Members’ Meeting 19 April 2023.
Fossoway Community Development Trust, Elizabeth Wilkie Hall.
1/ Attending
Steering Group members at top table Mike Barnacle (Chair), Marion Anness (Director), Trudy Duffy (CC Chair).
Apologies: Sarah Bruce-Jones, Nicola Marchant (Secretary), Elaine Melville, Johnny Stewart of Arndean, John Wheatley, Nichol Wheatley, Paula Woods (Fossoway Head Teacher).
Late Apology: Ben Thornber
Also attending 25 folk including 21 household members, James Gardner (PKC Community Empowerment Officer), Damian Zamboni & Laura Watson (3rd Party Interest in Blairingone School buildings)
With thanks to the Church for letting us use the hall free of charge.
2/3 Previous Minutes
Meeting approved, no matters arising not elsewhere covered
4/ Directors and membership
Currently 40 households signed up as members. Liz Stenhouse is stepping down as a board member due to work pressure. Ben Thornber kindly agreed to step in temporarily as a Director.
5/ Companies House
There has been a delay in the incorporation at Companies House because it is physically closed. This has now been done as per March 2023. However, we need to have the word ‘Trust’ in our name, but despite support of the DTA this has not yet been done. When it is changed, we can finalise charitable status with OSCR, which will not be a problem.
6/ Data Protection Policy
We need a data protection policy: Matthew Rice is volunteering to look into that.
7/ Progress Blairingone School
There have been several meetings with James Gardner from PKC. There has been a working party to clean up the building a bit and Marion has put in a Community Asset Transfer form. Next phase is to get funding for the refurbishment; there is a UK Community Asset Fund and Marion will do an application. However, there has been a third-party interest in the school house and school building. Damian Zamboni addressed the meeting. He would like to use the school as a nursery, after-hours facility, workshop for crafts and bushcraft. He would pledge and make it legal, that the building can also be used by the community in the hours left, evening and weekends. He claims he can get it going in 4 weeks. The nursery and after-hours care would be predominantly outdoors.
This raised some questions from the floor. If the building goes on the open market, which guarantee is there that Damian gets it? If the business goes bust, what happens with the building? Once the building is in private hands, it can not easily come back to the community. On the other hand, if someone is prepared to take this on AND provides space for the community we don’t have to fundraise or make sure that the building/project washes its face. We need a members’ decision and preferable with all members not just those present. James will create an anonymous voting form which will be sent out to all.
8/ Big Place Conversation
An opportunity for the community to shape the future of our villages. BPC is where groups come together to discuss what we like about the place we live in and what can be improved. This will lead to a Community Development Plan, which the CDT can also use for planning projects. Eventually it will lead to place plans which will feed into LDP3 and every development needs to be set against LDP3. Dates for the open meetings (please note: different from what we said at the meeting) Elizabeth Wilkie Hall 21 May, 13.00– 16.00hrs; Carnbo Village Hall 4 June 13.00 – 16.00 hrs, Powmill (including Blairingone) 11 June 13.00-16.00hrs. We hope to organise a virtual meeting with members of the CDT. This is a really important opportunity to let your voice be heard. We also need some members of the CDT to help us get the data sorted.
9/ Lease Waulkmill Park etc
This can be done via a Community Asset Transfer but there is a simpler way which is a lease, negotiated with Estates. The Council may decline the proposal and is not obliged to accept a request to lower the lease. Meeting with Dave Stubbs, Mike Barnacle and Trudy Duffy (because of the Gathering) to discuss this. Trudy Duffy mentioned the community orchard which is growing on a piece of neglected council land behind the Church, part of which can be secured under lease as a temporary car park.
10/ Rumbling Bridge Management Plan
This is a consultation about the use of paths around the gorge and the access and parking at the gorge. Consultation closes on 24 April and there have been quite a few responses. It would be good if we can establish a Paths Group, as many other communities do.
11/ Relocation Blairingone War memorial
A project that ran from 2006 till recently (2023). The meeting expressed appreciation to Mike Barnacle for seeing this through. There is an offer from a member to clean up the Crook of Devon War memorial but only under the condition it will not be moved. Maybe some tweaking in the immediate surroundings may see some improvements.
12/ AOB
The Crook and Drum Growing Together have restored the old Village pump (not to working order!). On Sunday 23 April there will be a meeting at the village green to determine where it will be sited; subsequently noted to be beside the flower bed. Also, Crook and Drum have been asked to become a biodiversity village. Again, volunteers very welcome to make that happen.
There the meeting ended.