THE LAMMAS LAND MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AGM 13th MAY 2019 @7pm Venue – Norton Room of the Plough
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Present
Richard Partridge: Chairman, Roger Gardner: Secretary, Colin Clark, Kenny Connor, Roy Foster, Noel Griffiths, Malcolm Tomlinson, Stuart Jones
2 .Apologies:
Peter Hedges, Tony Patrick, Jean Coton, Andy Boyden
3. Minutes of AGM 2018
Proposed – Roy Foster and seconded by Malcolm Tomlinson and duly signed by the Chairman.
4. Matters Arising
7:1 – Holly trees on Lammas bordering private dwellings. Mrs V Callaghan had asked that they be pollarded. It was subsequently agreed that the existing hazel trees were pollarded, but the Holly trees were not touched.
Item Closed
5. Chairman’s Report 2018
The Management Committee comprises of a small number of Shenstone residents who manage and maintain the areas known as the Little Holms and Lammas Land on behalf of the Parish Council.
During the last 12 months we have ensured that the watercourses on the land, known as Footherly Brook, Crane Brook and the Black Brook are maintained and run free of obstructions and that damage caused by dogs entering the streams is repaired, in an effort to prevent permanent erosion of the banks.
We have also opened up the area where Crane Brook and Footherley Brook meet by creating a new footpath, this now allows access to an area of the land (Waters Meet) that was previously inaccessible.
Bracken which was becoming invasive along the housing line of the Top meadow of the Lammas Land, was cut back over the summer months in an effort to restrict its spread. This was successful and we then moved the footpath area closer to the boundary where the bracken had been growing so that footfall would continue to restrict its spread.
Along the length of this new path we planted some of the 200 saplings that we had been given by the Woodlands Trust this year. The remainder have been planted at various sites on the land. This is our third year of planting donated saplings and the results have been very promising with the survival rate being high and plants now flourishing.
We continue to restrict the growth and spread of Himalayan Balsam, with most of our maintenance sessions during the months of June, July and August aimed at achieving this objective.
New cross members have been fitted to Calder Bridge and it has been treated with a moss killer to preserve the wooden fixtures.
A new bench (originally sited outside the Cooper Room) has been installed by the Parish Council, overlooking the area known as Waters Meet.
The drainage work carried out early in 2018 appears to have solved the flooding problem on the Little Holmes.
A meeting has been held with South Staffs Water with a view to opening a footpath between the Little Holms and Malkin’s Coppice, as yet we have had no response to this meeting, we are still hopeful but it could take some time to achieve our objective.
Committee members assisted Greysbrook P.T.A. with their annual Duck Race and the school has been invited to use the area whenever it wishes for educational purposes.
We continue to address the ongoing problem of fouling by dog mess by the erection of new signage, the majority of dog owners are responsible, it is just the persistent few that cause the problem.
Funding has been secured from the Parish Council for the erection of a new fence along the footpath on the Little Holms, and work will begin on this shortly.
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Election of Officers –
Richard Partridge: Chairman – re-elected Roger Gardner: Secretary – re- elected
All remaining Committee members are willing to stand for another twelve months.
7. Any Other Business
7:1 – Peter, in his absence, asked if we could give more time could be given for organising forthcoming meetings. Richard stated that it was sometimes difficult to organise far in advance, but he would take the suggestion on-board for future meetings.
7:2 – Noel stated that he had cleared around some of the trees on Little Holms to stop briers etc. from enveloping the foliage and stumping growth. It was agreed that we continue with this project for the near future.
7:3 – Richard stated that we should tackle the briers adjacent to the crocodile and open up the trees by the brook.
7:4 – Some committee members asked whether we could go onto Smiths meadow and radically trim back the briers which encroach onto the footpath. Richard stated that we should cut back the briers from our side of the fence, as Mr. Smith (jnr) would probably complain if we went onto his property.
7:5 – Stuart stated that a Shenstone Book of recipes was being compiled, and that many groups within the village were being asked to submit recipes. Liz Walsh, a local master chef, has very kindly produced and baked, a Shining Stone biscuit, for the Lammas land. We all agreed that this was a good idea as long as the biscuit didn’t resemble a doggy doo. .
7:6 – Annual Duck Race – 18th May at 2:45pm. Enough volunteers came forward to ensure that it would be well patrolled. Richard stated that a working party will meet on Friday at 2pm near the Shining stone to clear the brook for the ducks. Bring your waders.
7:7 – Fence – Stuart asked whether we still wanted to erect a fence on Little holms by the old meadow. It was agreed that we continue in this venture. He will order the parts.
7:8 – Richard stated that we should replace the wooden bollards, which restrict unauthorised vehicles from driving on the Lammas, at the A5127 end of the Lammas, which were rotten.
With no other business the Chairman thanked everyone for attending and duly closed the meeting
The date of the next committee meeting to be agreed.
Chairman signature _________________________
Copy – Parish Council office