Crossgate Community Partnership: Minutes
Minutes of the meeting, 3rd December 2024
- 1. Attendance
- Roger Cornwell (in the Chair), Lesley Aers, Emma Backhouse, Gillian Banks, Robert Banks, Cathie Draycott, Margaret Jefferson, Pat Mussett, Simon Priestley, David Ramsden, Jean Rogers, Ann Stokes, Sarah Wilkinson, Joe Witherspoon,
Cllr Esther Ashby, Cllr Victoria Ashfield.
- Roger Cornwell thanked the Waddington Street Centre for accommodating the meeting, and thanked Emma Backhouse for opening the building for us.
- 2. Apologies for absence
- were received from: Joan Adams, Morag Crichton, Ann Evans, Martin Hiles, Chris Hugill, Brendan McHeown, Vicky Mattless,
Cllr Liz Brown,
Cllr Grenville Holland, Cllr Susan Walker.
- 3. Minutes
- The minutes of the November meeting were approved as a correct record.
- 4 Parking in Crossgate
- Cathie Draycott had previously circulated an e-mail to the mailing list. She thanked the CCP for its support of her previous report: Durham County Council had shown interest in one of her suggestions, but had taken no action on it. She now had two alternative suggestions
- that Crossgate residents should be permitted also to park on Allergate: Allergate residents did not welcome this idea, arguing that parking on Allergate was in even shorter supply than on Crossgate;
- or that parking on Crossgate should be restricted to resident permit-holders only. Members were sceptical about how far this would help, given that student residents would also qualify, so there would still be more cars than spaces. The new regime (whose website is not yet functioning) will distinguish between permanent and temporary residents, but this was not expected to solve the problem.
Roger had discussed Cathie's paper with Cllr Liz Brown; this area is not actually within her ward, but she was willing to talk to the Parking Shop about Cathie's original proposal that parking spaces be moved to the other side of Crossgate: this should create an additional space, and might also act as a traffic calming measure. The meeting asked Cathie to write to Liz outlining her ideas.
Members also hoped Liz would be able to chase the Parking Shop about not issuing permits to residents in post-2000 conversions; Simon Priestley pointed out that this policy had been reiterated in the Q&A session about the new parking scheme.
- 5.Durham City Green Corridor
- An e-mail had previously been circulated from the National Trust: they have partnered with Durham County Council on this project which aims to improve access to green space for communities, whilst making improvements to nature in an area of green space to the east of the city centre. This did not appear to involve green spaces within the CCP's area, but there was a more general interest, and it was agreed that we should invite the team to a future meeting, and ask them to bring a clearer map than that circulated (preferably on paper, but otherwise with a means to display it).
- 6. Start time of future meetings
- The meeting in progress was bing held in Waddington Street, although Rushford Court could have accommodated us with an 8.00 pm start. On the other hand, people had, in the past, expressed a preference for a 7.00 pm start. Since no-one spoke in favour of either of these options, it was agreed that we should continue to start our meetings at 7.30 pm.
- 7. Report from County Councillors
- No reports had been received.
- 8. Reports from Parish Councillors
- a) Cllr Victoria Ashfield endorsed the written report circulated by Cllr Carol Lattin. She added that many bulbs had already been distributed and planted, and also some trees.
- b) Cllr Esther Ashby regretted that those bulbs had included a number of Spanish bluebells. These are an invasive species, and should be planted with care where this posed minimal risk.
Cllr Alan Doig had given a very helpful presentation on the pros and cons of the current arrangement with the Mayoralty and the Charter Trust: this suggests that it should be revised and made more democratic.
The Parish Council had had useful contact with the University about i) the proposed Date Centre at Aykley Heads; ii) the Hild/Bede site and a possible PBSA on the Elvet Hill car park; and iii)with the Economic Development Officer about reconstituting an engagement group on the local economy. The meeting proceeded to discuss the Data Centre and the general development of Aykley Heads.
- 9 Date of next meeting
- The next meeting will be our AGM on Thursday 9th January 2025.