BRIEFS

NEW COUNCILLORS Following their co-option, Beryl Brown and Wendy Butler were welcomed as councillors at the July meeting.

TOO SMALL? Responding to outline planning permission to built a three-bedroom house at Golden Post, the PC felt the site seemed too small but delayed comment until after a site visit. Subsequently the application was withdrawn.

NOW FOR SALE Previously the PC had raised objections to the conversion of 1 Coppin Rise into two dwellings. Permission was granted by the Planning Inspector. It was noted 1A Coppin Rise is now for sale.

NO EVIDENCE During the West Mercia Police Report at the October meeting, Sgt Chris Payne said that observation of alcohol purchases at local stores failed to identify any underage buyers.

BRPC LOGO A competition to arrive at an acceptable logo to identify Belmont Rural Parish Council brought no response. However a graphics designer has offered his services for “a small cash incentive” and the clerk is investigating this further.

DC ACTIVITIES Recent work by Dist Cllr Phil Edwards (also PC chairman) includes liason over sewer adoption in Abbotsmead Road, requesting extension of 40 mph limit to Belmont Abbey, requesting clearance of Withy Brook, requesting Tesco to attend to overgrown Leylandii and to fencing.

BAGS OUT One resident is leaving black refuse bags outside after the refuse collection time has passed. These then remain in the street for several days. The clerk is checking whether Hfds Council has a policy regarding this danger to public health.

Play areas and BMX
tracks: for and against

Attending the September meeting with other Dorchester Way residents, Brian Hubbard announced his concern that the PC had applied for funding for play equipment near the Northolme Centre. This, he said, was counter to a view expressed by residents at a PC meeting 18 months ago that the land behind Dorchester Way should not be used for play.

Mr Hubbard also felt that the way the Parish Plan Review had been carried out at the Northolme Centre opening had been unrepresentative of residents’ views. The chairman denied that the review was insufficiently controlled and said that the process was similar to that employed for the original Parish Plan (at a time when Mr Hubbard was a parish councillor).
Other residents’ points:

• Further play areas within the parish would encourage under-age drinking and anti-social behaviour although no one was advocating closure of existing facilities.
• Play areas encourage children to spend time away from their families.
• Requests from young people should not be supported since they are not voters.
• Mr Hubbard also criticised the proposal to provide BMX facilities.

In response the chairman said the PC had worked to develop facilities for all ages. The BMX proposal resulted from an approach to the PC by young people. A group set up by former councillor Ian Robinson had worked with children and parents to this end.

Sign banning dogs is not on...
A member of the public has approached Cllr Powell asking that a “No dog exercise”sign be erected on the small area of grass at the Stanbrook Road/ Oulton Avenue junction. Hfds Council indicates that this would require alternative facilities for dogs elsewhere.

Also no byelaws support the banning of dogs from one or more open spaces. Providing the dog owner acts responsibly there is little to justify such measures.

...ball games sign poses problems
A further request was received for a “No ball games” sign on the open space at the entrance to Atherstone Close. Hfds Council says this is only possible after a full community consultation followed by an overwhelming majority in favour.

On top of this such signs have no basis in law and are usually only erected after constant damage to a private property.
After some consideration the PC agreed that Hfds Council be asked to consult the relevant residents.

Cycleway plan still a priority
In July the chairman outlined the route of footpath CH7. An upgrade changing this to a cycle way leading to Ruckhall Lane and beyond was requested some years ago and is still planned by Hfds Council. The cycleway is now “top of the list of projects” but funding is not envisaged until 2009.

The chairman has requested that traditional footstiles be replaced with “kissing gates” to aid those with limited mobility.

Speed check scheme thought worthwhile
Although there is a need for further information and guidance, the PC feels that a road safety project involving speed indicators should be pursued.

Hfds Council has bought a number of these devices which can be lent to parish councils. The cost for delivery, setting up and removal for each five-day loan period is £100 plus £400 for installing a ground socket.

Since the PC believes three locations (Southolme Road, Northolme Road and Abbotsmead Road) should be considered, total cost would be £1000. In looking for further guidance the PC would also hope for a site visit.

Bushes aimed to halt car sales
A scheme to plant bushes on the area of grass between the A465 and Northolme Road to prevent vehicles for sale being parked there has been under consideration for some time. Formal “licence to cultivate” has been received and a working party has put together a specification to enable contractors to quote for the work.

Two quotations will be requested, one with ongoing maintenance and one without. The working party is authorised to accept quotations up to £400.

Thumbs down for
Mulberry Close/ Country Pk scheme
General consensus to the proposed erection of 69 dwellings near Mulberry Close, coupled with delivery of the Haywood Country Park scheme, favoured rejection. Reasons: this is more than the 60 dwellings cited in the Unitary Development Plan and the access to Mulberry Close is not only unsuitable for construction traffic but also afterwards when the dwellings are in use.

There is also concern that the scheme does not offer sufficient affordable housing and that the site is larger than that originally anticipated in the UDP, thereby reducing the area for the Country Park. Also no parking space has been allocated for those requiring access to the Country Park
NOTE: This proposal has subsequently been rejected.

Poor trimming
Complaints about poor standards of hedge trimming at various places in the parish have been passed to Hfds Council