March Transition Meeting Minutes

Transition Woodbridge meeting 12.3.21 Minutes

Attendees: Jane, Carol, Pat, Peter, Hilary, Deb, Charlie, Sara, Greg & Bernie, Helen, Aiden, Jessica, David & Chris, Stephen, Ethna, Tim, Alexis, Eamonn, Jonathan, Ray, Steven,

Apologies:  Mel, Val, Martin

Fruit Tree Update

Thank you to Deb for the organisation and to everyone who helped to plant new trees at Hall Farm Close: Sally, Claudia, Carol, David, Balliol Close Charlie, Seckford Hall Road Sue.

All trees are looking good and are healthy.  They have all been mulched and pruned.  Some of the plums will need pruning later on.  Thanks to everyone who helped with these jobs – fantastic effort!

Wild Flower Verges – agreed by James Mallinder, East Suffolk Council – Lime Kiln Quay, Through Duncans, Hillyfields agreed with Norse to only mow twice a year. James Mallinder is including these sites in his ‘Pardon the weeds, we are feeding the bees” campaign next 100 to add to the 40 sites last year.

Question as to Lime Kiln Quay – what do they mow and what don’t they mow? We need to wait until Autumn to see.

Possibly Houchells Meadow to be added as well in place of Seckford Hall Road – problem with methane cap vents – Deb to look for email conversation with the people that look after Houchells Meadow and Norse from a few years ago.  James Mallinder to visit it.

Ask residents of Hall Farm Road via a leaflet to see if they would like wild flowers there?

Pat raised question of area near the camel as a possibility.  Jane confirmed it is already on the list last year as is the verge opposite on Bredfield Road and top of Woods Lane at the roundabout.  Norse should be putting up the signs again which they take down in the autumn when they do the last mow before winter.

Hilary offered to make a leaflet as long as others help edit.

Seed planting project update

Jane ended up on Communities Committee of East Suffolk Council – one idea was that people could be given seeds and compost and pots as an activity to encourage their wellbeing, with a view to their plants being used within the community. Hil, Peter & Jane on meeting this Thursday. We have £200 for seed and compost. Idea to get the Good Neighbour scheme people involved. We either need to do it now or in Autumn (August at latest). Seeds to come from Emorsgate poss? Need individual seed for potting. Nottcuts? Need peat free compost & to shout about it, Wonderpost? Capel St Mary’s mushrooms make compost (low in nutrients so good for seeds). Do call around for pots on Nextdoor if needed.

Chapel Green

Hebe at top of Chapel St is looking poorly – Pat asked Deb to look at it.   The escallonia has been cut back severely.

Local food outlets – leaflet

Carol, Helen, Pat, Jonathan contacting local food producers, shops that sell local food and restaurants that serve local food.

WTC paying for 5000 leaflets to be printed in Woodbridge from Suffolk Digital at Martlesham Heath.

Melton paying £350 for leaflets for all their residents.

Tim’s son Dan is working on the design

Jonathan is doing a great job of looking after the spread sheet.

Won’t be ready to go to printers at end of March. Pam & Dudley helping as well.

Possible collaboration with Woodbridge Rotary re a local food project they are working on as well.

Carol to let others know if they need anything else.

Update on Woodbridge TC Climate & Ecological Emergency Committee

We are having an impact on the council:

• Broom Heath – Simon Leatherdale @ SWT advised on a plan of action and AONB offered finance several years ago. Jeff Redgrave, the fencing contractor, has now actioned fencing to protect a space to allow the gorse to regenerate over the next 5 years. Jonathan Edwards, local resident, has been protecting new gorse seedlings from rabbits and pressing the council too for action.
• TW conducted a hedge survey for the TC. As a result, a double hedgerow has been created by the council, in addition many other hedge trees, a collaboration with Friends of Fen Meadow: Carol & David have laid the 30m hedge at the top near the cemetery; Planted another row of hedging in front of it for the double hedge for biodiversity;  Peta’s sign looks amazing; David & Chris Adelson – thank you for allowing us to coppice their Hazel, thank you to volunteers who helped, thank you to a neighbour who lent their hose and a great contractor who chipped the wood for mulch.
• Water harvesting -really important that we start harvesting water if there is going to be an increase in droughts. TC have given away 100 water butts to encourage people to harvest more water. They went within a few hours.

Surfers Against Sewage – David & Chris Adelson reported on Plastic Free Communities. Asks for a reduction in single use plastic, including businesses, schools, town council.

Carol wondered if we want to offer a litter picker lending scheme – we have some litter pickers.

If anybody wants to help let Jane know please contact her. Kyson School is also involved with this.

Repair Café – looking at possibly restarting after 12^th April but this is still an unknown. St Johns Church may resume, the Hub café out of the Red Lion but we couldn’t do the Repair Café there as it is outside in the marquee. They are on the case.

Earth Hour – 27^th March 8.30pm – Switch off all lights for 1hr. The idea is that if everyone switches off around the world at the same time then It will be a continuous global wave from space.

22^nd March – Greenprint Forum 2-4pm Nature First, focus on Biodiversity. Michael Strand from SWT, Adrian Cooper Felixstowe Community Nature Reserve. We’ve been invited to produce slides from Transition Woodbridge. Charlie to liaise with Jane re this.  Contact Daniel Wareing at East Suffolk Council for joining details for the event.

Marigolds or hollyhocks – Alexis has some spare if anyone wants any, let Jane know & she will post them.

Sara popped little plants in random cracks in pavements & they often grew – liked the idea of cheering up grey pavements.

Carol suggested idea of chalking the names of flowers on pavements, with permission, as seen on Countryfile https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/may/01/not-just-weeds-how-rebel-botanists-are-using-graffiti-to-name-forgotten-flora-aoe

https://morethanweeds.co.uk/author/sleguil/