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Minutes of Steering Group Meeting
21st November 2024
Present: Martin Calvert (Chair), Adrian Coltman, Adam & Carol Bull.
1. Apologies for Absence
Theresa Williams, David Miles, Steve Jones-Blackett.
2. Minutes of the Meeting Held 17th October 2024
Agreed as a true record.
3. Matters Arising
- The potholes on the jetty have been filled in.
- There was a walkabout in the woods with Lucy the Ranger. Emily Wilde is our acting liaison officer with Lucy. There was a discussion over the trees that had been marked and the reasons why. These are trees that are diseased and/or dying and causing a danger to the public. One tree overhanging Little Switzerland is particularly dangerous. The plan is for "reactive maintenance" rather than "planned maintenance".
- David M has been in contact with Yorkshire Water over funding.
- Martin has received an e-mail from a local dog walker concerned at the amount of human excrement in the woods and the danger to dogs. The Outreach team is aware of the homeless using the woods and has reached out to them in the past. Martin also advised the dog walker to keep any dogs on a lead in some parts of the woods.
4. Action Mornings
- Sunday 20 October 2024
Hay was removed at "Audrey's Meadow" and "Adrian's Meadow". Pond/stream next to "Audrey's Meadow" also cleared.
- Sunday 24 November 2024
Volunteers to meet at "Martin's Meadow" at the end of the lake for hay removal and litter picking. This may be dependant on the weather conditions and the effects of Storm Bert.
- Sunday 15 December 2024
Volunteers to meet at the duck feeding platform. Work will include clearing paths, cutting back growth in bluebell areas, cutting back brambles around the pond, cutting back hedges.
5. Trustees Update
Nothing to report.
6. Project to Eradicate Bamboo and Knotweed and Create Wetland off Gledhow Lane
David provided an update via e-mail to the Group.
Work on site is now largely completed. David is arranging sessions with local schools and RETAS (Refugee Education Training Advice Service) in November and December to plant new hedges and do more work on the dead hedges.
We should hear at the end of January if our request for additional wetland funding has been successful. David would like to put up posters on-site giving an update on progress. He sent a draft of the wording to the Group for comments.
7. AOB
- Adrian has the folder that includes all of the risk assessments and pictures and descriptions of the tools used on Action Mornings. He will bring these to the next meeting to discuss with everyone. Adrian highlighted some of the key points such as:
- Recommendation that a first aider should be on site. The Group need to check who are first aiders.
- Group work should always have a dedicated leader, with the possible exception of litter picking.
- Should check that the tools to be used are sharp and in good working order.
- Shouldn't assume that people know what tools are for e.g. a shovel or spade.
- Need to be aware of the risks when working around water and ponds, etc.
- Everyone needs to be aware of what is in the risk assessments and read them beforehand.
- Under 18s need an adult with them at all times.
- Need to train other people in the use of machinery and maintenance.
- No lone working.
There was a suggestion made to put Health & Safety as a standard meeting agenda point.
- David provided an update on the proposed path work by e-mail. A funding application to the FCC Trust, a landfill operator, for woodland paths has been identified. LCC have agreed to front this application and manage the funding. Groundwork will undertake project management. Wade's have said they would welcome a funding application from us to cover the costs of design work, contingencies and project management. FCC will not cover these costs. The Wade's application would need to be submitted in February and David is working on this with Groundwork. Wade's Charity have also said they may be able to help with the 10% contribution needed for a landfill grant application. This would be £10,000 if we apply for the maximum funding of £100,000. David said it would be really helpful if we could organise a walk through the woods in the near future to identify a suitable linear or circular pathway and a compelling story to obtain funding.
- David provided an update on the Catholic Church field by e-mail. David has chased up the Land Registry about the application FGVW submitted in July 2023 to register ownership of the strip of land at the edge of the diocesan field. They have a massive backlog but the good news is that their lawyer is now looking at our application. We should hear from them in the next few weeks. This might be with an outcome or requesting more information. David has met with Mark and Mary Clayton who are keen to open up discussions with the Catholic Church again about the possibility of FGVW purchasing the field. They are talking with someone involved with the church locally who helped with the Greenpeace stall at the Green Fair. Via Wade's Charity David has contacted Adair Paxton who have agreed to provide an up to date valuation for the field. Although a distant possibility at the moment they have also said they would handle any sale for us on a pro bono basis. David will let everyone know when meetings with Adair Paxton and the church property manager, Kevin Anderson have been arranged.
- Hedging is being delivered on Friday which will be planted up over the next few months.
- David provided an update on water monitoring by e-mail. David and Susan Marcus are writing the report on our water monitoring results for 2024. Professor Paul Kay from Leeds University has agreed to review the draft report and offer advice. We would like to have a big launch for this early in the new year. There was a request to include this on the agenda for the January Steering Group Meeting. We are still waiting for the outcome of funding requests for E. coli sampling at Gledhow Lake from YW and Water@Leeds.
- David provided an update on the Green Fair 2025 by e-mail. David has a team of 11 people who have agreed to be involved in planning and delivering the Green Fair/road closure next year. They are doing a presentation to the local Community Committee on Monday 25th November. It is hoped that they might support a funding application to cover the costs of the event. FGVW will not be providing public liability insurance for this event.
8. Dates of Next Meetings (Provisional)
- Action Morning - Sun 24 Nov 2024
- Action Morning - Sun 15 Dec 2024
- Steering Group Meeting - Thu 16 Jan 2024
- Action Morning - Sun 19 Jan 2024
- Steering Group Meeting - Thu 30 Jan 2024
- Action Morning - Sun 9 Feb 2024
- Steering Group Meeting - Thu 6 Mar 2024
- Action Morning - Sun 16 Mar 2024
- Steering Group Meeting - Thu 3 Apr 2024
- Action Morning - Sun 13 Apr 2024
- Steering Group Meeting - Thu 8 May 2024
- Action Morning - Sun 18 May 2024
- Steering Group Meeting - Thu 5 Jun 2024
- Action Morning - Sun 15 Jun 2024
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