COOKHAM PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of a Meeting of the

 FOOTPATHS & OPEN SPACES COMMITTEE 

PRESENT:      Cllr G. Harris (Chairman)

Cllrs M. Brar, D. Fry, M. Innes, D. Ricardo, M. Wellman and H. J. Woodbridge.

1.                  APOLOGIES AND DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST: Apologies were received from Cllrs M. Barnes and R. Piercey. Cllrs G. Harris and D. Fry declared a personal interest in item 4c on the agenda.

2.         ALFRED MAJOR GROUND:

a)         Opening of the Outdoor Fitness Zone by the Mayor: Sadly the play area and the Outdoor Fitness Zone had suffered vandalism over the Easter holidays. The mini rocker was broken just before the Easter break. But it was the destruction of the mature silver birch in the middle of the Outdoor Fitness Zone that was the most heart-breaking casualty. The tree had been nurtured since the autumn and had herras fencing to protect it until Christmas. The tree had been split down the main trunk. The next day the tree had been twisted and pulled in to two. Two back sections of the circular bench were also missing. The Councillors felt that the seat was not robust enough for the park and that the safety matting was lifting in places in the Outdoor Fitness Zone. The Clerk was asked to contact the company and make the matting safe. However, the tree was the focal point of the Fitness Zone and it now looked incomplete.

            Reluctantly, the Councillors took the decision to cancel the opening with the Mayor until the damage could be rectified. The Clerk would also check to see whether the tree could be covered with insurance.

b)         UP-DATE ON GROUND SURVEY OF THE PLAY AREA: The Clerk reported that a gentleman from RBWM had inspected the play area and confirmed that as far as his equipment could tell there were no further holes under the ground.

3.         FOOTPATHS:

a)         Unrecorded Rights of Way: A letter had been received from Andrew Fletcher asking for information on any unrecorded Rights of Way. Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, there is a provision to extinguish all unrecorded public rights of way in the year 2026. Andrew was seeking advice on any unrecorded Rights of Way that may be of risk in order to make a Definitive Map Modification Order and add them to the Definitive Map before 2026.Cllr Ricardo mentioned the half-permitted Right of Way across Widbrook Common to the river by Hitachi. Cllr Wellman called for a footpath access into Worster Road. The path linking Gorse Road to Graham Road could also be added – this was an unofficial Right of Way that had been used for years.

b)         Clearance work at FP65: The Environment Agency had spent a large sum of money carrying out total clearance of this Footpath that runs along side the river towards the Cookham Bridge. The result was less than rural and the main worry was the 45 degree bank which led straight down to the river. The Clerk had spoken to the lock keeper, Adam Benge, and he said that the EA intended to move the fence back to widen the Footpath. This would require the Footpath to be closed for another couple of months. Andrew Fletcher was not sure that this would be acceptable and safe but would await the finished work before taking any further action. The Clerk was asked to get a contact name at the EA to discuss this matter.

4.         ALLOTMENTS:

a)         Section of hedge to be replaced at Sutton Allotment: The Chairman confirmed that approx. 20 metres of hedge would need to be moved to carry out the entrance improvements. The Council may also have to stop people parking on the entrance.

b)         New fencing around the Cookham Rise Allotments using 106 developers contributions: Two quotes had been supplied for this work. Although they were not like for like, they were similar enough to enable the Councillors to make a decision. Joe Stoneman had submitted a quote for £7750 using 75 posts and high green coated heavy duty weld mesh. Steve Tayor had submitted a more complicated quote using different weights of mesh. Using the heavy duty weld mesh and 132 posts, Steve’s quote added up to £7159. It was noted that the second quote would cover all the posts needed to complete the work - whereas Joe had quoted on the existing posts. Cllr Ricardo pointed out that two sides of the Cookham Rise allotment fence was in perfectly good order and did not need replacing. Other Councillors felt that the fence had to completely replaced or it would look odd. Cllr Fry proposed to accept the quote of Steve Taylor on the provision that the gravel boards were deleted from the quote. This was seconded by Cllr Woodbridge and AGREED. Vote: IN FAVOUR = 2, ABSTENTION = 4.

c)         Security arrangements at Cookham Dean allotments: After yet more thefts on the taps, it was a concern that there was nothing to stop people entering this allotment from the road. Cllr Fry was concerned about the gate and would like to see a more secure gate. Cllr Fry said that residents in Alleyns Lane often used the allotments for extra parking when they held parties. Bottles and cans were often tossed over the hedge. This time the taps had been unscrewed rather than cut off. It was AGREED to purchase a padlock with combination code the same as Sutton. Notices were also discussed. The Clerk was asked to check on the legality of barbed wire in a public area. Bray allotments were mentioned where they had taken action for similar reasons regarding the taps.

5.         BOROUGH IN BLOOM:

a)         Confirmation of Cookham’s entry: It was AGREED to enter the competition once again and to try to encourage more people to get involved. A portfolio of the Cookhams throughout the year would also help. It was also AGREED to put the purchase of a digital camera on the agenda of the next Finance Committee.

b)         Review of Gardens in Bloom Competition: The Councillors felt that the voucher prizes were well-received last year and this should be continued. Uel McGowen would be asked to judge Cookham and Cookham Dean. It was AGREED to ask someone like David Parr to judge Cookham Rise.

6.         ODNEY COMMON:

a)         New signs for Odney Common: The Committee were concerned as to the amount of damage to these commons. Fishermen often stayed all night when they were not supposed to camp. A sign for clearing up the dog mess was discussed and it was AGREED that a friendly message to dog owners would be needed along with a sign asking for rubbish to be put in the litter bins.

The Meeting closed at 9.25pm.