BRIDGEGATE EAST RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION (BERA) Minutes of Executive Meeting. Thursday 13th April 2023 in The Albion

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BRIDGEGATE EAST RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION (BERA) Minutes of Executive Meeting. Thursday 13th April 2023 in The Albion

In attendance  

  • Mike Hogg (Chair), Jim Parrish, Luke Skilbeck, John Bottomley & Roy Webb (part time).

 

  1. Apologies

Daniel Squibb, Fiona Rushforth, Bill Grady

 

  1. Minutes of previous exec meeting

The minutes of 8th December 2022 were reviewed and approved

 

  1. Matters arising from Previous Minutes

 

  • Mike has not yet contacted the group who are promoting the maintenance and repair of the City Walls. Fiona suggested he contacted them via Facebook.
  • BERA has now received £250 from ITV for disruption during recent filming.
  • Mike is to meet with the (relatively) new Chester Police Inspector & Chief Inspector and will specifically raise the ASB concerns raised by Fiona.
  • The Council have now advised that we need to complete a Land Access and Maintenance Report for the Drill Hall Gardens in order to progress our ability to formally access and work on specific actions projects on the site. Mike will progress (unless someone else wants to volunteer).
  • Mike & Jim removed fourteen large bags of leaves from Drill Hall Gardens at the start of this year.
  • It was again suggested that we apply to the Community Cashback Fund for money to improve the gardens now we have received the £250 from ITV. Mike to action.
  • We are still awaiting a quote from the Council for them to install downlighters around the walls in the gardens. Mike to chase.
  • The Council are also replacing some benches in the City Centre, so we have provisionally asked for four of the old ones. Vanessa Bond is chasing for both BERA & White Friars.
  • There is now a dedicated tree officer on the Council, so we can ask him for advice. Jim said the central tree is in good condition, but the same cannot be said for the others. If we acquired it as a community garden, the Council will still maintain the trees and the walls. Mike to make contact.
  • CRAG One City Plan document drafted: will be signed off on 27th April then available for circulation and use.

 

  1. Minutes of AGM on 11th January 2023:

 

These were reviewed but will be signed off at the 2024 AGM.

 

  1. Matters Arising:

The issues for BERA 2023/4 were as below: these will be discussed at our May Exec meeting.

  1. Quicks
  2. Rubbish, pigeon waste, graffiti – general cleanliness of streets
  3. ASB and begging, sleeping on streets
  4. Maintenance of city fabric such as the Walls
  5. Enforcement of conservation area guidelines
  6. Suggestion for a defibrillator in the BERA area
  7. Suggestion for ‘first responders’ in an emergency, including giving lifts to hospital

 

  1. Coronation Weekend:

After discussion (and checking the details of the formal public events) it was decided that there will be a Drill Hall Gardens Spring clean and planting on Saturday 6th May between 4pm and 6pm, followed by a Coronation Quiz at 7.30pm for 8.00pm in the Albion. Christina is happy with the suggested arrangements. Fiona’s concerns about the breadth of appeal of a quiz were discussed, but concerns about the variability of the weather at this time of year – and the fact that the Albion could well be full and have no space for us if we hadn’t booked places tipped the balance towards the above arrangements. Mike to confirm with Christina and draft a communication for Fiona to send to BERA members (with encouragement for them to bring a neighbour or two).

 

  1. Drill Hall Gardens

 

  1. Physical: the broad intention in the short to medium term is to keep the gardens clean and tidy and to do some limited planting whilst funding, CW&C usage permissions and potential projects such as benches, fencing and lighting are worked through. The next steps here will be the planned activity from 4pm to 6pm on 6th
  2. Funding: the matched funding detailed above will be pursued along-with Section 106 money from any developer of Quicks and potentially CW&C community crowd funding.

 

  1. Pepper Street Car Park Rooftop Venue:

 

The concerns that Pat, Bill and others had tabled were reviewed and Mike also explained that he cannot share the details of what he has been told by the developer until it is put into the public domain - otherwise he will not be trusted or invited on future occasions. The fact that he was away in Australia delayed his ability to share earlier on this occasion but that he did so on this first available BERA Exec Meeting date.

In short, of the concerns tabled thus far, some are already addressed in what the developer is proposing, some based on misunderstandings - and some remain open as answers to them are not known.

Indeed, BERA’s standard licensing conditions (which have been applied to virtually all of the Pepper Street restaurants) have already been accepted in full by the developer (e.g. no bottling out etc etc between 9pm & 8am) and he has also added some additional safeguarding constraints.

The idea of a general leaflet drop as proposed by Pat & Bill was not supported - as (i) It would still leave individuals in a position where they would be potentially lodging concerns on the basis of false premises (although still naturally entitled to do so) and (ii) that our first responsibility is to subscription paying BERA members.

What was proposed is that Mike should ask the developer to attend a briefing and Q&A session on either 24th or 25th April (Christina has agreed that can be held in The Albion) to which BERA members will be invited. We will also reach out to the occupants of the Warehouse and the new apartments opposite in Volunteer Street as they are the closest to the car park. (This was despite the fact that Mike shared with the meeting photos taken from the 9th floor of the car park that show that only the four rooftop terraces on the Warehouse are actually overlooked - and even that will be resolved by the planned screening).

That will still allow individuals who wish to register concerns on the planning website to do so - but on the basis of better information.

Mike has already contacted the developer who has agreed to attend a meeting on either 24th or 25th of April.

 

  1. One City Plan

As explained above, the CRAG position paper has been prepared and will be shared once it has been approved at the next CRAG meeting on 27th April.

GAS (Great and Small – or less politely those who Give A S*** about Chester) is a collection of businesses and organisations that have come together to share ideas and potentially to provide private sector resource to work alongside CW&C and residents to help the OCP implementation. In a way it is a sister organisation for CRAG.

 

  1. O.B

 

  1. Fly-tipping and rubbish dumping in St Olave Street: John explained the problem and shared some photographs. Mike offered to seek help from CW&C to resolve the problem.
  2. ASB: Fiona had raised the fact that ASB seems to be back on the increase – with limited or no police presence or interest. Mike will pitch this up with the new Inspector and Chief Inspector when he meets them (now being arranged for the last week in April).

 

  1. Date of next meeting: 16th May @ 7pm @ The Albion.

 

MJH 14.04.23.

 

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