2. Meeting Update 5th September 2007

Here are the main things discussed / decided at our first AGM on 5^th September :

Election of Officers : Chair – Christine Beal, Vice Chair – Bob Parker, Secretary – Joanna Blanco-Velo, Treasurer - Gill Oates, Child Protection – Paul Rogan, New Posts : Projects – Jimmy Fitt, Crime & Safety - Tom Caselton

Carr Green & Crowtrees Community Plan : The Group has just received a grant from Calderdale Council Community Services Small Grants Scheme to enable us to conduct a survey of all households to give everyone the chance to input in to our community plan. It was suggested that a newsletter is included to help increase awareness that the group is not a protest group, but has a much wider agenda. The grant will also fund an event to help raise the group profile, and the setting up of a website to improve communication.

Playground at Carr Green Recreation Ground : The plans for the new playground have been finalised following the public consultation meeting in July. It is hoped work will completed in October / November time. Concern was raised about the state of the wall alongside the old playground. Mohammed Riaz from Calderdale Safer Communities Team agreed to investigate this on behalf of the group.

Cycle Play Track at Carr Green Recreation Ground : Our first grant application to fund the building of a children’s cycle play track to the Local Network Fund was unsuccessful. We will now apply to Awards for All.

Rastrick Police Forum : Police Community Support Officer

for our area, Nick Mance told the meeting that the police welcome the reporting of any incidents of concern on their 0845 6060606 non-emergency number. Alternatively Tom Caselton will pass on concerns via the police forum meetings which he attends on behalf of the group, and can be contacted on tom@tcaselton.fsworld.co.uk, or via the chair (as above), or at group meetings.

Tidy-up at Jumble Dyke / Crowtrees Lane : It was decided that this had been a success and on the strength of it, the group decided to do a tidy up every quarter. The snicket between Carr Green Avenue and Carr Green Lane was suggested and agreed for the next tidy-up, with Calderdale Council’s Safer Communities Team to assist. This is now confirmed for Sunday 14^th October at 1pm. All welcome ( wellies recommended! ) to come and help out.

Crowtrees Village Green : The application is still in process. Our group re-affirmed its support for the Village Green to go ahead. The main benefit to our community is that it’s the best way to ensure the land isn’t used to site a mobile phone mast. There has been repeated plans for this in the past and Village Green Status will stop such applications.

Carr Green Lane Development : The group put together a response document to the appeal by the developer on the refusal of their first application. This is available to view at Rastrick Library. The Planning Inspectorate’s decision is expected in October/November. Meanwhile a second application was put forward by the developer, this time with full as opposed to outline plans, and with one less house. The group felt that all the grounds on which the first application had been refused still stood, and was concerned that some of these points were no longer part of the Planning officer’s recommendation for refusal. We took steps to ensure that the decision once again went to the full Planning Committee. The group’s views were strongly represented at their meeting on 18^th September and the application was refused on all the same points as the original application.

Miscellaneous : Concern was raised about dog fouling in the area and the lack of signs to discourage it, or dog waste bins to encourage responsible disposal. Mohammed Riaz again agreed to investigate.