Crossgate Community Partnership: Minutes

Minutes of the Meeting 1st May 2018

1. Attendance: Present: Roger Cornwell (in the Chair), Lesley Aers, Mike Costello, Ann Evans, Francis Gotto, John Knowles, Sheila Knowles, Brendan McKeown, Simon Priestley, David Ramsden, Jean Rogers, Simon Squires, Ann Stokes, Sarah Wilkinson
Cllr Liz Brown
2. Apologies for absence: were received from: Alan Doig, Margaret Jefferson, Paul Jefferson, Carole Reeves, Clare Wright
3. Minutes: The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed as a correct record.
4. PACT meetings: Ann Evans would be attending the May meeting the next day, and invited members to raise any concerns they wished to have put before the police. She already has issues about parking, and about bad behaviour in Sutton Street, in the vicinity of Domino's pizzeria. Members were aware that examinations were now in progress, and urged the police to be ready to step up patrols as the exam season ended.
5. Measuring noise and parking issues before the new academic year starts: Francis Gotto proposed that in order to measure the impact of the opening of Rushford Court (student development at the County Hospital), we needed baseline measurements showing the level of noise and parking problems at present. He was encouraged to contact the Environmental Health department about noise measurements; Cllr Liz Brown would determine who to approach at the Council.
There was a discussion of how best to monitor the impact on parking. Mike Costello encouraged members to log the current state of parking: we need to know not only how many cars are being parked, but also what form of permit they are using (resident's permit sticker, visitor's scratchcard or other).
6. Detailing of Riverwalk development.: As discussed at the previous meeting, Roger Cornwell had written to the Principal Design and Conservation Officer, asking what input his department had had into the finish of the Riverwalk (formerly Milburngate) development. The reply received had been circulated. It was discussed, and felt to be entirely unsatisfactory. Roger was asked to forward the correspondence to the World Heritage Site co-ordinator and to the City of Durham Trust.
7. Failure to repair the tiles at the Freemans Quay swimming pool: Liz had taken this up with the Facilities Manager, and received confirmation that it was indeed approximately a year since the damage to the tiles at the pool, and that there was at present no plan to carry out repairs as the Council was in negotiations with the building contractor. While the CCP appreciates that this makes it difficult for the Council to be completely open on this subject, the result is that a large amount of information is circulating unofficially, and some of this was discussed. Liz will continue to ask for updates, and will suggest that the Council could be more forthcoming on the subject.
8. The University/residents engagement event held on 12 April: Many of those present had been at this meeting. It was the general impression that while the University had expected a degree of opposition to its planned expansion, Vice-Chancellor Stuart Corbridge had been genuinely taken aback by the unanimity and ferocity of the views expressed. There was therefore some inclination to take at face value his undertaking to reconsider the position. But this was not borne out by the continuing consultation on plans for a Mathematical Sciences and Computer Science Building at Upper Mountjoy, and on changes to traffic and parking in Church Street to accommodate additional foot traffic from students. The CCP awaits the results of the promised rethink.
9. Planning application for Metcalfe House: A planning application has been submitted for a small student house adjacent to the existing property at Metcalfe House, which lies within the area of the proposed redevelopment of the Bus Station. This was noted.
10. Parish / Town Council elections: The count follows immediately after the polling stations close.
11. Reports from Local Councillors: Liz had attended the consultation on Church Street, at which the Highways Department had revealed that alterations would be carried out at the County Council's expense. Chief Executive Terry Collins did not appear to have been aware of this. Bodies located in Church Street (the church, the primary school) had not been consulted. Local Councillor David Freeman was also dissatisfied with the situation.; Liz has reported Berendsens for a further breach of the conditions of their planning consent: the building has five skylights rather than the two shown in the plans.
12. Other business: Simon Priestley asked what conditions had been imposed on the development at 24 The Avenue; the committee meeting had been told that conditions would apply, but none were shown on the Council's website.
13. Date of next meeting: Since a number of members will be unavailable on the scheduled date of our June meeting, it was agreed that this would not take place; our next meeting will therefore be on Tuesday 3rd July.