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NE&SW Bridleways Committee Meeting
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Date
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Monday, April 16th 2007
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Time
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2000 hours
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Venue
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The Plough, Radwinter
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Attendees
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Carol Grant
Rebecka Price-Smith
Lynn Smith
Jane Cleaver
Hannah Collins
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Babette Whitehead
Karen Fishe
Garron Baines
David Haylock
Jan Rennie
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Apologies
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ITEM
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Action
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Minutes & matters arising
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CG produced a sample membership form which could be used at the public meeting. BHS affiliation was discussed. GB said it would cost nothing to affiliate. A discount for SF Riding club members was discussed. It was decided this could be complicated unless the riding club would collect the fees & pay NE&SW a single annual sum. Elizabeth Kirk, a life member on NE Bridleways to be offered the same for NE&SW. GB said an electronic membership form should be produced for prospective members on email. JC pointed out that the new membership fee was far higher than for the old NE group. At the public meeting prospective members should be told how the money would be spent. CG had accumulated a list of prospective members. CG said that a BHS liaison officer would be helpful
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GB to talk to SW riding group about payment of a single annual fee to NE&SW in return for a discount for their members
CG to contact all on the list of prospective members to ask for support at the public meeting
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Byway maintenance. ECC closures/additional resources/ reorganisation
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GB said he had attended a meeting of Essex rider's representatives with Tony Ciaburro, head of highways. Mr Ciaburro had agreed that NE bridleways had not been adequately funded. GB said that EEC was 4* rated so had full funding. They were in danger of losing this rating due to the poor state of rights of way. Additional funds had now been diverted to pay for the maintenance of the 9 byways with TROs and work had started. LS felt the tracks would soon be ruined again once there was a prolonged spell of wet weather. GB said Tony Ciaburro had agreed to look at the possibility of maintenance work being done in anticipation of problems. CG said other councils had different levels of bridleways. GB said ECC had decided on no restrictions on motorised vehicles on byways so legally, only devices such as TROs could be applied.
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Media campaign, coverage
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KF said that following a meeting of KF, LS, RPS, CG, and GB a successful campaign had produced coverage on TV and in several local papers. About 50 people had been attending in support when the TV film was shot.
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New Surfaces
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GB said that we could now influence what surface was applied to the tracks. JC said that Gordon Hands had been most helpful. JC and RC had obtained a DEFRA handbook produced for local authority contractors instructing on the correct maintenance of tracks. JC said the main problem was drainage. If this was correct, a planing surface worked very well. RPS said that in Lancashire a railway sleeper device was used on tracks to slow down motorised traffic. HC pointed out that as byways were closed more illegal traffic would be tempted onto bridleways. KF said that after requests signs had been put up on a local byway but these had proved totally ineffective as they were too small.
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RC and JC to continue researching track surfaces.
GB to write to Tony Ciaburro to point out that notices on byways must be larger to be effective
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Public Meeting
Logistics
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KF said there would be an ad for the public meeting in the SW Weekly News and also in Essex Rider. Committee members had mailshotted livery yards and feed stores and CG distributed further literature for distribution. Numbers attending the meeting were difficult to estimate so wine to be obtained on sale or return. Budget to be agreed with GC. GB pointed out that some people would attend because of the noise nuisance, not because of interest in riding. It must be emphasised at the meeting that our campaign was wider.
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LS & HC to deal with membership, donations and petitions at meeting. CG & RPS to do catering. CG to collect village hall keys. GC to pay for hall and agree budget.
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Public meeting
b. Content
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GB to open meeting with short introduction indicating the group's aims and ambitions. GB's pictures of track abuse to be shown in slide show. Anglia TV film to be shown. KF to give short talk as a livery yard owner and farmer. Phil Wadey to give 20 minute talk. It was agreed we should try to identify people at the meeting who could 'sheriff' areas not yet covered. GB would have supper with Phil Wadey before the meeting.
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GB & KF to prepare presentations. Committee members wishing to have supper beforehand to email GB in advance
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Funds/
Administration/
Constitution
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The funds to be received from NE Bridleways were still not known. DH roughly estimated it to be about 3500. DH had had several letters from NE members, none had objected to the merger. GB said committee members should use discretion over expenses. Use of funds was discussed. GB suggested money be used for creation of bridleways, production of maps, events and in the future buying access to land. Attendees at the meeting would be asked if they wished to serve on the committee. Present committee to offer themselves en bloc at the meeting. GB said a volunteer with legal skills would be useful.
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GC to arrange change of signatures on NE funds
GB and JR to work on Constitution to be presented at meeting
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Committee roles
& responsibilities
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GB chairman, CG membership secretary and training, RPS events and rides, GC treasurer initially to be succeeded by JW, KF press and publicity, HC P3, JR minutes secretary and correspondence.
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P3
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HC to carry on relationship with Lisa Cross. Once public meeting is over, P3 agreement can be completed.
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Future activities,
Turpins way ride
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Turpins way ride now postponed to weekend after Burghley, September 8/9. GB suggested NE&SW plan it together with Elizabeth Barratt and Essex Bridleways Association. Short circular routes would have to be planned for riders wishing to ride only part of the way. Parking must be carefully planned. GB, CG, RPS and KF to attend planning meetings
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GB to arrange meeting with Elizabeth Barratt & EBA
JR to ask JW to join planning meetings
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Stansted Funding
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JR said Stansted Airport Community Trust had a lot of funds for local projects and the application process was very straight forward.
2000 was usually the maximum grant. The best use of such funding was discussed. It was agreed that this could usefully pay for half the cost of production of ride leaflets EEC would pay the other half
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JR to obtain grant application form
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AOB
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CG said tabards would cost 4.50 from BHS but discounts could be obtained for large numbers. CG said she had enquired about Equine specific first aid courses but no dates were available at the moment. DH suggested contacting the Agricultural Rural Training Board. GB said we needed to be able to offer clear documentation about the DEFRA higher stewardship scheme to farmers who we wished to interest in providing riding strips EBS could help as they probable had a DEFRA specialist... CG suggested that in the future we should compile a pictorial time map of the area so that progress on the stat of tracks could be monitored. GB said ECC were funding individual ramblers to do this for footpaths so it should be possible to fund the same for riders. Due to time constraints remaining item (Access Essex) was deferred to another time. The meeting closed at 2200 hours
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GB to investigate tabards
JR to contact EBA for help with DEFRA higher stewardship scheme.
JR to write letter to Tony Ciaburro asking about funding for sheriffs
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Next meeting.
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.To be arranged
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