Month: August 2015

Excess Apples? Congleton Sustainability Group needs them!

Excess apples?

Don’t worry, Congleton Sustainability Group are going to turn them into Congleton’s very own apple juice with the help of  Dunham Massey.

Excess apples congleton

All you have to do is collect your excess apples – desert or cooking – and we’ll turn them into one litre bottles of Congleton Apple Juice.

 

Bag up your apples with your name & contact details (tel no./ email), please take them to:

Astbury Mere Visitor Centre by 8 November

(open from 9am to 5pm every day of the week)

 

Bottles of Congleton Apple Juice will be available from October and we’ll give a free bottle to everyone who contributes apples.

apples

 

Congleton Sustainability Group meeting minutes 03.08.15

Congleton Sustainability Group latest meeting took place recently, please view the full meeting minutes HERE.

Highlights included:

Partnership Project suggestions. A number of project suggestions were received, the following were accepted:-

Community Orchard Accessibility.

Pathway, Signage, Improve accessibility. Partnership working with In Bloom / Astbury Mere Trust /CEBC rangers.

Cycle Shelters.

This is being picked up by Phil Mason CEBC Environmental. 1 shelter to be sited at or near the Library, other sites to be considered. No action required currently by The Partnership.

Heritage / Bear / Town Walk Trails.

N.Hood plan suggests that this would be a good idea to encourage healthy living and visitors to the town. Need to put a team together involving:- Museum, Jo Money, P.Aston, Matt Axford. Could well tie into the next project (Town Centre destination maps/signage). Long term may also consider trail leaflets. This could also become a 5 Towns Partnership project similar to the Cycle Map project. Map for each town and then a linkage between them all.

 

In Bloom / RHS Tatton.

 

  1. In Bloom.

Town looked fantastic on judging day. A lot of hard work went into weeding and litter picking by a great number of people including painting of some of the street furniture. Judges commented on improvements they noted from previous visit, and appreciated new sites brought in (Moody St, Antrobus St ,Bath House etc)

PP advised the group that the Schools ‘Space Garden’ display in the Polytunnel is now open to the public (Sat / Sun 2 to 4.00pm throughout August and hopefully into September)and receiving some great comments.

 

  1. RHS Tatton.

High winds resulted in the tremendous trees having to be removed from our display, therefore our entry was not eligible for judging. We did however get some good comments generally about the site.

 

The Trench Garden created by LOL not only drew many favourable comments and gained a Merit Award for ‘Interpretation of a World Event, but also resulted in many good contacts being made with other allotment holders and a potential sponsorship opportunity generated.

 

For all the news download the minutes at the top of the post!

Projects & Finance Committee meeting minutes 27.07.15

Projects & Finance Committee meeting took place recently, download the full meeting minutes HERE.

Highlights include:

Project  Update.

Cycleway Improvement. Whilst there is still some snagging still to be carried out on the towpath the project is close to completion. New signage has been sited, MS to check clarity of signage and report back to J.Mills if issues. Consultation to be carried out on improving access from Lawton St to Park Lane.

Antrobus St Gardens. Good progress, Gym Equipment, Apple Core, New Seating and Pathways complete. Some snagging and soft planting still to be done. We will then need signage to encourage community usage and a story board around its development.

River Dane Walkway .Town Bridge to Scout Hut. Neil Farnsworth has confirmed that the work orders have been signed and he is planning the work schedule to complete the pathway resurfacing, painting of the railings, steps and handrail in the next few weeks.

Community Orchard Accessibility.

Pathway, Signage, Improve accessibility. Partnership working with In Bloom / Astbury Mere Trust /CEBC rangers.

Contact Vince Cutler, this was started as a memorial to his wife.

Cycle Shelters.

This is being picked up by Phil Mason CEBC Environmental. 1 shelter to be sited at or near the Library, other sites to be considered. No action required currently by The Partnership.

Heritage / Bear / Town Walk Trails.

N.Hood plan suggests that this would be a good idea to encourage healthy living and visitors to the town. Need to put a team together involving:- Museum, Jo Money, P.Aston, Matt Axford. Could well tie into the next project (Town Centre destination maps/signage). Long term may also consider trail leaflets. This could also become a 5 Towns Partnership project similar to the Cycle Map project. Map for each town and then a linkage between them all.

Car Park Destination Maps / Signage. Jackie MacArthur raised the idea for this joint project with Cheshire East Car Park Team, Congleton Town Council and The Partnership. Could be double sided boards that have the destination map on one side and the trails on the other.

Get Involved Booklet.

Joint project with Community Projects to reprint and update the booklet during 2016.

Moody Street Green Area.

Once Antrobus St Gardens is completed there should be some S106 money left to refurbish the Moody St ‘green area’ up to Antrobus St Gardens standard. Partnership to work with CEBC (Julie Byrne) on this.

Mountbatten Way – Green Boulevard.

BE suggested this project to remove the railings and create a green boulevard. BH to discuss the idea with David Brown.

Congleton Sustainability Group meeting minutes 06.07.15

Congleton Sustainability Group meeting took place recently, download the full meeting minutes HERE

Highlights from the meeting includes:

Neighbourhood Plan.

A meeting has been arranged with Tom Evans next week (w/c 13/7) to find out want transport evidence is available, and what else is required. Also need to draw up more specific questions for the next questionnaire. This may also need to tie up with what CEBC are doing on the subject.

Sustainable / Environmental Group. Matt and Jack Swan have come up with 5 important areas of open space:-  River Dane Corridor , Biddulph Valley Way, Canal, Uplands (Timbersbook) and Lamberts Lane. We may want to add Westlowe Mere to the list.

Carbon Reduction

Blackfirs School now has new reception building in use, complete with sedum roof, low energy facilities along with solar PV panels on main School roof.

– Carbon Reduction meeting at AMVC on Tuesday 14/7 at 1000hrs. Agenda issued. Amongst other things need to develop poster/ info to promote low carbon living for CSG meeting on 7/9 at Electric Picture House.

– Advertising next SLIC/Green Living 7 week course on U3A website, which has been upgraded to allow people to register securely online for first time.7

 

SECCG / Cycling Campaign – Report June 2015

The cycling campaign had a successful day at the Food and Drink Festival.

We had a secure bike park which was used by up to 30 people. More riders from the Sustrans rides from Crewe, Sandbach and Stoke used the park rather than Congleton riders.

We did see a number of bikes parked throughout the town but had no way of recording how many cyclists rode in from the Congleton suburbs.

We found that a lot of people did not know where the Bike event was as we were stuck in the Community Garden, out of sight. We will push to have more accessible site next year: Market Square perhaps?

Next Meeting:- Monday 3rd August 2015, 10.00am, Astbury Mere Visitor Centre.