Present: David Meade (Chair), Julie Morton (QED Steering Group), Barbara Judge (UNA), John Prance (DBC) Steve Weiss (National Power) and Richard Wiltshire (QED Website Manager).

1) Apologies for Absence: Graeme Laidlaw and Malcolm Still. The Group was notified that Graeme Laidlaw and Richard Wiltshire would be absent from its next meeting on May 24 due to a clash with AGM of Dartford Road Allotments Association.

2) Notes from the Previous Meeting: Accepted.

3) Matters Arising from the Notes of the Previous Meeting:

(a) Groundwork Project: The QED Steering Group has put further consideration of this composting project on hold pending clarification of issues outstanding between DBC and Groundwork. A response is still awaited from Groundwork to the Chair's latter of February 10.

(b) Welcome Pack: John Gunn is in the process of redrafting the pack, and requires a list of recycling points/charities. JM agreed to compile a list of appropriate charities and, at suggestion of JP, to check that they wish to be identified in the Welcome Pack.

(c) Draft Best Value Performance Plan: No response had been submitted on behalf of the Group, although the Chair and BJ had submitted their own responses as had RW on behalf of QED Allotments Group. The Chair queried whether the target for recycling was ambitious enough: after a prolonged discussion opinion remained divided on this issue.

4) Recycling: JP informed the Group that next year's DBC budget includes funding for a trial home composting scheme for green waste. RW to liaise with JP on organising a trip to allotments in Bromley to inspect a composting scheme for municipal green waste, the trip to be open to all members of the Group. The production of a QED Composting Leaflet was proposed, as a joint project with the QED Allotments Group and based on leaflet currently in use at Dartford Road Allotments, for distribution at the Dartford Festival and possibly with DBC mailings.

5) Environmental Monitoring/Quality Indicators: The Environmental Audit will be issued for consultation within the next few weeks. The Group agreed to invite Duncan Phillips to make a presentation on this, which could be open to the general public.

6) Planning Applications: The Chair highlighted two current applications, covering a renal unit at the new district hospital and a chemical storage facility at a local factory, which had discharge/pollution control implications.

7) Dartford Festival: It was agreed that this year's display would feature composting. RW agreed to arrange for HDRA to be contacted with regard to providing exhibits and materials, as was done in 1997. There was discussion of whether participation in the Dartford Festival is an effective way of getting sustainability messages across to the general public, and it was agreed that the QED Steering Group be asked to consider alternatives, such as a series of targeted lectures and presentations.

8) Future Business: Agenda items to include the Draft Local Agenda 21 Strategy, which has been circulated to Group Chairs for comment, the Local Plan (which is due to go on deposit on March 30), facilities for the disposal of cooking oil from domestic sources, reuse of life-expired wheely-bins on allotments for compost bins and water butts, and Streamwatch UK (also to be considered by QED Biodiversity Group).

9) Any Other Business

(a) National Spring Clean: It was agreed to seek two skips, one for QED Newtown Group and the other for QED Allotments Group (for use in environs of Tredegar and Marcet Road allotments). JP agreed to draft a proposal for QED Steering Group to part-fund the skips. It was agreed that QED should be acknowledged in any publicity generated as a result of QED sponsorship of this event.

(b) Pallets: On behalf of the QED Allotments Group RW thanked DBC, Rethmanns and National Power for their continuing support of recycling of pallets on local allotment sites.

Date of Next Meeting: Wednesday May 24, 2000 from 7.30 pm at the Civic Centre.

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