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Minutes of Steering Group Meeting
6th November 2025
Present: Martin Calvert, Adrian Coltman, Adam & Carol Bull, Teresa Williams, Simon Conyers, Hazel Gregory, David Lumb.
1. Apologies for Absence
David Miles, Steve Jones-Blackett, Claire Johnson.
2. Minutes of the Meeting Held 9th October 2025
Agreed as a true record.
3. Matters Arising
- Adrian to purchase a brush cutter.
4. Action Mornings
- Sunday 19 October 2025
"Audrey's Meadow" and the area around the pond and stream was cleared. There were 29 volunteers.
- Sunday 16 November 2025
Work will include raking "Martin's Meadow" and clearing the fallen tree to use for dead hedging the gaps around the lake. Volunteers to meet at the end of the lake.
5. Trustees Update
New Trustees: Procedure
Simon Conyers and David Miles have been co-opted as new trustees. Hazel Gregory has joined as an FGVW member and it was agreed that she could also be co-opted as a trustee. The new trustees will officially stand for election at a General Meeting in December 2025. If they are successful, Martin and Adrian will stand down as Trustees after a transitional period but remain active members of the Steering Group.
6. Project to Refurbish Footpaths
No further updates.
7. Water Quality Monitoring
The Gledhow water quality monitoring volunteers will all be meeting up on Saturday so they can meet each other and share ideas. It is the first time some of them will have met as they have been conducting the monitoring in individual groups.
8. AOB
- The area around the lake boon is going to be cleared. Last time this was done there was a significant drop in the water level. David Miles has reported the Group's concerns to the new contractor who will be doing the work.
- The information board for the new wetland area is ready for delivery and then needs to be installed.
- Free hedging material has been ordered from the Trust for Conservation Volunteers. This will be used to fill in gaps where trees have come down. The Group hopes to arrange for some school groups to come and help plant it.
- A meeting with held with Mark Clayton and Mick Churley regarding the diocesan field purchase last week. Church parishioners are happy to support the proposal. There was a discussion on a possible appeals process if the proposal is rejected and also the possibility of a petition and/or media campaign.
- 500 petition flyers concerning stopping the water pollution in Gledhow Beck are being delivered this week to houses adjacent to the beck in the hopes of bringing the petition to over 2,000 signatures. Volunteers are required to help David Miles deliver them.
- Yorkshire Water are holding an engagement meeting on Thursday 27th November 6-7.30pm. David Miles has booked a place and tabled questions about CSOs and misconnections on behalf of the Group.
- LNER sponsored some water quality kits and carried out some filming in the woods to showcase the work. The Group should receive a copy of the film soon.
- water@leeds have confirmed funding for water testing for E. coli in Gledhow Lake.
- The Group agreed a project which would enable pond overflow to create a wetland area. Quotes of differing amounts by the same provider have been received for the work. The Group decided that we should get 3 quotes from 3 different providers and that the exact specifications of what we need be made clearer. The original quote included wildflower planting which the Group thought they had already paid for as part of a grant that would also be used for this new project. The Group decided that more information and quotes were needed before making any further decisions.
- Prior to the meeting David Miles circulated a draft press release for the Yorkshire Evening Post. The Group is concerned about the pollution in the beck and has been working for several years to fix the problems of misconnected plumbing and CSOs not working properly. The Group has asked to meet with Yorkshire Water and Leeds City Council to discuss it but this has not yet happened. Concerns were raised over whether issuing a press release was the best way to force the issue. Many were uncomfortable with it as the Group has always worked with people towards a friendly solution in the past rather than issuing demands. There were also concerns around possible legal repercussions. It was suggested that we engage with Leeds City Council directly to arrange a meeting and if there is no response, to revisit issuing a press release. The Group agreed not to proceed with the press release at this time.
- Teresa is selling Christmas cards for the Group but more are needed.
- It was proposed to have a General Meeting prior to the next Steering Group meeting so that voting could take place for the new Trustees. Adrian to send out a bio on each Trustee prior to the meeting. Votes can be by post/email or in person.
9. Dates of Next Meetings (Provisional)
- Action Morning - Sun 16 Nov 2025
- Steering Group Meeting - Thu 04 Dec 2025
- Action Morning - Sun 14 Dec 2025
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