| PRESENT: | |
|---|---|
| Ted Barrow (Chairman). Warren Richards (Secretary). Hazel Mead (Minutes) Bert Puncher. Diana Richards. Chris Rees. Peter Jones. Jean Jones. John Hills. Joan Willitt. Mary Whitehead. Michael Vincent. Joyce Vincent. Clive Atkins. Bob Jones. Jacqueline Dore. Elizabeth Waugh. Jenny Greaves (EHC). Brian Rochester. Mary Huxtable. | |
| APOLOGIES: | |
| Monya Billing. Peter Freeman | |
| MINUTES: | |
| Minutes of the meeting of 19th January 2006. Page 2 - Fair Green Pedestrian Access - second line should read 'land outside Fairswell Cottage'. Minutes then accepted as a correct record. |
Land purchase at Pishiobury Park. Letter sent to Ian Sharratt with copy to David Thorogood, CMS and Town Council, to request management plan this Winter/Spring.
Map received of land owned in the town by East Herts Council - Pishiobury Park, old town tip, town fields near the cricket field and the old bowling green.
Samples have been taken from the old town tip this week which is being tested for contamination.
Examination in Public regarding Harlow North - extract available to read.
Community Voice - update of information available from police.
Two groups now running - brochure and signage. Ideas needed and people are welcome to attend meetings. Signage group to next meet on Thursday 2nd March at 7.30pm in Upper room of Church House.
Parking. Suggestions from public would be welcomed regarding payment for short stay for perhaps the first two hours. Suggestion of car parking payment being returned from traders when purchasing items.
Proposal from Ted Barrow for the erection of a maypole on Fair Green. It is not known who owns Fair Green and there would also be the question of insurance. Suggestion of first contacting schools and groups in the town to ask if they would be interested in teaching groups to use this facility.
Ditch in Springhall Lane still awaiting report despite numerous promises since last October from Environmental Department and Highways Agencies.
Footpath behind 3 East Drive - fence being erected which may be encroaching on the footpath.
A trestle has recently been removed from the ditch at the rear of Sawbridgeworth Motor Company although there is currently a large bag of clothing in the brook at this point. There is a build up of silt under the road bridge in this location which impedes the flow of water.
To the rear of houses along Brook End the dumped carpet has been pulled up the bank of the brook to drain and will then be removed.
Brook is flowing well out into the River Stort and a great improvement overall.
Diana Richards gave an outline of this meeting. The next one will be held in April and if there is a request for a topic to let her know so that it can be put on the agenda.
Diana, Warren and Ted had attended this meeting. Harlow Civic Society had made a good presentation. Both sides of the argument was put and lack of water was one argument against the developments. Those in favour of the development saying it would enhance Harlow and there would be transport available to connect the areas and those against said it would leave Harlow isolated and there would be satellite areas. The original plan was to revitalise Harlow but no developer has yet come forward to do this. Ropemakers had apparently approached those responsible for Harlow Gateway and requested them not to go ahead with their development but this situation has now been cleared.
There is a regional spacial strategy to make the area from London to Peterborough a European area.
Harlow population is currently not equally balanced and there is a need to regenerate both buildings and population. Need to try and encourage people with skills into the area and the possibility of a university but not known how this would work. Currently a hotch-potch of ideas.
Ropemakers, which is BP pension fund are the biggest developers in favour of the Harlow North development. Infrastructure was discussed. A by pass would be needed for Harlow but then people would not go into the town. More drainage would be needed and developers would have to put this in as a community requirement. There is insufficient water for current needs and if 20,000 houses were built all the houses in this and the surrounding areas would have to be 25% more water efficient than now. Desalination to be looked into. Rye Meads sewerage works are currently full to capacity and would need funding for research to solve the problem and it would take 7/9 years to formulate a plan to cope adequately with the sewerage. Savills the agents had suggested use of grey water, also reed beds for disposal of other matter but no suggestion of how all this would operate.
There is also the site of North Weald Airfield to accommodate 6,000 houses.
All evidence will now go to the Board and a report will result. Suggestion that people write to East Herts to support the stopping of this development.
Election of Officers at the AGM
Any nominations for Officers to be given to Warren Richards. Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday 16th March (note this is a different date to that mentioned at the meeting).
Wind farms. Evidence of birds being killed by these.
Footpath past the cricket field/Bell Pub is in bad repair. Also the footpath on the entrance road to the car park still broken but this repair will involve sub-contractors as a manhole cover is causing some of the problem.
Pot holes in the roadway outside the Hailey Day Centre have re-appeared.
Suggestion of contacting County Highways and Councillor Dodd regarding the general state of disrepair of footpaths in Bell Street.
Morris Farms at Shingle Hall and Blounts Farm is up for sale.
Black Poplars have been planted at Epping Long Green.
Rubbish has been dumped in High Wych Road.
Food Fayre taking place on Saturday 18th February in Memorial Hall.
Esbies Planning and Development have produced a Development Plan but to date there has not been an application to build.