Minutes of the Committee Meeting of the
Albrighton & District
Civic Society
held
at APC Office, 82B High St, Albrighton,
on
Monday 2nd July 2012 at 2pm
Present
:
Peter Woodman - Chairman
Rod Smith – Secretary.
Mike Pitchford - Membership Secretary
and Acting Treasurer
John Bulmer
Ron Kidson
Hugh Hughes
David Beechey – ex-officio representing
Donington-with-Boscobel PC
Michael
Ward – ex-officio representing Albrighton PC
1.
Apologies received from David Murray, David Hughes, Peter Leigh
2.
Minutes of Meeting of 11th June 2012 were approved but awaiting comments by Chris Edwards/Ian Kilby SC.
3.
Albrighton Public Toilets (in Crown Car Park)
DB
reported that SC wish to dispose of the toilets and have asked if Alb
PC wish to take them over. PC not keen as SC advise that the maintenance
and servicing (done by a specialist company) costs £8000 per annum and
that public toilets in many Shropshire villages are facing the same
situation. Several members commented that this seems an excessive amount
– one commented that a house could be rented for less than this. DB
said that there may be a possibility of asking a local business, and
the obvious one is the Crown Pub, to accept the public using their toilet
for an annual fee paid by the Council – however this may not be acceptable
to the brewery and members could understand that point of view. Members
also felt that some people may not be comfortable going through a pub
to the toilet. The meeting felt that the public toilet is a village asset and that it should
be owned and maintained by SC and would campaign for this. It is an important facility for shoppers and visitors coming into the village.
However, ADCS understood and agreed that SC had to reduce costs but
that its removal was a step too far. The cost should be reviewed as
it seems excessive. Members suggested that Alb PC send a request to SC for a detailed breakdown of
the costs. It was inconsistent that closure of the toilet was being planned (which would
inconvenience visitors) while at the same time SC had given a grant
of about £40,000 for new signage to encourage visitors and shoppers
into the village centre
ACTION:
DB/MW to ask Alb PC to request SC for a detailed cost breakdown and more details.
SC
had confirmed to PW that they will repair the pothole/drain in the Crown
car park and
so ACTION:
PB will pursue SC to carry out repairs and will also ask Marston to maintain the
window sills of the pub which are deteriorating
4.
Main Issues
a) Station
Heritage Centre
ACTION:
PB will chase up Fiona Fortune for help in seeking additional funders as requested
by HLF. Then, more work to be done by SCTG and in particular to provide
to HLF more details of the group who will run the Centre.
.
b) Villages
Entrance Scheme.
JB reported that the donated manure
had been spread and areas spray-weed killed but this would be needed again
next year but more volunteers are needed to help. PW reported that “SC Streetscene”
group had taken over spray-weed killing and they will spray twice a year.
PW reported that “SC Streetscene” group had agreed to now weedkill Patshull
RD/A41 area.
ACTION:
JB will make a rota for volunteer work
c) Schools
Civic Awards Scheme.
Birchfield
(1st prize) and Albrighton Primary (2nd prize) had produced a very good standard of entries some of which are exhibited
in the library.
.
d) Planters & Tubs.
MP
reported that a grant of £600 had been awarded by LJC18 but the money
not yet received. Application to Grassroots Fund had been turned down.
DB said that Alb PC may be willing to provide a contribution and that
this may be part of the already promised £1000 which needed our match
funding (MW read from the letter which allowed the match funding could
be cash or in kind). ACTION: MP will write to Alb PC with costs and details of our match funding etc
e) Hanging
Basket Competition for Flower Show (7th July).
Civic
Society’s Bulmer Cup to be the 1st prize. This was to encourage residents/businesses to set up many hanging baskets in
order to improve the street appearance. The Flower Show’s advertising was not very well done and hence not many people
are likely to have hanging baskets and hence not such a good competition.
f) Albrighton Fayre (14th July).
Activity by all committee members as last year
Stall
is in front of 33 High Street. RS provide a rota to man the stall.
The
Committee expressed great thanks to the Flower Show Printers who had printed
our flyer at no cost. ACTION: MP to contact them to express thanks.
g) Visit
by Brewood Civic Society Committee.
We await Brewood Civic Society to
suggest another date).
.
h) SAMDev.
Deadline
for submission noon 20 July 2012.
RK
has prepared an introductory note. ADCS Task Group to meet 11am on 9th July at Alb PC office to develop further our bullet points into a formal submission.
Alb PC has set up a Steering Committee
to prepare a “Neighbourhood Plan Lite” (NPL) and RK has kindly agreed to
be the ADCS representative. DB said that Jake Berryman of SC will accept
the NPL as an Albrighton submission into the SAMDev consultation process.
The NPL is expected to be completed Autumn/end 2012.
DB suggested that Jake Berryman
or Helen Howie of SC be asked to speak at the ADCS AGM in October – this
was agreed by all.
4. Any
Other Business
a)
MP suggested that one Lime tree in the High St is replaced by a Plane
tree as part of the Jubilee Tree Planting Scheme. However DB reported
that Alb PC has agreed that the Lime trees should be replaced by mature
Plane trees at a rate of say 2 No. per year. As the first step in this
procedure Alb PC has requested that SC produce a tree survey and this
is awaited. ACTION: DB
b)
PW reported that the Cinema Club/Albrighton Moving Picture Society has
folded up due to the cinema’s high rental cost on loan of films. ACTION: RS to ask our webmaster to remove the club page from the website.
NO
COMMITTEE MEETING TO BE HELD IN AUGUST
Next
meeting: 2 p.m. Monday 3rd September 2012
Following
Meeting will be at 2pm on Monday 1st October 2012.
All Committee Meetings, unless otherwise
noted, are on the first Monday of each month at
Alb
PC Offices, 82B High Street, Albrighton WV7 3JA (T: 375455).
(All
future AGMs are on the second Monday of October
–
NOTE FOR YOUR DIARY: this year’s AGM is at 7pm on 8th October 2012)
Copyright (c) 2013 ALBRIGHTON and DISTRICT CIVIC SOCIETY