CHURNET VALLEY CONSERVATION SOCIETY

7:30pm, Wednesday, 2 January 2019 - Fox & Goose, Foxt.

CVCS – Open Committee Meeting - Minutes

 

Present: - J.Steele, D.Walters, J.Williams

1              Apologies: G.Smallwood, D.Fowler,

 

2              Matters arising from minutes of previous meeting: - CVLLP have submitted the following corrections to last months (January) minutes: -

 

Item 4 - The Partnership did wish to submit to the Landscapes Review and it has done so.

 

Item 5a - Alton Castle has joined the Partnership. It does not have any specific number of representatives; nor does any other partner.

 

Item 5b - Oakamoor tunnel is a potential obstacle to the long-distance path but the issue of bats was not raised at that meeting.

 

3              Treasurer's report: - Balance £1360.96. No new spend since report at the last open meeting.

3.1          Difficulties making payments to web hosting company due to out of date email addresses: C.Skitt to speak to Mark (pachacuti) to transfer BaseKit account to J.Steele.

                3.2          Banking Issues: Sundry Items needing payment J.Williams to speak to G.Smallwood.

 

4              Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty application: Govt. Landscapes Review now closed. Responses should be viewable on-line at: - https://consult.defra.gov.uk/land-use/landscapes-review-call-for-evidence

                4.1          Next Steps:

4.1a        J.Steele to contact L.Roberts re National Park extension: Contact made, response awaited.

4.1b       C.Skitt to speak to K.Seaton re previous petition signatures: Report awaited.

 

4.1c        C.Skitt to meld the J.Steele, D.Walters and J.Williams responses into a single version allowing for choices to be made Action Point Completed.

4.1d       J.Williams to create a composite document to inform CVCS’s position re the Landscape Review. This to be sent out to members. Action Point Completed.

4.1e       John Steele will use this as the formal CVCS response: Action Point Completed.

 

The CVCS input to the review can be downloaded onto your computer, as a PDF document, by clicking on the link below: -

 

https://consult.defra.gov.uk/land-use/landscapes-review-call-for-evidence/consultation/my_response?user_id=ANON-MW92-FHE3-N&key=3f6b473f4522b9626a2fd3023e269da138c20275

 

A big thank you too, to those of you who completed and sent the review to the Govt.

 

5              Churnet Valley Living Landscape Partnership feedback: -

5.1a        Proposed River Dove weirs and visitor footpath: - Report awaited.

5.2b       Churnet Valley Way: Staffordshire Moorlands Riders interest lies in this proposal.

5.2bi      Blocked footpath adjacent to Riverside, Oakamoor: - J.Steele to send a letter sent to SCC.

 

6              Churnet Valley’s history-: Discharged, as there has been no action for some time.

 

7              SMDC Local Plan – Latest on Govt. Inquiry: - Although the Examination of the Local Plan has closed the Govt. Inspector found 62 areas requiring a ‘Main Modification’. It was indicated by the Inspector that these would require a public consultation exercise to be held before the Local Plan could be deemed fit for purpose. SMDC have sent a letter, with appendices, to the Inspector responding to these areas of concern. This letter and its associated appendices can be found via the following link. Please make yourself familiar with the changes these ‘Main Modifications’ to the Local Plan will have on your location, and the Churnet Valley too, and consider your own responses to the Inspector when the time comes for his consideration of the modified Local Plan. We will inform you when your input can be sent to him. Use the link below and go down to the bottom of the page to letter E5.005 which contains all the relevant information.

 

If you download the files it is easy to search for your location and for the Churnet Valley in the resultant PDF documents via the CNTL ‘F’ function.

 

https://www.staffsmoorlands.gov.uk/examination_library

 

8              Countryside Estates Review: - No progress since last time. Continuing.

 

9              SMDC Planning - Major Planning Applications: -

9.1          Moneystone Quarry/Holiday Camp: - Crow Trees Farm now vacated. Some tree felling occurring. Planning conditions remain undischarged. Continuing.

9.2          Alton Towers: - No new applications.

9.3          Bolton Copperworks: - No new applications.

9.4          Whiston Golf Course re-profiling: - No new applications.

 

10           Recruiting New Members: No new action required. Continuing.

 

11           CVCS Facebook page: -

11.1        Comments: - J.Steele to post new photos and comments to reflect ‘winter’.

11.2        New developments: - None this month.

 

12           A.O.B.: -

a)            Along with item 11 above, if you have any favourite photographs of the Churnet Valley, to which you have the copyright, that you would like to be shown on the CVCS website and/or Facebook page please email them to cvcs2017@outlook.com  Please indicate the location of your photos and your name for the credits.

b)            For consideration at our next open meeting will be an item regard the preparation of a calendar and postcards etc. to show off some of the delightful views we know and love in the Churnet Valley. If you would like to submit photographs for this project too please indicate your acceptance of this in your email.

 

13           Date of next open meeting: - 7:30pm, Wednesday, 6^th Feb 2019 - Fox and Goose, Foxt.