Minutes from previous Community Group meetings will be published here.
Finningley Village Community Group Minutes
Tuesday 9th Feb 2010
Members Present
Maureen Marson, Cynthia Scully, Jan and Gwyn Hughes, Chris Jessop, Isabel Batunas, Mary and Peter Weller, Laurence Huxtable, Peter Cairns, Mike Styring, Keith Robinson, and PC Thompson.
Apologies Barry Lifsey, Janette Tate and Rob Castle
A welcome was extended to Laurance Huxtable and Peter Cairns .
Minutes of the meeting held on Tues 11th Jan were accepted as a true record of the proceedings.
Matters Arising
Ø Event. The meeting held with groups interested in contributing was positive and some progress has been made with the organisation. Information sheets have been circulated to members informed. See appendix 1. Cynthia and Maureen have met with Mr Hall, the local headmaster, to extend an invitation to the school to participate. The choir is invited to sing but he pointed out that as they are very timid he was unsure of their response. There is also a possibility of the allotment club running a produce stall. He offered to advertise our activities and to send the newsletter to the website. The children are also involved in traffic work and investigations and may be able to provide data for the website.
Janette has met with a representative from the CVS concerning funding for our group and the event. There is a possibility that this will be available for food and a marquee. Peter Cairns pointed out that supermarkets are always support local organisations with funding. The question of having a celebrity to open the proceedings was broached. It was felt that at this time someone local would be ideal. Suggested were the Vicar Neil Redeyoff, Mike Cowan (former cricketer) or Mickey Walker (Doncaster Rovers). However no decision was made.
Measurements have been noted for a marquee which would need to be free standing if in front of the hall to avoid damage to the hall or car park. Otherwise the grassed area could be utilised. PC Thompson is to make enquiries as to what would be available from the Police e.g. display caravan, patrol car (depending on resources and man power). He also suggested we may get support from the Neighbourhood manager at DMBC. We have concerns about lack of space at the hall and PC Thompson is to pursue the possibility of closing roads around the small green on Rectory Lane so we can make use of it. The Parish Council will also be approached about this matter. It was also suggested that the PC might run a raffle for us.
The Community Group will organise a “balloons in the car” game. Peter C thought that there was a possibility of having an “article” of interest from the aircraft museum with which he has contact. FODSA may also be interested in manning a display. The Harvey Arms could be involved too by having tournaments of pool and darts etc. We will ask if the car park could be available for use.
The matter of First Aid cover will be pursued. Mr Joe Wardle of the Woodturning Club has contacts and as a St John’s Ambulance Group meets in Auckley Parish Centre enquiries can be made there.
Ø Bus Service. This has now resumed the old timetable (30 min service). However there are still difficulties with buses failing to arrive. This matter needs monitoring and Peter W has the matter in hand and is in contact with SYPTE. The group has written to the Parish Council concerning the suggestion that the service from Worksop/ Retford going to the airport could be permanently re-routed through the village giving resident’s access to Bawtry/Retford/Worksop. Peter W feels that we need to demonstrate to the bus company that there is a demand for such a service and approach the bus company directly. No decision was taken on further action as it was felt that at present we lack time and manpower to mount an opinion poll on this matter. Laurance did say that access to these towns can be had via the airport.
Ø Notice Boards. Janette will in due course work towards applications for funding for these.
Ø Litter. The problem is unfortunately on the increase. Other areas in the village are being blighted and the usual problem areas are getting worse. Steve Racjan tells us that Claire Wilson is to re-arrange the litter pick which had to be cancelled before Christmas. We have had no reply to our earlier letter concerning the possible closure of the end of Old Bawtry Rd and we have now written to the Airport Director (Mike Morton) in person expressing our frustration with the present insolubility of the litter problem. PC Thompson mentioned alerting the Neighbourhood team to the problem.
Ø Traffic. Peter W expressed concerns at the speed of some vehicles through the village. PC Thompson explained that repeater signs for speed limits are restricted to 40mph limits and that motorists should be conversant with the Highway Code and know that in an area with street lighting (after a 30 sign) this limit applies until informed otherwise. He added that certain roads in the village are difficult to check for speeding however he intends to check Old Bawtry Road in the near future. There is concern that there is no designated safe crossing place in the village. This matter will be investigated. PC Thompson advised that DMBC needs to be persuaded of our need for this and speed reduction schemes. It is understood that work is soon to commence on the Speed Actuated sign to be installed near Croft Court. Any defective signs need to be reported to the Highways Dept at DMBC.
Ø Race Night. Will be held on Fri 16th April in The Harvey Arms from 7.30 onwards. It was stressed that we require help from the entire group to sell tickets (90) which are £5 including pie and peas. We also need to sell “horses and jockeys” before the evening. A letter to local businesses and dignitaries has been prepared asking for support in sponsorship and Janette, supported by Maureen and Cynthia intends to call on these in person in the near future. Chris brought preliminary drafts for the posters and tickets.
Ø Constitution. This was studied and amended to better suit our needs. This will be circulated and signed in the near future. See appendix 2.
Ø Insurance. Maureen, Isabel and Janette attended a support group meeting in Tickhill and made contact with members of the local CVS who were very helpful in this matter informing us that DMBC runs a scheme for voluntary groups to obtain cover for their activities. Maureen has contacted the local authority outlining our needs and requesting a quotation.
Ø Any Other Business.
1. Keith pointed out that there are several posters around the village which are in need of updating. This he offered to do. The website address will be added to the letter-heading.
2. John offered to stand down as Treasurer should anyone wish to take his place. It was unanimously agreed that we wish him to continue.
3. Mike asked how the Burns Bash had been received and it was reported that it had been a great success with lots of favourable comments. However a profit was not made but costs were covered.
4. Parish land on Chapel Lane and 5. Seating in bus shelters had to be held over until the next meeting.
The next meeting is arranged for Tuesday 2nd March at 7.15 in the Village Hall.
The meeting closed at 9.15pm.
Community Group Minutes
for Monday 11th January,2010
Members Present.
Cynthia Scully, Janette Tate, Chris Jessop, Mary and Peter Weller, Rob Castle, Jan and Gwyn Hughes, John Haigh, and Maureen Marson,
Apologies.
Tricia Haigh, Mike Styring, Isabel Batunas, Keith Robinson and Barry Lifsey.
Minutes.
In the section on traffic the sentence beginning “ Havina announced.......” was amended, at Barry's request, to read “ Barry announced.......”.
The minutes were then accepted.
Matters Arising.
The village Event. Cynthia informed the group that a meeting was to be held on the 12th January with interested parties, after which we would be in a position to feed back any progress. Some concern was expressed about the lack of involvement by the village school and it was decided that Cynthia and Maureen seek an appointment with the head, Mr. Russell Hall, to discuss this possibility.
As funding would be required and Lafarge, last year, had said they might be willing to support a village initiative it was decided to approach them with a request for help.
The Bus Service.
As rumours abound about the possible re-instatement of the timetable that had existed prior to November it was decided that a letter be sent to Finningley P.C., First Bus Company and the Travel Executive to enquire exactly what is to happen to our bus service.
It was noted that because of the road works on Hurst Lane the Retford/Robin Hood link had been coming through the village and it was suggested that could this continue and the buses stop within the village it would provide a much needed service to Bawtry and beyond. It was decided to contact the appropriate bodies to see if this would be a possibility.
The Notice Board.
As it appears extremely unlikely that any of the money from Higgins would be available to fund the purchase and erection of a notice board on the Green it was decided to, yet again, seek other funding to move this project forward.
Havina had been looking into possible funding but has now moved out of the village, however, Janette has volunteered to take over this role and investigate funding possibilities.
Litter and litter picks
The litter along Old Bawtry Rd, continues to be a problem and the litter pick that was arranged for the 22nd of December was abandoned because of bad weather.
We appear to make no progress in this matter, which is a concern to all residents.
Rob suggested that we go directly to the head of the airport to point out the seriousness of the problem and the possible danger to aircraft operations. This to be done.
Traffic.
There were no further developments to report in this area as the interest shown by The Yorkshire Post in doing an article on this aspect of village life had failed to materialise.
Business.
Funding.
John said that we had £68-00 in the funds and Cynthia asked the group for suggestion to raise more money to enable the group to continue its efforts on the villages behalf.
Janette said, with support from the group, she would be willing to organise a “Race Night”. She was thanked for her offer and it was decided that Janette, Cynthia and Maureen should approach the Harvey Arms to see if they would be willing to provide the venue. It was decided to opt for the12th or 13th of March.
Any Other Business.
Insurance.
The question of personal/public insurance had been raised in connection with the litter picking and Janette , having done some research discovered that we did require cover for any organised event. It was decided to investigate further to find out exactly what kind we would require, where we could obtain it and at what cost. Cynthia and Maureen are to ask Elaine about the insurance held by the village hall and Janette is to follow up other avenues.
Chris raised the question of the safety of the fencing currently blocking off the building area on Old Bawtry Rd. It was decided that it should be brought to Finningley P.C.'s attention and Chris agreed to do this.
Increasing Membership of the Community Group.
It was suggested that Peter Cairns and Laurence Huxtable, who had shown interest in working for the village be asked if they wished to join the C.P.G.. Maureen and Cynthia agreed to do this.
The next meeting will be held in the Harvey Arms at 7.15 p.m. on the 9th of February, 2010.
There be no further business the meeting closed at 9p.m.
FINNINGLEY PARISH PLAN GROUP
MINUTES FROM TUESDAY 10th NOV 2009
Members Present
Havina, Mike, Barry, Jan, Gwyn, Peter , Mary, Isabel, Chris, Maureen, Cynthia and Rob.
PC Keith Thompson was also present but was called away on an emergency before proceedings began. He will be provided with the minutes and kept informed of future meetings
Apologies
Keith, Tricia, John and Janette.
Minutes
These were accepted as a true record.
Matters Arising
- The Village Event. We have received another positive response just leaving two groups who have not yet replied. We are to arrange a meeting in January with the interested groups.
- The bus service is still causing us concern. A new timetable is in operation which means that the service during the day is reduced to hourly. The route has been changed going via the market. The Parish Council is still making representations to the bus company and we await developments. Peter indicated that The Yorkshire Post had shown interest in the matter.
- Notice Boards. We have received a letter from the Parish Council confirming their ownership of the Green and giving us permission to erect a replacement board. The matter of the donation to the village by Higgins is as yet unresolved. The seat around the tree at Glebe bungalows is now meeting with some controversy. The rooted Christmas Tree for the Green is a distinct possibility and such is the expense involved and as the Playing Field Committee would also like a donation , it is unlikely that any money will be left for other projects. However the matter may be finalised at the forthcoming Parish Council meeting. We again await developments. Anew notice board at the Post Office has been supplied by Mr. Blakey. We will keep his name on file for possible future reference.
- Littering and Litter Picks. We have received confirmation that volunteers do not have insurance cover from DMBC. This only covers its own operatives. The parish Council likewise is only responsible for its members. To insure volunteers ourselves would be prohibitive. A possible way around the problem would be to ask pickers to sign a waver. The feeling of members is that these difficulties are a set back to our efforts. It was suggested that we write to the Parish Council with a request that their representative (Keith Robinson) on the Airport Liaison committee brings the problem of litter on Old Bawtry Rd to the attention of fellow members at the next meeting of this group. A letter will be provided for Keith to take to the meeting The Police are monitoring the area at the Austerfield end of Old Bawtry Rd. We are to contact Claire Wilson and ask her to explain her suggestion that access to that end of Old Bawtry Rd could be restricted. As a lot of litter is being found which originates from the Chinese Takeaway we have asked DMBC to update us on the requirement of that business to be responsible for this. As yet we have not received a satisfactory reply. A letter to Blaxton Parish Council re littering at the bus stop opposite the Post Office was shown to members and a copy forwarded to Finningley Parish Council. The Safer Neighbourhood Team will be approached about the provision of posters. Posters are available from the Tidy Britain /Keep Britain Tidy. A request for a dog litter bin to be provided on Old Bawtry Rd has been sent by the Parish Council to DMBC. The next PACT meeting is on Friday 27th Nov-venue unknown.
- Traffic. Wroot Rd has been monitored recently with the speed gun. Peter and Mary Weller have agreed to take over responsibility for this area from Havina. Havina announced that we are to have a vertical actuated speed indicator installed on the Bawtry Rd approach to the village. She has also passed our concerns about the roads in this area to Coun Patricia Schofield and has been assured that these will be passed on to Richard Walker who is the Council member with responsibility for traffic issues. The damaged wall at the Post Office corner is not considered to be a hazard to pedestrians as the path is not obstructed. Havina was thanked by members for her supportand the amount of work she has done on these problems and we wish her well in her relocation. PC Keith Thompson is eager to work with us on traffic matters.
- Funding matters will be held over until the next meeting.
Any Other Business
We have received requests for our minutes to be available and in future these will be published on the web site in the hope that interest in our work will tempt volunteers to come forward.
As Finningley Parish Plan Group we are confused with the Parish Council and it has been accepted that we should in future be known as Finningley Community Group (aka Finningley Parish Plan Group for official purposes).
Finningley Parish Plan Group.
Minutes for Tuesday October 6th. 2009.
Members Present.
Jan and Gwyn Hughes, Jeanette Tate, Mike Styring, Isobel Batunas, Cynthia Scully, Christine Jessop, Peter and Mary Weller and Maureen Marson.
Apologies.
Barry Lifsey, Keith Robinson, Tricia and John Haigh and Havina East.
The Minutes.
The minutes were accepted.
Matters Arising.
The village event.
Responses have been received from Neighbourhood watch, The Art and Social group and The Youth Club all of which were positive.
Mike suggested that an open version of the letter be displayed on the village hall notice board and that an enlarged copy be produced for display. Maureen agreed to forward him a copy of the original letter and Mike said he would make the necessary changes and also put it on the web-site.
Jeanette suggested that a thank you letter be sent to those groups who had replied and a follow up copy be sent to the other groups asking if they were in a position to respond. Cynthia and Maureeen said they would do this.
The bus route.
A reply had been received from First about the change of timetable but it was merely a copy of the previous decisions made regarding the changes to the terminus.
At a previous meeting Barry Lifsey has said that the P. C. was going to suggest that the terminus be changed from Elm Drive to the lay-by bus stop just before the round-a-bout at Blaxton. Unfortunately as Barry was not at the meeting there was no further information on the matter.
The notice boards.
There was no further information on this matter as Keith was away at the moment. It was suggested that the clerk to the council, Jenny Worthington, be emailed with a request for an up-date on the matter.
Litter Picks
There was much discussion on this matter.
Steve Racjan had contacted Claire Wilson regarding permision to issue fixed penalty notices on Peel Holdings land, and had asked P.C Pyle to look at the potential for an increased police presence along the road. As yet there had been no response. Steve said that he could see no problem with us organising weekend litter picks but that he would run it by his line manager to confirm this. We have had no further contact on this.
Jan expressed grave concerns about our organising future litter picks without clarification on the following points:-
Health and safety. What insurance cover do we have should anyone injure themselves? Do D.M.B.C. have public liability cover for local litter picks? Does it fall within the remit of the Parish Council.
Steve had mentioned a group of helpers, should we ask if they might be used?
Are there any other D.M.B.C. litter initiatives in the pipeline? Could we ask to be notified about them in plenty of time to make use of them?
Do we enlist the help of Keep Britain Tidy to help in this matter?
Should we continue with the litter picks, how can we ensure that there is speedy collection of the filled bags?
Is it really feasible to consider setting up a calendar collections before these points have been settled?
A further point to consider is the lack of support from Claire Wilson in this matter. In her email of the 06/08/09 when asked about the problems along Old Bawtry Road, beyond Higgins, she suggested there was little the airport could do other than restrict access along the road, a move she said she could put to her managers. Perhaps now is the time to ask that this be done.
Traffic Issues.
As Havina was absent there was no up-date on this area.
It was noted, however that the damaged barrier on the corner of Wroot Road had been removed.
A question was asked about the use of the speed camera in the village and it was decided to email P.C. Johnson to enquire how many hours a week were allotted to Finningley and if Wroot Road could be monitored.
It was noted that the wall on the corner of Doncaster Road had still not been replaced. It is understood that the insurance claim had now been settled and it was felt that the Parish Council should be asked to contact the owner of the wall about its' present condition and when it would be repaired.
Mary and Peter, having been asked to take over the the area of Traffic Issues, have decided to make their decision once they have had an opportunity to talk to Havina and seen exactly what is involved.
Funding.
It was decided to leave discussion of this matter until the next meeting.
The photography exhibition.
Jeanette suggested that this should involve a competition with the winner(s) photographs being used for a calendar or notelets.
Any other business.
Table top sale money.
It was decided that the money be given to Cynthia and Maureen for stationery.
Litter Bins.
The state of the litter bins out side the Chinese Take Away and the lack of a litter bin at the bus stop, just into Blaxton was discussed. It was decided that a letter be sent to Blaxton Parish Council about the matter and a copy of the letter be sent to Finningley Parish Council.
Change of name.
As the Yorkshire Rural Partnership have decided that in future P.P.groups should be called Community Groups we wondered if we should change to that. It would probably stop people confusing the group with the Parish Council or the church. It was decided to discuss the matter at the next meeting.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 8.55p.m.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday 10th. November in the Village Hall at 7.30p.m..