STANTON LOW

Stantonbury Parish Council Offices

Thursday 4 June 201510:00 am

Rebecca Trouse - RT / RT Programme Manager
Kate Davidson - KD / Project Manager
Sue Brown - SB / Landscape Architect
Phil Bowsher - PB / Head of Landscape Strategy & Development The Parks Trust
Maureen Martin - MM / Project Support Officer
Bob Lark - BL / Stantonbury Parish Council
Helen Mortimer - HM / Clerk to Stantonbury Parish Council
Nigel Wright - NW / Save St. Peters Church
Pauline Wright - PW / Save St. Peters Church
Tom O'Callaghan -TO / Oakridge Park Residents Association
  1. Apologies

  1. Minutesof last meeting – 22 April 2015

RT will send HM an article for the parish magazine 0406115. / RT
  1. Phase 1 –works, maintenance

Phase one’s soft landscaping included the planting of 230 trees, thousands of native hedgerow shrubs and bulb planting is nowcompleted andis being maintained by the Councils Landscape Contractor. The hard landscaping works including a tar spray and chip footpath and the installation of seats, bins and knee rail fencing have also been completed.
There were a few problems with the handover of the phase 1softworks to the Councils maintenance team which have now been resolved. The grass on the linear strips is being reseeded by the phase 1 landscape contractor to improve the quality This will be maintained by Continental Landscapes until established.
  1. Phase 2 – Planning, Planting, Hard Works, Play Area

A planning application has been submitted for the visitor car park which is going to be accessed from Newport Road.It was decided not to continue negotiations with the developer as it meant MKC entering into an unknown long term financial maintenance agreement. The carpark will have hard surface parking for 18 vehicles and a softer greener area with 20 places. There would be a height restriction barrier to prevent large vehicle parking and a lockable post to deter late night parking or unsociable behaviour. A separate Tender will be published for the car park to start mid-autumn.
A further 200 plus trees and native shrubshave been planted in phase 2, including a community orchard.A bore test will be done on the dead chestnut tree to see if it can be safely cut down. It may be trimmed or cut down and the trunk left to rot. The phase 2 bulbs will be planted in the Autumn.
Ground Controlhas been awarded the Phase 2 hard landscaping contract to install,footpaths, horse trails, the disabled car park, turning circle and fences. Work will commence at the end of Juneand be completed by mid-October.Letters will bedelivered to canal boat users one week before the works commence to notify them that work is starting on the turning circle and the effect on the road usage. A compound will be placed on the area of the turning head and new disabled car park whilst the hard landscaping work is being carried out.
The surface of the bridge needs to be removed and resurfaced, the Parks Trust has suggested a mixture of resin and gravel and the bridge repointed. We will start work on the bridgeonce we have the consent of the Canal and Rivers Trust as part of the phase 2 hardworks contract.
The wall along Swans Way will be repaired where there is significant damage and a newgate installed as part of the phase 2 hardworks contract. NW would like to involved members of U3A and will send request by e-mail to SB.
The new Neighbourhood Play Area will provide play equipment, a cycle path and a community amenity area. The contract for these works will be awarded in late June, with works anticipated to start in September 2015. The contractor will be supplied with contact details of key people to contact or they will contact SB. / NW
  1. St Peter’s Church

The Listed Building Consent has been granted and the contract awarded, the work will commence soon. The contractor will be searching the local area for existing stones from the church and some stones are to be recovered from the Linford Lakes Nature Reserve. KD will send the contractor contact details to PB.
All the growth will be removed from the church yard to see what is underneath; the wall and arch are to be rebuilt. NW asked whether the squint would be replaced as the angle was critical. KD said the specification for the works contained past photos and KD would meet with the contractor once work has commenced.
NW said there was a Norman grave stone near to the church door which is currently covered. KD will speak to Stephen Narborough about a report that was written aboutthe grave stones. Work will not be completed by St Peter’s day 24 June15 but should be ready for the heritage day 10 September 15. NW said they would take photos to show the developments throughout the restoration andthen display the improvements that have been made. HM offered to laminate the photos for the Heritage Day. NW said they were looking to get a grant to help with the day and SB suggested they NW speak with Nick Crank.
The security around the church and contractor’s compound will be the responsibility of the contractor. When the work has been completed, the fencing will remain in place until early 2016 in order to prevent unauthorised access. The fencing will eventually be removed.
NW asked if MKC could purchase the land beside the church not currently owned by MKC. RT said that no plans had been made and that there was a risk that the price could be inflated by the owner if he thought it critical to the development of the park. / KD
KD
  1. Anti-social behaviour

Signs will be erected across the Park, to notify residents that work is commencing and to state that access for vehicles is prohibited.Fencing to be constructed in an attempt toprevent vehicles driving across the land in the park Any sightings and any other anti-social behaviour should be reported to Thames Valley Police
The land is currently owned by Milton Keynes Council, once implementation is complete, the long-term management of the Park will be transferred to the Milton Keynes Parks Trust. Funds from the gravel extraction will be put into an endownment to pay for continued maintenance of the park.
  1. AOB

Tom asked about the plan for the Winchcombe play park. SB said that consultations had taken place over the past year and that there was resident support for the planned improvement works. However, some residents living opposite the play area are objecting. She said she was willing to meet with residents on site to discuss theplannedimprovements and to listen to their views. SB will create a leaflet for BL and will send the plan to Tomto be circulated, to highlight what the planned changes are and to again ask for feedback.
NW asked if there had been an archaeological survey done on two of the paddocks SB said that only the land around the church had been surveyed, the rest of the area was protected and had a,‘no build restraint’, on it. PB will send NW the survey report that was done for the original housing development. / SB
PB
Date of next meeting
23 July 2015, 10.00 am, Stantonbury Parish Offices

Minutes of Stanton Low mtg 220415Page 1 of 3