FRIENDS OF THE DELL

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD AT THE METHODIST CHURCH

1st DECEMBER 2014.

Present:

Ann Blackburn, Alison Driver, Philip Shaw, Alan Hayes,

Georgina Gardiner & Graham Carey

1. Welcome & Introductions:

2. Apologies:

Not necessary

Mary Galvin, Ian Copland, David Copland & Steve Welch

3. Minutes of the meeting 1st September 2014:

To change heading: the meeting was held at the Cricket Club, not the Methodist Church!
To change point 2 (Scarecrow Festival, last sentence): It was a pity that people being transported
on the minibus were unable to access The Dell.
The Friends of The Dell could have used the opportunity to be more pro-active in self-promotion.
Subject to these two changes, Minutes were agreed as a true record and duly signed.
ACTION: Ann/Alison amend Minutes
4. Matters arising:
Action points;
Nanette Metcalfes full title at Bradford Council?
ACTION: Graham check Nanettes full title on system
Beck entrance repair we have written to Bradford Council.
Steps & paths Nigel Labdon, Craven College on long-term sick but contact from his
deputy still awaited which Ann is to follow-up. Ian Butterfield, Forest of Bradford a possible
alternative whom Ann is to approach.
ACTION: Ann chase Craven College &
approach Forest of Bradford
Bank account all paperwork has been completed and sent off.
Hyperlink done.
Bird survey we have e-mailed Cameron Wilson, Bradford Ornithology Group thanking him
for his help with this.
Fish the species list has been updated.
Action days (see below).
Bat survey (see below).
Logo (see below).
Youth Offenders we have written to Bev Yates, YOT, thanking them for their work so far.
Philip has now made one bird box (as a template) and has given this, together with
sufficient materials for another box, to them for construction. Once complete, this will mean
two bird boxes for putting up in The Dell. Graham to check on progress.

ACTION: Graham check progress with Bev

Tree work done.

Boundaries and walling (see below).
Facebook / Twitter - Facebook is now an open group. Inquiries into a Twitter Account are
being carried forward for consideration at a later date.
Unused fencing this has now been moved and the opportunity to take-stock of what we
have confirms;
o 22 posts X 6ft long
o 35 rails X 14ft long
o 3 X short rails
o 1 X handrail.
Parkside School Graham to follow this up as there has been no contact since start of new
term.
ACTION: Graham chase Parkside School
Cullingworth Primary school (see below).
Autism unit - this action has been dropped.
Bradford Met Green Dog Walker Scheme we have given information on this to the Village
Council.

5. Updates since last meeting

1. Marjorie Hayes resignation an e-mail tendering her resignation (with immediate effect)
was received in October. Ann is to send a thank you card on behalf of the Friends. New
roles and responsibilities have since been agreed pending our next AGM - Graham to be
Minute Secretary, Alison & Ann to share the Chairman and Secretary roles and David to
join our Committee.
ACTION: Ann send card
th
2. Bat survey - carried out in and around The Dell on 15 September. Common Pipistrelle was
recorded the most frequently, but the occasional Soprano Pipistrelle, Daubentons and
Noctule was also present. To be repeated in August (rather than September) 2015.
ACTION: Ann/Alison schedule this as part of our 2015 activities
3. Cullingworth Primary School the poster design competition was well-received and winners
were presented with their prizes during a school assembly in October. This was publicised
on our own website, in the Village Newsletter and the Keighley News. Outstanding action is
for the posters to be printed and put up in The Dell! Alison to liaise with Ann to consider
how this might best be done.
ACTION: Alison & Ann liaise to ensure posters are printed and put up
4. Action days these have been carried out, as advertised. Our dead hedging is coming
along well and is being constructed from materials generated by selected thinning work.
One large (diseased) Sycamore has been felled and the logs from this sold to Groupmembers. The small income generated by this has been used to defray Keighley Tree
Services fees.
5. Fit4funding workshop - Ann and Alison attended an Applying for Small Grants workshop
on 10th November which they had found useful and relevant to the work which we are
undertaking. In these austere times, small amounts of funding should continue to be
available, even if larger pots are not.

6. Social evening Action day regulars enjoyed an evening in The George on 14th November.
To be repeated, from time to time, in 2015.
7. Offensive graffiti on the steps handrail during October was reported to Bradford Council,
West Yorkshire Police and Parkside School. Pleasingly, this was quickly removed by the
Council and the culprit dealt with in School by Parkside. The handrail(s) were re-painted at
our Action Day on 25th October.
8. The bungalow plot some tree removal and ground-clearance work was noted during our
October Action day which appears to breach planning conditions as no Temporary Tree
Protective Fencing has been erected. Photographs have been taken and the matter
reported to Bradford Councils Planning Enforcement Officer. We await his contact to
discuss the matter which Ann is now to chase.
ACTION: Ann chase Wayne Robinson, Bradford Council
6. Quarterly Action Plan (Jan Mar 2015)
1. Action Days
Saturdays 10.00 11.30 a.m.;
3rd January 2015 a litter pick, bat box clearance (these will also be numbered so that
monitering can take place) and dead hedging
N.B. ladders required which Alan offered to provide and use to
complete this task
31st January 2015 tree work (thinning)
21st February 2015 a litter pick, put nest boxes up and dead hedging
N.B. ladders and someone happy to use them required!
28th March 2015 tree work (logging up post felling and removal from site)
To be advertised in the usual way.
ACTION: David post on our website
Graham post on our Facebook Page
Alison Update and re-print poster for display in the village
Ann pass to Village Council Clerk
2. Boundary assessment inspection being carried forward for consideration as part of our
Management Plan review (see below).
3. Logo our proposed use(s) for a logo were discussed e.g. correspondence and website.
Cullingworth Art Group are interested in this project but have asked to discuss our
requirements. Ann & Alison to follow-up.
ACTION: Ann & Alison contact Simon
4. Possible user survey One clear message from the Fit4funding workshop was just how
vital evidencing a need and the desire for something are when applying for funding. Ann
and Alison both questioned our ability to do this, currently, and felt that we ought to canvas
opinion from local residents and village groups by conducting a survey if the Village Council
werent already planning to do something similar in readiness for their preparation of a
Neighbourhood Plan. All agreed that we do really need this before any more funding
applications can be made. Alan offered to enquire about the likelihood of our Village

Council doing a survey (and any opportunities there might be for us to link into this) at their
meeting on Wednesday. Ann & Alison to investigate how best to distribute a survey in the
event that our Village Council has nothing planned.
ACTION: Alan raise matter at Village Council meeting
Ann & Alison investigate options for distribution of our own survey
5. Funding meeting two possible small grant opportunities have been identified with scope to
include some provision for a user survey, if necessary, in one of these. Meeting set for
Friday 12th December, 7 p.m. at Philips.
6. Review of Management plan our current Management Plan was last reviewed and
updated in May 2013 (i.e. prior to the Group forming). Although it includes an Action Plan
for 2013-17, its emphasis here seems more monitoring and maintenance-focussed that it
could be. All agreed it best to await the outcome of a user survey before spending any time
updating this.
7. AOB
1. Philip confirmed approximately 80 funds remaining in the budget allocated to us by our
Village Council and a short discussion on how best we might spent this followed. Alan
suggested that we take up the Cricket Clubs offer of their Club House for future meetings
as this had been promised free of charge (in fact this evenings meeting would have been
held there had a mis-understanding regarding its availability not occurred!). All agreed this
as a pragmatic choice. Ann to obtain Club Secretarys contact details from Marjorie for
future use.
ACTION: Ann seek Cricket Club Secretarys contact details from Marjorie &
book venue for next meeting
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
MONDAY 9th MARCH 2015, 7.30 p.m. at Cullingworth Cricket Club

Meeting closed at 8.45 p.m.