1) Present: Julie Morton (Chair), Pat Still (QED Health Group), Richard Wiltshire (QED Website Manager), David Meade (QED Waste Management Group), Phil Kessel, Rob Hardy and Alan Cremer (Dartford Borough Council).

2) Apologies for Absence: Laurence Gandy, Richard Stone, John Gunn.

3) Minutes of the Previous Meeting: Had been received and were accepted without alteration.

4) Matters Arising from the Minutes:

David Meade reported that the 'Dark Trees' National Spring Clean project did not take place as there had been no response from Richard Pullman the Heath Ranger.

Members of the Group were reminded that comments concerning the Environmental Audit should be addressed to Duncan Philips at DBC.

5) Budget and Expenditure Requests:

Phil Kessel reported that the current balance of account is £5274-54p. which includes a small roll-over from 1998. Rob Hardy advised that it is likely that in future years unspent allocation at the end of each financial year is likely to be lost.

David Meade requested that £10 be allocated for a subscription to the Kent Reduction of Waste Network. Agreed.

The meeting was reminded of the approaching inaugural meeting of Darent LEAP. Phil Kessel said that any expenses incurred by those attending will be re-imbursed.

The National Society for Clean Air will hold a Conference in Brighton in September. Attendance fees are £80 per session for non-members and £65 for members. Details of the Conference are enclosed. It was suggested that QED might join the Society.

Julie Morton presented a list of her expenses for the meeting at Kew which had been very successful. Re-imbursement agreed.

6) Reports from QED Groups:

a) Allotments:

Richard Wiltshire drew the meeting's attention to the recently circulated minutes of the Allotments Group's meeting.

Speakers are being provided for meetings at Reigate and Banstead, and Richard has been invited to address a national meeting in Plymouth.

A very successful visit had been made by Maidstone Borough Council.

On June 19th. the Vegetarian Society and Gardening Which? are jointly sponsoring a barbecue at an allotment site.

The new QED signs are in place at Dartford Road and Devonshire Avenue.

Articles concerning the Allotments Association and QED have been published in Amateur Gardening, Environment Today, Allotment and Leisure Gardener and Holistic Health.

After the success of the Early Day Motion in Parliament a list of MPs who signed it was published. Allotment holders whose MPs did not sign were encouraged to ask why. As a result the MP for Bolton has been stimulated to put down his own motion on the lines of our own. This is being supported by QED via the Parliamentary Web-site.

Parliament is being urged to make sensible revisions to current restrictions on Local Authorities regarding allotment gardening.

More re-usable barrels are being acquired from Akzo Nobel.

Richard reported that there are now more than 250 items on our web-site. It is being used increasingly as a research tool for gleaning information readily. The BBC is making a documentary on allotment gardening locally.

b) Waste Management:

David Meade referred the meeting to the tabled minutes of the last meeting.

He asked that QED look at inconsistencies in the provision of such things as compost bins by Local councils which are geographically close to one another.

It was requested that the John Prescott document about Best Value be circulated to all QED Chairs. Action:Alan Cremer.

c) Health Group:

Pat Still asked that anyone with information or comments about the Residents' Welcome Pack should contact Alan Cremer.

Fawkham Manor Hospital to be contacted re-the possibility of doing on-site cholesterol estimations, blood-pressures etc. at the Dartford Festival.

The meeting was reminded that this is the International Year of the Older Person.

d) Newtown:

Julie is still working on a project for Newtown.

A letter was received from the Co-op concerning recycling. They have the situation under review.

It was suggested that QED might sponsor a bin for the collection of dog excreta. Julie will look for an acceptable site for it.

e) Transport:

The last meeting had been abandoned due to lack of support. An informal meeting had discussed various matters of interest from which had come the idea of the Plenary meeting vide infra.

The Biodiversity Group and Swanscombe and Greenhithe were not represented.

7) Food Forum:

Twelve people attended the Forum plus Mike Pratt, Phil Kessel and Peter Adams from DBC. The overall conclusion from the Forum was that there was not a great interest in taking it forward. However, useful contacts were made in Peter Taylor who is a farmer experimenting with a small crop of genetically modified plants, and would be willing to speak about genetically modified organisms to a selected audience.

A Food Hygienist with a particular interest in Food Hygiene in the Home was also present. She is willing to make a presentation at the Festival.

8) Plenary Transport Meeting:

This will be held at Prince's Leisure Centre on June 3rd. Acceptances have been received from Arriva, KCC Transport Planning, Connex, Central London Buses, Bluewater and others.

The meeting will be opened by Julie and Bluewater will present a short summary of their 'Green Transport' policy.

Suitable questions were solicited from the group for posing at the meeting.

9) Publicity:

Phil Kessel reported that Bosch had mobile emission monitoring equipment which it might be possible to borrow for use in Dartford.

Alan Cremer will enquire whether the floral display could be used to exhibit the QED logo. Action: Alan Cremer.

Julie Morton exhorted all groups to continue to think about suitable ways of gaining positive publicity.

10) Dartford Festival:

A marquee 18m. X 9m. will be provided for the corporate LA21 exhibit. Alan Cremer had received three replies from groups concerning their requirements.

A Festival sub-group meeting will be convened by Julie Morton on Thursday June 24th. A tear-off slip will be included with these minutes so that Chairs can inform Julie who will be representing their group. Groups not replying will not be provided for at the Festival. Phil Kessel said that he will find a suitable venue. Action: Phil Kessel.

11) Dartford Community Safety Partnership:

Rob Hardy submitted the above document for perusal and comment by the group. He stressed that this is a ìlivingî document which will need to change with events.

He reiterated the importance of two-way communication between the Council and QED and that investigating how it can best be achieved should be an on-going process. Chris Oliver will contact Julie Morton to speak to her about this topic.

So many of the large pieces of documentation about various issues which are circulating at present have so many topics which are environment-based. Environmental (QED) input will be very valuable, thus the continuing relationship/partnership with the council assumes ever-increasing importance. An extremely important component will be finding ways of discovering what the people in the community want.

12) Poor Attendance at Meetings:

Extreme concern was expressed at the very poor attendance there had been at some recent meetings. The Steering Group meeting was a classic example, as the Chairs of only two groups were in attendance and yet no apologies for absence had been received from others. This had happened despite the fact that a calendar of meetings for the whole year was issued at the beginning of the year, and the date of this meeting was displayed on the minutes of the last meeting AND the agenda for this. As the Steering Group is the Executive Committee for QED and makes the ultimate decisions about policy, philosophy and expenditure it is essential that ALL groups are represented at its deliberations. The group requested most strongly that in future Chairs who are unable to attend must inform the Secretary and, whenever possible, send a representative from their group.

13) Other Business:

a) Kent Environmental Business of the Year:

Publicity for this event was tabled. Phil Kessel asked whether the meeting would like us to try to partner suitable businesses in this competition. Agreed: Alan Cremer to draft a suitable letter to be sent to chosen companies.

b) Taking QED Forward:

It was stated that there are many varied community groups active in Dartford, and that there is a good opportunity for QED to act as a focal point for joint ventures. It was proposed that publicity be given at the Festival to an offer by QED to provide free web-site coverage for other suitable organisations. Agreed. Action: AC and PK to draft contact letters.

c) Social Event:

It was suggested that a QED social event be organised. The options will be considered.

d) Escape to Dartford:

It was agreed that this event will be organised, but will need to be postponed until next year as time is now very short.

e) DETR Web-site:

Richard Wiltshire reported that there is currently nothing of interest to QED.

14) Future Meetings:

July 14th., September 1st, October 6th., November 17th.

All meetings are at Enterprise House commencing at 7.00p.m.

END: Return to QED Steering Group home page ...