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PULLOXHILL PARISH COUNCIL Draft MINUTES OF PULLOXHILL ANNUAL VILLAGE MEETING 8th May 2017 The Shelter, Orchard Road, Pulloxhill Present: C McCall - Chair L Arnold B Brown D Higson C Prest S Roscoe In Attendance: B Green – Clerk P Schofield – Rushymeade Committee Chair 4 members of the public Meeting opened at 19.00 1. Apologies. Apologies received from Cllr Jamieson, L Austin, Rev. D Bell, W Butterworth, J Morrow, I Wren 2. Minutes of meeting held on 9th May 2016 The minutes were accepted as a true record of the proceedings and duly signed by the Chairperson 3. Annual Reports and Updates Reports were received detailing areas of responsibility as follow. These are appended in full at the end of these minutes. Chair Carol McCall Rushymeade Paddy Schofield The Charles H. Gardner Trust Paddy Schofield Pulloxhill Players Julie Morrow – read by the Clerk Friends of Pulloxhill Church William Butterworth – read by the Clerk Gardeners Club Carol McCall Monday Coffee Club Irene Wren - read by the Clerk Projects group David Higson Pulloxhill Singers Carol McCall Speedwatch Brian Brown Signed (Chairman).......................................... Date................................................................ Page 1 of 8 - Draft Minutes Neighbourhood Plan Craig Prest Pulloxhill School Mrs McCullion Friends of Pulloxhill School Mackayla Lawrence 4. Any Other Business A resident asked if the school could make more use of Rushymeade as a learning tool. This was considered a good idea and the headteacher said they would actively consider taking the children for educational walks and talks. This would also be considered within the Green Infrastructure Plan. The Chair thanked the retiring Clerk for her service and expert advice to the PPC and wished her well in her new venture. The Chair also expressed her sadness at the passing of Tony Terrel and recognised the great work he did for the PPC as Tree Warden. There being no further business the Annual Village Meeting was closed at 20:00, and was immediately followed by the Pulloxhill Parish Council May meeting incorporating the Annual General Meeting. Signed (Chairman).......................................... Date................................................................ Page 2 of 8 - Draft Minutes Appendix: Reports to the Annual Village meeting Chair – Cllr. Carol McCall The years seem to be flying by ever faster, but this has been a good year for our village. We are very close now to having a Neighbourhood Plan thanks to significant efforts of a small group who are working together with Flitton and Greenfield to arrange consultations and write this importance document which will protect and shape our village’s future. I am also very happy to report that after 20 years plus of requests from village residents and significant work by the Parish Council, we will have traffic calming tables installed during the coming year. My personal thanks go to Brian Brown who has co-ordinated with Central Bedfordshire Highways Dept and secured “matched funding” that has allowed these improvements to go ahead. The past year has also seen an increase in demand for our Allotments with all workable allotments now let. One kind allotment holder has also set up a Facebook group where our allotment holders can support each other and swap “spare” seedlings and advice on the best source of seeds, compost and other necessaries. As Chair I would like to thank our Ward Councillor James Jamieson who provides updates on Central Beds Council activities and helps us unblock and resolve issues and all the other Parish Councillors who volunteer their time for Parish Council and support many other village activities. We were all very sad to say our last goodbyes to our Tree Warden, Tony Terrell, who provided us with many years of sound advice regarding the trees in and around the village and was a significant member of our community who will be greatly missed by us all personally and at village events. Lastly a huge vote of thanks to Mackayla Lawrence, our Parish Clerk who will be leaving us soon after years providing huge support to me and the other councillors. Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Brian Green our incoming Parish Clerk who has family ties to the village and, hopefully, will soon to be Pulloxhill a resident himself. In the coming year, the Parish Council priorities will be working to install the traffic calming measures and to renovate the small children’s play area in the recreation ground. We have also been asked by Central Beds to provide a Disaster Recovery Plan for the village following the recent power outage in Ampthill, so will be asking for volunteer co-ordinators living around the village to help us do everything we can to keep all our residents safe if we had a similar incident. We continue to encourage everyone to join in village events and look forward to seeing you there. Rushymeade Annual Report, 8th May 2016. – Paddy Schofield Rushymeade is an ancient meadow on the south-eastern slopes of Pulloxhill. With marvellous views over beautiful landscape, full of wildlife and rich in historical features, it is a rare example of undisturbed Bedfordshire grassland. Rushymeade was purchased by the Pulloxhill Parish Council in 2001 to preserve it for the pleasure and enjoyment of the village. Signed (Chairman).......................................... Date................................................................ Page 3 of 8 - Draft Minutes It comprises just over sixteen acres encompassing open meadow land, boggy ground and shrubby areas where a wide variety of wildlife and birds can be seen. A further four acres of private grassland, with permissive access, makes up the whole area. As an essential part of managing and maintaining the area, cattle are grazed on the land through the Summer months. The Rushymeade management committee aims to maintain and improve the area, both in terms of its natural diversity and in its accessibility and utilisation and safety for the public. The objective is to maintain grass cover over at least 80% of the total area by grazing with cattle and cutting back the spreading brambles, bushes and trees. We receive management advice and funding from Natural England, on the basis that we maintain its present balance of grassland and scrub area, flora and fauna. The Rushymeade management committee is led by Paddy Schofield on behalf of the Parish Council, and has a supply of equipment suitable for most of the cutting and maintenance work. There are now no horses on Rushymeade, so cattle are the only grazing animals and are essential in maintaining the ancient, unimproved grassland. They are usually present from Mid-April to Late October each year. We currently have 13 cattle, but may need to introduce more in June to properly graze the area. The cattle were dog-tested before release into the areas with public access, on the 2nd of May this year. Notices informing the public of when the cattle were due to be introduced were posted at each of the six entry points to the Rushymeade site and on the new information boards have been installed adjacent to the recreation ground and churchyard entrances. An article was also published in the April edition of the Pulloxhill Village News. The notices were replaced with signs warning that cattle are present for the duration of the grazing season. The aim is to make the public aware of the presence of the cattle, and to explain their options should they come across them. One significant piece of clearance during 2016 was the removal of the brambles and scrub that had been allowed to grow along the school fence line. The main cutting was done by a hired contractor, and secondary tidying and clearance by volunteers. The work was much appreciated by the school governors, who wrote a letter of thanks to the committee. Work to control and cut back the areas of bramble and scrub will continue through the year, mainly following the bird nesting season. The main footpaths will be cut once the wild flowers have seeded. It is worth noting that some of the areas of scrub are developing naturally into woodland with glades. With some thinning, these areas should become very attractive over the next few years. CHARLES H GARDENER CHARITY – Paddy Schofield After nearly 50 years, the money remaining in the Charles H. Gardener Charity Trust fund has depleted to a point where it will soon not be possible to continue with donations at a viable level. The Trustees propose to distribute an equal share of any remaining funds to each of the parishioners included on the list in January 2018, and the Charity will be closed. Charles H. Gardener lived Pulloxhill, and was a local land owner, farmer and chairman of the Parish Council and was described as “a general good-body”. Following his death, his will Signed (Chairman).......................................... Date................................................................ Page 4 of 8 - Draft Minutes (proved in 1960), included the sum of £1,066 to form the Charles H. Gardener Charity. The will stated that the income from this money – a generous sum in 1960 - was to be spent on a “party” for the village. However, the UK tax laws forbid spending tax-free charity money on a party, but accept that it can be spent on” people in need” so an annual Christmas distribution to those over 65 was agreed instead. The first record of donations being distributed is dated 1967, when the interest earned on the invested money was £70 per year, and each of 75 residents who had asked to be on the list received 15/- (shillings) at Christmas. By 1974, the funds were invested in Treasury 5.5% Stock, and were worth £2,268.19, yielding £124.74 interest in that year. Between 1974 and 1992, Bernard and Nellie Jellis volunteered to distribute the funds each Christmas, saving the fund having to pay the Parish Council clerk to do it - he had received £2.50 a time, later rising to £5.00.

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