Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 17 March 2014.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 17 March 2014 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

No declarations of interest were made.

To receive announcements from the Chair about local community events or issues.

No announcements were made.

Members of the public are invited to put questions to the Chair of the Joint Ward Committee on any matters within the powers and duties of the Joint Ward Committee, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice (Questions must be submitted prior to the commencement of the meeting on the cards provided. These are available at the meeting and at local libraries and information centres. You can also submit questions via the Council website at www.stockport.gov.uk/publicquestions.

Once question was submitted concerning the Brinnington Regeneration Plan.

RESOLVED – That the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration be requested to provide a written response to the questioner and that a copy be circulated to Councillors.

To receive petitions from members of the public and community groups.

No petitions were submitted.

To consider any applications for Ward Flexibility Funding or to receive feedback from organisations who have received funding.

There were no Area Funding applications to consider.

The Friends of the Vale guided Councillors on a tour of the Country Park. The following comments were made/issues raised:

·         The park was supported by excellent staff from Solutions SK and it was hoped that they could spend more time on work and projects in the park.

·         The Stroke garden had been a fantastic addition to the park and it had 12 regular attendees.

·         Sustrans met in the country park on Wednesdays.

·         An application for funding had been made to support a world war one project to purchase poppy seeds and snow drops to plant in the park.

·         The Visitors Centre was run by volunteers and was open each day between 10am and 4pm.

·         Conservation and management projects were carried out for 52 weeks a year – anyone was welcome to join the team of volunteers.

·         Litter, fly tipping and off road vehicles remained a threat to the beauty of the park.

·         Volunteers would be able to carry out more work if they were insured to use machinery such as lawn mowers and to be able to climb up ladders.

RESOLVED – (1) That the Corporate Director for Place Management be requested to investigate the possibility of the Council providing the use of vehicle to help the volunteers carry out projects throughout the park and access those parts of the park which are some distance from the visitors centre.

(2) That the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration be requested to report to the next meeting on the possibility of insuring members of the Friends Group to carry out maintenance in the park which requires the use of machinery and climbing up ladders.

The Vice Chair of the Stockport and District Angling Federation attended the meeting and provided an update on issues affecting the pond and a planting project. The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         It was hoped that eight floating islands would be introduced to the pond by September 2014 which it was hoped would project fish from predatory birds.

·         The possibility of using some of the Frank Bramwell Legacy Fund to support the project.

RESOLVED – That the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration be requested to report to the next meeting providing an update of the Frank Bramwell Legacy Fund and commenting on the possibility of using that fund to support the pond project.

To note that future meetings will be held on the following dates:-

1 September 2014

17 November 2014

16 February 2014

RESOLVED – That meetings of the Ward Committee be held on the following dates:-

1 September 2014

17 November 2014

16 February 2015.