Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 22 December 2018.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting held on 22 October 2018 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests they had in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

No declarations of interest were made.

No announcements were made.

Members of the public are invited to put questions to the Chair of the Ward Committee on any matters within the powers and duties of the 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 the meeting.  You can also submit via the Council’s website at www.stockport.gov.uk/publicquestions.

Members of the public were invited to put questions to the Chair on any matters within the powers and duties of the Committee, subject to the exclusions set out in the Code of Practice.

No public questions were submitted.

No petitions were submitted.

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

No applications for ward flexibility funding were submitted.

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration will attend the meeting and provide an update on rabbit coursing and poaching at Reddish Vale Country Park..

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration attended the meeting and provided an update on rabbit coursing and poaching at Reddish Vale Country Park.

Members of the Committee were shown examples of notices that could potentially be put up and asked for comments.  The fine that was mentioned on the notice is the maximum that can be issued by a magistrate for this offence.

The cost of the signage would be as follows:

A4 aluminium sign - £15.91

A3 aluminium sign - £25

3 or 4 posts – installation would be £135 for the biggest.

With regards to CCTV or the covert (trail log) cameras, these will be difficult to place and the actual distance in which they can record is so limited that it is felt that they would not be worth installing.  CCTV in the car park would provide registration numbers but this would not prove any infringement of the Hunting Act 2004, so again is not necessarily worth installing.

The following comments were made/issues raised:

·         The signs would need to be high enough so that they could not be vandalised.

·         Members questioned whether all the signs in Tiviot Dale were in date, and whether this was regularly checked.

·         Members felt that some monies may be forthcoming from other budget areas.

·         The first line of the sign was agreed.

·         Members commented that badgers as well as rabbits are also being targeted.

·         There are one or two names that the police are aware of.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration will attend the meeting and provide an update on issues affecting the management of Reddish Vale Country Park.

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration attended the meeting and provided an update on issues affecting the management of Reddish Vale Country Park.

Members were advised that the volunteers at the visitor centre continue to do a good job and that the Friends of Reddish Vale had a successful Christmas event.  An Easter event was planned for 23 April and a summer event on 28 July.

Work was due to start imminently on extensive patchwork which had received £24,000 capital funding.

Materials for work on Blackberry Lane were being sourced and volunteers would do the work.  In addition an art project was being launched which the last of the Frank Bramwell fund had paid for.  The artist who had designed the signs has done an impressive job.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.

Councillors and members of the public are invited to suggest items for inclusion on future agendas.

Members discussed the possibility of the Committee going to visit the Wildlife Garden at Reddish Vale in the near future.