These are informal meeting notes not the formal minutes

Folly Park( Country park) Steve Leniec(Town Councillor) said:

The delay in the Folly Park was largely due to lack of rigour in the 106 agreement and failure of Vale WHDC solicitors to sort out the legalities surrounding access and the ransom strip. VWHDC have now insured to ensure accessibility of the site

Phase I includes drainage, land levelling, rabbit fencing, picnic tables, parking spaces. Funding of £78k has been found through the landfill tax and £28k from the 106 agreement 1000 young trees and grassing were meant to be provided under the 106 agreement, but it doesn’t seem that this has been done.

Phase II will provide more footpaths and a gateway feature.

Regrading of the lakeside for safety reasons (costing £30k) was mentioned, but it is not known if this is to be done.

Colin Desborough reported that VWHDC(Mary Lambe) said a £70k grant was needed to complete the park.

Per Steve Leniec the park can be used now.

Skate Park Steve Leniec said the Town Council have engaged Tribe UK to evaluate the possible Skate park sites. These are:- Willes Close, Marlborough Gardens play area, Tucker park, and the Country park. The evaluation report (hopefully completed by end Jan/early Feb 03)will be in the public domain, but probably not until the Town Council have considered it. No mention of consultation with Faringdon residents was made. The Town Council’s preferred site is Willes Close because it is near the town centre and is owned by the Town Council designated for leisure space, providing issues raised by nearby residents can be overcome.

No other uses for this land, owned by the town, have been considered. Building of the skate park will go out to tender. £25k has been allocated to fund the development, some of this is 2002/3 Town Council budget and some will be in 2003/4 budget year.

Steve Leniec hopes the skate park will be ready to use by the summer. Clive Davis raised the environmental issues that has caused a skate park in Oxford to be closed and development of others to be suspended.

No mention was made of the running costs of the park.

Pump House

Steve Leniec reported that the asbestos survey has been completed for the rest of the building.

A tender will be advertised for works to the front of the building. This includes rewiring, disabled access, toilets.(Phase I). This will be a fixed price contract. Additional costs will only arise if unforeseen problems arise or there are specification changes. Quotes to deal with the heating system are being obtained. The town council will employ consultants on a fixed fee basis to develop a Business Plan which will be used to find grant aid from eg Lottery, Heritage, Community fund. £150k from the Public Works Loan Board is now in the Town Councils Bank Account.

Phase I will cost £70-£80k, this excludes decoration and furnishing, and the flat.

The Town Council hope that the building will be usable within 6 months.

The Town Council have never received rent from the occupant of the flat., who was a tenant of the Community Centre Trust(now disbanded). It is not known if rent was paid and if so who received it.

Lord Faringdon has offered to rescind the 146 forfeiture notice providing certain actions take place.

A schedule of works must be agreed, and who is responsible for the legal costs will be put before a judge. Steve Leniec said this was imminent.

2003 local Elections Steve Leniec hopes that more than 14 people will put their names forward to become a Town Councillor, so that there is an election. There are currently 10 councillors. The last Town Council election was 6 years ago.

VWHDC elections will be in May of this year also. Current VWHDC councillors are Alison Thompson and John Allen Stevens.(both Conservative)

SSSI Coxwell pit

Norman Snelling reported that there is to be a Trust formed to run this site. It will include 2 Town Councillors, 2 from RIGs (Regionally Important geological sites group), 3 residents, 3 school members.

Solicitors recommended by the Charity Commission dealing with the formation of the Trust. This needs to be done before ownership from Ede, the developer, can be transferred.

Ede will give £20k for the development of the site. There is also a possibility that through Mike Windle of RIGs, a grant of £42k will be available.

Coxwell Pit housing development

Clive Davis reported the concerns arising from the movement of contaminated material from the old pit. Mike Cartwright(member of FAR, absent) provided a copy of the letter that he has sent to HSE(Health & Safety executive). In it he states that:

Regulations for the movement of contaminated material are not being adhered to- precautions are not being taken, lorry wash is not being used

There is no monitoring

Contaminated material is being spread along the Fernham Road (where children go to school)

It seems that VWHDC are not interested and were reported as saying ’an unpleasant smell does not indicate contamination’

Faringdon Project (previously known as Faringdon Healthcheck)

Richard Grecian (Faringdon project , project manager) talked at some length about the type of projects identified and suggested that perhaps FAR would like to take on one or two of these.

Faringdon Market Square improvements

Through a report provided by Robert Dyer (Chairman of Chamber of Commerce) it was reported that:

There have been 3 planning applications so far, each going into a further level of detail The total cost estimate is £350k of which VWHDC will provide £175K

£80k has been raised from other sources.

VWHDC are reasonably confident of raising the balance of £95k

Concerns are expressed that as time passes the possibility of starting the work this year reduces, which in turn could mean that VWHDC use the money for something they believe is more pressing.

Draft local plan Robert Dyer’s report also included key points from the Chamber of Commerce’s response to the Local Plan. These are:-

• Not enough employment land
• Not enough land for medium and expensive housing
• No plans to carry out a transport/traffic survey as there is in Abingdon and Wantage.

Faringdon Tennis Club Planning permission for houses has been given for the current tennis club site. This development has been included in the draft local plan. However it will not happen until an alternative club site has been secured.

The club is still seeking an alternative site. Planning permission on land at Steeds farm was rejected by VWHDC without going to committee. This land is still on offer.

Purchase of a site behind the RAC garage on Park road has been pursued. However the landowner is wanting a housing development price rather than industrial/leisure value which is currently the designated use.