FRIENDS OF HOLLINGWORTH LAKE - DOC

							FRIENDS OF HOLLINGWORTH LAKE

MEETING 19TH JULY 2007

IN ATTENDANCE
F Carline – Resident, P.A Carline – Resident, B Cropper – Vice Chair, E.A
Cropper – Resident, Catherine White – Littleborough Police Station, Sarah
Rafferty – Littleborough Police Station, Rae Street – Civic Trust & Resident,
Pete Bramwell – LRUFC, Nina King – Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club, Denise
Catley – Treasurer, Raymond Matthews – Resident, John Catley – Resident,
Vicky Tisdall – Resident, Steve Tisdall – Resident, Steph Mills – Resident,
Kath Mills – Resident, Frank Mills – Resident, Ray Smith – Resident, Ken
Rosbotham – Chairman, Jane Holmes – Secretary

OFFICERS
Andrew Whitehead – Countryside and Community Facilities Manager, Katie
Kinsella, Assistant Townships Manager – Pennines

   1. Welcomes and Introductions

   2. Apologies for Absence

   Apologies were received from Sylvia Allen, Sarah Russon, Gary Butler,
   Eleanor Sherwin, Principal Ranger.

   3. Additions to Agenda

   An e-mail was received from Cllr Peter Evans, Littleborough Lakeside
   Ward entitled ‘action to prevent further action’, in respect of traffic road
   accidents on roads around Hollingworth Lane. The e-mail was circulated
   to the group for information.

   In respect of the issue of the boundary of Hollingworth Lake and
   responsibility, AW reported that UU had been unable to trace details of
   the boundary. An RMBC Officer had been approached and AW was
   awaiting a response.

   The Hollingworth Lake Working Group had met the previous night
   (18.7.07), Ken Rosbotham reported that the working group would meet on
   the 7th August 2007 to walk round the lake, to agree areas of responsibility
   and look at the area covered in the lease.

   It was made clear that UU would be unable to contribute to the costs of
   the Friends Group, however, it was agreed that the group would approach
   the Pennines Township for funding of the maintenance costs of the group.
   AW reported that UU had worked out the lease and how much the lake
   costs to maintain, it had been calculated that it costs UU £60,000 to
   maintain the lake against a lease cost to RMBC of £30,000.
AW confirmed that UU responsibility under the terms of the lease was to
maintain the roads so that UU can access the lake by 4x4 vehicle to
maintain the lake, any improvement above this lay with RMBC.

At the previous friends meeting, it had been suggested by Paul Williams
of UU that any improvement by the friends of group or RMBC through the
lease that would add capital value may result in a decrease in the amount
of lease, this was not a very concrete proposal and was expressed as an
‘overgenerous statement’

It was agreed that there should be co-operation between the Friends of
group and the Hollingworth Lake Working Group. It was agreed that there
would be a representative from the friends group attend the working group
meetings and report to the friends of group and that the friends of group
would circulate minutes of meetings to the working group.

ACTION – JH to circulate minutes of meetings to working group.

4. Agreeing the constitution

At the previous meeting, two constitutions had been submitted to the
group for consideration for implementation, a short and long version. A
number of members of the group expressed concern over the short
version (although this was generally favoured by the group) and would
prefer an amalgamation of the short and long version.

It was agreed that the Committee, constituting Chairman, Vice Chair,
Treasurer and Secretary would meet in advance of the next friends of
meeting to finalise an appropriate draft of the constitution for final
agreement by the group at the next meeting.

ACTION – JH to draft constitution.

No one had submitted any drafts of an objects clause for submission in
the constitution, again, it was agreed that this issue would be addressed
by the Executive committee and included in the draft Constitution for
consideration at the next meeting.

5. Road / Public Highways Problems

Rakewood to Overflow

There were many concerns raised over the safety of this area from
Rakewood to the Overflow, Rae Street explained that problem briefly in
terms of concerns over safety of pedestrians and those accessing the
area with vehicles as the road is single track with no separate area for
pedestrians.

KK explained that the best way to try and access funding for development
of this area was through RMBC Townships Committee, from here the
Councillors will instruct a Highways Officer to inspect and provide a report
on the area.

There were a number of suggestions put forward by the group as to the
best way to make the area safe. The first, and favoured option, was the
creation of a promenade area along this stretch with the pedestrians being
able to continue to walk by the side of the lake, the second proposal
made, was to culvert the stream that runs on the opposite side of the lake
however, it was generally thought that this may not solve the problem as
people who visit the lake like to walk by the side of the lake so may not
use the culvert if this was created. The same issue of the costs of fencing
would arise with either proposal.

ACTION – Rae Street to provide proposal document to the Committee for
consideration and to be presented to the next meeting of the Townships
Committee on the 11th September 2007.

RS explained that she was happy to make the presentation to the
Townships Committee with assistance from the Committee.

Stephanie Mills also expressed an interest in attending the Townships
Committee meeting

AW confirmed that there were no biodiversity issues with either the option
of covering the culvert or creating a promenade.

AW also confirmed that he fully intends that the wishes of the friends of
group to influence how the budget is spent.

ACTION – KK to circulate the minutes of the friends of meeting to
Councillors.

Lakeside – Unadopted area to Millers

Raymond Matthews expressed concern over the deterioration of the area
that leads by the side of the Millers restaurant linking to Lakeside. RM
circulated photographs of the area and explained that it was potholed and
in bad repair.

AW confirmed that the road was unadopted and as such responsibility for
upkeep lies neither with RMBC or United Utilities, indeed upkeep is
responsibility of the residents who use the road for access.

The group accepted that the area was in bad repair but that this was no
different to the rest of the walk around that section of the lake.

6. Funding for wildlife / sensory garden

JH confirmed that there were plans to access funding from both Awards
for all and also the Pennine Township.
ACTION - JH to submit applications for funding on behalf of the group
once a constitution was agreed and a bank account set up.

JH proposed that a small sub committee be set up to deal with the
planning of the sensory garden, Ray Smith expressed an interest in being
involved in the planning of the garden. It was agreed that a sub committee
would be set up to deal specifically with the sensory garden and that
regular reports would be made to the group at meetings.

7. Any other business

         Japanese Knotweed – members expressed concerns about this
          plant that was growing around the lake. AW explained the
          current action that was being taken to prevent the growth. AW
          also confirmed that it was RMBC’s responsibility to ‘prevent the
          spread of’ rather than to remove the plant. AW confirmed that
          RMBC was currently in the process of producing a leaflet on the
          plant and confirmed that this would be on the internet and also
          that he would drop some leaflets at the Visitors Centre. AW also
          confirmed that there is an environmental enforcement team that
          would enforce any violation of the legislation in respect of
          ‘preventing the spread of the plant’; AW will circulate the
          enforcement team telephone number to Stephanie Mills.

         Himalayan Balsam – The friends group expressed an interest in
          arranging for a ‘Balsam bash’, the group could also use this to
          try and remove some of the ragwort.

          ACTION – Committee to propose a time and date for the above
          to be arranged.

         Barry Cropper explained that he had been looking into what
          happens to the revenue generated from the pay and display
          parking at the lake. It was suggested that it would be
          reasonable to say that this money or a proportion of it should be
          put back into Hollingworth Lake for the redevelopment of roads.
          This should be raised at the Township committee meeting.

         In respect of the fair on the car park at Easter, members of the
          group expressed concern over the impact of the fair and also
          suggested that a £3000 fee for ten days does not reflect the
          cost to the lake in closing the car park for the ten-day period.

          ACTION – JH to find out who is responsible for the decision to
          close the car park.

         AW confirmed that lockable bollards were to be installed near
          TS Palatine to prevent unauthorised access around the lake.
         In respect of the Pavilion, AW confirmed that he had been in
          contact with Royds Catering Services who currently hold the
          contract to provide the catering services at the pavilion. He is
          currently discussing with them the opening of the pavilion and
          the lack of service. AW confirmed that he would speak with
          Royds about rubbish around the ice cream vans; AW confirmed
          that it is Royds responsibility to remove rubbish.

         AW explained that he had visited all businesses around the lake
          to discuss issues of mutual concern. There were to be bi-yearly
          meeting set up to discuss issues with the businesses. AW
          explained that he would feedback issues from these meetings
          to the friends group and suggested that the businesses should
          be represented at the friends of group at the meetings.

         KK explained that the Inspector of Littleborough Police had
          suggested that the community police should attend the
          meetings of the friends group. It was agreed that the Police
          should attend every other meeting but that they should receive
          a copy of the minutes.

         AW explained that there was a pot of money available to try and
          promote the friends of group. Some discussion arose around
          whether a leaflet should be produced to promote the group.

          ACTION – promotion to be discussed at the next meeting.

8. Date for next meeting

The next meeting was arranged for Thursday 23rd August 2002 at 7.30pm
at the Visitors Centre

Jane Holmes
Secretary
01706 657925