logo Minutes of a Committee meeting
held on 31 July 2008

Present: Dick Baxter (chair), Barry Higgs (Secretary), Brian Smale-Adams (Treasurer), Rosemary Davidson, Milo Keynes, Nick Levine. Apologies for absence were received from Erica Hunter and Susan Stobbs.

1. Minutes of previous meeting and matters arising.

The minutes of 7th May 2008 Committee Meeting were approved without comment. Matters Arising:

  1. Indemnity Insurance. The Committee took the advice of the Chair who saw no need for such cover except possibly for voluntary work in which case advice would be taken.
  2. Events. Covered at Agenda Item 3 below.
  3. Management of the Common. The chair had accompanied an expert from the Wildlife Trust on a walk around the common. Her report was expected soon and would, if approved, help towards the Council’s Management Plan.
  4. Bye-Laws. The Council’s Legal Department lacked the resources to update specific byelaws and publicise them on the City website. The Chair had offered to help and hoped to start work on this in the autumn.
  5. Councillor Bick. The Chair had written to Councillor Bick to enquire what progress he had made with his pre-election promises on issues of concern to FoMC. No substantive reply had been received. Action: The Committee agreed to invite Councillor Bick to their next meeting. (Secretary)

2. Strawberry and Midsummer Fairs.

  1. Strawberry Fair. The organisers explained at the Wash-Up that they had met the conditions laid down by the Council when it licensed the event. FoMC had pointed out that excessive drinking and drug use together with off-site nuisance in terms of urinating in the streets and drug dealing was as bad as ever. On behalf of FoMC the Secretary raised several issues at the 10th July Area Committee Meeting at which the Strawberry Fair organisers tabled a paper. Councillor Julie Smith explained that events such as Strawberry Fair are actually licensed by officials, having taken advice from councillors, and a decision on 2009 would be taken after the Police Report had been received and considered although she did question whether Midsummer Common was the right place for the event. The Police Report and, it as hoped, Strawberry Fair more generally, would be discussed at the September 18th Area Committee Meeting. It was agreed that FoMC needed a Position Paper for this meeting and might ask for Strawberry Fair to be an agenda item. The Chair agreed to draft this and circulate it to the Committee for comment and possibly ask for it to be put on the agenda for the Area Committee meeting. Action: Chair to draft and circulate paper for comment.
  2. Midsummer Fair. Apart from the poor post-event litter-pick, for which the Council is responsible, this event appeared to give rise to no untoward incident.
  3. What are termed ‘Summer Waste Bins’ are placed around Jesus Green and it was thought that something similar would be useful on Midsummer Common. Action: The Secretary to write to the Council to ask for ‘Summer Bins’.

3. Other Events on the Common.

In addition to Bonfire Night (5th November) and the Oxford to Cambridge cycle ride (28th September), a small Shelter Building event (20/21st September) and a Memory Walk by the Alzheimer Society (21st September) would be held on the Common.

4. Meeting With Sarah Tovell (Cambridge City Council).

At her request the Chair and Secretary had met with Sarah Tovell. The following were discussed:

  1. Management Plan. The awaited report from the Wildlife Trust would be considered before the long-awaited Management Plan was drafted but it was unclear whether the setting and monitoring of performance targets for ‘Street Scene’ would feature in this.
  2. The Gate. A final costed plan for the installation of an automatic gate was being prepared. FoMC asked that if the Council did proceed with the gate a robust method of operation be used and not one liable to abuse, failure or impracticality.
  3. Volunteering. It was explained that the Council sometimes used the services of a Volunteer Group from Bedford, at a modest total cost of £200 a day, to carry out work on open spaces in Cambridge. The FoMC committee welcomed such activities but queried whether our members might be associated with such activities possibly under the umbrella of the Bedford Group. It was thought this might raise FoMC’s profile and help build a group spirit. Action: The Secretary would investigate the possibilities of FoMC involvement in such voluntary work.

5. Cambridge Regional College Planning Application.

FoMC has no locus for a substantive objection at this very late stage in the planning process even though it was feared that, viewed from the Common, the new buildings may appear rather tall and out of proportion.

6. Any Other Business.

Concern was expressed at the diseased state of the large Chestnut Tree at the end of Parsonage Street, the damaged newly-planted tree opposite Brunswick Walk and the watering scheme for all the young trees. Action: The secretary to communicate the above concerns to the appropriate Council department.

The Secretary has since spoken to the Council regarding the trees:

  1. Horse Chestnuts. Nothing can be done about the leaf miner attacking these trees throughout Cambridge. This attack will not kill the trees but it does reduce their resistance to other diseases. The only hope is for a severe winter.
  2. New Tree. The one damaged opposite 11 Brunswick Walk has been inspected and an eye kept on it. If it fails to thrive it will be replaced.
  3. Watering. A fortnightly watering regime is in place and the new trees show no sign of distress.
  4. Trees/Weeds. Weeds around the base of young trees severely restrict their growth as the weeds consume the nutrients the trees need. If FoMC were to remove such weeds the Council would be most grateful.

The meeting closed at 9.00 pm.

B Higgs, Secretary.
Approved: R Baxter, Chair.
4 August 2008

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