Wigan Borough Environment & Heritage Network
held on Monday 30th April 2007 at the Wigan History Shop
Present:
Joe Taylor & Louis Baker (Billinge History/Heritage Society), Emma Scott (Community Empowerment Programme), Tom Price & Peter Taylor (Civic Trust), Philip Butler, John Hesketh & Michael Walker (L&CT), Jason Kennedy (Conservation Officer), Margery Harrop (Leigh FHS/Wigan Registry Office), Iain Hodcroft (Tyldesley)
Apologies:
Peter Guy (Gin Pit Village), Glenys McClellan (Leigh FHS/Wigan Registry Office)
Welcome:
Iain Hodcroft attending Heritage Network for the first time as a result of reading the article in Past Forward Issue No 45
Minutes of Last Meeting:
Accepted as true and accurate
Matters Arising:
Fred Holcroft has sadly died. The representatives from L&CT will inquire about a suitable place for a memorial plaque to be situated, the representatives from Civic Trust will draft the appropriate wording and the representatives from Billinge History/Heritage Society will inquire about getting the plaque made.
Since David Heyes, Address Manager for Council, attended the last meeting,
his department has forwarded the proposed names for new streets to the Heritage
Network for comment.
Philip Butler informed the meeting that we are welcome to submit an article
from the Heritage Network for the next edition of Past Forward.
Conservation Officer:
Jason Kennedy reported that he is almost ready to start the process of updating the list of Buildings Of Local Importance, a project that Heritage Network can assist with. He will begin the Character Appraisal for Tyldesley Conservation Area next year and is working on the four Conservation Areas in Leigh, all at the same time.
Heritage Network Representation on Partnerships:
Joe Taylor attended a meeting of the Environment and Development Partnership as a guest representing the Heritage Network. There are nine Community Networks and the method by which representatives from these Networks are elected to the Wigan Borough Partnership and the Thematic Partnerships is now under review. We would expect to have representation from Heritage Network on the WPB and appropriate Thematic Partnerships. Michael Walker reported that the Heritage sub-group of the Cultural Partnership would meet for the first time in the near future.
The DVD Project and Education:
John Hesketh updated on the DVD/Resource Pack Project advising Network colleagues on a presentation that he and Joe had given to Secondary Heads of History at the Professional Development Centre earlier that morning. He explained that in outlining the Network's aspirations to work alongside teachers, children & young people alike towards the creation of new learning materials focused on elements of the Borough's social history their aim was to generate expressions of interest; to broker new links on which working partnerships could be built with a view to enriching the learning experience schools are able to offer at Key Stage 3 - in Citizenship, History, ICT, Media and PSHE&C. From his point of view the session had been very worthwhile and he looked forward to starting on the detailed planning work that the project required with external funding bids in focus.
Cultural Partnership Convention:
John responded to enquiry about the event, noting that it would bring together members of the Partnership, officers of the Leisure & Culture Trust, those involved in consultation on the new Cultural Manifesto for Wigan Borough, stakeholders from across the cultural sector and interested members of the public to celebrate the Borough's cultural offer and look forward - shaping foundation work plans for the future, energising towards and mobilising behind work towards the over-arching, locally-grown vision for development through 2012. More particularly, he noted, it would provide delegates with opportunities to learn more about cultural activity and opportunity through display stands, film, literature and performance over a light breakfast; review Wigan's new Cultural Manifesto and the Partnership's associated film: Cultural Vibrancy: A CV for a Brighter Borough; reflect on the Cultural Partnership's work since 1999/2000; consider lessons to be learned going forward as the Northern Soul Cultural Strategy is left behind and the Manifesto embraced, the need of cultural interventions at neighbourhood level as well as Borough-wide improvement works and project activity; contribute to forward planning - looking afresh at the Partnership's constitution, membership and possible worth in an advisory group, priorities requiring its attention and needing to form the basis of its medium-term work programme mindful of the Chair's due retirement next year; end on a very positive note as the Arts Factor, SHAPE and formative Heritage Strategies are launched (through short presentations in highlight of what we can confidently look forward to in three different and distinct fields) and our key note speaker, Gerri Moriarty, concludes in affirmation of works in Wigan (community/voluntary and public) and encouragement towards take-up on a rich wealth of opportunities through 2012 as the country's culture comes to the fore with the London Olympic Games drawing ever nearer.
All were invited to attend, but informed that they would first need to reserve their place by contacting John on Wigan 486916.
Townships/CEP Approach to Heritage Visioning:
Emma Scott, coordinator for CEP, reported that the last meeting of the Borough Wide Community Network was held at Lowton. A report on Golborne and Lowton Heritage has been sent in from John Maconie of Golborne History Society and was circulated. Iain Hodcroft is willing to look at heritage in Tyldesley. The next BWCN meeting in Orrell will be the fifth of the ten scheduled around the townships. By the time the cycle is completed, we should have a fair indication of who will be able to help with our project of defining heritage across the Borough and to whom we might direct funding support.
Other Business:
Tom Price gave a detailed report on the history and activities of the Wigan Civic Trust.
Next Meeting: 11 a.m. History Shop Friday 15th June