Minutes of the Board Meeting of St. Mary’s Island Residents’ Association Ltd. (SMIRA)
held at the Community Centre on Tuesday 24th September 2013
commencing at 7:00pm
Present:
Chair: David Taylor (DT)
Directors: Leslie James, Allan Sneller, Barry Woolford, Steve Farrin and Bob Muid.
Visiting Members: Jean Longuet, Dawn Elms, Brian Viney, Michael Bates, Wendy Pinder, Mandy Haigh, Peter Haigh, Gary Page, Alan Bennett, Matthew Hill, Alan Pestell, Jim Gevaux, Lily Leaver, Arthur Fearria, Barry Benson, Lynda Benson, Anthony Munson, June Munson, Linda Leitch.
CMT Representatives: Heather Kerswell (CEO), Maria Pearson, Dean Marsh.
Medway Councillors: Cllr Craig Mackinlay, Cllr Andrew Mackness.
Invited Guests: Yusuf Çinar (Community Warden), Sue Kemsley (PCSO), Tina Fursey (PCSO).
Apologies for absence: Keith Robinson, Sonia Allen
Abbreviations: CMT – Chatham Maritime Trust, CML – Countryside Maritime Ltd. (developers), HCA – Homes and Communities Agency (SMI landowner), SMI – St. Mary’s Island, SN – Shepherd Neame .
Item 80/13: Minutes of the previous meeting: Adoption of the minutes of the meeting 13th August 2013 were proposed by Barry Woolford, seconded by Allan Sneller and unanimously accepted.
Item 81/13: Matters arising:
No right turn at the Co-op from SMI
Dean Marsh (CMT) updated us that we are now just waiting for Medway Council to start work. They have done a safety survey and technical appraisal and everything is currently in the hands of the design engineer. It is thought that the design will be to extend the existing island providing a solid barrier to anyone trying to turn right into the Ship & Trades car park from the Island.
Vegetation has been cut back in certain areas near the roundabout to improve sight lines and thereby safety.
Radar speed signs
Bob Muid reported that CMT are currently storing our solar powered radar speed signs while we wait for a response from Medway Council. David Warner (Medway Senior Road Safety Engineer) has some observations on our suggested post locations, which relate to the use of vehicle activated signing on the highway. As soon as he has formalised his comments he will come back to us. Medway Council have offered to install the posts for the signs.
Lighting in Central Walk
SMIRA has been pushing for low level lighting in Central Walk as it is a popular walk and in the winter it is very dark. Countryside Maritime Limited (CML) has agreed to install low bollard lighting so that it does not impact on residential properties nearby.
Post Meeting Note: Andrew Usher (CML) has stated that prices have been received from Dadswell's Construction for the posts and installation but a quote from UK Power Networks for the connection has not been received. The works are expected to take 3 weeks but unfortunately the columns are not an off the shelf item and there is likely to be a 6-8 week call off time.
However, for reasons of safety, the lighting will not be low level as previously anticipated but the lamp columns will be the same height as those in other locations on the Island.
Ship & Trades
The Ship & Trades car park is currently badly maintained. There are problems with the drainage, the vegetation, litter and the disabled parking bays outside the Co-op. Shepherd Neame (the leaseholders) are on a long lease and CMT (the landlord) has been in touch with a proposal for CMT to take over the management of the area at a cost to SN.
Dean Marsh (CMT) is currently reviewing all the issues and creating a project cost to bring the area up to CMT estate standards. Once completed (managed by CMT, cost incurred by SN) a maintenance schedule and costing will be proposed to SN to pay on an annual basis for all works. Experience has shown that SN are slow in responding, so if nothing happens then Jacqueline Tolhurst, Asset Manager at CMT, will take further action under the lease.
History Group
Barry Woolford reported that the History Group, which only started this year, is going well. Their second meeting had Sally Ironmonger and Brian Carter singing and playing songs about the dockyard and the Medway towns. The second half of the evening was a talk by Rick Roe about the drownings in St. Mary’s Creek, the Dutch warship that lost its way up the creek and threw its cannons overboard to try and refloat, the oyster fishermen who lost their livelihood as the dockyard was extended and other unusual snippets of information about the island before the basins were built. The next meeting, on Monday 11th November (at 7.30pm), has a talk by Wilf Lower on “Medway Tales of a Dividing River”. Also at that meeting their researchers will be talking about the setting up of the Island school and its first days.
Barry wanted to thank Cllrs Mackness and Mackinlay for providing a further £500 to the group to top up the £250 provided by CMT to get the History Group started. Alan Pestell wanted to congratulate the History Group for their good work.
The History Group now has its own website: www.stmarysislandhistorygroup.co.uk
It was agreed at the meeting that the History Group newsletter would also be distributed via the SMIRA email list.
Item 82/13: Chair’s report:
David Taylor read out a letter from Steve Harriott, Chairman, CMT, which advised us that Matthew Hill (CEO) had decided to leave the Trust by mutual agreement and that they will shortly be seeking to appoint a new Chief Executive to take forward the important work of the Trust. In the meantime CMT have appointed Heather Kerswell as Interim Chief Executive. Heather is a planner by profession and has worked in senior posts across local government, most recently as Chief Executive of Mole Valley District Council. She was previously Interim Chief Executive at CMT in 2011.
David Taylor welcomed Heather to the meeting.
The Community Day was a great success and SMIRA thanked the Trust and Matthew Hill for setting it up.
The SMIRA AGM is on Friday 29th November 2013 and David Taylor informed the meeting that the guest speakers will include Mark Reckless, MP, who will talk about local issues. We hope that either Andrew Usher from CML or their architects will be able to come and talk about the final phase master plan. Cllr Andrew Mackness has agreed to talk about Health and Wellbeing and the local changes which will affect everyone.
Post Meeting Note: The guest presenters are confirmed as follows:
David de Sousa, of PCKO; the architects responsible for the Masterplan for the “Build-Out” of SMI.
Mark Reckless, M.P. for Rochester and Strood
Andrew Mackness, one of our River Ward Councillors
Item 83/13: Chatham Maritime Trust Report:
Dean Marsh reported that CMT had had a meeting with Kent Wildlife about the wild flower area on Finsborough Down. The area concerned is 1000sq.m. and residents had asked for the wild area to be planted with more scenic varieties of plants like poppies and cornflowers (such as below).
The pruning of the landscaping around Riverside Walk is nearly complete. There was a delay due to the presence of brown tail moth and a requirement for additional machinery for the flood wall hang over. The pruning attempted to ‘grade’ the plants, lower at the front and high at the back next to the wall.
Dean Marsh said that there was only one representative from SMIRA on the estate walk set up by CMT. No residents attended. Dean encouraged more residents to take part and give feedback. It’s an opportunity for residents to point out to CMT things that need attention and those that are working well. The estate walks are generally twice a year – spring and autumn.
The Starfish playground camera is working and includes a privacy screen for residents. No Ball Games signs have now been placed inside the playground and are being enforced by CMT land management officers. The new camera and signs are working well and have resolved many issues.
There are currently 12 CCTV cameras on SMI.
All hedges around the children’s’ playgrounds are due to be cut back and a dog waste bin in the dog run on Finsborough Down is to be relocated.
Maria Pearson (CMT) reported on the Community Fun day which was on Saturday 21st September. Feedback from residents was very positive and all those involved thought it was a successful day. This year, CMT obtained sponsorship from many sources so the overall costs were down on last year.
Heather Kerswell (CEO, CMT) told the meeting that the Trust dealt with dreams to drains, such was the scope of their work. The big issues currently are the final phase master plan, possible renewal of the boardwalk, working with the owners of Colonial House about their plans and the on-going promotion and management of the Community Centre.
Item 84/13: SMI Final Phase Master Plan
The master plan application has been submitted to Medway Council and is now going through a validation process (basically checking the legal side of things). Medway Council will inform SMIRA once there is a planning number and we will put full details of the application on our website. All residents should have received a letter from Andrew Usher of CML about the application along with a sheet showing a plan and some artist’s impressions of the development.
Of the 97 affordable homes that are still to be provided in the final phases, under the s106 agreement, it is proposed that 62 of these will be provided in an Elderly Extra Care Facility which forms part of the application. The remainder will be provided as shared equity properties. David Taylor felt that this was as good an outcome as we could have hoped for.
A special meeting was hosted by SMIRA on the 18th of September for residents concerned about a number of historic planning applications. SMIRA approached Cllr Andrew Mackness who kindly arranged for Officers of Medway Planning Department to be present to answer these planning queries, the historic issues regarding the allocation of affordable housing and to explain the current proposal regarding affordable housing in the final ‘build-out’ phase. At the end of the meeting most of the residents in attendance seemed satisfied with both the historic answers and the current planning application. A list of the questions and answers can be found on the SMIRA website: http://www.smira.info/files/SMIRA%20special%20meeting%20QandA.doc
SMIRA would like to place on record its appreciation of the Council officers who attended for their time and professionalism and to Cllr Andrew Mackness for arranging this.
The final phase master plan leaflet and artists impressions can be found on the SMIRA website: http://www.smira.info/masterplan.html
SMIRA has requested that, in the final phase build-out, any landscaping falling within key areas in the public realm or fronting the public realm is maintained under a maintenance charge. This should mean that we don’t get the problems we have with some properties on Central Walk where the front gardens are not kept as well as might be expected.
Once the planning application has gone through validation and we have an application number full details of the application will be posted on the SMIRA website along with details about how residents can comment on the application. Notification will also be sent out to all those on the SMIRA email list (http://www.smira.info/register.html).
Item 85/13: Street Fuel – the Environment Agency permit
Street Fuel Limited has applied for a transfer application for the site currently operated by Nordic Recycling Limited. A further application has been made by Street Fuel Ltd to vary the permit, which will allow additional types of waste to be treated at the site.
Because of the response from residents, Street Fuel Limited has removed from the application the biodegradable wastes (e.g. black bag waste).
The Environment Agency (EA) has extended the time for objections to 30th September. SMIRA, our councillors and MP Mark Reckless have all made representation to the EA objecting to aspects of the application and expressing our concerns. Many residents of SMI have also done so and the more people that make representation the more the EA will take the comments into consideration.
If residents haven’t already taken part in the consultation then they should do so at: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/research/library/consultations/148919.aspx
In response to requests from SMIRA and our local councillors the EA set up drop-in sessions for concerned residents at the Community Centre on Friday 20th September between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and Wednesday 25th September between 2:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Post Meeting Note: the EA have informed SMIRA that around 200 residents attended the “drop-in” sessions to both find out more about the application and raise their concerns.
The EA will monitor the new activity at the docks and may well bring in dust monitors as they did with the wood-chip problem. They will look at the degree of control over odours, dusts, pests, noise and fire etc.
When David Taylor spoke to Jon Griffin of the EA and asked what residents should be concentrating on, he said noise from the metal recycling (although they are not recycling cars); litter; odours and pests and dust from the construction materials. As it is a port operation residents should also consider hours of working as some port operations are 24 hours.