MINUTES OF THE STORT VALLEY PROJECT MEETING
1st November 2000
HELD AT SAYSBURY
MANOR SAWBRIDGEWORTH
PRESENT: Steve Karn (Chairman)
APOLOGIES: Jonathan Wilshaw (CMS) Lanier Pole
MINUTES:
The minutes of the last meeting
were distributed prior to the meeting and accepted by all at the meeting.
MATTERS ARISING:
Future Talks. It was agreed that future talks should be arranged with CMS on management of Sawbridgeworth Meads and with GAPS on Solar Heating.
Parish Information Seminar. The Community Development Agency (CDA) for Hertfordshire organised the meeting through Rural Enterprise. Subjects covered:
EHDC Community Development and Grants Officer Claire Pullen discussed the profiling of the grants scheme.
Local Heritage Initiative (LHI) Fund an explanation by William Wall from the Countryside Agency.
Accessing health advice through Health Direct by Miss Frost.
The Rolling Zone was on display, a bus to take IT to the youth of the community.
COVER Meeting. Stan B asked for details.
Future Meetings. The Council Chamber has been booked till next March. As there is some uncertainty about the availability of Sayesbury Manor Joyce V offered to look for an alternative venue for later next year.
Millfields. It was asked whether it had flooded to establish the sites unsuitability for development.
Flooding of other sites was the Esbies Estate and the fields between Thorley and Spellbrook beside the A1184. Michael B has photographs of floods in Sheering Mill Lane.
Daffodil and Wildflower Planting. The previous minutes record that Jonathan W was not happy with planting daffodils in Pishiobury Park. The original idea was to plant outside the entrance on the grass verge.
Wildlife planting requires the collection of local seed of the required species and sowing in prepared ground and planting out in the required location the following spring.
Sawbridgeworth Meads. Members question whether this land warranted calling in an expert to write a management plan specifically for this area. How is CMS integrating with Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust who have a wealth of experience managing this type of habitat; local members have offered to give us advice and were expected this evening.
AGENDA ITEMS:
1 Logos. A ballot was taken on which logo we would choose as an insignia for the SVP. Picture number six was chosen in a round format. Toney V was asked to obtain a quotation for a 1000 printed A4 letterheads and sheets of sticky badges 2 pence size.
2 Publicity/Funding. John R will look at a way of applying for our first grant. To raise some seed corn it was suggested that we have an annual subscription/donation but no decision was made. John R said we could start our fund raising and raise our visibility by holding a quiz night. Members felt we should hold another public meeting similar to the one we held in the Memorial Hall last year. It was emphasised that once we start asking for money we must have detailed plans of the task we are going to achieve, with cost breakdowns.
Tom P offered to help us to promote the SVP through the Internet. David T would look at us having a page on the EHDC Net. Another method of getting free web space is to use individuals web pages provided by their Internet provider.
To reduce distribution cost and have an update for publicity outlets, produce a quarterly newsletter instead of wide distribution of the minutes. Members asked if consideration could be given to printing minutes on coloured paper; David T said it was possible.
3 EHDC Agenda 21. The first Committee meeting to be held using the new policy of public participation will be held at Standon, St Thomas’s Priory on 7th December 00. The theme “water energy resources
4 Fishing Lake. Tony V has brought to our notice the land adjacent to the lake, which lies between the old Stort and the Navigation adjacent to Sawbridgeworth Lock. This is another site along the Stort, which is going rank and blocking drainage due to lack of management. The initial way forward is A/S with CMS to look at ownership of the land and Michael B find out the view of the H&M Wildlife Trust.
5 AOB.
5.1 Joyce V reported on her attendance of the Wildlife Trust meeting and two of the items promoted was Farmers are some of the major guardians of wildlife and we must buy British food if we want them to survive. To promote your group’s activities you need to find a ‘Wow Factor’ for Sawbridgeworth.
5.2 It was suggested to promote the SVP and our work, to organise a photographic competition, which Monya B, Jacqueline D and Joyce V said they would look at the necessary organisation.
5.3 Ted B and John R have written to Peter Brooks of the Highways Partnership about the path North of Pishiobury Park and other traffic problems. Stan B tabled an old map, which shows the above path as a cart track for Rivers Nursery, which would require it to be a minimum of 3 yards wide.
Ted B has received a letter from the EHDC Transport Forum listing improvements proposed for traffic in Sawbridgeworth. Some of these are:
Ted B proposed one-way traffic flow through Fair green controlled by lights.
6. DNM. The 6th December 2000 at 8.00pm in Sayesbury Manor.
NO MEETING JAN 3rd 2001
* Items held in SVP file in Reference section of Sbw Library.