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Sept 20, 2007 Minutes of a meeting held on Thursday, September 20, 2007 in the library at Uckfield Community Technology College These minutes were approved at the AGM on Thursday, January 17, 2008.
Present: Martyn Stenning, Chairman – Lime Aid
Andrew Ledward, Treasurer – Lime Aid
Mike Benians, Secretary – Lime Aid
Roy Barnacle, 19 Queens Approach
David Bracey, Hempstead Road
Jeffrey Brooks, 6 Downsview Crescent
Marjorie Brooks, 6 Downsview Crescent
Peter Fordham, Oak Tree Court
Barry Knights, Town Co-ordinator
Ian Martin, The Lodge, Hempstead Road
Dorothy Sparks, Uckfield town councillor
Betty Turner, Lawrence House, Hempstead Road
Cathy Watson, Cathy Watson Associates (Minutes)
Apologies: Kate Aldridge, Snatts Road
Len Ashby, Uckfield town councillor
John Carvey, Uckfield town councillor
Robin Chandler, Peter Taylor Architects
Claire and Chris Dowling, councillors, WDC and ESCC
Desmond Gunner, International Tree Foundation
Charles Hendry, Wealden MP
Ron Hill, Photographer
Jim Molesworth-Edwards, Uckfield town councillor
Terry Morford, 6 Lime Close, owner
Craig Pamphilon, UCTC principal, though he did call in and speak briefly
Paul Sparks, Wealden and ESCC councillor
Eleni Stephenson Clark, Borde Hill House
Di and John Wakeley, Hempstead House, Hempstead Road
John and Iris Wright, The Orchard, Hempstead Road
1. Welcome by Chairman
Martyn Stenning welcomed those attending the meeting and read out the list of Apologies.
2. Approval of minutes
Minutes of a meeting held on 19th April 2007 were approved and signed.
3. Approval of minutes
Minutes of an extraordinary meeting held on 6th June 2007 were approved and signed, subject to the addition of Ian Martin to the list of those present, and subject to the following amendment:
Page 4, para 9, “ ….. and they damaged his fence with nearly every panel broken …..”
should read:
“ … and they damaged the boundary fence between UCTC and Lime Tree Avenue with nearly every panel broken …”
4. Matters arising
Jeffrey Brooks reported that the UCTC fence damaged during pollarding work, which he had mentioned at the extraordinary meeting of Lime Aid in June, had not yet been repaired.
Dr Stenning confirmed that Andy Seaton of ESCC had agreed he would investigate the matter but nothing had been heard since. He asked that the Secretary write to Mr Seaton to see if the damage could be put right. Mr Brooks said he had seen a lad trip as he caught his foot in the fence and he had gone off limping.
Dr Stenning said this once more emphasised the need for proper management of Lime Tree Avenue. The surface of the avenue needed to be made good and it should be properly illuminated so that people walking up and down at night could feel safe. He was concerned to have heard reports of an indecent assault in the avenue, but Mr Benians said later during the meeting that the police advised him this happened in the twitten leading to Bedford Place.
Dr Stenning was keen to see a five-year management plan drawn up for the avenue but in the meantime it was agreed to seek volunteers to join a task force on Saturday 19th January 2008, between 10am and 4pm to cut back epicormic growth (suckers) on the avenue’s lime trees. If that growth wasn’t controlled the trees would be deprived of nutrients and start dying from the top. Carrying out the work would also remove hiding places for potential attackers.
At this point in the meeting UCTC principal Craig Pamphilon called in briefly.
He said college staff would continue to put pressure on ESCC to support Lime Aid. The biggest problem was a lack of flexibility with funding, sometimes things came to a head and progress was possible but at the moment there seemed to be a ‘brick wall phase’.
He was pleased that the trees had been pruned earlier in the year but he agreed with Dr Stenning that the avenue was ‘still dark and unsafe’. He was concerned that youngsters would soon have to arrive and go home from school in the dark and said he would put pressure on the county council to try and get the avenue properly lit.
He said Lime Aid had come a long way since it was formed and it was good to see people were still prepared to turn out and say they were standing behind a campaign which would benefit both the area around Lime Tree Avenue and the town because this was a well used path.
Mr Brooks mentioned the problem of damaged fencing, as raised earlier, and before leaving the meeting Mr Pamphilon asked that the matter be taken up with Caroline Tucker, Business Manager, at the College who could contact the contractor.
Discussion on matters arising from previous meetings resumed with Mr Brooks producing copies of deeds for his property showing that responsibility for maintenance of one section of Lime Tree Avenue and the associated footpaths was shared between 90 dwellings built as the first phase of the Manor Park Estate.
Dr Stenning asked the secretary to write to Mr Seaton for his comments on the contents of the deeds and asking whether it would be possible to put pressure on the owners of the 90 houses to contribute towards the cost of maintenance. He suggested that the county’s solicitor could write to all 90 owners, reminding them of their legal responsibility.
Regarding the propagation of replacement lime trees – Dr Stenning suggested contacting Wakehurst Place to see whether they could offer any assistance in propagating lime trees.
Ian Robertson suggested contacting the probation service to see whether community service workers might be able to do some pruning in the avenue.
Reverting to the five-year management plan – Dr Stenning wanted to see re-surfacing, re-kerbing, maintenance and lighting included in such a plan. Mr Benians said lighting should be the first priority so that any re-surfacing and re-kerbing was not immediately dug up again for laying electric cables.
Ian Martin said Lime Aid should be pressing Andy Seaton to come back to them about the issue of the road surface which he had agreed was the county’s responsibility. ‘We should start with the basics of getting them to do what they have agreed is their responsibility and move on from there.’
Dr Stenning said they would continue to put pressure on Mr Seaton but a list of maintenance objectives must be drawn up.
Barry Knights and Dorothy Sparks agreed they would try to identify who was responsible for sweeping leaves in the avenue and try and make sure that was done when necessary.
5. Mini informal debates – mini motions.
Motion A: “ESCC agree to purchase the southern Deloitte section of Lime Tree Avenue, on behalf of Uckfield and our county”
Dorothy Sparks pressed for a contingency plan which could be used in the event of ESCC refusing to take over the land. She said setting up a trust could help but withdrew the idea when Barry Knights said the Uckfield Regeneration Partnership would be in a position to help Lime Aid raise any grant funding needed.
Costs of transferring ownership of the land were estimated in the region of £5,000 to £6,000 (to include Legal and Agents fees for both Deloitte and ESCC) but Mr Knights said the URP might be able to help there by finding a ‘community-minded’ business prepared to take on the legal work. Dr Stenning asked Mr Knights to go ahead and do that.
Motion B: “ESCC agree to ‘adopt’ the whole of Lime Tree Avenue, Uckfield, on behalf of Uckfield and East Sussex
There was concern that the 20 private owners of the northern section of Lime Tree Avenue might not be prepared to voluntarily hand over their land but when asked for his opinion as an owner Mr Brooks said he would be glad to get rid of his. Mr Benians was confident that another owner with more than 20 lime trees on his property, would also be only too pleased to hand over his section of the avenue. Peter Fordham said it might be better if the owners petitioned ESCC to take over the land and Dr Stenning asked for a document to be drafted which could be signed by the owners and sent to the county council.
Motion C: “Lime Aid undertake to assist ESCC in obtaining funding for lighting and resurfacing the whole length of LTA to be determined within the terms of a five year programme.”
It was agreed to proceed with drawing up the letter mentioned in the above debate, under Motion B, to check what the reaction was before taking further action under this motion.
Motion D: “Lime Aid to assist ESCC in the reversal of the ‘Adverse Possessions’ which have taken place over the years along the verges of the avenue”
Mike Benians said some people had moved their fences out onto the verges, closer to the lime trees along the Avenue, in the Deloitte section. Some had taken over this land more than 12 years ago which meant it could not easily be reclaimed but action could be taken where it had happened less than 12 years ago.
Although no specific action was determined, the potential problem is placed on record.
6. Any other business
Charity status – It was agreed that Lime Aid should apply to the Charity Commission, in order to qualify for charity status and a report on the progress of this application would be tabled at the annual general meeting, in January.
7. Summary and thanks
Dr Stenning said the campaign had been moved forward during the meeting and he thought there would be considerably more progress to report by the January meeting. He thanked all those present for their attendance and participation.
8. Date and Time of next meeting
The date of the next meeting, which will be Lime Aid’s first Annual General Meeting, was fixed for Thursday 17th January 2008, at 7.30 p.m., (subject to UCTC availability) just before the task day, already fixed for Saturday 19th January 2008.
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