BRIEFS

NEW OFFICERS Following Ian Robinson’s resignation as BRPC chairman, Veronica Robinson (no relation) was elected chairman and Dave Cook vice-chairman.

DAFFS To fill gaps between the areas in the parish planted with daffodill bulbs (notably on the A465) the PC is to buy more bulbs, up to a value of £100, for autumn planting.

DAY CHANGE Because of prior bookings at Belmont Community Centre, PC meetings will now take place on Monday rather than Tuesday evenings.

FLOWERS FOR MINI? The possibility of planting flowers on the mini-roundabout at the entrance to the Tesco site in Abbotsmead Road was raised. Because the roundabout is covered by the law on adoption of adjusted works council officers recommend no planting because of maintenance difficulties and because a hard surface is required.

HEARTSTART DAY The date for this event has been changed to September 23. See “Events” on website for details.

CASH BONUS The PC’s VAT and PAYE returns were completed on time. Because the latter was also completed online a grant of £250 should be received from the Inland Revenue.

GRASS Dissatisfaction was expressed with the the standard and frequency of grass cutting on the estate. A response on this from Herefordshire Council was deemed unsatisfactory. The situation will be reconsidered when the next cutting takes place.

Abbey View Park gets the vote
Visitors to the Belmont Fun Day on June 24, were asked to vote on a new name for the area of grassland alongside the Wye known locally by many as "the landfill" and by some older residents as "the tip".

Some 29 options were culled from a questionnaire sent out previously. Voting was widespread over 21 names but "Abbey View Park" eventually beat out "Belmont Pastures" by two votes. "Quarry Fields" came a distant third.

One interesting point emerged. Some voters, unaware of the grassland's industrial origins, said they referred to it as The Park. Leaving Belmont Rural Parish Council, to wonder whether they might well have left well alone!

Co-organiser was the Northolme Community Centre Assocation, formed to develop the shell building on Northolme Road into a usable facility. Other events at the Fun Day arranged by the NCCA included plant, craft and bottle stalls, strawberry teas and "Sponsor a brick" all of which generated about £500 towards the building's redevelopment.

Roof funding for the Centre
The South Wye Community Association, who manage Belmont Community Centre, applied to the PC for £1500 towards the cost of repairing the building’s roof.

Concern was expressed that the SWCA had not approached any other funding source for this and other work at the Centre, and that refurbishment plans appeared to have changed since an earlier application for funds was made.

Andy Myatt, SWCA treasurer, stressed the Centre’s importance to the community, noting that since all admin work is voluntary, there are practical difficulties in making external funding requests.
The application was agreed subject to the Centre providing receipts as evidence of expenditure when the funds are claimed.

Balls may be lost
Children had approached Coun. Joyce Clare asking if the long grass in Abbey View Park (see above) could be cut, enabling them to play golf.

Coun. Phil Edwards explained it is the long-term intention of Herefordshire Council to acquire the site as public open space. Current owners are a consortium of companies and this has resulted in complex legal issues regarding the site’s maintenance and acquisition. Herefordshire Council has been legally advised not to cut the grass or perform any other maintenance.

It ain’t exactly
Hell’s Kitchen
In a brief summary of criminal and quasi-criminal activity in Belmont between the May and July 2006 meetings of the parish council PC Paul Greenwood reported: lights stolen from a garden in Silver Fir Close, children playing football against the Northolme “pavilion”, children “hanging about” the Abbotsmead mini roundabout, car windcreen broken in Buckfast Close, roof tiles broken at Northolme “pavilion”, break-in at Belmont Lodge bar, egg throwing at Tesco, cows escaping from farm on parish boundary resulting in some property damage, bicycle theft from Chichester Close, items stolen from unlocked car in Dorchester Way, garden furniture stolen from house in Dorchester Way, two fires on Abbey View Park, noticeboard damaged in Abbotsmead Road, telephone wires cut in Yarlington Mill.

Coun. Phil Edwards added the following: potential bogus cold caller in Field Farm Mews and car for sale on grass area between Northolme Road and A465.

PC Greenwood also mentioned anti-social behaviour in Coppin Rise. Attempts to resolve this have involved two district councillors, the PC chairman and vice-chairman, Tony Featherstone, parks and countryside services manager of Herefordshire Council, and several Coppin Rise residents. This work is ongoing; full report in next Newsletter.

Back savers
Parish councillors who expressed a willingness to pick up litter on the estate have been equipped with litter picking devices and gloves. They were asked to read the risk assessment for this activity prepared by Coun. Ian Robinson.

Youth service ends
Sessions at Belmont Community Centre to engage Belmont’s young people were poorly supported. The low turnout may have been due to the timing (Tuesday, 4 pm) and the lack of available staff within Youth Services. The service has been discontinued for the moment.

Tesco clean-up
Following continued complaints about litter in and around Tesco, it has been noted that contractor Jarvis is attending to this. It is thought that Tesco is paying for this service.

Tree plea
Fustrated and disappointed by the fact that trees newly planted on the estate are not being routinely watered, PC tree warden, Coun. Brian Hubbard says he no longer intends to request replacements for those trees that die or are damaged.

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