Wednesday 23rd October 2024

Attendees: Jaynet Carrod, Maggie Haverson, Roger Haverson, Thersa Bunting, Jayne Davies, Sally Jackson, Chris  Jackson, Louisa Haine, Andy Cogan, Alan Gamble, Simon Cogan, Laura Petchey

Apologies: Clive Griffiths, Matt Yorke, Matt Luck, Gwynneth Griffiths

1. Introductions (if required) - Not today!
2. Minutes from the last meeting - Agreed and signed by chair
3. Election of Secretary - No volunteers - discuss at end
4. WPC Update - No update from WPC
5. Update from ECDC - No update from ECDC
6. Upware Open Space

• [Separate update attached]
• Bench - continued work, 2 weeks till ready for use
• Q  -what happens to open space if URA is discontinued?
• A - responsibility falls to WPC, volunteers to liaise with WPC for funds and fundraising

6.5 - Defib / URA Closure

• Q - What happens to the defibrillator if URA ceases?
• A - WPC hopefully would take on, but no guarantees

7. Highways / Potholes / Road Closures

• Simple patch/fill in has been done to road where Upware Road meets Great Drove - will be short lived, but contact made at highways to report problems to directly, for quicker repairs as needed. Fix can be repeated as necessary for medium term. Consideration of regreading to a B road, arguments for and against

8. Light pollution – industrial greenhouse

• Issue ongoing - has been reported, and supposedly being monitored, but need more reports if it happens again. Email enforcement officer (address to follow - pinned to facebook)
• Suggestion to pin contact details for reporting issues to top of facebook page
• Action Point - LP - making this happen

9. Social Events/Fundraising

• Consensus on picnic is that it went well and was enjoyed by all.
• Resident is sending pictures to next parish magazine
• Attendees (with exception of Sally & Chris) are happy for photos to be on website
• Fundraising going forwards - dependent on future of URA
• Update on total funds: £1128.62 (£50 of which in cash)
• £278.83 ring fenced open space funding (remainder of £1k grant)
• £500.00 ring fenced for defib battery & pads
• £349.79 available for general use

10. AOB

Secretary role / Future of URA

• Resident suggestion of an Honorarium - payments for offices - generally unwelcomed by attendees
• Resident suggestion for seeking someone outside Upware - other nearby resident - e.g. wicken may be interested in taking on role
• Action Point - Laura Petchey / Lousa H -   to liaise with other FB groups or WPC re finding someone elsewhere
• Queries on delegation of tasks - breaking down the role into pieces - positive response from attendees, discussion on the elements of the role and job sharing potential
• Resident suggestion of “fridging” it (ie the URA), keep it on ice - potentially, though constitution demands 3 meetings p/a and there’s issues on ongoing financial commitments
• Resident suggested formal definitions of job descriptions, what’s involved - responses agree it would be nice, but points raised of flexibility being a plus, that with a “shape your own” role the secretary role is still unfilled, and that writing up such format scopes would be a piece of work in itself. 
• Resident commented on common problem of decline in engagement, treasurer much of the time URA has been in existence. Happy to potentially swap roles if replacement treasurer can be found.
• Resident commented that they are potentially okay with URA being dissolved for now.
• It was shared that the WPC previously offered to take responsibility for defib at some point in the past - but were refused by a previous URA committee? 

11. Date of next Meeting

• Special meeting of committee to be arranged via committee chat for January
• Any queries, comments etc to be emailed to LP in advance of that meeting
• Delay minutes going out until that date is set - to be included below.
• [date not set - update to be circulated with next agenda if URA proceeds]

Upware Open Space Update (courtesy of Gwynneth G)

• Mulch Delivered and put around the existing trees. Paid for by Pride of Place Grant. (Thank you to Matt Cannon for applying for the Pride of Place grant.)

•  Compost bins built and installed. (Pallets donated by Eddie Morrell)

• Area being kept tidy and verge regularly strimmed.

• The area has been weed killed and the stone burying should hopefully have been actioned by end of October. Then the area will be seeded. This work is being paid for by the WPC. ** update - this is due to commence next week (28/10/24) **

• 1,000 daffodil bulbs were planted (donated by Clive Griffiths) and the third bench paid for by the WPC has been installed. (Cement for the installation was donated by Chris Jackson.)

• Approx 15 trees are going to be ordered and hopefully planted in November again being purchased with the Pride of Place Grant. ** Update - these have now been purchased and we are awaiting a delivery and thusly a planting date**

• 7. Donation of approx 10 metres of hedging from Woodland trust to be delivered beginning of November.

• Once the above work has been actioned there are no additional tasks planned until the spring.

I would like to thank the Open Space working group ie: Janet, Sally, Chris and Carl for all their hard work over the past 12 months. It is great to see that all our hard work has moved the open space forward.

Also thanks to all residents that have helped on the tidy and planting Sundays.