BROCKHILL RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Minutes of Committee Meeting Monday March 2^nd 2020 held at the Foxlydiate Arms

Those Present:

Sylvia Collinson                              SC

David Dallaway                              DD

Lynn Dallaway                                LD

Gemma Moore                              GM2

Phil Moore                                      PM

Stephen Siddle                               SS

Julie Vincent                                   JV

Mark Whitworth                           MW

Redditch North Worcestershire County Councillors: Brandon Clayton (BC) & Robin Lunn (RL)

Brockhill & Batchley Redditch Borough Councillors: Pattie Hill (PH), Gemma Monaco (GM1)
& Nyear Nazir (NN)

The Agenda:

1. Apologies
2. Co-option of members on to the Executive Committee
3. Actions arising from previous meeting on 25^th July 2019
4. Notice board for Pointers Way/Meadow View
5. Holyoakes Field First School – completion update & parking facilities
6. Foxlydiate Arms
7. Mainstay’s maintenance charges
8. Persimmon Homes:-

• Section 106 payments and maintenance of open spaces
• Leasehold payments
• Brockhill East – Phase 3

9. Membership list
10. Night time criminal behaviour
11. Litter Pick
12. O.B.

1. Apologies:

Apologies were received from Malcolm Gilks.

2. Co-option of members on to Executive Committee:

Gemma and Phil Moore were welcomed back to Brockhill; Gemma having previously served as a Committee Member before moving away from the area.  They have both expressed their willingness to assist as Committee Members and were co-opted forthwith.  This takes our numbers up to nine, being the maximum permitted by our Constitution.

3. Actions arising from previous meeting on 25^th July 2019:

Actions relating to Mainstay, the new notice board, standards of roads on Pointers Way, Association membership and the Appletree Lane/Brockhill Drive junction would all be discussed as part of this evening’s agenda.

The Quiz Night had been held successfully last October.

As reported at November’s AGM, DD had received an unsatisfactory response from Royal Mail about the installation of a post box on Pointers Way/Meadow View.

Regretfully no progress had been possible on the installation of speed bumps by the post box in Carthorse Lane.  RL said that the Police Authority were against improving traffic calming measures and the new owners of the house, nearest to the area concerned, were also opposed.  RL and BC said they would send out letters to nearby residents to seek their opinions.

4. Notice Board for Pointers Way/Meadow View

GM1 had obtained Persimmon’s permission for the new notice board to be erected on the grassland opposite the junction of Burrington Close and Cookridge Close.  RL was awaiting a quote from Matthew Meade, RBC’s Senior Engineering Technician, for supply and installation.  RL agreed to chase him up on this.  RL had generously agreed to meet any costs in excess of Fortis’ grant from his WCC discretionary fund.

RL asked if we wanted the design to be the same as the existing two.  We had originally requested it bore a Fortis Housing Logo, in recognition of their 2k donation.  However it was decided that this would probably delay the installation.  It was suggested, therefore, that a notice in recognition of Fortis’ kind funding be displayed permanently inside the board.

5. Holyoakes Field First School – completion update & parking facilities:

The expected completion date for the school is still March 2021.  The councillors said that there would be a hardcore parking area as well as a car park for the staff.  BC commented that parking issues around schools in Redditch were commonplace.  Afternoons, when cars awaited pick ups, tended to be more problematical than early morning drop offs.

6. Foxlydiate Arms:

RL informed us of a planning meeting to be held at Bromsgrove District Council’s Chamber Offices on Monday March 16^th at 7 p.m.  At this will be discussed Whitbread’s intention to sell the land, on which the Foxlydiate Arms stands, to developers for the building of 48 houses and an apartment block.  RL and Committee Members will be attending to object to the bulldozing of a much needed Community Asset.  We are hoping that as many members as possible will attend to support this and we will be contacting the Webheath Forum members and also the ‘Save the Foxlydiate’ Facebook Group.  Our application to declare the building a Community Asset was turned down by Ruth Bamford, Head of Planning and Regeneration for Redditch and Bromsgrove, following the Foxlydiate Arms’ change of status from a pub to a hotel.  However, the pub only has a couple of rooms and these are used only occasionally.  Bromsgrove has recently had plans for 2.500 new houses to be built around Webheath and Bentley; more than that required by the Government’s Strategic Plan.  The consensus of opinion is that we do not need any more houses to be built on the Foxlydiate site.  The road infrastructure, as usual, appears to be the last consideration.

(Post meeting note update: The above meeting has now been cancelled. The next scheduled planning meeting is due to take place on Monday 6th April but it is not anticipated that the application for the Foxlydiate Public House will be on that agenda.  We will post details on our website and Facebook page as soon as we are aware of any future meetings to discuss the Foxlydiate’s demolition.  In this event we would encourage as many Association members as possible to attend to voice their disapproval.  RL will register to speak at any such meeting as the issue will have a major impact on his electoral division.)

7. Mainstay’s Maintenance Charges:

JV had asked her friends living on Pointers Way whether the charges had been raised again following receipt of their invoice in January.  They confirmed that the charges had remained the same this year.  However they still consider that insufficient maintenance is carried out during the year to warrant every household on Pointers Way, and now also Meadow View, having to pay £120 annually.  What they were not told when they bought their property, which their solicitor should have made them aware of, was that they also pay the share for the residents in the Affordable Houses, who are exempt from paying.

Members had reported damage to the grass verges in Gretton Close which like several roads on the estate has no pavements.  The verges are currently waterlogged from the constant heavy rain experienced throughout February.   Heavy vehicles driving over them when so sodden has created a boggy sunken area.  The situation is exacerbated by some residents choosing to park on the verges rather than in the designated off road parking areas.  GM1 has asked Persimmon to lay down ground base grids before any proposed re-seeding.

8. Persimmon Homes:

• Section 106 payments and maintenance of open spaces

RBC has met with Persimmon Homes South executives, to discuss payment of the Section 106 monies and prior to this, the maintenance work required to the Public Open Spaces around Brockhill, to bring them up to a good standard of repair for RBC to agree adoption.  BC and GM1 walked around the Public Open Spaces with Persimmon’s representatives, pointing out the work required.  Committee Members had identified many areas where work was needed to be carried out.  BC informed us that contractors, employed by Persimmon, are firstly undertaking work to pathways. This will be followed by work on fencing and construction of a wooden bridge over boggy grassland between Edenfield Close and Brockhill Drive.  The bund, which was removed when the new crossing was made near to the traffic island at the Appletree Lane/Brockhill Lane junction, will also be replaced.  Full size barriers will be erected on the staircase to the Nature Reserve.  Trees have been cut down by the Carthorse Lane pond as they were infected with algae.  In addition three trees near to the subway leading into Brockhill Park have been cut down due to ash dieback disease.  The 106 payments will be made when all work has been completed.

GM1 asked DD if he would provide her with details of repair work that he had identified as being required in the Nature Reserve and adjoining Orchard.  She would then bring this to Persimmon’s attention.

• Leasehold payments

A resident on Meadow View had emailed us to ask whether the council were going to adopt the site and thus stop the so called ‘fleecehold’ payments.  DD had forwarded a response by BC to the inquirer stating that the council were in the process of coming to an agreement with Persimmon regarding section 106 and the money they have to pay over.

• Brockhill East – Phase 3

The plans for Phase 3 had been on display at the Abbey Stadium last year and were passed at a planning meeting a few months later.  There will be built up to a further 960 houses and also a few shops with a centralised parking area.  We have been told by BC that a Community Centre will also be built close by.  Members can arrange to view the plans for phase 3 at the Town Hall.

9. Membership List:

DD now receives from Ben Moseley monthly notifications of new members registering online via the website.  He is thus able to update the Membership List detailing everybody’s email and postal address.  We are pleased to report that membership has been increasing as new residents move into their houses on Meadow View.  SC has been delivering Membership Forms to newly occupied houses on a regular basis..

DD had become aware of our being contacted by several individuals who were not on his Members List.  MW had subsequently confirmed that a number of our followers on Facebook were not registered members of the Association.  MW was therefore asked if he could post a message on Facebook encouraging all followers to register as members via the website.  MW also pointed out that quite a few people who access and post comments on our Facebook page live outside the Brockhill area.  This is fine and their comments are welcome but clearly they cannot be classed as proper Association members.

10. Night time criminal behaviour:

Several members have sent us emails and Facebook messages regarding suspicious night time behaviour.  We have received reports of individual(s) trying door handles of parked cars in the early hours (2am – 4.30am) of the morning.  Incidents have been reported in Cookridge Close, Clarendon Close and Wheelers Lane.  A video shot by one resident of two hooded persons operating in Wheelers Lane was sent to the police.  PH stressed that all incidents should be reported to the police by ‘phoning 101.  Residents are strongly advised to ensure they always lock their parked cars and under no circumstances whatsoever leave any valuables in them.

11. Litter Pick:

We discussed the best time to hold our annual Litter Pick and it was decided to wait until the better weather, possibly during or just after the School Summer holidays, when there is always more litter around.  JV will make the arrangements and details will be posted on the website and notice boards.

12. O.B.

SC asked the councillors if they knew of any changes to the opening times at the Gun Club. She had heard noise from the shooting more often and at different times than usual.  The councillors said that they would make enquiries and let us know.

MW asked the councillors about Persimmon selling land at the rear of 157 Carthorse Lane as this is a Public Open Space with a footpath leading to it, maintained by the Council.  BC said that the path is being resurfaced as tree roots had lifted it considerably.  The land is still being sold, but the public footpath with lamp post will remain and a space will be left for members of the public to access the Public Open Space.  It is a very popular route for dog walkers.

SC asked RL & BC if they knew about the deep pot holes in Hewell Lane near to Petersen Springs.  She told us that she and her husband had driven over one which resulted in their having to purchase a new suspension spring for their car. The councillors said that they would contact the road maintenance department to get the pot holes filled in.

MW asked if the councillors knew why the lights down Brockhill Drive were not working.  They have been off for a couple of weeks, from the junction of Blackwell Lane to Lily Green Lane.  They said that they will see that they are turned back on.

The sewage pumping station, situated at the end of the path running parallel to Mettis Aerospace and Burrington Close, had recently experienced problems.  DD had spoken to workmen who said that raw sewage was spilling out on to the surrounding ground.  One workman had been to see the Meadow View site manager but Persimmon were denying that their ongoing building work had caused the problem.

Actions from this meeting:

• RL and BC to send out letters to residents in the vicinity of the proposed Carthorse Lane speed bumps seeking their opinions.
• RL to chase up Matthew Meade for the notice board quote.
• DD to provide GM1 with details of repair work required in the Nature Reserve and adjoining Orchard.
• MW to post a message on Facebook encouraging all followers to register as members of the Association via the website.
• JV to arrange the next Litter Pick sometime in the second half of the year.
• Councillors to report back on any changes to the Gun Club’s operating times.
• Councillors to contact the road maintenance department regarding repair of the pot holes in Hewell Lane.
• Councillors to request that the lights along Brockhill drive are switched back on.

The meeting ended at 9.10 p.m.