MINUTES OF STORT VALLY PROJECT MEETING HELD ON

THURSDAY 13th JANUARY 2005

PRESENT:
	Monya Billing (Chair). Warren Richards (Secretary). Hazel Mead (Minutes) Brian Rochester. Joan Willett. Sue Birley, Town Healthcheck. Ted Barrow. Joyce Vincent. Bert Puncher. Tom Potts. Chris Rees. Michael Brown. Mary Huxtable.
APOLOGIES:
	Ellen Knighton. David Thorogood, East Herts District Council. Jacqueline Dore. Diana Richards.
MINUTES:
	Minutes of meeting held 18th November 2004. Accepted as correct.

MATTERS ARISING:

Correspondence:

Local Transport Plan. Report on progress and brochure received. Ted Barrow has received information regarding items with proposals and objections under his name and needs to clarify this situation.

Local Plan. Information received with forms for responding and how to make comments. Copies of plan in Library; Council Offices have plan and forms.

Highways Meeting of 19th October - report received - Warren Richards has a copy. East of England Plan - copy received. Leaflets from East Herts available.

Notice Boards.

Will shortly be available for all 6 walks. Tom Potts has found the overall map of these on the East Herts web site and will try to link to Stort Valley web site.

Open Space Audit.

Consultants preparing a report which is due out next month. Item to be placed on agenda for next meeting.

Sawbridgeworth Health Check

Sue Birley took us through the Environment Worksheet covering all aspects of the town and noted comments. Michael Brown mentioned the local survey undertaken about 7 years ago in the town by an environmental group, which formed the basis of this group, and requested a copy of this be available to the group. Warren Richards to follow up.

Harlow Expansion.

Ted Barrow outlined questions and information from attending East of England meeting in Harlow. Ropemakers are applying to build houses to the North of Harlow and suggestions for opposing this. There is currently no financial provision for the infrastructure to support this building. Plans have already been put forward - information on www.stopharlownorth.com Proposal for small towns and villages to join together so there is greater support in opposing this expansion.

Community Voice.

Presentation of East of England Plan. Being held on Thursday 20th January 7.30pm at Memorial Hall. Question as to whether East of England Assembly is a democratic body to speak on people's behalf. Everyone urged to attend and make their views known - further information www.speakuphertfordshire.org.uk Leaflets and posters available

Any other business.

Town web site. Tom Potts would be interested in building a web site to include all voluntary organisations in the town to enable sharing of information and setting up of forums and would apply for a Council grant to start this.

May Fayre. To be held on Sunday 1st May. Stort Valley to have space in Church House.

Fair Green. Up date from Ted Barrow. Plans should be implemented in Spring of this year. Footpaths will be laid outside the cottages in Vantorts Road and extended outside Corner House. Consultation still on-going regarding the suggested one way road system around Sheering Mill Lane and Vantorts Road. Ted will be writing to Highways highlighting problems with Fair Green and suggestion that yellow lines are extended beyond Fairswell house in Vantorts Road.

East Herts District Council have a vacancy for a Biodiversity Officer to cover the whole of Hertfordshire. Contact for information is David Thorogood. 10. Date of next meeting. Thursday 17th February 2005 at Hailey Day Centre, Bell Street, Sawbridgeworth.