Chair: Jim
Minutes: Harriet
Present: Jim S, Harriet J, Lynda S, Paul B, Chris M, Neil W, Joe A
MINUTES
| 1. Agenda item I Welcome and apologies Jim |
Apologies were received from Naseem H and Tila R.
| 2. Agenda item II a) Minutes of the last meeting, 04/11/25 b) Matters arising from the last meeting, 04/11/25 Jim |
No comments were received on the minutes of the last meeting.
| 3. Agenda item III BCAG admin Jim |
Total hours spent on BCAG business and projects since the November meeting were recorded – thanks to everyone for putting in the time. Harriet to ask any core members not at the monthly meeting, for their hours.
| 4. Agenda item IV Treasurer’s report (Naseem) |
BCAG central funds stand at £2719. The cost of this year’s insurance has been covered through a grant: thanks to Tila for arranging this: insurance is usually one of our main expenses. Sue S has received payment from Bath Uni through BCAG for the climate outreach project. The paid Garden team have all confirmed freelance status.
| 5. Agenda item V Social media, Newsletter, publicity Jim |
BCAG Facebook: 1375 followers; BSCG Facebook: 1088 followers; mailing list subscribers: 322; voting members: 214. BATS email: 122. For info: Shed Facebook: 471 followers; litter pickers 152.
Thank you, Joe for the November edition of the BCAG newsletter. Neil suggested that we should be actively seeking to increase the readership of the Newsletter.
Tila has been looking into options for a BCAG banner(s). Jim will order a long format banner.
| 6. Agenda item VI Bridge Street Community Garden BSCG (Tila) |
Tila thanked the volunteers at the Garden this month, keeping the site clean and tidy and helping to run events. She gave particular thanks to Jim for his daily check of the Garden. She also thanked Joe for his piece about the tree giveaway published in the Banbury Guardian.
Activities and events included:
The regular Monday Community Gardening sessions.
Lantern making on 1st Nov, in collaboration with People’s Theatre Collective.
Tool maintenance and propagating plants with Charlotte A.
Milly’s Wild Wellbeing Walk round Spiceball Park on 17th Nov.
Play for Peace and Tree Giveaway, 29th Nov, 1st Dec. Local artist Hayley and community facilitator Tamzin led a quilt-making and discussion session; the Garden partnered with the International Tree Foundation and CAG Ox for the giveaway of850 native trees and shrubs.
Sunrise Multicultural Project visited on 22nd Nov.
Tamzin, with Dima and Lynne, ran an outreach arts and crafts session for refugees and asylum seeker families at the hotel.
Tamzin also visited HomeStart for an outreach session engaging families in creative nature-based play.
St Leonard’s School. Over the past year, Tila has been volunteering at St Leonard’s School, fund-raising and giving hand’s-on help, to support the development of their new edible garden, orchard, and forest school area. A bare patch of grass has been turned into a thriving outdoor learning space for food growing, nature connection, and play. This is a brilliant achievement – well done, Tila, for being the driving force behind this amazing project. Tila thanked all the other volunteers and staff who have been involved.
Tila contacted People’s Theatre Collective to discuss a joint film screening at their unit in Castle Quay. Their agreement with Castle Quay is not yet finalised but they would be keen to collaborate once everything is confirmed.
| 7. Agenda item VII Browning Road Orchard BRO Harriet |
No further update.
| 8. Agenda item VIII Banbury Active Travel Supporters group Paul / Neil |
Following up on a Regulation 28 Notice issued by HM Coroner after a fatal collision in 2023, on 13/11 OxCC approved the recommended 20mph speed limits on the following roads which cross the busy pedestrian heart of Banbury: A361 Southam Road; A361 North Bar/Horsefair/South Bar; B4100 Oxford Road; A361 Bloxham Road.
The stats show the significant gains to public safety that come with reduced speed restrictions. The meeting agreed that, to balance the negative responses the lowering of the speed limits is receiving, BCAG / BATS should, without being provocative, find and make opportunities for promoting the advantages of reducing the speed of cars through the town.
BATS attended the Cherwell Street construction information event on 1st Dec in the Town Hall which provided info about the planned works. The works should be of value to pedestrians at the busy Bridge Street junction.
The feasibility stage of the Eastern Active Travel Corridor, derived from the LCWIP, is nearing completion. BATS have been involved throughout the development of the scheme. The scheme includes the planned “school-street” on Causeway near St Leonard’s School, and discussions with West Northamptonshire Council for the proposed Banbury to Middleton Cheney section.
Feasibility work on the Western Active Travel Corridor has started, led by consultancy firm Amey. BATS members have been closely involved, contributing ideas and feedback.
Central Government is consulting on the Third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS3). This will shape walking and cycling investment nationally from 2025 to 2030. BATS will be submitting a response (deadline 15th December).
Thanks to Paul for his info-packed November BATS bulletin.
| 10. Agenda item X Banbury Environment Network Harriet |
The Hedgerow Heroes project hedge at Duke’s Meadow Drive, coming through the Wild Oxfordshire and CPRE scheme, is moving forward. The wonderful volunteers from the Cotswold Voluntary Wardens have cleared the length for the hedge – they operate with power tools more suited for bramble clearance than hand tools.
Harriet wrote for BCAG (via the Wildlife Trusts), 13th Nov, to MP Sean requesting he vote in favour of retaining the Lords’ amendment 40 (originally numbered 130) in the Planning & Infrastructure Bill. This involved a follow up letter. Thanks to BCAG core members for checking the draft. The reply from Sean was solidly toeing the party line and fully in support of the Bill as stands.
Following agreement given at the November meeting, Harriet has signed BCAG up to The Conservation Volunteers, to benefit from the resources they offer.
Harriet represented BCAG at the Wild Oxfordshire conference on soils 8th Nov and at the launch of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy on 12th Nov.
| 11. Agenda item XI Climate Action Jim, Lynda, Chris |
A leaflet, put together by Jim and laid out by Tila, has been printed and distributed. It encourages Seasonal Gift-buyers to buy secondhand items and showcases the amazing array of secondhand outlets that exist across the town. Thank you to Jim and all others involved in this timely initiative.
Jim attended the briefing on community resilience. A limited amount of funding is available to help actions designed to support community resilience. Jim will look into the idea of BCAG event to raise the need for preparedness within the community.
BCAG wrote to MP Sean encouraging him to attend the National Emergency Briefing on 27th Nov. Neil to see if he can discover if he did attend.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Lynda let the meeting know that she had heard of a plot of land at the Herb Centre, Warmington, which might be available for community use. The meeting decided the site was too far from Banbury to be suitable for BCAG to take on.
Neil wondered if BCAG could be included in the selection of groups on display at the station via Banbury BID. The meeting was in full support of the idea.
DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The January meeting, 6th Jan, will be in person in central Banbury.
NOTE
The November meeting agreed the following guidance for responding to campaigns that fall within the remit of BCAG, and for letters to the Banbury MP:
Any member can draft a response or a letter. The draft then needs to be circulated to two others of the core BCAG group for approval. The proposer needs to be mindful that people are busy and so set a reasonable deadline for responses on their draft.