RECORD OF THE MEETING OF THE FRIENDS OF NUTSFORD VALE COUNTRY PARK ON 1ST AUGUST, 2018 AT THE BLUEBELL INN, LEVENSHULME

ATTENDEES:

Mavis Holt, Christine Prunty, John Prunty, Rita Edge, Barrie Edge, Barbara Moore, Bernie Cree, Steve Cree, Alan Gibson, Pauline Sergeant, Claire James, Maureen Riding, Mark Lucas

APOLOGIES:

Danny Heathcote, Jenna Ashton

WELCOME:

Rita welcomed everyone to the meeting and explained that Jenna was supposed to be at the meeting tonight but she couldn't make it.  She wants to arrange another meeting with us because she still wants to collect everybodies' thoughts and memories about the Vale for her on going research ready for the next project.  
Anna Gilchrist who is from the Ecology Unit at Manchester University met with  Rita, Barrie and Bernie a few weeks ago on the Vale.  We had a walk around and she was very impressed with the space.  She wants to come back and do a bat survey and she has some equipment that she wants to use on the two trees that are behind John and Christine's house.  She is sure that the roost is in one of these two trees and she says they are at least sixty years old and not twenty like the Council has led us to believe.  She was going to come back with one of the team to do a proper study on the Vale but we don't know when as the University has broken up for their Summer Break.
Mark, Bernie and Rita have got a meeting with Councillor Lufthner Rahman on the 9th August.  We initially asked him would he come to one of the Friends' meetings but he had other things in his diary so Bernie wrote and asked when would it be convenient to have a meeting with him.  We intended for him to come here but we are going to meet him at the Town Hall.  There is going to be an MCC Visitor there as well and we don't know who this is or why they are going to be there.  We had to give our names and details.  
Rita asked the Group if we had any questions that we would like to put to Councillor Rahman bearing in mind it will be this other person who will be talking.  Bernie said that she wanted Councillor Rahman to say something first rather than us saying something he doesn't like which will make him go on the back foot.  Rita said she wanted to ask him why is he frightened to talk to us.  He is our Councillor and therefore he should represent us.  We don't have any problem with any of the other Councillors, we can approach them directly.  The other thing she wants to ask is 55% of the Longsight population is Asian so why wasn't any allowance for this made in  the Consultations and why wasn't anything else produced in anything other than English.  As a local Councillor he should have known that 55% were Asian.  Mark said that this was a tactical thing but Rita said we still wanted answers on this.  Claire said she was suprised that the percentage was as low as that.  Alan asked if that was off the old bounderies.  Rita said this was  before the Ward changes that came into effect in April.  Rita said we also wanted written assurance about what is going to happen to the rest of the Vale as and when this monstrosity goes ahead.  Bernie said Steve wants to see if the Council can do something with the barriers as there have been alot of off road motorbikes on the Vale.  He wants them to see if a Wheelchair Charity can go on and see if they can reduce access for the bikes but not the wheelchairs.  Rita said many of the motorbikes go on via Spectrum Walk as they can just lift it over the small fence that is there.  Bernie said that we could do with having that highered.  Rita said she thought all the actual gated entrances were the regulation for wheelchair access.  Steve said he had seen them pushing the motorbikes through these gates.
Claire asked if we had any idea of a time frame for the build.  Rita said that is what we wish to find out on the 9th as of yet we have had no feedback from Manchester City Council so we had no clue as to the start and finish dates of the build.  Rita said that hopefully we would come away from the meeting with answers and if we don't we will ask for another meeting.  We still have not had feedback from the meeting we had with Councillor Rahman at the Town Hall in October 2017.  Suzanne sent him an email reminding him he had not answered the questions we had asked and Peter Cookson sent an email on 30th January, 2018 requesting an urgent reply to the questions and he never replied to him.  
John said one question to ask is does anyone on the Council tell the truth.  Rita said we would not get a reply to that question.  She stated that we would be lucky to get two words out of him.  He has scheduled an hour in his diary for us and we know through past experience that he will show up late for the meeting.  At the last meeting he was totally unprepared.  Alan said we needed to log the fact that questions had not had replies.  Under law we can make a complaint to another body.  Rita said he gave us three dates and we opted for the first.  Alan said to ask them what they want first but then say what we want.  They must put the school on another site and we as a Community Group will nominate under localism that we have a right to say what we want.  Wilmslow have just put up their plan.  We have a right to localism but Manchester are not know to force it.  John said Wilmsow has influence but Alan said this is the law.  We should not say because they are richer than us we can not do it.  The law is behind us.  We should put pressure on them.  Bernie said that it is Manchester!!!   In Openshaw some terraced houses were up for demolition and the Council were only paying half of the compensation due but one person complained and took it up with a solicitor and was awarded the full value. 
Claire asked if they had a sponsor for the school yet but Bernie said that they did not need a sponsor.  It is in Manchester City Council's favour if they have a school up and running that is performing reasonably well that they can then "sell" to a sponsor than the sponsor taking over something that is not built yet.
John said Christine was talking to someone the other week that said Lang O'Rourke had pulled out because it was proving too expensive for them to build a school on the site and he said if that is the case it is dead in the water.  This is all rumour and speculation and with no proof the school build is definitely going ahead.  Rita said that presumably they will say they will start work on a certain date because bird nesting season has finished. (end of August). 
Alan then said he needed some advice from the Group on how to proceed as the Council is in breach of the law because they have not produced the Control Decision Matrix.  He wrote to the Chief Executive of the Council pointing this out.  It is the Council's responsibility to provide any compensation to residents.  She didn't mention The Control Decision Matrix in her reply but said there was not a document that says the Council is directly responsible for the financial responsibility.  Alan went to a Local Government Association meeting to ask for advice.   They said he could take the matter to the Local Government Association but he has to make an official complaint to the Council first and they have 12 weeks to reply.  He then can put it before the LGA for them to look at.  The 12 weeks seems like delaying tactics.  He asked should he see an Environmental Solicitor.   Rita asked that as he has already taken it up with a member of the Council would that not count but  Bernie said she thought it would have to be made as an official complaint.  Alan said he did not state it was a formal complaint.  Rita said he should see the solicitor as you have so long to speak to them before you have to pay.  Alan said he could see the solicitor and put in a formal complaint.  Rita asked if it could be made as an FOI as it cuts down the amount of time they have to reply.  John asked if Alan could formally request who is responsible and he said he would put it in the letter.  James Brokenshire MP devolved any responsibility when he made his decision not to call it in as Secretary of State.
Alan passed around the possible press releases he has been working on.  He has a contact who he hopes will get this on to TV.  He wants leaflets made and distributed but at this stage it is a little too late.  We have delivered about 8000 leaflets between us.  Alan is concerned that we did not cover the far side of Stockport Road.  Rita pointed out that Barbara delivered some leaflets over that side.  Steve said the school is going to be built in Gorton and at the time that is where the leaflets needed to be directed.  Mavis said we needed to get some Muslims to come to the meetings.  Christine has asked neighbours but they are not interested.  Claire said that if the meetings were anywhere other than in a pub they may come.  We would have to pay for another meeting place and we have not got the money for this.  Mark said they had meetings about the old library in the library and Asian people did not turn up.  Pauline said she had spoken to alot of Asian people at Crowcroft Park and they are so happy about getting a new school and they do not know the history of the site.  Alan wants more people to complain but it is thought that although the leaflets can be made eye catching most people do not read them.  Rita thought it was a good idea if his friend could use some space and put it on Facebook.  Claire wondered if we could use a vehicle with a loud speaker but we would have to pay for this and get permission off the Council as you need an entertainment licence.  Steve has met someone who will interpret leaflets if we made small ones with English on one side and the most popular Asian language on the other.  Steve said most of the muslims who have a good to fair command of the English language are disgusted with the build.
We have received an email about the schedule for the cutting of the grass verges but it is very sketchy.  They are going to clear debris from the pond and weed control paths, the steps and the CAR PARKS!!  
A few weeks ago Bernie asked if anyone had any Corrigated Iron in their back gardens.  Anna suggested putting a sheet down near the pond for frogs' and insects' habitat.  Claire says she will keep her eyes open on the allotment and Mark is looking in his backyard.  Mavis suggested Debdale Park may have some spare.  Anyone who comes across any we will collect it that is no problem at all.

Rita mentioned an article she had seen on facebook about the environment and air pollution.  She had wrote to the Mirror previously and asked whether anyone could write to the media.  Claire said she could write to the Guardian.  Bernie and Steve had separely wrote to the Express but heard nothing.   Steve said he thought the Vale was too small for them to be bothered with.
Alan asked Steve if he had heard anything from the Drone man who was going to fly his drone over the Vale and film it.  Unfortunately although he seemed interested at the start he has disappeared to Austria so we will have to try to find someone else who can film the Vale.
Platt Fields is holding their first Manchester Festival event on 1st September, 2018 between 12 noon and 10 pm.  It is a Saturday and they are looking for volunteers from Friends of Parks to organise the bands backstage or give out programmes on the day.  Volunteers get a t shirt and also lunch which possibly will be vegetarian in light of the food provided at the Manchester Day Parade.  Of course it is more fun to just go along and enjoy the day for a couple of hours or the whole day and let's hope the   weather if good.

Next Meeting:                            Wednesday 5th September, 2018
                                                      Bluebell Inn, Levenshulme @ 6.30 pm

THE MONTHLY LITTERPICKS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED FOR THE FORSEEABLE FUTURE.