Last Meetings Minutes

LOCATION – Grange Farm School
DATE – 11 April 2024
PRESENT – John Archer – Chairman, Councillor John Blundell, Mick Fitzpatrick – Treasurer, Sheila Weare – Minutes Secretary.
Plus 15 members of the Association.
WELCOME – John A thanked members for attending. He referred to the agreed proposal to discontinue the raffle and for members to make a contribution of £1 per household to the Association – this is entirely voluntary.
APOLOGIES – Doreen Archer, Delma Carter, Sue Clifford, Heidi Elliott, Councillor Mattie Heaven, Kirt Parshad, Anant Patel, John Proffitt, Manjit Singh.
MINUTES – The minutes of the meeting held on 7 March 2024, having been posted online and circulated, were accepted.
MATTERS ARISING – Tomlinson Flower Company has reported an encouraging start and there are attractive displays outside the shop. Defibrillator – nothing further has been heard from the school. The defibrillator is available for public use during school hours. John B advised that community grants may be available from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and British Heart Foundation (the latter with effect from September 2024). In both cases, conditions apply. It is agreed that SGRA is unable to support this enterprise. The method of acquiring the operating procedure in an emergency is uncertain and SGRA hopes to obtain clarification.
COUNCILLOR JOHN BLUNDELL – Local Elections - John B stands for re-election on 2 May 2024. Mantilla Drive will be closed on 23 April 2024 for Severn Trent to undertake maintenance work. It is not known what route the buses will follow on that day.
West Midlands Mayor/West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner – (currently Andy Street and Simon Foster) – the combination of these two roles has been unsuccessful because a proper consultation process had not been followed. The forthcoming local elections will also include an opportunity to vote for West Midlands Mayor (a list of candidates can be found on Coventry Live) and for West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.
Charge for Garden Waste (Brown-lidded Bin) – John B outlined the scheme and the financial implications for the Council. The scheme will be introduced in June 2024 and will run to May 2025 and will cover the Christmas and New Year period. The charge will be £40 per annum per bin. Residents should apply via Coventry City Council’s website [coventry.gov.uk, brown lidded (garden waste) bins], by telephoning 0808 583 4333 or by visiting the Customer Service Centre, 3 Upper Precinct, Broadgate House in the city centre, in person. The ‘licence’ will be sent through the post with precise instructions. The website is reported by members to be rather convoluted. There will be a requirement to re-apply for the service annually. Various anomalies of the scheme were discussed at length.