Shepton Beauchamp

We plan to be planting some trees - Put Sunday lunch in the oven and come along we will also start clearing stream banks.

Present: Spaces Facilitator, Martin Fine, Roger, Mary and Andy Roberts, Principal Scientist, Environment & Occupational Monitoring Team , Somerset Scientific Services, Somerset County Council.

Following previous communication between Roger, Mary and Martin Fine, and involving Deborah Cole, Groundwork UK Finance Manager, we agreed that the figure of £10,000 for a precautionary site survey was probably a bit high. As we think it is very unlikely that anything major would be discovered, we hope to be able to stick to our original budget. Following communication with Mark Doughty, we have information of grants available from Wessex Watermark, administered by the Conservation Foundation in London.

Andy Roberts kindly attended our meeting to help clarify what is needed in a survey to ensure our responsibilities to members of the public using the site, and to volunteers using the site, are discharged. Andy made the following points

• a) the process of sewage treatment involves settlement of foul water, and periodic removal of settlement material as sludge, which is dried out, and then disposed of. We do not know if this has been removed from the site, or spread on the adjacent land surrounding the treatment area. There is a slight danger of biological contamination eg Salmonella or Typhus in the soil, though this is considered unlikely after the 20years plus that have elapsed since the closure of the works. In addition sludge may generate methane gas, and carbon dioxide. ( All those bonfires might have been more risky than we thought— but at least they are not still burning!)
• b) there is also the possibility of pipe leakage from works into surrounding soil, again a fairly remote possibility due to the depth of the pipes, and the time elapsed since closure of the treatment works, though there may be current leakage occurring.
• c) there may also be chemical contamination. This could include hydrocarbons from lubrication of machinery used in the treatment process, cyanide, sulphides, PCB (polychlorinated bi-phenols—a long and difficult process to detect them), possibly buried asbestos. PCBs may be present if electrical transformers were used on the site.
• d) manhole covers need to be strong enough to support people, or else they would need to be fenced off, as the chambers beneath some are up to 3 metres in depth.

Andy recommends that a through precautionary survey is carried out, and that it would be reckless to proceed without it. We agreed that we should approach Wessex Water again to see if they will fund such a survey. We feel that we were grateful for their generous gift of the 25 year lease on the site, but were not aware that before we could get on with our plan, detailed scientific work would need to be completed, in order to ensure the safety of the public and volunteers working on the site. From Wessex Water’s website it is apparent that they are very keen to work with communities, and have a keen interest in preserving and enhancing our environment. It is also questionable if we should pay for a survey, when if it was to be disposed of commercially, under current legislation, the site would have to undergo a thorough check.

Somerset County Council (SCC) would be able to provide some services (eg a walk over survey of the site for methane) but for other aspect we would have to use other contractors. Andy is to get back to us with advice on what is required, who can do it etc. He thinks that up to £5,000 would be needed. This report would go to Community Spaces/Groundwork UK, and be an important check that public money (Lottery Funding is being spent appropriately).

South Somerset District Council (SSDC) will have a Contaminated Land Officer in post soon, who should have access to records of past site use etc. This will enable us to check out history of site. Though we have some details of current biodiversity, we may need additional information.

A brief site inspection was carried out, to enable Andy to get a clearer picture of the area.

After Andy’s departure we discussed points raised by the application process. Martin emphasised that the project is not a Parish Council venture, but that of the group, with their support. If the Parish Council became our accountable body, they could administer the grant, and also claim back any VAT due. This could not go into general parish funds, but would have to be used for the project.

In order to get the funding the project would have to be completed within a specified time scale, or money would be with held. Obviously the basic infrastructure of fences, paths, gates, benches, bins etc would be best installed at first.

Martin is to supply us with details of the constitution used by Shirley Warren Gardens, and also details of guidelines produced by Lambeth Council (I think) In addition to copies of the lease, we need a signed Landowner Permission form to be completed. A friendly letter of support and encouragement from Wessex Water would also be useful. All this information, though somewhat tedious to provide, is important to support our application.

Next steps— Roger has applied for an O2 community grant on our behalf,

1. I will submit the Wessex Watermark application over the next few days,
2. we hope to set up survey to be completed in the New Year.
3. we now need to finalise some costings on aspects we are sure about eg paths, fences etc.
4. we need to provide some CV type details of group to show that we are capable of delivering project—so get thinking! Evidence of management skills, other projects we have been involved in etc are important.
5. Also financial know how - I pass on that one.

Proposed meeting to discuss progress next Wed 22nd October in Pub at 7.30 pm We need to have AGM in Nov, and I have suggested Wed 12th Nov in Buttle Close, but await confirmation. I think we should invite local groups eg Seniors, Youth Club etc to provide delegates, and to display plan to show all interested.
Mary H Clarke 16/10/08
Please let me have any comments etc.

Debbie reported that following a staff meeting, the school no longer feel that they wish to have an allotment on site, but would be interested in helping to establish woodland areas, for long term interest.

Roger has been in touch with Tony Turner in Barrington, who was involved in the funding and supervision of the MUGA and recreation site behind the new Village Hall. They had a local Landscape Architect Draw up a plan, which was implemented by one contractor, Somerset Landscapes. Tony got other grants in addition from the major grant from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and we will have to go down that route too. The money was inpart, held by the Parish Council, and in part paid to TT direct. He is amenable to offering further assistance when required, for which we are grateful.

Paul Robotham (SSDC councillor) reported that SCC would not stump up if they held money for us, and we defaulted in some way, so the group would still carry the risk. We intend at present to go for Parish Council control, but if this is not possible, to handle the finances ourselves.

Martin Fine has put us in touch with Phoebe Ross who successfully financed and completed the Shirley Warren Garden in Southampton. I have emailed her asking for any tips she can give us on dealing with the whole application process. David has been in touch with Phil Stone (no2 in SCC countryside directorate) who is sending info on funding for Community Woodland. We have had no info on surveys.

There appears to be money available for “Local Heritage Initiatives” which we might access. We really need a keen person with sufficient time to follow up these leads. If you feel able to, please let us know.

We discussed the tortuous process of acquiring Lottery funding, and wonder if this is all getting out of hand. We do not want to alienate local people who want to be involved, or railroaded into spending more money than we think is sensible. We decided to proceed for the moment, and to try to get some money to organise a basic survey.

We envisage this being a project that will develop over time, and not something that that will be built all in one go, and so funding needs can be met over time. Roger has had a meeting on site with SSDC Street Scene dept’s Ivan Herring, who has given quotes for the cost of initial mowing with pickup of grass (£100) and also subsequent cuts, without pickup (£25 per cut). Topping off the remains of the long grass seems to have been £40, but someone has already done this. We intend to approach the parish council for help with initial payments, until other funding becomes available.

We revised our responses to Martin Fine’s documents detailing tasks to be completed in order to submit application. This will be sent to him prior to the next meeting with him on Wed 17th Oct .