OPEN SPACES COMMITTEE MEETING
MINUTES
held in
the Parish Council Chambers
Wednesday 22nd October 2014
following Planning and Personnel Meeting.
Present: Jenkinson (Chairman), Mrs V Birch, Forster, Holland, Kenyon, Campbell and Marshall
Chairman Councillor Jenkinson apologised for not holding an Open Spaces Committee Meeting sooner and advised that this was partly due to getting Codsall Community Group up and running and efforts in getting Phase 1 of the Wheel Field Project underway.
1 Apologies
Apologies were received from Cllr Mrs Millar
2 The Minutes of the meeting held 3rd February 2014 were received and approved.
3 Site visits & report for areas:
- Village Hall Playing Fields & Playground
- Wheel Field
- Singing Lady Gardens
- Codsall House Field
- War Memorial
Were received and approved.
Consideration was given to dates for site visits to: Oaken Drive Field, Moatbrook Nature Reserve, Chapel Lane Playing Filed and the Allotment site.
Resolved that a site visit to Oaken Drive Field and then following on to Chapel Lane Playing Fields would take place on Thursday 6th November at 8.00am. Councilor Jenkinson would look at Moatbrook Nature Reserve and report back to the next Open Spaces Committee Meeting and Cllr Birch would look at the Allotment Site and report back to the next Open Spaces Committee Meeting
4 An update on the Wheel Field was given by Cllr Kenyon who advised that the handover from the contractors had taken place, a couple of provisions for defects had been made and would be monitored over the coming months.
Phase Two of the project is being consolidated to hopefully include tree planting, removal of Beech trees, bins, entrance and gym equipment but how much can be covered in Phase Two depends on grants being received.
5 An update on Community Paths Initiatives was given by Cllr Kenyon who advised that a bid had been put in for the replacement of the style at the top of Oaken Drive Field to a kissing gate
6 War Memorial 1st World War Commemorative 4 year plan was discussed. Councillor Jenkinson advised that he would chase up costings on the Iron Works, replacement flagstones and new coping stones. The works were to be carried out over the next three years.
This year to commemorate the start of the First World War new benches, and minor landscape alterations would be made.
The Clerk advised that the commemorative benches had been ordered and the new bases were already in place. The benches were to be delivered week commencing the 3rd November and would be fixed in place as soon as they were delivered.
New slate and bark chipping top up had been placed under the trees and a new planting scheme had been undertaken. The Clerk advised that the Parish Councils Workmen had worked really hard on the area.
7 Codsall Community Group
a. To receive an update on the group’s activities
Cllr Jenkinson advised that the Community Group numbers are strong with a variety of ages and skill base. The Group have been very active, with a number of working parties being held on Oaken Drive Field, a Pub Quiz, a Sponsored Walk, a Race Night being organised and a working party will be arranged to remove the ivy in the undergrowth at the Singing Lady Gardens.
b. Consideration was given to moving forward with the MUGA on the Village Hall
The Community group is very interested in moving on the idea of the Multi Use Games Arena and will hold a public meeting on 20th November 2014, members of the Open Spaces Committee said that they would attend.
8 Moatbrook Nature Reserve
An update on the ‘Friends of Moatbrook’ Group was given by Councillor Jenkinson who advised that the group had formally disbanded due to lack of interest.
Councilor Jenkinson advised that some members of the Friends of Moatbrook had joined Codsall Community Group.
Councilor Holland asked if the Friends of Moatbrook could advise the Parish Council that the group had disbanded.
9 Watery Lane Allotment
Feedback from the Watery Lane Allotment Associations AGM was given by Councillor Birch who advised that the Association was still strong and that they had become more realistic in their aims. At the end of the meeting the issue of the egress from site was discussed following a meeting with representatives from the Association, Mark Keeling from Highways and the Clerk. The group accepted that Mark Keeling felt that the egress did not warrant any changes but some Association members were still not happy.
10 Village Improvements 2015/16 Budget Review- consideration was given to village improvements for 2015/16 in preparation for next year’s budget. Following further discussion on signage and bins Cllr Campbell advised that financially the next couple of years was going to be very tight, with an £11,000.00 shortage following the withdrawal of the Council Tax Support Grant which would need to be met.
The meeting agreed that the works already identified: repairs to the play area surface, benches, repointing the stone wall, new fencing on Oaken Drive Field, Codsall House Field, Wheel Field Project, new village signage and the War Memorial Commemoration works would be put forward for consideration for the 2015/16 budget.
11 A.O.B. - none
12 Date of next meeting - TBC