* co-opted members

 

Minutes: Sandy Duck - SD

61.1 Welcome / Declaration of Interest:

Owen Davies Chair for the meeting welcomed everyone - there were no declarations of interest.

61.2 Apologies for Absence:

John Griffin; Tony Burke; Amanda Jupp; Linda Nichol; Tony Priestly; Helen Abbott; Denise Campbell; Susan Venturi; John Underwood; Peter Woodman; Les Amstead; Colin Milne; Sue Samson;

61.3 Minutes of the Meeting: - 16^th September 2010 accepted as a true record.

61.4 Matters Arising: - None

61.5 Financial Report: AB/PP

Copy of the Financial Report was provided to all at the meeting.

Notes from AB (treasurer) to support report as follows: -

General Account includes Insurance Premium + Room hire from April 2010

YES relates to cost of vouchers. Village Regeneration cost of display boards and leaflets

EU Project costs associated with hosting the visit of group from Eire.

PP Overheads

This year we did not ask for any grant to cover our overheads due to the overall state of council finances, but we did ask for a grant for Billifest 2011. BPC have agreed to a grant of c £2,000 for next years Billifest but if we ask for overhead assistance this would be reduced by same amount.

We do need now to seriously consider some fund raising activity (in the past we have relied on authority grants WSCC-HDC-BPC but clearly this is going to be difficult in the next year or so) so I would suggest: -

EU Project

We have a short fall in funding this project after the EU 70% contribution. We are therefore seeking some £3,500 from other grants and donations. (Rotary and WSX Youth services have contributed £1,600).

Markets

We have an opportunity to organize some Italian markets next year (6^th March is on offer) in the library car park. These are help on a Sunday and simple to organize. It needs two or three or us to marshal the event in case of accident or police issues. The electricity is already installed (we paid) and all it needs in addition is to obtain a license from HDC (a simple matter of form and payment C£20).

We make after expenses some £200 per market. I have spoken to our French market organizer and she is also interested. So I seek your agreement and volunteers.

We could hold on (Italian) on the 28^th of this month or the 19^th December. If volunteers I will organize the license, and speak to Burdfields - They are always up for this as open on a Sunday anyway) but I wont be here so one or two of you would have to follow up.

Committee agreed to go ahead and book 4 markets for 2011.

Other

We will need other ideas and volunteers to help raise funds. Any takers?

Grants

We received a technology grant of £3000 in relation to an exercise by undergrads that used the Billingshurst forum as an exercise in how forums can influence local decision making! (As an aside they found the Billingshurst forum dominated by one or two people as in no other they reviewed and they, as only undergrads will, did have some satisfaction in leading certain contributors into some rather bizarre exchanges). Nevertheless we did receive the funds which have allowed us to purchase lap tops for our EU exercise with our local youngsters who are working with the Irish team. In addition it has funded a rewrite of our own BCP web site and will make a further but small contribution to the EU projects expenses.

We need to acknowledge these grants as income and expenditure so that the direct grants paid to the suppliers do not get lost and are recorded as part of our financial income.

61.6 (A) projects: Brief Updates:

61.6.1 Community (Elderly / Disadvantaged)

Disadvantaged: - PS

We are currently lobbying West Sussex Health Authority regarding the withdrawal of funding for staff in the Psychology dept. at Hospital.

Elderly: -SD

Luncheon Club -

Attendances vary between 16 & 22. We have a full programme of events to include the regular exercise class.

We have 2 new members however we have lost 2 members.

Stolen funds: - Unfortunately we had £60 stolen from the Lunch Club fund pot at the Village Hall during our lunch club on Monday 15th November. This has been reported to the police.

61.6.2 Youth:

TAG -KB

Tag has been running now for some 5 -6 weeks. New group of young people have settled in, and well behaved. To date we have around 10 to 12 members, they participate well in all the activities we offer, we are actively encouraging them to bring friends along in an effort to boost the numbers.

YES Project - KB

We still have only 4 on the project. As yet we have had no response from the Weald School by way of response to them supplying a list of young people that would be appropriate candidates to join the scheme. We have at present one or two positions that could be filled, and we will be looking to improve that situation in the new year. To do this we must liaise with the school again to get the numbers up, as the new group at TAG are not old enough to participate.

EU Project: - DC

The project started in Oct is going well. Already 6 weeks in we have seen a shift in attitude with the 10 young people involved.

The week end of 23 - 25 Oct saw us hosting our Irish Partners. Their arrival was immediately followed by a reception lunch here at the Village Hall. Parish, District and County Councillors attended. We went to the fire work display at Jubilee Fields in the evening. Sunday was taken up with a ‘tourist trail' around London and a flight on the London Eye. Monday was a trip to Portsmouth to visit HMS Victory and the Naval Dockyards.

The two groups from similar backgrounds were cautious of each other, but nevertheless, friendships were evolving.

In the weeks since the Irish visit we have covered topics such as EU immigration, religious (in) tolerance, the basic structure of our democracy. (ie Parish, District, County councils and national government. We have briefly discussed where the responsibility lies for different services.

As much as this project is about citizenship and democracy lifestyle issues are frequently discussed, such as healthy eating, alcohol & substance misuse and behaviour. So far, this is the area where we have seen the biggest change in attitudes. Weekly meetings always involve cooking a simple meal together from scratch, teamwork is being developed, we also eat together; something that none of them do at home with their families!

We are currently planning our trip to Ireland in Feb 2010. EU funding is for 70% of the total project budget. We have been looking into funding and grants for the remaining 30%:

• WSX youth service have granted is £600

• £1000 already received from Rotary Club
• I have applied to the CLC for a grant. The panel sits on 6^th December. The whole group will attend this
• I have applied to the Hilden Charitable Trust for funding.
• The group will be doing leaflet drops for the COC and Chequers Hotel Pulborough to fund raise
• HDC Community Development is also a possibility.

61.6.3 Arts & Culture: - GK

Making Tracks Yael Flexer Commission. - Contemporary Dance.

This turned out to be a really positive experience for the young people, supported by the Weald and Sandra Wilson Dance School whose commitment and hard work were exemplary. Ther performances in the village were excellent, and attracted many positive comments from the public. The evening performance of the ‘Living Room' piece by the professional company was enjoyed by all.

Lessons were learned by the company and by the West Sussex team in the process of managing the commission, and at a recent meeting it was agreed by all that the momentum created should be sustained if possible, by means of further contact with both schools, with the involvement of the CP volunteers as necessary. Particular mention should be given to the caretaker that the Weald and especially the owner of Jamdani, who generously lent his empty property next to his Restaurant for the whole week.

61.6.4 Sports and Recreation:

No report:

(B) Projects (Detailed)

61.6.5. Village Regeneration - (to include LDF/HDC/Sustainable Strategy/Economy Tourism & Parking Solutions. -KJ

Ken J. outlined progress on the Economy project as follows -

Retail Support and Training: - No further activity. Metamorphosis indicates they have not come across any other retail centre where the retailers are so despondent.

Partnership Shop: - Several interested local craft producers. Discussions with the Agents re 49 High St, Support being sought from Parish Council as a prelude to applying for section 106 funding.

Marketing and Publicity: - (P.P.) - Chamber website progressing (as is the organisation) and a brochure highlighting Billingshurst and its services is under preparation. Next steps will be to provide an information centre, new notice boards focusing on Billingshurst, and an events board at the northern entrance to the village.

It is also hoped to launch a "Shop Local" campaign early in 2011.

Parking and Community Transport: - at an early stage of development but have entered discussions with Compass Bus to provide and cost the service.

Steps are being taken to develop a Retail Plan for Billingshurst in conjunction with the Town Centre Manager, H.D.C. Meetings with a group of key retailers and local commercial agents have already taken place.

61.6.6. E.Y.E. (Education Youth Enterprise) Project: -JG

Regular meetings are taking place - the most recent being 10/11/10.

Outputs and updates include:

The designated site which is in the ownership of WSCC is in the process of being transferred for the project. WSCC have been approached and have indicated a willingness to consider the proposal.

The results of a questionnaire undertaken with all Weald School pupils are being analysed. Early indications are fully supportive of the project and much useful feedback is being collated.

An application has been made to SE Community Awards which could be worth £5000, £3000 or £1500. Any award will be put towards the cost of a feasibility study which will be necessary for major funding applications, as well as for future planning consent. A feasibility study will cost around £10,000.

A visualisation drawing has been produced by an architectural practice - free of charge - which has put some flesh on the bones of the previously supplied building block designs. These will bring the project to life in our forthcoming funding presentations - * a copy was available to the meeting and will be filed with these minutes.

The organising committee includes councillors from WSCC, HDC and the Parish Council who are all active in promoting the project within their constituencies.

A presentation will be made to the Parish Council in January to engage its support for S106 applications which require their consent. A presentation will be made to the next meeting of the Weald Youth Council - in December - in order to engage with this important youth forum and to enrol a representative onto the organising committee.

61.7 Membership of and reports from, other organisations affiliations:

61.7.1. 6 Towns: - KJ

Not a lot to report:- There are currently 2 issues:-

1 - HDC are looking to carry out a Bench Marking exercise within the 6 Towns assessing Billingshurst economic performance against the other 5 to provide some statistics.

2 - There is debate at government level as to where the Voluntary sector is going within their “BIG SOCIETY” There needs to be a proper structure.

61.7.2. South East Towns Partnership: - PP

BACKGROUND

SERPT was formed some ten years ago to support the wellbeing and development of rural communities in the south east. Funded by SEEDA and The Countryside Agency it has, in that time, delivered some £15 million pounds of projects across the south east. The funding comes to an end in 2011 at which time the County Co-ordinators' roles will disappear and SERPT will have to find an alternative source of funding and a new form of raison d' étre if it is to continue.

STRATEGY

A small working group has been formed to formulate a strategy to take SERPT forward from 2011. This, it is thought, will draw heavily on European funding.

PROJECTS TO DATE

A survey was taken across the south east to ascertain the priorities of towns like ourselves in order to have some idea as to where to focus in taking the organisation forward. Of those surveyed 90% felt that the economy and regeneration of their town centres was priority one, with 70% focussing on projects aimed at youth, and 60% looking at events, websites and volunteer groups as a priority. The least priorities 5% to 20% focussed on care, health, lower carbon initiatives, broadband, education, housing, the elderly, police and security.

CURRENT EU INITIATIVE

Across the EU small rural towns are seen as providing employment and major services but have seen a downturn in their retail position, with new patterns of shopping and the influence of out-of-town shopping centres contributing to this socio-economic decline.

The objective of the initiative is to allow towns such as ours to work together to identify and share entrepreneur-ship and build the capacity of the towns through project champions and the exchange of experience (something we are already doing). The project will identify up to 12 partners drawn from the EU, and in our case partners identified so far are Hampshire Country Council, The South East Rural Towns Partnership and The European Council for Villages and Small Towns.

A search for other partners will be conducted by the South East Local Partners Office, which is based in Brussels Depending on the agreed work involved, the average grant per partner will be in the order of Euro 112k.

FEED BACK FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE SPENDING REVIEW

(KEY ISSUES)

The key areas are Transport (with some £10 billion allocated for key road schemes) and £14 billion to Network Rail.

Climate Change and Energy, with a proposal to start a Green Investment Bank of some £1 billion. Education with capital funding used to maintain school estates and refurbishment. £2.5 billion for the education of disadvantaged children and giving head teachers increased flexibility over their budgets. Health - the commitment to NHS spending in real terms and Local Government and Public Services reform where funding will fall by some 45% over the period of the review.

The conclusion to all of the foregoing is that the key themes emerging will offer real opportunity for the private sector, more targeting of infrastructure investment; local government reform and an increase in regional growth funds, whilst capital spending on schools, social housing and health will be continued but levels reduced and priorities realigned.

61.7.3. Garden Project: - KB

Project still on hold for three years ,our aim is to have this decision reversed at the PC full council meeting in January. I have now received an invitation to be a guest speaker at that meeting. By then it is our intention to go out with a partition to gain support from the public to reinstate the garden project. We are hopeful that support will be enough to  get the parish council back on side, and that will allow us to  progress the garden project to completion.

61.8 Billifest - Saturday 4^th December:

All on track with planning for 4^th December

Printing and Publicity now completed - we have 30 local Traders and Organisations participating as well as 15 French Market Stalls.

AB has sent out a note asking for volunteers and has received a really good response and it currently drawing up a rota for the day which will be sent out to all.

61.9 AOB:

1. - Planning for Winter Weather - AG

Following the January bad weather when services were not linked - HDC & WSCC are putting a plan together with Parish Councils to make sure all vulnerable areas and people are looked after in times of severe weather.

To do this they need an accurate register of all vulnerable people who will need help, and volunteers to help.

SD to send out a note to request people to indicate if they would like to be included on the list, and advise AG which register they need to go on.

2. - Publicity: - GK

Notice Boards - we need notice boards to let everyone know what is going on in the Village. How do we get them - It was suggested that GK contact Beverly Bell who may be able to help point her in the right direction.

3. - Pantomime at the VH - Robinson Crusoe - GK

GK asked who was putting this on - it is a local family who do this on a regular basis, and do it well.

4. - Parking at St Gabrielle' s Church - GK

Is it worth investigating the use of the St Gabrielle' s Church for parking.

5. - Choral Society: - GK

Their next performance is at the Leisure Centre on 27^th November

6. - BCP Committee attendance - OD

There has only been 50% attendance this evening, which is not good. We need to consider - if you are not able to come to the meeting can you send a delegate?

61.10 Date of next meeting: Thursday 20^th January 2011

Meeting closed at 9.35 pm

 

DOCUMENT IDENTIFICATION AND STATUS

Title Minutes dated 18^th November 2010

Ref 61

Owner Owen Davies

Author S Duck

 

DOCUMENT RELEASE AUTHORISATION

Name Owen Davies

Role Chair, Billingshurst Community Partnership Management Committee

Release Date 20^th January 2011

Signature ………

DOCUMENT HISTORY

 

Version	Date
1	2nd October 2010	This document (8 pages)
		Housing Development in Billingshurst - Appendix 1