Annual Report 2009

The past year has been exceptionally quiet but throughout we have continued to keep a watchful eye on potential developments on our riverside area.

Nottinghamshire County Council - Minerals and Waste Development Framework.

The timetable for the development of this framework, which will replace the current Minerals Plan, has slipped even further and there have been no developments this year.  The consultation had been planned for the second half of 2009 but our latest information is that this will begin in May 2010.  This stage may include designation of specific sites but even this is uncertain at this stage.  We are aware that a mining company has been holding consultations regarding possible future extraction of sand and gravel in Shelford but there has been no equivalent activity on this side of the Trent.

Flood protection.

Slipping timetables seem to have been the order of the day in 2009.  Early in the year I met officers from the Environment Agency to discuss issues concerning the proposed flood embankment.  It had emerged that the Environment Agency’s project to construct the embankment had met unexpected problems, further work on the design of the project was necessary and costs would be much higher than originally anticipated.  During the year the funding that had been agreed for the embankment in Burton Joyce planned to start in 2009 was withdrawn and spent elsewhere.  This resulted in us embarking on a flurry of inquiry and activity and eventually the EA advised that funding totalling £490,000 had been agreed for the embankment and it was hoped that work would commence in the spring of 2010.

Restoration of the old gravel workings.

Severn Trent Water’s failure to restore the old gravel workings at Gunthorpe and Bulcote, and the County Council’s failure to enforce Modification Orders has been a continuing issue of concern this year.  There have been a number of meetings on this issue with, as yet, no outcome.  The indefatigable Roger Fell has been leading on this issue in which the effect of non-restoration on flood storage capacity and potential for future flooding is particularly relevant.  Many thanks are due to Roger for his extensive and ongoing work in this area.

Surveys.

This year with the help of Carol Wright, I undertook a survey of the flora on the Burton Meadows loop with a view to establishing if there was sufficient variety of flora to enable this area to be re-instated as a Sites of Interest to Nature Conservation (SINC, now renamed as Local Nature Areas).  We submitted the outcome to the Biological Records Office at Wollaton Hall but were later advised that the flora we had recorded did not enable the area to be redesignated.  We shall continue this survey this year with the hope of identifying other flora we may have missed.  Many thanks to Carol for her invaluable help with this work.

I also undertook a survey of the condition of footpaths and bridleways on the riverside, extending this to all footpaths in Burton Joyce and Bulcote in order to contribute to the work of Nottinghamshire Ramblers in recording footpath condition.  Generally the footpaths are well kept.  Thanks are due to the various landowners for this.  A report and requests for the renewal of signage and improvement to one bridleway in poor condition were made to Nottinghamshire County Council.  The County Council responded with the hope that they would be able to put the requests on the programme for the current financial year but to date no action has been observed.

Consultations.

As usual, we have read a number of consultation documents and made responses to the following:

·          Gunthorpe Gravel Pits restoration proposals

·          Greater Nottingham Core Strategy: Issues and Options

Information.

We have continued to display news updates on our website (www.bjra.org.uk) to enable everyone to have access to up-to-date news.

Contacts with other organisations.

We have continued to be in active contact with many other individuals and organisations – most notably this year with The Undefended Village Partnership, Roger Fell and our MP Vernon Coaker.  Our thanks to all for the support and encouragement that is engendered though this ongoing co-operation and exchange of information.

 

As always, at our AGM, we shall be electing Officers and Committee members.  Last year I reluctantly took on the post of Chairman again in view of ongoing health problems and advised that I would not be standing for re-election to this post again.  After five years as Chairman, it is time for someone else to take the lead.  I would urge all members to consider if you can contribute to the active work of the Association by offering yourself as one of the Officers or Committee members.

 

Julie O’Neill