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MinutesofFriendsofPrestonParkmeeting4thMay2016

Present:SueShepherd(Chair),GarryMayer,AlisonBoyce,CliveShepherd(minutes),SueShanks,JoeMcNulty,TonyBenton

Apologies:KeithUpton,MikeWard

1.Minutesoflastmeeting,29thFebruary

SuefolloweduponanumberofoutstandingissuesfromtheFebruaryminutes.Severalnewwalkdateshavenowbeenfixed,withatreewalkon2/6at6.30andahistorywalkon2/7at11.00.Tonywillalsodoabirdwalkon15/5at9amattheRotunda.Wewilladvertisetoouremaillist.

Sueenquiredwhetheritwaspossiblefortreestobelabelledinthepark,buttheadvicefromNeilBrothersintheArboriculturalDepartmentwasnottodothis.

TheresultsofthearcheologydigintheparkwillberevealedonFriday6MayanddisseminatedtoFoPPmembersbeforeanyoneelse.

IntermsofthePublicSpacesProtectionOrder,wecollectedalltheformsandsubmittedthemon27thApril.SuespoketoPeterCastletown,HeadofCommunitySafety.Over1000formsoverallweresubmittedpluscontributionsfromLibertyandtheEqualityandHumanRightsCommission.TheywillbedoinganEqualityImpactAssessmentalongsidethesurvey.Theywillreviewfindingsandmakerecommendationstothecouncilon14thJuly.

2.MeetingGarryMeyer

GarryMeyerhasreturnedasRangerresponsibleforPrestonPark.Garrydescribedhisrole,whichincludeslookingaftersevenothersites.Garryemphasizedthatheisheretosupportusasmuchaspossiblegiventheresourcesavailable.

3.FeedbackfromOpenSpacesmeeting,20thApril

SueShanksprovidedfeedbackonthismeetingofaneworganisationinvolvingrepresentativegroupsforalltheparksandopenspacesinBrighton.Thegroupwillmeetacoupleoftimesayear.Suerecommendedthatitwouldbeusefulforustobeinvolved.

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4.Proposedrevisedconstitution

Priortothemeeting,SueShepherdpresentedanewdraftconstitutionforreviewbythecommittee.

Garrysuggestedremovingtheword‘protection’fromthefirstaim,‘Topromotetheprotectionandimprovementofthepark.’

Clivesuggestedthatfromnowonwepublishourminutesonthewebsitetomaintaintransparencygiventhereductioninpublicmeetingseachyear.Thiswasagreed.

Therevisedconstitutionwasapprovedunanimouslyandwillbepostedonthewebsite.

5.ReviewoftheEasterevent

Inspiteofbadweather,theeventwasagreatsuccess.

Itwassuggestedthattheballoonsmarkingeachclueshouldbereplacednextyearbyflagsandthiswasagreed.

Itwasalsoagreedthatnextyearwecouldconsideradrawingcompetitionfordifferentagesgroups,andacompetitionforadults.

6.PrestonParkConservationManagementPlan

Suecirculatedasynopsisofthefirstdraftoftheplan,developedbyaconsultant,PhilipMasters.TheCouncilwouldlikearesponsefromusasacommitteebynextweek.

Suewillsendoutalinktothefulldocument.

ResponsesareduebacktoSuebyWednesday11thMay.SueandTonywillthenmeettocollatetheresponse.

7.AstonHouse

SuehasbeenspeakingtoMikeDennesswhorepresentsthedevelopers.JustbeforethemeetingMikesubmittedshadowingchartsforourreview.Joeagreedtoreviewtheseandreportback.Clivesenthimacopyofthecharts.

[SueShanksandJoeMcNultyleftthemeeting]

8.PrestonOpenDay,28thMay

ThePrestonOpenDaywillbeheldon28thMayfrom10-4.FoPPwillhaveastall.SueShepherdsuggestedthatwecouldrunaquiz,perhapsdistributingeggsasprizes,giventhatwehavequiteafewleftoverfromtheEasterevent.Eggscouldalsobeofferedtoanyonesigningupasafriend.

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SueShepherdwillcollatequizquestionsandaskedforsuggestionsformultiple-choicequestions.

Thefollowingvolunteeredtohelpmanthestall:SueShepherd,SueShanks,Tony,Alison,CliveandGarry,ifhe’sworking.

9AOB

JoehasappliedtoTescofora£1000granttocoverrepairofthepondinthewalledgarden.HeisalsoplanningtoapplytotheCouncilforagranttocovertheHalloweenevent.

TonywillemailAndyJeavonstoseeifheisplanningoncelebratingthe80thanniversaryoftheRockGarden.

Achequewillshortlybesenttothecouncilfor£750topurchaseanitemforthechildren’splayground.ThesefundsweremadeavailablethroughagrantfromPride.

10Nextmeeting

Weds3rdAugustat6pm,ParkView.