Minutes of the Conservation meeting of
2014-09-23 at 19:00 in “The Stocks”

[Modified by JP on 2014-10-28, as agreed at the meeting of that date]

[As usual, letters refer to standing items, and numbers new items, in the agenda of the same date, which will shortly appear at conservation.ecclesfieldgroups.com/minutes. ]

A. Chair: Ian Deans (ID) chaired this meeting.

B. Attendance: . Apologies were given by RT, KF, BS, and LS.

C. Minutes: The minutes of the previous meeting were modified and approved for placing on the web site.

Z. Date of the next meeting

Our next meeting will be on October 28th October (I.e. fourth Tuesday), at 7 o'clock in the Stocks.

1. Parish Archiving Project Update

JP said that Ecclesfield Parish Council were now re-advertising their part time “project coordinator” job. Anyone interested in applying for the job should see the Parish Council Web site. Members noted that Bradfield have a strong archive, which shows what might be done [ http://www.bradfieldarchives.co.uk/ ]. JP said that our application to Sheffield City Council for a “Ward Pot” grant had been successful, but that we had only been offered about one third of the amount asked for. By cutting the number of reply paid envelopes from 3,000 to 1,000, changing from colour to black and white, deleting the volunteer fair and Google Adwords, and making some other changes, we could just about manage the project. It was therefore decided that we should accept the grant offer. However, it was agreed that in accepting the grant, JP should make the above reductions in our commitment clear, and only accept the grant moneys if these reductions were acceptable to Sheffield City Council. Of course, if other funding sources were found, then we might be able to put the deleted elements back. We needed the Joint Survey and Recruitment Drive to find additional historical material, members and contributors to the Conservation Group. Viridor grants were mentioned as a possibility, although the meeting agreed with AM that they were hard to get [ http://www.viridor-credits.co.uk/apply-for-funding/ ]. The co-op was also known to give community grants, with JP saying that he had been told that we had to go through our local co-op manager. JP asked whether, if he had time to put one together, anybody had any objection to him making an application to either of them on behalf of the group, and he was given the go ahead for applying. Parish Council grants were also mentioned, but of course we need them to finance the leaflet re-printing - perhaps even more urgently than the survey (See item 6 below). ID had spoken to David Morton, and he had suggested that we delay any application to the Parish Council for money for the survey, which the meeting agreed.

2. Smithy Wood update

ID reported that our objection to the revised proposals for a motorway service station at J35 of the M1, had gone in, and was now on both our web site, and Sheffield City Council's planning site. ID said that it was a bit of trial by ordeal with the applicant putting in a new application and coming back with more information. In spite of this ID felt that little had changed in regard of the impact of the proposals. The applicant had undertaken to survey all the of the trees in Smithy wood. They did say that many of the trees were not in good health, but admitted that the value was in the habitat as a whole, not in any individual tree.

David: questioned the placing of the slip road immediately after the roundabout, suggesting that traffic could queue back to the Motorway. It might be better, he suggested, to move the access further down.

3. Ecclesfield Gala: feedback (JP)

It was a marvellous Gala, with a good turnout, and almost unbroken sun. We are grateful to Pete’s Pictures for allowing us to sell his greeting cards and Framed Pictures on commission and almost paid back the rental on the pitch. We area also grateful to Sylvia Harrison for providing the questions for the history quiz, and we were able to collect contact details [If anybody wants to ring the phone numbers we collected, let me know]

4. Grenoside Reading Room/Archive (ID)

There was a discussion on dates for a visit to the reading room. Also, we had been offered a permanent, possibly A3 display area inside the building.

5. Report on the Volunteer Fair of 17th (JP & ID)

Arrangements were made for us to attend the Volunteer Fair in Chapeltown. Such events really needed a collapsible stand, and the grant we received from St. Mary’s trust was mentioned as a possible way of funding this.

6. PC Grant Application for leaflet reprint (ID)

ID told us that the cost of a further 1000 of each of the three leaflets had been quoted as £954. All the dispensers had been distributed, so more were needed, however the only ones that we could find were Perspex, rather than the original bamboo. MM described our current financial position and it was suggested that £100 could be made available to part fund the leaflet printing and dispensers. ID was to lobby the Parish Council for the grant.

7. E & W Ecclesfield Wards Public Meeting (ID)

ID said that Amey were taking a long time to remove the yellow bollards they had erected around the holes for the new LED lamps, and this was creating a hazard. The Ecclesfield Wards meeting would be a good opportunity to bring this to the attention of councillors.

X. Planning Applications

JP said that the planning application by Pink’s Estate agency was now visible on Sheffield City Council’s planning web site. As far as JP could see, the application was for the identical to the existing sign which had been erected without planning permission. This was unfortunate, since at least three people had told the Conservation Group about the sign and objected to it.

Members were concerned about the amount of colour in the sign, saying that this was not in keeping with Conservation Area colours. Some members said they were not against commercial activity in the Conservation Area. However, this case was especially unfortunate, partly because of the prominent position of the corner site, which was particularly noticeable when travelling north. It was decided that the Conservation Group should formally object to the application.

Z. Any Other Business

AM brought some fascinating historical postcards and other local photographs for members to look at. [Some of which might be also able to be seen (and very expensively bought) at http://www.francisfrith.com/locations/ecclesfield/photos -JP.]