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Dukinfield East. Residents’ Association.

Committee Meeting held on 24th March 2014

Present: John Heywood (JH) Chairman

David Bottomley (DB) Treasurer John Bevan (JB) Committee Member

Angela Carr (AC) Committee Member

Guests:

Khadeja Begum (KB), Neighbourhood Coordinator for Yew Tree Estate, New Charter. Sarah Chilton (SC), Neighbourhood Coordinator for Yew Tree Estate, New Charter.

Linda Whyatt (LW), Resident Involvement Officer.

Apologies Kathy Inglis (KI) Secretary; Simon Blomeley (SB) Neighbourhood Coordinator for Gorse Hall, New Charter.

Preamble to Meeting:

JH confirmed that there were sufficient members present to form a quorum, under the rules of the

constitution. The meeting, therefore, proceeded to the agenda.

Best wishes to Sarah, for the future, and introduction to our new Neighbourhood Co-

ordinator, Khadeja Begum.

The committee wished Sarah all the best for the future in her new job. KB: Had worked for New Charter for almost 11 years, starting as a modern apprentice, and had just come

from Central and Cavendish Mill area.

Review of previous meeting JH: Met with Jamie Eastwood, New Charter, and he approved £1500.00 funding, this was required to

repair the Minibus. JH: SB has provided a copy of the New Charter vehicle check list to compare with the one JH prepared

for the minibus. This had yet to be done. ACTION JH

JH: The online calendar booking system was working fine; however, there was a problem with KI and JH not being able to see each other’s bookings. DB to investigate. ACTION DB

JH: Yew Tree notice board locks still needed repair and the inside was going mouldy. Key was passed to KB to arrange repair/replacement. ACTION KB

Questions from Residents

Regarding young people who stand on the staircase outside the newsagents on Yew Tree Lane shops:

SC: The Yew Tree shops are to have six CCTV cameras fitted. LW: The Youth Team will be visiting to talk to youths in the area to find out where they are from.

SC: The problem with youth nuisance on the Astley Astro-turf, was still ongoing at a reduced level. The Crucial Crew Theatre Group: SB looking at involving Astley and All Saints schools in the Street

Scene.

Public Children’s Centre Closures in Dukinfield

AC working with Christine Storey received 1047 signatories on the petition against the closure; a small

editorial piece appeared in the Tameside Advertiser. We were still awaiting a decision from Tameside

MBC

Minibus update, publicity and funding

JH: It was not known whether KI had written to Cheshire Vehicles over the breakdown of the minibus.

ACTION JH/KI JH will look into the monthly service plan ACTION JH/KI

LW: will remind Jamie Eastwood about possible improvements to the website and Facebook pages ACTION LW

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LW: Awaiting reply from Tameside Radio over advert for minibus. This may require interview JH or KI to

talk about the benefits of the minibus in the community and the low hiring fees. ACTION LW

LW: advert has been put in the Tenant’s News Letter which is distributed to all New Charter tenants.

Financial report The accounts have been signed off by Scott, Roberts and Taylor.

SC: £250.00 from New Charter Homes was from the Residents Involvement Team.

AC: £250 received from St. Mark’s. Balance in bank £734.05, plus petty cash of £3.20.

Finalisation of Funding for Minibus

LW: NC to advertise internally, on the team brief; each team would require their own section 19 licence. JH: The original proposal for regular users' charges was £250 1st year (unlimited free hires) and then £50

subsequent years (3 free hires, reduced daily rate to £40). JH proposed that the annual fee be simply

£250 per year for regular users and that the £50 be dropped. This would simplify administration of the scheme considerably and regular users seem to accept the rate as a good deal.

JH: We had returned our project accounts reports to The Big Lottery Fund and You Chose and both had accepted them. The small balance left was transferred to unrestricted funds.

Tenant’s extended gardens.

The future of the overgrown plot adjacent to this tenant’s garden land is still under discussion.

The bins, the bins! JH a meeting has been arranged for Thursday 4th April to discuss the bins at the front of the shops,

Councillors David Sweeton and Claire Reynolds, Rory Barnard, Clean and Safe Officer, Isla, and Shawn Allan, Neighbourhood Manager.

SC: there had been lots of fly tipping near the bins at the rear of the shops. Evidence had been retrieved

from the rubbish bags and letters had been sent warning tenants that, if caught again, they would be fined.

Additional 6 green and blue bins have been placed at the rear. This area will be covered with CCTV.

Successful conclusion of a longstanding project SC: CCTV to be installed at the Yew Tree Shops will have night vision, 2 cameras sited on the front, 2 on

the rear and 2 on the stairways.

Project Tennyson A couple of young ladies had contacted JH regarding creating a play area on the land surrounded by

Tennyson Avenue. Councillor David Sweeton was consulted and would not support a plan to return the area to a state where ball games could be played because of previous problems for the residents living on

the perimeter. However, he advised that the Friends of Gorse Hall were creating a play area in the park.

JH contacted them and they had already created the play area with an entrance on Macauley Close. JH has drafted a leaflet to distribute in the local area.

Update by New Charter and news of upcoming events.

LW to email list of next dates. SB to meet with Gorse Hall residents to get their opinions on Lyne Edge proposals. LW will speak to SB.

LW: Astley are holding their summer event 12th July and are seeking New Charter involvement.

Future Projects JH: The Lyne Edge development was the only project under consideration at the time.

LW: through a scheme known as “Dig in Tameside” TMBC are working with New Charter to find plots of land where community groups can plant edible plants.

Any other business

AC: Astley Sports College have placed two new waste bins outside one of their gates. DB: the Affiliation document has the wrong name on it. LW will provide corrected document.

Teenagers from Astley were reportedly smoking round the corner from school near Coronation Avenue.

Date of next meeting

Public: 7.00pm, Monday 28th April 2014, possibly at or near Rowan Crescent as a consultation

with residents regarding the green area development.

Committee: TBA