The meeting was held at the Tite & Locke.
Present
Andrew Brennand (Chair), Dave Brookes, Hilary Short, Ian Diffenthal, Ian Procter, Jane Parker, Mark Tanner, Sharon Diffenthal
1. Apologies
- Geoff Oliver, Mick Short, Sue Nieduszynska, Sue Pope
2. Minutes from the last meeting
- These were agreed.
3. Matters Arising
- LGGS and Local Nature Reserve status in the hands of our solicitor.
- Calendar – team is meeting on 6 May.
4. Treasurer’s Report
Bank balance
| Date | 21/4/26 | 17/3/26 |
| Coop | 29.417 | 25,426 |
| Skipton | 120,000 | 120,000 |
| Total | 149,417 | 145,426 |
This includes the Burtonwood legacy of £54,760 received in 2023
Funds
Restricted
First Trenitalia £7388 (Cycle Hangar))
Total: £7388
General
£142,029
Balance
£149,417
Note – altered Avanti grant. Moved cost of Planning Permission to general funds – £887 funded from general funds 2025/26. Shortfall £784 in 2026/27 (total shortfall £1671)
Significant Income
- Easter Egg Hunt £536 (£582 Easter ‘25)
- Skipton interest £2348
- Bike Hangar rent (new) £150
- Gift Aid Claim £928
Significant Expenditure
- Paid Signs Express £494 for bike hangar sign
5. FFOG
- No meeting since the last FA meeting
- There are now six calves
- A hawthorn along the long pads is in danger of falling over in the wind and will be taken down by our volunteers tomorrow, along with a dead tree on the other side of the path.
- A number of unauthorised metal detectorists have been spotted in our fields. We are following up on this.
- Ian brought along three possible No-Cycling signs. After some discussion, it was agreed to get estimates for producing A5 signs.
6. Playground
- The gate on the toddler area has been repaired by Lancaster City Council.
- Lease renewal – below is the reponse from Ann Wood at Lancaster City Council:
The tenant retains responsibility for the maintenance of play equipment, including funding and arranging repairs. The City Council may, at its discretion, continue to offer:
- Playground inspections, and
- Repairs or maintenance delivered as labour in kind
This support is provided as a goodwill arrangement, not a contractual obligation, and is subject to:
- Availability of the playground team
- District‑wide priorities and statutory/safety‑critical work elsewhere
- Works being carried out within existing schedules, with timescales advised but not guaranteed
The tenant remains responsible for:
- Purchasing replacement parts and equipment
- Managing risks, including removing unsafe equipment from use until repairs are completed
I don’t know if this can be inserted into the lease or be dealt with by way of a side letter attached to the lease, I will need to discuss that with Capsticks, however if we can agree the principle of a way forward then the mechanics can come after.
It was agreed that we should accept this in principle.
- Cycle Hub – New tenants are in place. The rent is pegged to the cost of a parking permit. There was agreement that all rents should in future be collected in January.
- Benches – Ian Diffenthal came up with a possible solution to the problem of the bench that is clearly not level. It is possible that this bench and a bench overlooking the toddler area have both been misplaced and LWT may be able to solve the problem by swapping them over. To keep the benches in good contdition, Woodscape suggested using a molecular nano cleaning product and sealant.
- Little Free Library – the crowdfunder has raised around £200 and continues to raise money. This will be combined with the £200 raised by the carol singing.
- Replacement metal plaques – a proof is on its way to Andrew.
- Football goal mouth – Mark Tanner has contacted two people with expertise in this area. There are a number of possible actions of which the simplest and first to be tried is as follows:
Dig out about 10cm of soil and level the area. Replace this soil with sharp sand and soil. Sow the area with grass seed and cover with rubber matting. The grass will grow through the matting and the area need can continue to be used. The cost of materials was estimated at £350 and Ian agreed the volunteers would be able to do the work. Should this fail we have other more complicated options.
7. The Triangle
- The notice board has been taken away for repairs.
8. Website, Facebook, Instagram and Newsletter
- An e-news bulletin will go out at the beginning of May.
- Newsletter – many thanks to Katherine who edited the recent newsletter, Veronica who organised the distribution and all those involved. The next newsletter needs to go out in June/July in time to announce the date of the AGM.
9. Education
- Nothing to report
10. Fundraising update
- Lucy Brook redevelopment – Awards for All (National Lottery environment fund) have awarded us a grant of £10,000. LWT visited today to see if we need a Vole Survey.
- Footpath repairs – we expect to hear from LEF on 4 June.
- The Wind Turbine Fund has suggested that FA applies to the fund. We currently need money for footpath repairs. Andrew will pass on the information to Sue Holden with the suggestion that we are more likely to get money for a specific item e.g. the gate to enable wheelchair access.
11. Events
- Easter Egg Hunt Sunday 5 April – many thanks to all who contributed, and particularly Bethany and Katherine who organised a great event. They will feed back at the January FA meeting as part of preparation for Easter 2027.
- 30 years of the Fairfield Association – Adrienne and Andrew will be collecting recordings in the next couple of months
- Lancaster Orchard Blossom trail – 2 May, picnic in the Millennium Orchard, will be publicised in the e-newsletter.
12. AOB
- There was no AOB
13. Date of next meeting
The next meeting will take place at 7:30 pm on Tuesday 19 May 2026 at the Tite & Locke.