MINUTES OF THE STORT VALLEY PROJECT

MEETING 10TH OCTOBER 2002 HELD AT THE HAILEY DAY CENTRE SAWBRIDGEWORTH

PRESENT: Ted Burrow (Chairman)
Warren Richards (Secretary)
Stan Barker Bert Puncher (Sbw A/S)
Mary Whitehead David Mead
Kate Yarnold Ken Kilbey
Ellen Knighton John Rider
Mary Huxtable Monya Billings
Emma Jordan (EHDC) Chris Rees

APOLOGIES: Joyce Vincent (Sbw Town Council)
Michael Vincent (Treasurer)
Tom Potts Diana Richards
Steve Karn Joan Willetts
Jacqueline Dore Hazel Mead

MINUTES: The minutes of the meeting of September 12th was accepted as a true record.

MATTERS ARISING.
Esbie Estate. Monya B asked what significance could be drawn from the board put up implying more development on this estate. She was advised to raise it at the Area Forum.

Community Plan. EHDC has approved a Plan for Sawbridgeworth, which means there will be an opportunity to involve all groups in specifying and refining their wish lists.The Secretary explained that some Councillors were apposed to the latest ideas to give the electorate more opportunity to involve themselves in local government. These Councillors feel they have been elected to represent their constituents and all local business should be conducted through them. John R said the meeting of stakeholders brought up lots of interesting subjects e.g. drugs, homelessness, housing and many others which were not all appropriate to Sawbridgeworth to his knowledge but made you think about new aspects of common problems. He was very surprised at the level of resources being put in to other town; we were missing out possible because we don't ask. Public meetings will begin early next year to make people aware of the progress toward a community plan for Sawbridgeworth.

Mary W asked that EHDC put in request now if they wished to use The Memorial Hall-

Emma J to relay to the appropriate person. John also mentioned a data source about

EHDC called The Hertfordshire Observatory > http://www.hertsobservatory.org/ . This prompted the Chairman to comment that in collecting information for children's respiratory problems each age group had a different source for their data. John R said prior to the stakeholder meeting, we need a project/theme we wish to promote and a list of people we wish to invite.

It was suggested that Church and Town and High Wych Link should be used to promote the Community Plan-Hazel Mead to note.

Grants. Members agreed we would refine our targets after receiving the wildlife talk next Thursday 17th. However it was agreed after Chris R suggested we have notice boards along the Stort showing local walks and advertising SVP activities, that John R would apply for a grant to erect four notice boards along the Stort. Emma J reminded us that there is a LEAF grant, which requires matched funding which could be used for notice boards. Members asked if we could approach the Sawbridgeworth Angling Society to see if they had land along the towpath where a notice board could be sited. It was also agreed we should look at funding a biological survey in the area.

Safety. Mary W raised her concern about the state of the towpath along by the Lockkeepers Cottage and the level of beechnuts on the path outside the doctors' surgery.

POSTMEETING NOTE. Items of safety should be reported to the relevant officer at EHDC or HCC for immediate action. The Town Council will only be too pleased to steer you to the right person. Any lack of response should be reported to your appropriate elected representative. Things of a more general nature can be raised at the Area Forum.

Green Spaces. Members were still not happy about the green open space at Sayesbury Manor being enclosed as private property. Michael B was asked if he could resurrect his petition for Mondays meeting of the TC Planning Committee. A copy of a second petition was found in the Hailey DC and the Sec. Was charged with getting this to the Planning Committee by Monday.

POSTMEETING NOTE. The petition was being organised by Di Kitson and so it was not ours to present. The Sec. wrote to the Chairman of Planning Cllr Robin Davidson of our concern and these were considered and acted on at the meeting.

Web Site. Do we know how many hits the site has had? Do we have links set up with other sites? Could we set up a web project with The Leventhorpe School? The Sec. asked how many members had access to the Internet and only three or four responded. People are reminded that access is available at the Library. This is available free at Sawbridgeworth Library but does require to be booked in advance.01438-737333.

Fair Green. The Chairman related the presentation of our requirements to improve safety of pedestrians (by having a junction table at the South end and a footpath on the West side) to the Highways Partnership. Our local representative Cllr Tony Dodd was against the idea; being a conservation area and he not being aware of any accident over the last 45 years. However the committee agreed to past our request to The Local Traffic Committee.

AGENDA.

SVP Targets. It was agree we would review our target at the next meeting after the wildlife talk next week. See previous minutes for list of targets Review Forthcoming Dates. We reminded ourselves of the number of activities in October

AOB

Footpath 23 is now clear of obstruction

DNM. The 7th November at 8.00pm in the Hailey Day Centre-Bell St Car Park.
Note change of date due to clash with Area Forum.

* Items held in SVP file in Reference section of Sbw Library.

SVPmin 101002