Secretary: Mike Rooke, Sycamore Mount, Higher Arthurs, Greenfield, OL3 7BE

Dec ‘05

Dear Everyone,

Open to all Greenfield and Grasscroft residents, our next meeting will take place on Tuesday 10 th January ’06 at 7.30 p.m. at the King Bill, Chew Valley Road, Greenfield.

AGENDA

Minutes of our last meeting held on Tues October 18th ‘05

Present: George Bennett, Mike & Edith Howarth, Jacky Knight, Bob & Jack Massey, Des O’Brien, Graham Parker, Mike Rooke, Jason White.

Apologies: Adele & Trevor Baxter, Christine Bennett, Mavis Bingley, Joan & John Frost, David & Kath McNeeney, Sheila Morton, Dave Sanders.

1. Matters Arising

	Councillor Richard Knowles had queried the 2001 Census population figures we’d received from AGMA’s Policy and Research Unit. As a consequence, we’d queried the accuracy of OMBC’s data sources at November’s Area Committee Meeting and how the council then uses these sources. We’ve been promised a written response on this matter. Mike R. had also spoken with Reyna Haynes at the Primary Health Care Trust. Confirming that there were 3 practices serving patients from our villages, (i..e. Dr Atherton, Saddleworth Health Centre and Dr Kelso (Lees), Reyna was unable to disclose the numbers of patients registered because of confidentiality issues concerning the public domain. She said that there were national targets for patients per GP, but there were good practice guidelines. In theory, the average is 1,800-2,000 per full-time GP, but variables of health need and infrastructure (e.g. nursing services in GP practices) mean that levels of GP provision vary more significantly from area to area. Given that this issue also relates to house building in this area, we intend to pursue this matter at January’s Area Committee Meeting.
	George has now reminded OMBC’s Mr Hindle 6 times of his promise to get back to us with a decision about release of small-scale OS maps, but has yet to get any response.
	We’ve received a letter from Inspector Peter England about the dangers of parking at the junction of Kinders Lane and Chew Valley . It has been agreed that the Safer Neighbourhoods Officer, PC Pickles will monitor the problem in future.
	Mike R., Mike H and Edith reported back from the Communities Together Conference held by Oldham Partnership at the Pennine Way Hotel on Nov 22 nd. Our impression of the event was positive. The experience was useful. Mike H. & Edith had attended workshops on the Environment and Crime & Disorder, whilst Mike R. had participated in Community Cohesion and Culture Workshops. Whilst there was a lot of evidence that many volunteers and organisations were active within the borough, many OMBC officers and councillors still seem to be failing to value these efforts and engage with people on the ground. Apparently, councillors had been invited but none were in attendance on the day. Various publications picked up at the Conference were distributed at our meeting – including The Oldham Agenda 21 Plan, Community Strategy 2005.08 and A Guide to the Oldham Partnership.
	The Lancashire Branch of the CPRE launch day had been postponed and a Developing Communities’ course arranged instead, which Mike R. attended on Thurs Nov 17 th. After this event, David Clarke, a CPRE officer asked if GGRA had any suggestions about how CPRE could be useful in the borough. Before putting forward our ideas, we decided to invite a CPRE rep to one of our meetings in the new year to find out more about the organisation to which we subscribe.
	As agreed, Graham had tried making contact with Alan Cooper, a formerly active Hey Top tenant of Fletchers’ Mill, but he’s presently out of the country. Graham will contact Alan on his return.
	Mike R. had failed to get through to Stephen Hoy at Voluntary Action Oldham to assess what future technical costs may be incurred to improve our website, but would pursue this matter before our next meeting.
	Supporters of Saddleworth Moors Action Group (SMAG) have been asked if they can help with door-to-door distribution of Anti-Wind Farm leaflets in the Greenfield/Grasscroft area. Those wishing to help should contact our Chair – David McNeeney (Tel: 874313) or e-mail Mike Buckley at mikebuckley@saddleworth.net

2. Correspondence and Communications

	A note from the Safer Neighbourhood Community Policing team had been posted in the Higher Arthurs/Kinders Lane area about rubbish being removed from wheelie bins. Though this could be a childish prank, the police felt this could relate to more serious offences such as identity fraud. We agreed a). to thank the CPO team for this initiative and b). to post this info on our website asp.
	We’d just received an e-mail via David Chadderton from Inspector England about thefts of roughly 20 saddles and bridles from Roebucks Farm in Friezland Lane and Knowles Lane Farm, Lees in the early hours of Monday 21 st Nov. The total loss is in excess of £20,000. Sadly, Graham and Jacky Parker said their own horse tackle had been stolen in this burglary. Insp. England warned people to be on their guard and to contact the police if we hear of equestrian gear being offered for sale.
	Participants in the Knoll Spinning Inquiry had received a letter from the ODPM explaining that the Inspector’s decision was being delayed till Dec 9 th due to his 2 week+ illness after the Inquiry.
	Saddleworth Civic Trust’s Late Summer Newsletter, Lancashire CPRE’s Countrywise Autumn Newsletter and Groundwork’s Changing Places/Changing Lives were circulated.
	Adele & Trevor Baxter thanked us for our “kind words and thoughts” at what’s been a difficult time for them. Trevor said that one or both of them hoped to be back with us in 2006.
	After representations from various members, we were prompted to ask November’s Area C’tee Meeting what local councillors could suggest to slow down the accelerated trend for house building in large gardens in Saddleworth. Chairman John Hudson was unable to consider our request, as our question had referred to specific past and present planning applications (i.,e. Fernhill and 62, Oldham Rd) and OMBC Planning C’tee members would be compromised. However, John has indicated via e-mail that a more general question could be considered in future. George felt that any question shouldn’t imply that GGRA had adopted a policy against all such developments and that we should continue to treat each planning application on a case-by-case basis. Once we’d seen the plans to build residential flats at 62, Oldham Rd , a decision could be taken whether or not to object on grounds of design/density of dwellings, TPO’s and traffic access.

3. Treasurer’s Report

Our new Treasurer, Graham Parker, presented the accounts as follows:

Cash in Bank £300.97
Cash in Hand £82.00
Total £382.97

The Cash in Hand includes £36.00 (Subscriptions), £36.00 (Donations) and £10.00 brought forward.

Subs and Donations have so far been gratefully received from the following residents: David & Kath McNeeney, Jason White, George Bennett, Graham Parker and Jacky Knight, Mike and Edith Howarth, David Sands & R. Sands, Vince & Sybil Hill, John & Sandi Garner, Des & Margaret O’Brien, Roger & Cathy Gould, Steve Wright, Mike Rooke.

(NB: Could all recipients of our Minutes who haven’t yet paid, please complete and return the reply slip below?)

4. November’s Area Committee Meeting

In addition to matters referred to above, GGRA also put a question re. the lack of consultation and community involvement in OMBC’s staging of the event on Sunday Nov 6 th to mark the opening of Ladhill Park Play Area and Kick Pitch improvements. The decision to go ahead with this lottery-funded celebration had been taken over 5 weeks before the date and yet no-one from the OMBC Arts/Events team had contacted our 3 local primary schools until prompted by Councillor Richard Knowles 3 days beforehand. The Satelllite Youth Club and other key local agencies were only given 48 hours notice of the event via an e-bulletin sent out by Oldham ’s Environment Strategic Partnership. As GGRA had never been on the Area Committee’s mailing list, we never received notice of the event in any form whatsoever! (This omission has now been rectified.)

Following a written response to our question from the Regeneration Dep’t’s Arts/Events team, we submitted Rebuttal Evidence, in which we not only restated that an opportunity to build on community cohesion had been wasted but also that it would have been appropriate to advertise this launch event in the local press.

As a result of our intervention, John Clifford (Head of Arts/Events) rang to phone our secretary explaining that his outdoor events team/budget had been cut this year and that he felt there was insufficient notice to engage local people in the launch event activities. However he did apologise for the fact that contact wasn’t made with our key local agencies. We welcomed John’s offer to come and speak with a GGRA meeting in the new year re. future events in our villages. John also suggested we invite Greenfield resident Alison O’Brien, organiser of Saddleworth’s annual Folk Festival on this occasion.

A rumour had been circulating that only £40,000 had been spent on the park developments, and yet the estimated funding breakdown totalled almost £116,000. Mike R. promised to look into how this S.106 money from local building developers was being spent and whether some of these funds were being spent elsewhere in the borough.

6. Fletcher’s Mill Update

Mike R. and George reported back from our meeting with Phil Woolas and Andrew Fletcher (OMBC) who had responded positively to GGRA’s range of potential options for the site. We were now planning to meet John Bird – OMBC’s Head of Regeneration, along with Phil Woolas to discuss how such ideas could be progressed. Meantime we were awaiting the outcome of the UDP Inquiry.

During the interval of a recent local event, Phil Woolas introduced Mike R. to Richard Catlow, Editorial Director of the Greater Manchester Weekly Newspapers (The Advertiser Group). We agreed that we should contact him by letter explaining that we’ll submit Fletcher Mill stories to him on later dates to maximise impact.

We also agreed to ask David Chadderton for any useful information about contamination of the Fletchers Mill site.

For obvious reasons, it was unanimously agreed that we should not present any sensitive references to strategy and tactics about the Fletchers’ Mill site in any future GGRA Minutes or e-mail circulars.

7. A.O.B

	Denshaw.net website is being added to ggra.co.uk’s web-links.
	Jason White had e-mailed Mike R. asking what links/support GGRA could establish with the newly formed Homewatch group at Wellington Road . If members of this group come along to our meetings to raise residents’ local issues, we’ll do our best to support. their concerns in the best way possible. We’ll extend this invitation to all such community groups via our e-mail network.

Date of our Next Meeting - Tuesday Jan 10th – 7.30 p.m.

GGRA’s Subscription of £3.00 for 2005/06 is now due.

If you haven’t already paid your ‘05/’06 sub and wish to support the Association’s work for our village communities, please send your subscription/donation to our Treasurer:

Graham Parker,
15, Hey Top
Greenfield
Oldham
OL3 7NB.

For past minutes, please visit the minutes archive.