Minutes of Committee Meeting held on Monday May 10^th 2010

in the Committee Room of Thorpe Primary School at 7p.m.

The Chairman welcomed Ms. Caroline Rowan, Manager, North and West Neighbourhood, Council, Peterborough City Council.  This was the first meeting Ms Rowan had attended and she was with us to listen to a description of the problems and difficulties of Netherton. 

Apologies for absence was received from Mr. Tom Heath, Member, and from Mr. Andy Chu, Community Development Officer, Peterborough City Council. 

Minutes of meeting of March 8^th 2010 which accompanied the Agenda were read through by the Committee, approved, and signed as a true record by the Chairman.

Matters arising was deferred until the meeting could discuss Netherton with Ms Rowan.

The Chairman reported that he had received a note from Mrs. Chris Hawke informing him that her medical treatment was imminent and that in the absence of a volunteer to undertake the task of Web Master she would wish to handover her files.  The Chairman said that he would be willing to take on the task of Web Master until Mrs. Hawke was able to return, recovered. Chairman to get in touch with Mrs. Hawke to effect a handover.

The Secretary said that he would make his report conjoined with information he intended to intimate to Ms. Rowan.

The Treasurer submitted her written Report which was placed on File.  Verbally she re-enforcement previous reports that NNA was exceedingly low on Funding and that only minor expenses could be reimbursed.  Information was to hand that there would be no increase in funding by PCC which would remain at £350 per annum.  Some dismay was expressed when areas of Neighbourhood Councils had  been awarded £25,000 of which NNA had heard no sign or sight of allocation.  It was suggested that perhaps our West Ward Councillors had knowledge of where this funding was and how it was to be spent.  A comment was made that it appeared that NNA supplied the information to Neighbourhood Councils without which they would be ineffective, yet no information on how this money was to be spent had reached NNA.  It was to be hoped that this money would not be spent on the provision of road traffic speed signs.

Ms. Rowan introduced herself and gave NNA an overview of her job description which was, fundamentally, to liaise, to collaborate with residents associations to alleviate, solve, difficulties and  problems which had arisen in the past and, within her brief, attempt to bring about  amicable solutions to those past problems but also to attempt to solve current environmental, social and planning difficulties before they became unsolvable and thence a serious error of judgement or nuisance which could have been avoided by prior consultation and/or negotiation.

The Committee and Ms. Rowan conversed for over 90 minutes on Netherton Scenario relating to past and present triumphs and disasters as well as foreseeable areas of chagrin, dismay and concern over decisions made, or about to be made, which were completely out of sympathy with the aegis of Netherton and which, unfortunately appeared to exacerbate a seemingly continuous desire of politicians and planners to lower and eventually eradicate the high environmental and social quality of our area envisaged by architects of the 1960's.  

Ms. Rowan left us with a dossier of questions, answers to which, we hope she will be able to supply.  Direct contact may be made on caroline.rowan@peterborough.gov.uk.

Several residents had been contacted regarding these sites but as there were, or so it appeared, errors on the plan supplied by PCC and dated March 2010 it was not possible to make positive evaluations of the proposed site allocation for housing.  It was noted that such errors not responded to could make for serious extensive future intrusions into the wishes of residents to protect their environment and living space.

NNA had been asked by PCC to make comments and or representations on 'what we would like to see on the site when it was or became redundant'.  It was felt that siting over 500 houses on the without a balanced infrastructure could be very unfortunate.

The suggestion made was for consideration to be given to use the site as a base for the proposed University of Peterborough.

Arrangements had been made with Streamline to continue the site for a further two years.

NNA had had previous conversation with the Prison Authority when we were assured that construction activity would be much the same as when Peterborough Prison was built and being so assured NNA has raised no comments on the planning application.

NNA has been informed that the City Council had agreed with the applicant's solicitors that errors had been made and that the erected fence would be taken down and returned to the original fence line.  This has now been done.

The Planning Officer having agreed on soft Landscaping had allowed the construction work to proceed.

Anti Social Behaviour on The Grange appears to be increasing. The Police are taking steps to control and eradicate the problem.

NNA representative was not encouraged by the forum content and was disappointed that the meeting appeared to be more talk/talk than action.

Members were urged to attend this meeting as the Agenda promised to answer several local questions and to propose priorities vital to Netherton social environment.

A letter confirming NNA agreement to the proposal had been sent.

An increase in the provision of Children Play Equipment was noted.

It was anticipated that these meetings would continue and would hopefully provide answers to questions regarding the provision of on site or off site car parking as well as several other traffic management problems or difficulties ensuing from the apparent dangers at the entrance/egress at ECH.  Negotiations are current with NHS Trust Travel Plan Consultants.

Two key note speakers had been provisionally booked for NNA AGM

A member had been contacted regarding a proposal that NNA should meet and discuss mutual areas of concern with another local residential association.  NNA agreed that was a sound proposal and asked the member concerned to make an approach to arrange a mutual acceptable date, time and location.

Eric Dent

Secretary

May 2010

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