Crossgate Community Partnership: Minutes

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting, 7th January 2020

1. Attendance: Present: Cllr Roger Cornwell (in the Chair), Lesley Aers, Robert Banks, Ann Evans, Brendan McKeown, Pat Mussett, Simon Priestley, Jean Rogers, Simon Squires, Sarah Wilkinson
Richard Freeman (John Snow College), Louise Fowler (Unite Students)
Cllr Esther Ashby, Cllr John Ashby
Cllr Liz Brown, Cllr Richard Ormerod
2. Apologies for absence: were received from: Margaret Jefferson, David Ramsden, Malcolm Reed, Ann Stokes,
Keith Evans (Bursar, John Snow College)
Cllr Alan Doig, Cllr Grenville Holland
Cllr Elizabeth Scott

Annual General Meeting

3. The Chair presented the Annual Report: which was approved. There were no questions.
4. Accounts: The Financial Statement, as previously circulated and now appended to the Annual Report, was presented by the Treasurer. An additional invoice (for room hire during the relevant year) had now been received, increasing the extent to which the year's expenditure exceeded its income. It was agreed that this was not a matter for immediate concern, given that funding for Residents' Groups are available from both Parish Council and County Councillors; Ann Evans proposed that an item be placed on the agenda of next year's AGM to consider the securing of future income, and this was agreed. The Financial Statement was then unanimously approved.
5. Trustees: The five existing Trustees were re-appointed: Liz Brown, Roger Cornwell, Ann Evans, Simon Priestley and Simon Squires.
The Partnership continues without a Secretary, and Roger repeated the Annual Report's thanks to Jean Rogers for taking the minutes.

Ordinary Meeting

6. Minutes: The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed as a correct record.
7.Rushford Court: a) Open Day: Louise Fowler thanked all those who had attended the Open Day at Rushford Court. She emphasised that those who had missed it were still welcome to visit: the Open Door policy continues.; b) Student volunteers were available who were keen to undertake action locally. Cllr Esther Ashby would offer suggestions.; c) New term: students would be returning the following weekend.; d) Event: Richard Freeman would circulate details of an event at the Town Hall on January 29th..
8. Policing issues: Cllr Liz Brown had been asked by the Police to inform residents that there seemed to have been an escalation in break-ins over the Christmas period, and to remind us to be security conscious.
9. Planning Application: Sign at the Revolution Bar (DM/19/03409/AD): This retrospective application would go to Committee on the following Tuesday, with a recommendation from the officer to approve. The Parish Council and the City of Durham Trust would oppose.
10. Neighbourhood Plan: The Plan had just entered its Regulation 16 consultation period. Letters of support were encouraged. Simon Priestley would submit comments on behalf of the CCP.
11. Traffic Regulation Order under Durham Viaduct: The Parish Clerk had passed on a County Council consultation about parking restrictions in Lambton Street, immediately under the viaduct: it was proposed to make the temporary "Permit holders only 8am-6pm" order permanent. Local residents had asked whether the times could be amended to 9am-5pm, enabling residents to park there overnight? This may conflict with the Council's desire to enable the immediately local businesses to park there; also enforcement company may not be willing to apply different rules to a small enclave. But Cllr Richard Ormerod was asked to feed back this request, and Roger would reply to the Parish Clerk.
12. Reports from County Councillors: a) Richard would be attending a meeting of County Councillors representing the City, to be consulted on plans for the new bus station.
He was aware of possible issues over parking at the bottom of South Street, and was investigating whether bollards were needed,; b) Liz reported that parking meters had appeared on what was previously the DLI car park: these had been installed by LNER, but without County Council permission.
She would be attending a meeting of the County's Environmental Scrutiny Committee to discuss Air Quality Management. The meeting suggested points she might wish to raise at the meeting, and asked her to report back on what happened.
13. Reports from Parish Councillors: a) Cllr John Ashby commented on the large number of planning applications to convert to HMOs for which officers were recommending approval. He was afraid this might invalidate the Council's Interim Policy on HMOs.; b) The project to domesticate the A167 had been parked pending finalisation of the County Plan, because of the risk that this would include a Western Bypass.
The awards scheme for business frontages over Christmas was felt to have been very successful.
Dave Wafer, DCC Traffic Manager, would address the Parish Council about the new plan for the Bus Station: this meeting would be open to the public.; c) Roger reported that there would be a meeting the next week about a Cycling and Walking plan for a master route for the County. The Parish Council would be represented.
The Parish Council's Finance Committee would be recommending to the full council that the precept should not be increased for the coming year. Since there had been an increase in the number of houses in the Parish over the year, this represented a slight increase in income.; d) Liz had been informed that the County's Central and East Planning Committee (responsible for the City area) overturns 15.3% of officers' recommendations, which is the highest level of all the County Council's committees. The meeting felt that this validated the work of our Councillors in challenging those recommendations.
14. Date of next meeting: Our next meeting will be on Thursday 6th February.