BRIEFS

BUS SERVICE The evening service along Dorchester Way and Whitefriars Road has encountered difficulties as a result of vehicles parked along the highway.

GRASS DAMAGE A householder is driving across the public open space between Wyedean Rise and Deerhurst Drive, damaging the grass. Hfds Council Parks and Countryside Service notified.

NO HOUSING URGED A petition from residents of Glastonbury Close urges the PC not to recommend the use of a small open space at the end of the Close for housing. Since the land is owned by Hfds Council the petition has been passed to the relevant officer.

NEW COUNCILLOR Stuart Taylor, elected to the PC on October 2, was welcomed by the chairman at the November meeting.

SHED OK After a member of the public queried a shed erected on a Dorchester Way driveway Hfds Council Planning Services confirmed that consent was not required since the structure is relatively small and is located behind the general building line.

FREE SHRUBS Six shrubs were provided free of charge by the contractors after the plant bed at the junction of the A465 and Northolme Road was damaged during grass mowing.

FEW SPEEDERS Because preliminary data showed that less than 10% of vehicles exceed the speed limit at two locations on the estate which concerned the PC, Hfds Council says these locations do not meet the criteria for installing speed indicating devices, a project mentioned in previous Newsletters.

PC discusses how surplus might
be spent and sets new precept
Following a report by the clerk outlining forecast expenditure against budget for 2007 - 2008, a surplus of some £26,000 is to be expected.

It was suggested that some of this might be devoted to improvements to the local environment such as the provision of footpaths across Abbey View Park - something residents favoured when surveyed last year. Hfds Council Parks and Countryside Department has indicated that a move to improve the CH7 footpath with chipped bark or crushed brick at the point where it crosses Abbey View Park might be considered favourably.

• A roofed noticeboard for installation on Dorchester Way is presently being priced.

• During discussions about the Parish precept for 2009 - 10 an initial proposal requesting £25,000 gave way to a later proposal for the sum of £30,000, approved by a vote of six to two.

Proposals for ‘black spot’ roundabout
Prior to detrunking of the A465 the Tesco roundabout was identified as an accident blackspot. with 17 accidents reported in recent years. The main cause is said to be drivers’ unwillingness to give way to other drivers. To solve this the Highways Agency had proposed a hard shoulder round the roundabout with hatched lines (ie, a yellow box) at the Abbotsmead Road junction.

In another proposal the use of the pavements as cycle lanes was raised. Hfds Council, which now manages the road, is considering these suggestions.

The PC supports the proposal for hatched lines and requests that they be extended to other junctions with the roundabout. The PC also continues to support proposals to extend speed restrictions to Belmont Abbey.

Rubbish disposal service for 2009
Bookings for the Parish Freighter rubbish disposal service in 2009 are confirmed for the first and third Saturdays of each month (excluding January and December) at 2 - 4 pm.

It has been noted that some individuals have left items for the freighter in the Belmont Centre car park before the allotted time. A warning of possible action for fly-tipping has been added to the notice detailing collection times.

Bin budget created
Several litter bins now (November meeting) require replacement liners or other repairs. Also, an additional bin has been requested for the Grantham Close area. A budget of £1000 has been set aside for this work, the project to be completed by March 31, 2009.

Sharp request
Following the receipt of a copy of Sharp’s most recent accounts, the PC is minded to agree to a £100 funding request from Sharp to cover administrative costs, provided this figure accords with anticipated expenditure. Request now approved.

Less light to discourage youths
Residents have requested that lighting on the roundabout at the junction of Broadholme Road and Abbotsmead Road be reduced in order to discourage teenagers who gather there to drink and disturb nearby households. Similar measures, elsewhere in the county, have proved popular and effective.
To gain police support it was suggested the request be raised at the PACT meeting in late November. The PC is also writing to Hfds Council regarding this move.

Turbine refused
An application to create a first-floor extension at the rear of 9 Abingdon Drive together with the installation of a wind turbine has been refused by Hfds Council. The PC had no objections to the extension but had some reservations about the turbine.

Objection to more fuel deliveries
The PC expressed concern at a planning application by Tesco to authorise additional filling station deliveries. Members questioned whether this was an attempt towards keeping the station open for 24 hours. No evidence of fuel running out had been witnessed, which might support this move. The clerk was asked to voice the PC’s objection to this as disrupting the lives of local residents

Parish Plan to be re-visited;
consultation procedure agreed
Because an up-to-date Parish Plan is increasingly necessary for grant applications, and is also recognised as good practice for parish councils, Belmont Rural’s plan, initiated in July 2002 and updated twice subsequently, is again to be re-visited. This work will include the following procedures supported by HALC and/or Community First:

• Public meeting to explain the plan and to seek initial ideas for a consultation exercise. Also to seek volunteers for steering group

• Two “ideas harvests” with public participation at Belmont’s community centres.

• Further public consultation via a survey.

• Results collation; consultation with Hfds Council officers.

• Regular steering group meetings which are open to the public.