Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting held on the 27^th June 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

·         Disclosable Pecuniary Interests:

·         Other Interests

The Board received a report introduced by Jane Ratcliffe, Assistant Accountant, which provided a financial summary of funding available to the Partnership to allocate during the financial year and included financial tables which provided a summary of grant funding. 

RESOLVED - That the report be noted.

The Board received a report and presentation on the current status of projects at:-

·         Gazebo, Whitehough, Ipstones  – Stone repairs complete. Windows were  in place and the door to be installed later.

·         67 Tape Street, Cheadle - Works delayed and will not commence until October 2019.

·         9 – 11 High Street Dilhorne - Works completed satisfactorily and £1,000 that had been retained for repointing had now been repaid.

·         Endon and Stanley Interpretation Panels – Project complete and grant paid.

·         The Trough, Biddulph -Awaiting commencement.

·         Leekbrook to Leek (Cornhill) Heritage Rail Link - Planning Permission secured, Draft Heads of Terms and lease documents were to be agreed and Churnet Valley Railway had been invited  to complete a full application for European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development funding.

·         Leekbrook Station – Works completed.

·         Cheddleton Station – Plans and proposals were completed for the repair and refurbishment of the building and awaiting estimates. Works were delayed until the required bat survey, which could not take place until May 2019 had been completed.

·         Funerary Monuments - Contractor appointed to undertake repair of 4 priorities. Officers had secured a further £1,500 from the SMDC monuments and cemeteries budget. A grant enquiry to the Staffordshire Historic Churches Trust had been unproductive. Officers had also approached the Parish Councils for funding but this had not proved successful.

·         Biddulph Town Council Projects -

o   Railings A57 – Deposit paid to Ironage Designs.

o   Gillow Heath Station - A small working group had been formed and this had now turned into a four phase project.

o   Well at Tower Hill Road - Being kept tidy by the lengsthman. Would hopefully be completed before the end of the year.

·         Biddulph Grange - Works to the leats were now complete and an interpretation panel had been completed and would be installed on site to illustrate and explain the landscape.

·         Cattle Market Cottage, Leek - Grant offer accepted but no further update.

·         Foxlowe, Leek– Grant offer approved and works to commence in spring 2019.

·         Big Mill, Leek – Works onsite.

·         Victoria Buildings, Leek – Condition survey completed. Owners will be advised of the anticipated costs and the potential grant available to them.

The Board discussed Big Mill and Victoria Buildings in more detail. It was hoped that the mill would be successfully converted and all owners of the Victoria Buildings receptive to the improvement works.

Members asked if particular projects in their wards would qualify for grant funding and they were advised to submit applications to the MPB.

The Board was also asked to start to consider the allocation of unspent grant funding from projects that had not come to fruition and to also begin to consider the allocation of funding for the next financial year.

RESOLVED: That the report and presentation be noted.

The Chair asked for there to be more publicity of projects that the Board had supported and Jo Brooks, Regeneration Officer, confirmed that examples of successful projects would be added to the Council’s website.

It was brought to the attention of the Board that Richard Tuffrey, Principal Regeneration Officer, was retiring from the Council after 23 years of service and the Chair thanked him for the expertise and experience he had brought to the Board.