw at Roundhay Park. He asked the Group what they thought about using the broken tree on the field near Allerton Grange Way. There were suggestions to ask school children what they would like the sculpture to be.
• Adrian has spotted Sticklebacks in the beck.

11. Dates of Next Meetings (Provisional)

• Action Morning - Sun 12 May 2024
• Steering Group Meeting - Thu 13 Jun 2024
• Action Morning - Sun 16 Jun 2024