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Minutes of Steering Group Meeting
16th January 2025
Present: Adrian Coltman (Acting Chair), Adam & Carol Bull, Theresa Williams, Emily Wilde, David Lumb.
1. Apologies for Absence
Martin Calvert, David Miles, Steve Jones-Blackett.
2. Minutes of the Meeting Held 21st November 2024
Agreed as a true record.
3. Matters Arising
4. Action Mornings
- Sunday 24 November 2024
Hay was removed from "Martin's Meadow" at the end of the lake and litter picking was carried out.
- Sunday 15 December 2024
Work included clearing paths, cutting back around the pond and cutting back hedges. The pond in "Audrey's Meadow" had been damaged again so it was decided not to put in sand bags to raise the level.
- Sunday 19 January 2025
Volunteers to meet at Beck Pasture to clear the new wetland area and a fallen tree. There is also a branch to remove from the footpath. If possible, a small group will work near the sub-station to sort out the brush and remove fallen branches. Theresa will be unable to staff the table so another volunteer will be needed.
5. Trustees Update
Nothing to report. There will be a meeting next month.
6. Wetland Area off Gledhow Lane
David Miles provided an update to the Group via e-mail.
The large tree branch that came down in recent storms has been removed from the path. Bat boxes have been installed.
We will hear by the end of January whether a funding application for further work on the wetland area has been successful.
Some further work will be carried out ahead of planting up in the spring. This includes putting in top soil around the pond, stump grinding in the meadow area and adding a latch on the gate.
Bird boxes on the trees with bat boxes would be helpful to discourage birds nesting in the bat boxes. David wondered if this would be possible. The Group were unsure if birds were able to use bat boxes and decided to ask Martin for some advice.
7. Green Fair 2025
The planned Green Fair will take place on Sunday 13th July 2025. A new committee has been set up to organise and run the event that is not part of FGVW. FGVW hope to receive an invite to the event, for a stall and/or to open Beck Pasture and/or the Bath House.
8. Bath House Open Day 2025
The Bath House will be opened for the Green Fair so the Group was asked if we would also like to open the Bath House for the Open Heritage weekend in September as usual. If so, Adrian is looking for a volunteer to take on the responsibility of signing up for it and organising the event.
9. AOB
- David Miles provided an update on the path work project by email. Work on costing and design work for improvements to the path network in the woods are underway. The proposed work would be focussed on the path opposite the Bathhouse up to the lake outfall and the path that runs from the new wetland area up to the entrance onto Lincombe Drive near Lidgett Towers.
It is proposed that the bid would focus on a tree or nature walk with an accompanying app, QR code and/or leaflet. It could also include an element of woodland management training for volunteers, planting woodland understorey and installing a small wooden bridge across Gledhow Beck at the bottom of the Allerton Grange Way field. Funding applications to FCC and Wade's Charity to cover the costs are planned. Feedback on the proposals would be appreciated.
Adrian proposed to add this for discussion at the next meeting and use maps and markers to highlight the paths to be covered. The Group are keen that the path discussed previously from the Carriageway to the garages is included in the project.
- David Miles would like to organise a series of spring and summer walks through the woods. These would be themed on bird song, trees, fungi, a night time safari, local history and recent FGVW improvements. The Group did not have any objections.
- David Miles provided an update by e-mail on water monitoring. Work on the annual report is ongoing. Water@leeds and Yorkshire Water have provided funding for E. Coli sampling at Gledhow lake and Gledhow Beck for six months and ammonia testing kits. We are experiencing some problems with the ammonia testing kits (nil results at every sampling) and trying to resolve these with Yorkshire Water. The NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) citizen science project, a collaboration between York and Leeds universities in which we have a partner role, will be launched officially in February. This will allow much more testing to be carried out and give a much higher profile to water quality in Gledhow Beck and Lake.
Theresa reported that there were rags and frothy water in the area where she was taking water samples that was unusual. It has been reported.
- David Miles provided an update on the Diocesan field by e-mail. Discussions are ongoing with Kevin Anderson the Catholic church property manager and our agent Bruce Collinson at Adair Paxton. Purchase of the field has been rejected but a licence agreement for between 10-20 years is under consideration.
- David Miles is planning some hedge planting sessions with local schools and RETAS (Refugee Education Training Advice Service) between January and March 2025.
- Adrian reported that a tree had come down in our field, had broken another tree and damaged a hedge. He has been in contact with the management company that looks after Eaton Court and they have accepted liability. There have got some quotes and are discussing the best course of action. Adrian also suggested that the trees be monitored and managed to prevent it happening again.
- David Lumb has been contacted by Steven Burt, a local historian, who has offered to do research on the history of Gledhow Valley. It would hopefully be sponsored by the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society. The Group were very pleased and supportive of the idea so David suggested putting this forward to the Trustees. Members of the Group were also encouraged to help with the research if interested.
10. Dates of Next Meetings (Provisional)
- Action Morning - Sun 19 Jan 2025
- Steering Group Meeting - Thu 30 Jan 2025
- Action Morning - Sun 9 Feb 2025
- Steering Group Meeting - Thu 6 Mar 2025
- Action Morning - Sun 16 Mar 2025
- Steering Group Meeting - Thu 3 Apr 2025
- Action Morning - Sun 13 Apr 2025
- Steering Group Meeting - Thu 8 May 2025
- Action Morning - Sun 18 May 2025
- Steering Group Meeting - Thu 5 Jun 2025
- Action Morning - Sun 15 Jun 2025
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