MINUTES OF THE STORT VALLEY PROJECT MEETING
6th DECEMBER 2000
HELD AT SAYSBURY
MANOR SAWBRIDGEWORTH
PRESENT: Ted Burrow (acting Chairman)
APOLOGIES: Lanier Pole Steve Karn
MINUTES:
The minutes of the last meeting were distributed prior to the meeting and accepted with the following corrections:
Para 5.2 Monya B and Jacqueline D would only be involved in publicity for the photographic competition.
Para 5.3 Ted B wished to have expanded one-way traffic in Fair Green. He said the sharp corner out of Fair Green into Vantorts and Lower Sheering Road was very dangerous especially to pedestrians. He proposed a pavement on one side forming a pinch enforcing traffic to go through in one direction only. Negotiation of this blind corner to be aided by mirrors, traffic lights or a one-way traffic system.
MATTERS ARISING:
Matters Raised by Corrections. It was suggested to ease judging of a photographic competition we should involve Crafty Frames or a Photographic Club.
Members asked about Mouchel’s traffic report and Diana R outlined some of their latest considerations.
Future Talks. Jonathan W will give a talk in February on managing the new land on the flood plain and Rob Street will talk on solar heating in April.
Future Meetings. Post Meeting Note: The Council Chamber will be available till the end of the year.
CPRE Council Meeting. Warren R attended on 13th Nov, the guest speaker was Paul Hammett from the NFU. His subject was to be the Rural White Paper, which had been delayed, and he dealt with the plight of the farmers. He asked us to buy English produce and try to by from the farm gate or farmers markets; our nearest is Hatfield.
Pishiobury Management Plan. Warren R tabled 2 copies of the Plan and passed one to John R as our representative on the management committee. It was noted that there would be a public consultation display in the Council Chamber on the coming Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Warren R was asked to write to EHDC to suggest free grazing should be offered for a defined cutting programme of the Park.
Post Meeting Note. This subject was raised at the public consultation and assurances were given that free grazing was being actively sort.
The Management Plan does not include the two pieces of land recently acquired and to move the management of this area forward we have to advance the use of volunteers under professional guidance. It was suggested we consider approaching groups like Scouts, Air Cadets and Young Offenders.
Letter from Essex Wildlife Trust. Warren R tabled a letter from EWT detailing how they had tried to buy land along the Stort with out success but were still looking for land, which might come on the market.
EHDC Agenda 21 Draft Action Plan. The Plan* sets out the subjects to be discussed under the 5 major heading. The Agenda 21 meeting in Sawbridgeworth will be in the 3rd quarter 2001 on the subject of Pollution and Transport.
AGENDA ITEMS:
1 Lockkeeper’s Cottage. Steve Goodwin was welcomed to the meeting, wishing to present his proposals to rebuild the lockkeeper’s cottage. John R and Stan B related some of the past history of the site. Steve G tabled his plans and all the members were enthusiastic to see the plans and wished him the best of luck. Warren R was asked to write to EHDC Planning Dept to indicate our support for the redevelopment. Note: Diana R withdrew from the meeting while these plans were discussed.
2 Logos. Tony V obtained prices for headed notepaper at £80 per 1000 sheets and sticky badges at £120 for 7000. The logo had been rejigged into a square motive but members preferred the round composition of the original. Tony presented a donation from the Sawbridgeworth Angling Society to the SVP.
3 Publicity/Funding. John R has applied to HCC Agenda 21for a grant; he would like details of our bank account and headed notepaper for application to other bodies.
4 EHDC Agenda 21. The Draft Action Plan* was tabled and it was pointed out that we were specifically mentioned on page 88 as an independent (Local Environmental Networks) LENS Group. The first Committee meeting to be held using the new policy of public participation will be held at Standon, St Thomas’s Priory on 7th December 00 to agree the Draft Plan. Warren R and Joyce V to attend.
5 Land Adjacent to the Fishing Lake. This broadened into a discussion about the management of wetlands in general. This ranged from leave it alone ‘let nature take its course’ to integrating wildlife with water sports e.g. sailing and rowing. Tony V pointed us to a very good article in the Herts and Middlesex WLT magazine No110 entitled Wetland Revival-celebrating ten years of Rye Meads Nature Reserve*. Diana R suggested if we wanted to involve recreation in any scheme we should involve Terry Osborne EHDC Leisure Officer. Two members of the WLT who manage Sawbridgeworth Marsh Bob Read and Andy Sapsford have offered to give us advice on managing wetlands.
6. AOB. It was suggested we approach HCC Biological Records for information on land we are interested in.
6.1. Bob W said that trees had been felled on the piece of land between The Railway Pb and the end of Lower Sheering Road and was this preparatory to building houses.
6.2. Apologies. Bob W and Stan B gave their apologies for the next meeting.
7. DNM. The 7th February 2001 at 8.00pm in Sayesbury Manor.
* Items held in SVP file in Reference section of Sbw Library.