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Addingham’s  Environment

ADDINGHAM CIVIC SOCIETY

ENVIRONMENT GROUP

Venue: 9 Main Street, Addingham

Minutes of the meeting held on 21/06/17 at 4.30pm

Present:

 Stuart Tomlinson (ST), Jan Hindle (JH), Gill Battarbee (GB), Rick Battarbee (RB), Daniel Ross (DR)

Apologies: Peter Miller (PM), Margaret Batley (MB), Jane Winter (JW), Jim Robinson (JR), Richard Walton (RW)

1. Minutes of the Meeting Held on 8 May 2017

The minutes were approved.

      2.   Matters Arising not covered elsewhere

                      Wildflower Project

ST had contacted Keith Mitchell (BMDC Grounds Team) and agreed the new mowing regime for the Skipton Road verges.

3.  Finance

GB reported that Environment Day had broken even, and that there was unsold stock of cards

and walks booklets. AEG funds stand at £465. The Garden Friends had asked the Civic Society for a contribution towards the costs of display boards they had purchased for the Environment Day.

Agreed: contribution of £50 from AEG funds.

4.   Environment Day

  Feedback was discussed, all agreed had been a successful day which should be repeated.

ACTION:

GB to research dates for May/June 2018 and book the Mem Hall.

5.   Neighbourhood Plan

      JH reported that:

- There had been a good response to the green spaces consultation (111 questionnaires returned). Results were being analysed and would be circulated shortly.

- Green spaces site assessment work was underway, as well as the housing site assessment process (methodology approved by the Parish Council).

- Unfortunately, work commitments mean JW is not able to continue with the detailed landscape character/visual appraisal fieldwork.

- The biological survey group met in May. RB reported that unfortunately permission had not been forthcoming from BMDC for the ‘bio blitz’ style field work that the survey group had hoped to organise for the old school site. ‘Informal’ recording would continue.

ACTION:  

                 Bird data and tree survey data to be sent to DR for mapping.

                DR to look at the housing sites and suggest ecological features for protection/mitigation.

                JH to add the Old Station Way meadow to the Green Space Assessment list.

6.   Wildflower Project

RB reported on recent discussions with the YDMT, Parish Church, Methodist Church and Golf Club

             Agreed that:

- There was sufficient interest from village landowners to develop a series of wildflower patches for pollinators. Each site is different and will need a bespoke management plan/approach.

- It would be good to participate in the YDMT super-highways project

- Practical issues such as having the right machinery to change mowing regimes were a barrier to change in some cases. AEG could explore needs and consider the feasibility of fundraising for equipment.

ACTION:

- RB to arrange a meeting with YDMT

- RB/ST to arrange a site visit to start to develop an outline plan for habitat improvements to the Hoffman-Wood Field, ideally to present to the July meeting of the Parish Council. JW had offered to produce a concept plan, based on sketch ideas.

- RB to explore with the Golf Club greenkeeper whether a volunteer task to assist with collecting mown grass would be helpful.

         7. Becks

It was noted that the steering committee is now in place, and YDRT have convened the first meeting for Tuesday 28 June. RB and JH to attend.

Agreed that it would be useful to see if other people in the AEG supporter network would like to be involved/contribute ideas.

         8.  Local Wildlife Sites – Sea Moor Tarn

RB has arranged for Tim Squires (Assistant Scout Leader) to do a drone survey and RB has the   agreement of the landowner to do field work.

          9. Renewable Energy

ACTION:  RB to talk to Richard and Lizzie re next steps/need to recruit more people to work on this theme.

       10. AEG Website

Agreed making more progress on developing content is a priority over the summer. GB will ensure that documents such as minutes are uploaded.

       11. Raising Awareness – Gala & Addingham Open Gardens

AEG will have a stall at both events.

Agreed a generic poster would be useful as the centre of a three-board display for use at such events.

ACTION: GB/RB to co-ordinate the stall for both events and prepare display materials.

       12.  Volunteering

                Agreed assisting Golf Club with removing clippings was the priority task.

   

       13. Walks

               GB reported on two requests for AEG involvement in walks which she was organising:

- Walk & geocache for Addingham Beavers with a tree theme – 11 July.

- Helping with route planning/content with walks Totally Locally are organising on 17 September as part of the National Memory Walk programme. One will go round the village and the other up Beamsley Beacon.

Next meeting: date TBC.

JEH 05/07/17