Minutes of the meeting of the
Newgate Action Group
held 6.30pm on Tuesday 15th January at the Unemployed Workers Centre

1.      Attendees

Michelle Garden (Chair)

 

Ian Lilliman (Secretary)

 

Gary Jones

 

Anthony Hodge

Mansfield District Council (Urban Renewal Dev. Officer)

PC Paul Atherley

Mansfield Police (PC2026)

Inspector Sean Konsek

Mansfield Police

Councillor Barbara Nestor

Mansfield District Council (Titchfield Ward)

Alan Wallace

Poetic Pictures, Newgate Lane

Eileen Heaps

Poetic Pictures,  Newgate Lane

John Pickering

 

Cathy Gillespie

Groundwork Ashfield & Mansfield

 

2.      Apologies

Janet Smith

 

Heather Morton (L.E.T.S.)

 

 

3.      Previous Minutes

3.1.   Minutes of the meeting of 13th November 2001 were agreed to be a true record.

4.      Reports & Updates

4.1.   Police Issues

4.1.1.      Abandoned Cars - Inspector Sean Konsek and PC Paul Atherley (2026) were welcomed to the meeting. Paul is the new beat officer for the NAG renewal area and another officer will join him in the very near future.

Questions were raised over the sharp rise in abandoned cars in the area, particularly on Newgate Lane and Rock Street. Reference was also made to the dark blue Vauxhall that has been parked on Newgate Lane for some time. It appears that the car was ‘stickered’ with a 7-day notice for removal but they received a phone call from the ‘apparent ‘ owner saying that it was not abandoned. However it appears that this may have been a hoax and so the car was once again marked for removal. By this time it was beginning to be vandalised.

By the time you read this, the car should have been taken away

It was also mentioned at the meeting that the car had been parked in a restricted zone on Newgate Lane and should have received several parking fines but did not receive a single one!

Inspector Konsek referred to a scheme which is being pioneered in Nottingham City Centre where cars which appear abandoned and are in a dangerous state or are causing an obstruction are served with a 24 hour notice. This has been quite successful and it is hoped that this can be extended to Mansfield.

4.1.2.      Response Times – Comments were raised about the poor response times to general non-emergency calls to the Police. Inspector Konsek said that the Force was in a transitional period with himself being given more responsibility for the provision of a better service.

He recommended that the group, through the South Area Assembly, should ask Superintendent Wilson of the Northern Area Control Room to attend a future meeting to brief the group on the functions of a Police control room.

4.2.   Jacksons Park Update – Anthony Hodge (MDC Urban Renewal) and Cathy Gillespie (Groundwork Ashfield & Mansfield) gave a brief update on the Jackson’s Field renewal.

Work is expected to commence in the next 3 to 4 weeks once tenders for the work have been assessed. The current target for its completion is mid-summer.

Cathy told the group that amendments have been made to the current plan to allow better access of the park for wheelchair users. The paths that run uphill will include flat lay-by’s approximately every 10 metres to allow disabled users to rest. A member of the group raised the point that although this was a good idea, in general a wheelchair user will, if tired, will stop wherever they are and not struggle to get to a lay-by. Cathy Gillespie and Anthony Hodge said they would take this on-board and review the plan again.

4.3.   Quality Street Three properties have now been renovated along Newgate Lane. Interest in occupancy has been submitted by Mr Mandeir from the general store/off-licence on Newgate Lane. NAG are fully aware that the usage of these properties is under strict guidelines laid down by the Quality Street scheme and can only be used for unique, individual businesses that currently do not operate in the town centre.

5.      Any Other Business

5.1.    There was no other business.

 

NEXT MEETING
6.30pm on Tuesday
19th February 2002 at 110 Newgate Lane.

 

 

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