CLYST St MARY SPORTS & RECREATION CLUB
MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON THE 21ST APRIL 2015
AT 10 WINSLADE PARK AVENUE
Members Present: Peter Cain (PC)
Shaun Perry (SP)
Mike Fernbank (MF)
David Herbert (DH)
Mandy Rose (MR)
Carole Trim (CT)
Chris Booker (CB)
Apologies were received from Andrew Hector (AH), Ruth Chandler (RC), Bob Adams (BA) & James Bogue (JB).
Peter introduced Chris Booker of ISCA Hockey Club to the members present explaining that Chris had been invited because of ISCA’s interest in our aims to create a Sports & Recreation Club at Winslade Park.
Minutes of Previous Meeting
It was agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on the 16th December 2014 were a true record.
Objectives of this Meeting
To share information gathered since the New Year and to agree our next steps.
Resume Of Information and Actions since January 1st 2015
Letter of objection to F&C REIT planning application:- As agreed at the last meeting a full letter of objection to F&C REIT’s planning application together with our vision for the Sports & Recreation Club was forwarded to EDDC within the timescales required. Prior to its submission the letter was forwarded to all Committee Members for their input and PC thanked everyone for their suggestions and compliments. PC advised the Committee that the feedback he had received was that the document had created a good impression at EDDC.
Plymouth Brethren Planning Application:- Most members will know that Plymouth Brethren have also applied for Outline Planning Permission in their field which surrounds the Clyst Valley Football Club. While we as a group did not forward a letter of objection, PC advised that a letter of objection had been forwarded from Clyst Valley Football Club . This application however had opened up the possibility of us creating a much larger Sports & Recreation Club covering the entire wedge of Green Land to incorporate the Friends Life Sports & Recreation Ground, the Plymouth Brethren field and the Clyst Valley Football Club ground.
Meeting with English Heritage:- English Heritage have forwarded to EDDC their objections to the F&C REIT outline planning application and specifically their requirement to retain an open elevation to the Winslade Manor House. Consequently in order to ensure that our plans did not conflict with the English Heritage requirements a number of the Committee met with them on the 20th March to ascertain their views on some of our ideas. At that meeting on the 20th March a proposed site layout was presented to English Heritage for their consideration and at the start of this Committee meeting the same layout was shown to all Committee members with various questions both raised and answered. English Heritage were very much in favour of our outline proposals and confirmed their precise requirements for an open elevation for the Manor House. With regards to preventing access onto the sports ground from Travellers etc. they expressed their preference of a ditch as opposed to a Devon Bank in order to retain the open parkland aspect of the site which would be more in keeping with their requirements. The English Heritage representatives at the meeting made some further useful suggestions for consideration in the future.
EDDC Local Plan:- Over the past few months, while the outline planning applications have been considered, EDDC have also been considering the re-writing of their local plan. A number of presentations to the Planning Development Committee were made from members of the Village on the 23rd March including one from PC on behalf of the Sports & Recreation Club. The plan is still being formulated and while the planning committee had recommended the Greenfield sites should be retained as Greenfields, SP was not sure that this had been incorporated into the draft document. CT expressed some frustration at this and requested that we obtain some clarification.
Current Position
Planning applications:- It is understood that both F&C REIT and Plymouth Brethren, probably as a result of the strength of objections to their applications have advised EDDC that they will be submitting amended applications in the near future. Naturally we will review these as and when they arise.
SP confirmed to the meeting that the F&C REIT planning application for the erection of a security fence around the perimeter of their land had been granted and consequently could be erected at any time. This of course could impact on the ability of Countess Wear Cricket Club and Heavitree Youth Football Club continuing to use the existing Recreation Land.
Ongoing Sports Licences:- MF advised the Committee that some members of the CWCC Committee had met with F&C REIT recently and that some new proposals had been made to them which included the possibility of moving the existing cricket square. No agreements had been made and no changes had been made to the Licence to play Cricket on the ground. Therefore as far as CWCC are concerned they are still under notice to quit the site at the end of September 2015. The Committee asked MF if CWCC could write to F&C REIT to obtain written confirmation of the position for the Cricket Club after the end of September. MF agreed to consider this but was not confident that anything would be received in writing.
DH advised the Committee that HYFC had been approached by F&C REIT recently with some proposals to provide football pitches and to build specific changing rooms for those pitches for HYFC use. The condition however was that HYFC should break any connection with the Clyst St Mary Sports & Recreation Club which HYFC have refused to do. PC asked DH to keep us informed of any future developments, to which he agreed. HYFC have only one fixture left to play on the recreation ground and will need confirmation from F&C REIT that they can continue to use the ground for the next football season by the 1st July this year at the latest. DH agreed that HYFC would write to F&C REIT within the next few weeks regarding this matter which would also help us understand F&C REIT’s current position on the future use of the recreational ground.
Aviva Takeover of Friends Life:- On the 15th April 2015 Aviva took over Friends Life which could have implications as to the ownership of the site and any change in requirements. PC agreed to make contact with both Friends Life and Aviva in this regard using his position as an IFA.
ISCA Hockey:- CB provided the Committee with an overview of the needs of ISAC Hockey if they were to consider joining in with the creation of a Sports & Recreation Club. This included the size of hockey pitches of which they would require at least two and the composition of the playing surface. He advised the Committee that All Weather Hockey pitches were not really suitable for football or any other sport. However, as far as ISCA Hockey Club were concerned they had approximately 400 members and would be able to make use of two pitches more or less full time. CB agreed to advise the Committee of the precise sizes of pitches that would be required and also to obtain an indication of the costs of their construction.
The Next Steps Forward
A number of suggestions had been put forward within the agenda previously circulated to the members and a general discussion ensued regarding all of these items. As a result the following decisions were made, though these are not necessarily in any order or priority.
A. That we should start to involve other groups within the community such as the Village Action Group and the Parish Council though it was felt there was no necessity at the present time to hold any public meeting to gain local support.
B. That we should start to formulate a Constitution which will be required for us to obtain any funding.
C. PC agreed to contact Sport England to obtain information about possible funding sources and for assistance/guidance in the provision of disabled sports.
D. That we should start to consider increasing the numbers of people on the Committee to share workload and possibly for the creation of an actual day to day management committee in the future.
Summary
There being no other matters to discuss the meeting closed at 8.55pm.