Petersfield Area Community Trust: AGM Minutes 2001

Present: See attendance list
Apologies: Ben Bradnack, Hannah Reed, Kevin Blencowe and Bachan Bhalla, Anna Lindsay, Sheila Ingham, Richard Carrington

Part 1: Formal AGM

(1)Welcome & Introduction

(2)Minutes of 2000 AGM

(3)Chair's report

Since the 2000 AGM, PACT has continued to campaign vigorously on behalf of local residents on issues they have raised with PACT. This is a summary of the major developments over the past year.

Approaches to PACT for support in dealing with local planning applications or in addressing problems are always top priority issues for us. PACT is widely acknowledged as a genuine voice for the Petersfield community, and continues to serve as a focus for public consultation. Our 'planning expert' Glenys Malyon has joined the City Council's Development Control User Panel on behalf of PACT. During the course of the year, the management committee has commented on the revision of the Cambridge Local Plan, the measurement of density in new housing developments, the proposed strategy for using money from developers, as well as the Conservation Strategy for Parkers Piece and the local Tourism and Public Art strategies. PACT has participated in a local 'Compact', seeking to improve the relationship between statutory and voluntary services. We continue to express only those views that are guided by genuine community input from public meetings or other consultations. This underlines the importance of your participation!

PACT's 3rd Year

Youth & Community Facilities

• PACT's published analysis of residents' views on community facilities continues to influence the development of public policy (our 1999 Survey of Need showed that 72% of respondents felt that Petersfield needs a Community Centre).
• PACT's Youth & Community Centre subcommittee, with Councilor Hannah Reed, presented a petition to the City Council Community Development and Leisure Committee on 25th January 2001, leading to significant responses from the City Council, including: (1) an April 2001 report synthesizing research to date on youth and community needs in Petersfield; workshops to explore emerging issues; (2) a July 2001 action plan; and (3) a report to the City Council Community Development and Leisure Committee on 8/11/01 (tomorrow!)
• Associated initiatives actively supported by PACT have included: (1) a City/County joint project surveying up to 100 13-17 year olds in Petersfield on local leisure provision; (2) a neighbourhood questionnaire, focusing on more disadvantaged pockets of the ward, seeking feedback on local facilities; (3) the Petersfield Children's Project, conducted by Cambridge Housing Society during Feb-April 2001, exploring the needs of 5-11 year olds in the Ward, including production of a video that expressed children's' views; (4) publication of a draft Directory of Community Facilities in Petersfield, detailing provision available for "social, recreational, educational, caring, cultural and worship purposes"; (5) publicizing and attending workshops to examine the draft Directory, to discuss gaps in provision, and possible ways forward.
• The Youth Group is not currently meeting, due to changes in Youth worker staffing, despite ongoing need.
• PACT has participated in initial consultations with the City Council's Manager of Parks & Recreation about improvements to St Matthew's Piece and has been actively pressuring for a Public Forum, for more widespread public involvement in this process.
• PACT will be attending tomorrow's meeting of the City Council Community Development and Leisure Committee to continue to press for community facilities not yet available in Petersfield.

Planning

• PACT continues to cooperate with Ward Councilors in supporting local residents in successfully challenging and amending inappropriate planning applications at the Carpet Mill (proposals now withdrawn - and funds have been secured for replacement of toilets & improvements to Bath House area); the Beehive site; the Philips' site; Ivy Villa, Stone Street (two appeals by the developer have been dismissed).
• PACT has continued to scrutinize ongoing developments such as the housing on the Foister & Jagg site, and the proposals for the Labgear and Newmarket Road sites, as well as the recent proposals to demolish St Columba's Mission Hall in York Street and replace it with a new doctors' surgery and pharmacy.
• PACT has succeeded in ensuring that residents are now informed about applications for or changes to public entertainments licences - although the magistrates have refused our request to inform residents of applications to sell alcohol.
• PACT has participated in the Red Studio User Group (RSUG), and continues to do its best to ensure that the RSUG fulfils its formal responsibilities by challenging the RSUG to improve the accessibility of facilities and activities in and around the former Howard Mallett building and to pursue established democratic processes.

Campaigning for, Creating & Celebrating Petersfield Facilities

• PACT's Mosaics for the Millennium project, has involved local groups in creating a beautiful mosaic on community themes and is resulting in the transformation of the corner at St Matthew�s and Norfolk St; thanks to generous funding from the City Council Environment Committee, Petersfield now has a new mini-park set to bloom next spring. This will be an attractive setting for the completed mosaic.
• Our latest success: PACT's new Over-50s Coffee Mornings are held on Fridays, 10.30-11.30 am, in the 'Community Room' of the former Howard Mallett Centre - pick up a leaflet from the table by the door to share with a friend or neighbour.
• PACT hosted well-attended community parties in 12/00 (in St Matthew�s Church Hall) and in 6/01 (on St Matthew�s Piece), building community spirit. The next such event will be 5 December, again at St Matthew�s Church Hall - please join us!
• The Mobile Library calls at St Barnabas Church on alternate Thursdays (11.15-11.45 am; next visit 15/11/01); as Petersfield has a mobile or central library within two miles (!) County Council policy means that PACT is unlikely to secure any more mobile library stops in our area.

Traffic

• PACT continues to support Petersfield Streets for People (now an independent group) which published a detailed report of residents� views on safety and other issues relating to the local streetscape.
• PACT has been involved in discussions on improving safety in Norfolk Street, focusing particularly on traffic issues outside St Matthew's School.
• PACT has been involved in consultations on proposed traffic measures affecting pedestrians and cyclists on Coldham�s Lane.

Vandalism, Safety & Homelessness

• PACT repeatedly contacted the City Council, Post Office, and the Cable company and succeeded in having graffiti removed from properties belonging to private residents, the Council and other bodies.
• PACT distributed to 2,000 Petersfield homes copies of a City Council card that explained how to report and request the free removal by the City Council of graffiti.
• PACT has continued to exert pressure on the City Council to take positive steps to address issues arising from the �drinking clubs� occupying the dwindling number of local benches.

Communication

• PACT produced a 3rd issue of IMPACT in 8 stunning pages, and distributed 3,000 free copies to Petersfield homes.
• PACT produced a free advice leaflet with information on sources of help in addressing a wide range of problems, thanks to a grant from the Community Development fund; this was distributed to 3,000 Petersfield homes.
• PACT has been interviewed by Dave Aarons of Radio Cambridgeshire, exploring PACT's key issues and activities.
• PACT members design, create and distribute PACT leaflets, posters & newsletters.
• PACT members display our posters in their windows, to promote PACT events.
• PACT�s website (www.colc.co.uk/cambridge/forum/pact) has developed and flourished.

And Last But Not Least...

• PACT has held dozens of Management Committee and Subcommittee meetings to maintain progress on key issues.
• Regular scrutiny is made of PACT�s account and finances, including at this AGM.
• PACT has been active in fundraising to support its key activities, and would like to explore possibilities offered by the Community Champions Fund which is intended to support local initiatives.

We look forward to another year of vigorous and constructive local community action. Fresh faces are always welcome in PACT, on its working parties and on its management committee.

Valerie thanked Berenice for her work of publicity over the last 3 years.

(4)Treasurer's report

The report was circulated, and Glenys gave a brief explaination. Simon Pearce asked about the grant from Cambridge City Council; specifically why we were given it. Glenys Self asked about the CEN grant for noticeboards; specifically whether it had been spent.

Glenys Malyon asked for the approval of Dennis Peck as the examiner of the accounts. General nodding ensued. The report was also approved.

(5)Elections

Valerie described the functions of the committee members, co-opted members and working parties. The last year's committee members introduced themselves. Valerie asked for nominations. Nine people were nominated and subsequently approved by nodding of heads with no dissension. They were:

• Shirley Whitehouse
• Malcolm Hunter
• Glenys Malyon
• Daniel Gordon
• John Collins
• Dorothy Runnicles
• Anna Lindsey
• Leslie Tubbs
• Valerie Neal

Susan Carlyle expressed an interest in working on the planning working party and Berenice Howard-Smith on Publicity.

(6)PACT Constitution

The formal part of the meeting ended here.

Part 2: Public Meeting

(7)Speaker: Catriona Campbell

Catriona Campbell gave a short talk of the subject of public open space. It comprised sections on what public open space is, how it can be achieved, what should be done once it is in place and how the change affects the community.

Briefly, public open space should be accessible, useful, comfortable and sociable. This can be achieved by assessing current usage, making plans based on this assessment, finding out about funding and who and why it will be used. Many small goals are more useful than one big one, and support from the community is useful. Once the space has been created, it must be managed, kept up and relevant.

Catriona Campbell passed around some pictures of an example space in Switzerland. Dorothy Runnicles asked about animals using the space

(8)Local Open Space issues:

(a) How money should be used

(b) Consultations

(c) Former Howard Mallet Centre east side

(a) Glenys Malyon then spoke about the money available from developments for highways, open space and community development. Cambridge City Council want to use the money on city wide projects and their committee will talk about it in January 2002. We can tell them how we want it to be spent. That is, Recreation facilities versus Community facilities, and whether local projects should take priority over city-wide ones; e.g. Varsity House money is to be spent on renovating St Matthews Piece

(b) Shirley Whitehouse described project ideas for St Matthews Piece and showed them on a map. These were:

• New fencing (for safety)
• Improving play equipment
• Realigning and resurfacing paths
• More seating in play area and elsewhere
• Planting wild flowers
• Re-fencing play area
• Removing old shrubs, planting new
• "Soften" building with plants
• Move basketball area
• Build a youth shelter
• 'Create' a kick-around area
• Removal of smaller trees to allow larger to grow and allow for kickaround area

(c) Shirley Whitehouse showed a map of the east side of FHMC. Glenys Malyon then described the issues.

• children are not allowed to play on it
• It used to have CRC mobile classrooms on it
• Last summer it was ready and young people returned to it but were turned away unexpectedly
• St Matthews Piece is all our land. It was given for public recreation
• Children have been threatened with the police
• A large man "from the council" told them off
• Notices have been put up

• A motion re. 'East side':

  this public meeting is deeply concerned that land to the east of the Howard Mallet Centre has not been made available to the community as public open space. Young people, in particular, have been turned off this land and misleading notices have been put up on the building.

  the local community supports PACT in its efforts to date to secure this land for beneficial use as public open space as required by planning conditions.

  We call upon the County and City Councils to engage in urgent talks with Red Studios, Parkside Community college and the local community as represented by PACT, in order to resolve all difficulties and ensure that this land is indeed open for the public to use as they wish.

• Collect a petition, which will give access to a County Council committee if we have 50 signatures
• Simply use the land, but deterrents are strong. Be firm! Young children should be accompanied
• A Public demo, perhaps just gathering on the site to get in the newspapers.

(9)Group discussions & feedback

The meeting divided into 3 groups and lively discussion ensued. Valerie Neal then asked for feedback and ideas discussed were written on a flip board:

• (a)Use of S106 payments
  • Lobbying re: city-wide projects
  • Public consultation
  • Letter already sent: appropriate councilor/committees
  • Liaison with other community groups
  • Look at planning alternative e.g. Blossom Street, Elizabeth Way underpass, play areas, etc
• (b)St Matthew's Piece
  • Need for Wider consultation
  • Significance of trees: cutting them down is controversial - consultation - keep the trees
  • York St used as quite area/shade/sun
  • Youth Shelter - uses - policing/anti-social problems
  • East side - reclaim for organised ball/kick around area
  • - leaves space for development of other uses
  • - defend what is important & assert this
  • Feedback to John Roper (city council)
• (c)Eastside
  • Used by older children/young adults
  • That it is a public open space - need to use it
  • Public events - one or several to use the space e.g. Frisbee, bouncy castle or festival - publicity
  • TO OWN THIS SPACE FOR US
  • Flats in Staffordshire Street without facilities
  • Unknown no. of children in area - only green space
  • TO FIND OUT WHAT PEOPLE WANT TO DO IN THEIR PARK
  • Petition - fill in and send on
  • If we don't use the space - the children won't
  • Letters to Wayne Viles & City and County Councils

The motion re. the 'east side' was proposed by Glenys Self and seconded by Dorothy Runnicles, and a vote was taken. The votes were from the whole public meeting and not just PACT members. The result was:

• For: 13
• Against: 0
• Abstentions: 1

(10)AOB

Chris Dean (community beat officer) introduced himself and described his beat. He mentioned that the beat may have 2 officers in future as it is so large and Petersfield has the highest crime rate in Cambridge. There will be another 'Crime issues' meeting, and perhaps a Police surgery held in the Bath House. The meeting was favourable.

Nicola Willis (community contact coordinator) described her role. It is to increase the flow of information between the public and the police and awareness of crime prevention. She can be contacted on Cambridge 823234.

Dorothy Runnicles spoke about 'Better government for older people' i.e. aged 50+. It is a national government initiative, and Dorothy is the representative for Cambridgeshire. She wanted PACT's permission to collect information from older people in Petersfield. The meeting agreed.

(11)Closing remarks & refreshments

The meeting ended at 9:32. Valerie thanked people for coming and invited people to a festive party on 5th December.

Glenys Malyon gave a valediction for Valerie for her term as chair of PACT. A vote of thanks was proposed. The meeting applauded enthusiastically.