Present: David Meade (Chair, QED Waste Management and Pollution), Pat Still (Chair, QED Health Group), Richard Wiltshire (QED Allotments Group), Peter Onley (Chair: QED Biodiversity Group), Alan Cremer, Phil Kessel and Mike Pratt (DBC).

In the absence of Julie Morton the Chair was taken by David Meade.

1) Apologies for Absence: Julie Morton, Richard Stone, John Britt, Laurence Gandy, Alex Cerny.

2) New Member: The meeting welcomed Peter Onley to the Steering Group in his capacity as Chair of the Biodiversity Group.

3) Minutes of the Previous Meeting: Had been received and were approved as a true record.

4) Matters Arising from the Minutes:

a) VSU: It has been agreed with Alec Cerny that he will receive the Minutes of meetings. When an occasion arises in which VSU and QED can cooperate we will be in contact.

b) Herbs for Health: The Allotments Group is in conversation with Alan Hewitt ,the Chair of West Dartford Allotment and Gardens Society to see whether they might be prepared to distribute the herb "wheel" as part of their retail operation.

c) The Local Plan: It is now hoped that this will be available in January 2000.

d) Great Dartford Pumpkin Competition: This has now been successfully completed and the winning school presented with its prize. This was reported in the local press and Amateur Gardening. The winning school raised over £20 for "Children in Need" through its "guess the weight of the pumpkin" competition.

e) DBC Strategy Documents: These have now been discussed at a full Council meeting. Comments from QED Groups had been noted and passed on to the relevant Sections.

5) Accounts: The current balance is £4,304.09p. although there are some items of expenditure outstanding. Chairs of Groups were encouraged to put in relevant bids for funding before next March. A Growth Bid of £5,000 for next year's budget has gone forward.

6) Requests for expenditure

a) Shredding and Brushwood Clearing Equipment: Malcolm Still had submitted a written request for expenditure on heavy equipment for use on the allotments and elsewhere. The bid amounts to £1029.59p. + V.A.T.. It was agreed after discussion that suitable safety equipment and clothing is an essential pre-requisite for this equipment, and approval for its purchase was given with the proviso that the safety equipment is purchased at the same time. Bids for up to £500 for this will be considered at the next Steering Group meeting. It was agreed that this machinery and safety equipment could be loaned to other appropriate groups. All insurances will be paid by Tredegar Allotments Club. It was reported that they now have a concrete garage which has been donated by the Red Cross.

b) Raised Beds at Dartford Road Allotments: Richard Wiltshire submitted a written request for £750 for the purchase of railway sleepers. These will be used for the construction of raised allotment cultivation beds. Any insurance or revenue costs will be borne by Dartford Road Allotments Association. Richard reported that B&Q retain their interest in projects for the disabled. All the tools previously donated by them are now in use. The possibility of more hand tools is being pursued. These are very useful for people with back problems using the raised beds as well as registered disabled people. This expenditure was agreed.

c) FCF&CG Training Session: A bid for £30 to support attendance at a course on helping gardeners with special needs at Walworth Garden Farm in London was submitted. It was agreed to support two participants for this course.

d) QED Signs: A submission was made for two QED signs to be purchased for Tredegar Allotments. This was agreed.

e) Computing Equipment: It was agreed that a sum of £200 be offered to the Waste Group for the possible purchase of redundant computer equipment on offer from Southwark. This is to facilitate the administration of QED until the secretary's post is filled at DBC.

7) Information from QED Groups:

a) Biodiversity: The Group has a new Chairman in Peter Onley. He has called a special meeting for December 6th. to discuss possible projects for the group and to allocate responsibility for starting to carry some of them out. At the group's recent meeting it was addressed by Roger Cooper the Consultant for the Central Park Development. Information on this will be circulated.

b) Transport: The group agreed at its recent meeting to concentrate for the moment on cycling and walking issues. Cycling groups will be contacted with a view to getting their views on a possible survey, by them, of cycling "black-spots" in the area, and of holding a "cycling-summit" meeting in the New Year to discuss them. Phil Kessel tabled the Consultation papers on Kent Walking and Cycling Strategies. He will obtain more copies and circulate them.

c) Allotments: Richard reported that the Allotments Group is to host a visit from Bradford Environmental Action Project on December 10th. He has also been requested to comment on allotments in community gardens.

8) News from the Website:

Richard reported that 3 documents from DETR are about to be published: one on contaminated land due to be published on December 6th, Air Quality Regulations (England) are due out on December 20th, and PPG13 on transport is due on January 5th.

9) Administrative Support for QED after January 1, 2000: A budget Growth Bid has already been submitted to DBC for a possible full-time replacement for the current Environmental Promotions Officer post. It was agreed that in the interim a Secretary will need to be appointed from within each group. It is possible that a data-base of members' addresses for each group will be given to each group secretary. Another option is that of submitting minutes, letters, agenda etc. to DBC on floppy disc or e-mail. These could then be distributed from there.

10) Other Business:

a) Local Agenda 21 Consultation Document: It is expected that a draft of the Local Agenda 21 Consultation document will be available on December 13th. There will be a two-stage consultation. The Council, including QED, will see it first and it will then be open to the public.

b) Dartford Festival: The next meeting concerning the Festival will be on December 2nd. It is suggested that the QED exhibit be re-sited and "opened up". It is greatly hoped that there will be more involvement from other Directorates at the Council. The theme of the Festival in 2000 will be "The Circus".

Addendum: The DETR mobile roadshow "Are You Doing Your Bit?" has now been reserved for us for the Festival dates. (July 22nd and 23rd. 2000).

11) Date of Next Meeting: This has been booked for January 12th. at 7.00 pm at Enterprise House.

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