Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED:That the Minutes of the Meeting held on the 14^th November 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 -Doors to be installed during the spring/summer 2019.

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

·         The Trough – Biddulph -Awaiting commencement.

·         Leekbrook to Leek (Cornhill) heritage rail link – Grant fully allocated. An expression of interest to co-fund the construction had been invited to full application (EAFRD – European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development).

·         Cheddleton Station - Tenders had now been returned but works can not commence until a bat survey had been completed in May 2019.

·         Funerary Monuments – Works commenced and contractor appointed to undertake repair of 4 priority monuments

·         Biddulph Town Council Projects

o   Railings A57 – Deposit paid to Ironage Designs.

o   Gillow Heath Station – This was a four phase project which would include the removal of the fence and installation of benches, restoration of the edge of the platform, installation of signage and interpretation boards and repair of the footbridge.

o   Well at Tower Hill Road – Project would hopefully be completed before the end of the year.

o   Biddulph Grange - Works to the leat were complete and 3 interpretation panels would be installed shortly.

·         Cattle Market Cottage, Leek - The property had now been sold and the grant withdrawn.

·         Foxlowe, Leek- The accredited conservation architect had now completed the specification of works for builders to tender against. It was hoped works would commence this spring/summer.

·         Big Mill, Leek – Works onsite

·         Victoria Buildings, Leek – Grant in principle but only one application had been received for the property outlined in red on the PowerPoint presentation which would be processed in the next financial year.

Detailed discussion took place around how best to safeguard Big Mill and where the grant funding would be spent. 

RESOLVED:    That the report be noted.

The Board received a report is to seek member’s approval to allocate grant funding from the Moorlands Partnership Board (MPB). The budget for this year was £50,000. So far, the budget had been allocated as set in the table below. The focus this year had been on the repair and restoration of a number of prominent key historic buildings.
 

A request was made by Cllr Riley for Cheddleton Hospital to be included in the information on the interpretation panels at Leekbrook Station.

RESOLVED:  a) That a grant of £19,000 be made to the Churnet Valley Railway for the rail track installation from Leekbrook Station Northwards.

b) That the ‘in principle’ grant of £20,000 against Victoria Buildings be deferred to the next financial year.

c) That a grant of £1356 be made towards 4b Victoria Buildings from the 2019/20 budget, subject to the standard conditions.

d) That Members approved a grant of £401 (inc VAT) towards the manufacture of two free standing interpretation panels at Leekbrook Station subject to the following condition:-

·         Panels are to be secured each night.

e) That Members approved a grant of £6599 (inc VAT) towards the repair and restoration of the former butcher’s shop and adjacent cottage at 1 High Street,Cheadle.

A request was made for the next meeting of the Board to be held towards the end of June or beginning of July 2019.