logo Minutes of a Committee meeting
held on 14 November 2007

Present: Geoffrey King (Chair), Brian Smale-Adams (Treasurer), Barry Higgs (Secretary), Dick Baxter, Rosemary Davidson, Milo Keynes. Also present Erica Hunter.

1. Previous Minutes.

The minutes of the 19th July 2007 meeting were approved without comment.

2. Co-option of New Member.

Erica Hunter was co-opted to the Committee.

3. Report by Chair on Council Proposals for Tree Felling and Replacement on Midsummer Common.

At a meeting with Anthony French of Green Spaces and Kenny McGregor the Arboriculturalist it was explained that, due to disease, 6 trees would need to be felled. The estimated cost of replacement trees and the provision of protective barriers and watering gaiters would be in the region of £3,600 but it would not be possible for the Council to find this sum in one financial year. FoMC, represented by the Chair and three Committee members, expressed the view that a failure to implement a full replacement programme immediately following felling should not be contemplated and that other sources of funding should therefore be investigated. To this end, FoMC was prepared to help with funding and also seek a grant from The Conservation Foundation’s O2 Award Scheme. This was welcomed by officials. FoMC requested three Weeping Willows for the riverside, a like-for-like replacement of the Horse Chestnut on Victoria Avenue and two Dutch Elms for Brunswick Walk. NB It was subsequently disclosed that this late in the ordering season availability was severely limited and Black Poplars had therefore been ordered to replace the willows.
Action:

  • The Secretary would circulate a request to members for financial contributions to the Tree Fund.
  • The Secretary and Dick Baxter would prepare and submit an on-line application to O2 for grant funding.

4. Report by Chair on West/Central Area Meeting.

It seemed that FoMC was invited as something of an afterthought. The scope of the meeting was considerable but of particular interest were:

  • A report by Inspector Jon Hutchinson (Cambs Police) on policing issues associated with Strawberry Fair. The scale of crime, mostly concerned with drugs and public order, was considerable and increasing year on year and this imposed a heavy burden on British Transport and Cambridgeshire Police. Over half the annual rate of crimes of this nature occur around Jesus Green and Midsummer Common during Strawberry Fair.
  • Pinch Points. (Access points). Due to an oversight FoMC had not been consulted and consideration of proposals relating to Midsummer Common was therefore deferred. The comprehensive FoMC response prepared by Dick Baxter has been posted on the FoMC website.

Action:

  • Strawberry Fair Policing. This was further considered under Item 6 below.
  • Pinch Points. Secretary to write to the manager of the committee with the FoMC paper.

5. Report by Chair on Meeting with Sarah Tovell .

It was reported:

  • Progress. The recent clearing and securing of the Pound adjacent to Midsummer House Restaurant was noted as was the removal of graffiti and the, albeit slow, repainting of railings. Installation of an electronically controlled gate for access to The Fort St George and Midsummer House Restaurant was the next task for the specialists. Progress had been slow coming but was nonetheless welcome. However, much remains outstanding.
  • Condition and Management of the Common. The only good point has been the cattle on the Common but its condition has continued to decline. A proper mowing regime has not been implemented. In consequence chickweed, thistle and nettle infestation has seriously increased. The promised revised Management Plan for the Common has not materialised and the proposed Agreement between Green Spaces, Streetscene and FoMC has been blocked somewhere in the bureaucracy.The long promised Notice Boards have yet to be procured and adequate rubbish bin provision is still awaited.
  • A Performance Framework for Green Spaces. Sarah Tovell handed a copy of this draft document to the Chair. It has been prepared for the Community Services Committee of the Council. The FoMC Committee was profoundly unimpressed.

Action: A critique of relevant passages of the Framework Document would be prepared by the Secretary and agreed by the Chair and submitted to the committee for inclusion on the agenda of the proposed meeting with Councillors and officials.

6. Strawberry Fair.

The Chair presented a document ‘Management of Events on Midsummer Common’ produced for the Council in 2006 by Alistair Wilson, Green Space Manager. The Chair believed the advice in this document to be wrong in stating that any entertainment or exhibition could be held on the Common as this conflicts with the Cambridge Corporation Act and ignores the legal requirement to limit the area occupied by an event. The licensing objectives were listed as: the prevention of crime and disorder; public safety; prevention of public nuisance; and the protection of children from harm. It is difficult to see how these are being achieved. Strawberry Fair attracts more and more people many of whom behave very badly and cause enormous nuisance. Under the Freedom of Information Act, FoMC has asked British Transport Police and Cambridgeshire Police for their assessment of the cost of policing Strawberry Fair. This information is awaited but it is unclear whether cost would be a matter of concern to Cambridge City Council. As referred to at Item 4a above, Cambridgeshire Police have to devote greater effort each year to policing Strawberry Fair and yet the incidence of crime and nuisance continues to increase and the police acknowledge that a menacing atmosphere pervades the event in the evening. The Safety Advisory Group has identified the following as needing further consideration:

  • On-street parking around Walnut Tree Avenue and Brunswick area.
  • Toilet provision in the pound area near Walnut Tree Ave.
  • Refinements to the help-line number for local residents.
  • Clearance of illegal encampments.(Strawberry Fair security staff seem unable to stop camping which, in any case, if prevented on Midsummer Common would probably only be displaced to other nearby Green Spaces).
  • Public disorder off site on other open spaces and surrounding streets.
  • Additional litter on surrounding streets.

Improvement in these areas is undoubtedly needed but the fundamental problem remains that Strawberry Fair in its current form is an inappropriate event to hold in a city centre and that the organisers have a limited ability to control its many adverse impacts.
Decisions:

  • FoMC should continue to campaign against the adverse aspects of Strawberry Fair and keep under review how best to achieve progress with this. To this end, a meeting with the Council is to be requested to discuss the way forward.
  • The possibility of an alcohol ban should be proposed.
  • In the hope of breaking the mould and possibly allowing for the event to be reconfigured, a gap year should be sought.
  • The possibilities of an Open Meeting or a Workshop under a neutral chair to determine public opinion were discussed but no decision taken.

Action: The Chairman to write a detailed commentary and seek a meeting with Council officials to discuss the 2008 event including the possibilities of a gap year, a ban on the sale of alcohol and local public needs.

7. Review of Council Mooring policy.

Action: It was agreed that Dick Baxter would represent FoMC at the 12 December Stakeholders’ Consultation Meeting.

8. FoMC Website.

The Committee agreed to the inclusion of their portrait pictures on the appropriate web page and Dick Baxter would organise the digital images and update the web page. He would also redesign the home page, update the news section and list current FoMC concerns. A news contribution would be sought regarding the cattle. Nick Levine’s kind offer to host the midsummercommon.org.uk website was unanimously and gratefully accepted. Dick Baxter would continue to manage the current Fenweb website and orchestrate its gradual transfer to that hosted by Nick Levine.Action: It was agreed that Dick Baxter should implement the above decisions and Geoffrey King would obtain the information on the cattle.

9. Way Ahead.

Notwithstanding the extremely disappointing response by the Council the Committee resolved to continue with its efforts.

10. Any other business.

a. The AGM would be delayed until April 2008 in the hope that by then more progress had been made.
b. Accounts. The Treasurer reported that the finances remained sound there having been no significant expenditure since the July meeting.
c. Thistles. The Secretary reported that the ‘thistle pull’ he organised had been well supported with 12 helpers but although the thistles pulled easily he had grossly underestimated the time needed to clear the common. In consequence, the morning’s work only cleared the area to the south of the path from Parsonage Street to Cutter Ferry Bridge. However, as this was a discreet area it would allow comparison to be made next year with other areas where the thistles were simply mown. Streetscene were efficient in providing gloves and clearing the waste but the promised people to deal with the nettles did not appear.

B Higgs, Secretary.
Approved: G King, Chair.

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