Notes on meeting, with Martin Fine, attended by Roger and Mary.
As Martin had been unable to contact Geoff Weber at the end of last week, he gave him a call, but was unable to make contact. He will try first thing tomorrow morning, when Geoff should be in his office. We hope he will get:
We are very anxious to make progress on this matter, as its outcome is crucial for the completion of the Stage 2 application, which was supposed to be submitted within a year of successfully completing the Stage 1 application (August 2008).
Mary to contact Andy Roberts to see if he can help to alleviate the logjam, and he is the man with the technical knowledge to assess what is required. Joy Williams, biodiversity officer for Somerset county Council is to be contacted to see if there are any guidelines about biodiversity that we should be considering when Hyder carries out this survey.
Ideally she would contact Hyder to discuss their plans. We also need guidance about best practice when it comes to implementing our plan.
On 5th May 2009 Groundworks UK have acknowledged that small community groups such as ours do not always have the skills to complete the application forms in the required format to satisfy the bureaucrats, and have allowed facilitators to make a final draft ready for submission in the correct form.
This should ensure that the application has a better chance of success! We are to get all available supplementary information (that will form the appendices of the Stage 2 application) ready by our next meeting, and have filled in the draft application as far as we can.
Roger’s photos of the site are extremely good, and provide a good overall view, taken last October. Again we need the information from Hyder to enable us to complete, as this is a key piece of work.
Groudworks have now stipulated that we MUST have a project leader who is a landscape architect, and that on completion of the project we will need a certificate of completion. A competent person who is independent of the delivery team and project leader must sign this. The name of the person proposed must be entered on the Stage 2 application form. Roger to explore whether some one in the County Council would be able to carry out this task. (Barbara Collier may be able to guide us here)
In spite of all this expert input, we still need our Advisory Panel for any additional consultation.
We will need to get 3 quotes for all tasks to be paid for, including the Project Leader. Martin emphasised that we need competent people, and that they understand that any charges agreed may be subject to changes due to survey results. All quotes to include VAT. We can get a quote for initial advice before Stage 2 application is completed, and then a separate one for supervision and completion of project in a lump sum. We would expect a letter of intent to include a fixed fee for a specific time. Confirmation of acceptance of the quote will come from the funder.
In a recession there may be more flexibility. The project leader must be someone we can happily work with, and who will also work well with the person signing off the completed project.
Martin has agreed to contact Pete Lever of David Wilson Partnership re advice about getting a suitable landscape architect.
A draft risk assessment document has been completed using one supplied by Barbara Collier as a guide. One of the risks not really considered so far is that of Wessex Water vehicles accessing site in an emergency, when there may be children around. We need to find out what protocols exist with regard to access to a site that will be open to the public at all times.
Should a notice be erected to worn approaching drivers of the possibility of people on the site, and also one to warn those using the site of the possibility of traffic in the area? Mary to contact Ellen McDouall about this matter, and find out who to contact re Health and Safety in Wessex Water.
Do we need prior information about vehicle movements, and do we need to inform the Police, Fire dept, etc of these possible events? Roger to check the lease re service agreements.
Next meeting to take place on Tues 16th June at 10.30.
Mary H Clarke 12th May 2009