Category Archives: AGM

A.G.M. 2023 Minutes

AGM, Minutes, News

BROCKHILL RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting

Held at Batchley Community Centre on Monday November 27th 2023

In Attendance:

Committee: Julie Vincent (JV), Sylvia Collinson (SC), Stephen Siddle (SS), Mark Whitworth (MW) and Mike Vincent (MV).

Members: David Dallaway, Lynn Dallaway, Maureen Mole, Steve Mole, Claire Ivins, Sue Merry, Bob Merry and Lynda Browne.

Councillors: WCC Brandon Clayton (BC) & RBC Lucy Harrison (LH)

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE:

Apologies were received from WCC Salman Akbar, RBC Joe Baker, RBC Kerrie Miles, Peter Merricks, Anil Jha, Mike Long and Mrs Koser (Head Teacher HFFS).

ADOPT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS AGM:

The minutes of the last A.G.M. held on 21st November 2022 have been available on the Brockhill Residents’ Association Website for Members to read and were adopted forthwith.

TREASURER’S REPORT:

This report includes the presentation and, if approved, adoption of the accounts for the 12 months ending 28th February 2023.

SS provided the Members with a copy of the Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet for the 12 months ending 28th February 2023, which showed an excess of expenditure over income for the year of £132.00, leaving us with total funds of £1,630.69 at the end of the financial year.

He reported that he had presented the figures in a slightly different way this year in order to separate the income and expenditure of the Wildlife Project (WLP) from our General Funds.  This is because it is necessary to recognise that income that is received specifically for the WLP is not available for general spending.

He also provided a copy of the interim accounts for the current year, showing the financial position as at 24 November 2023, being a surplus of income over expenditure of £899.71 and total funds of £2,530.32 (consisting of General Funds of £1,392.52 and WLP Funds of £1,137.80).

Both sets of accounts can be viewed via these links: 2022-23 accounts and 2023-24 interim accounts

Commenting on the results for both years, he explained that there had been no general fundraising in 2022/23, because of the lack of support for the proposed Skittles Evening, which had been aborted after incurring expenses of £29.95. In contrast to this, last month’s Quiz Night had raised £363.20, which is needed to cover this year’s administrative costs of (to date) £220.86.

Turning to the WLP, he explained that Grants had come from our Councillors and were supplemented by plant sales and by donations, for the purchase of cherry trees, from Residents and from Persimmon.  MW then gave an update on the progress that has been made by the WLP and what was hoped to be achieved by the planting of the cherry trees.

We thanked WCC BC, who had contributed to our funds earlier this year from his discretionary fund.

The 2022-23 accounts were then approved and adopted by members.    

UPDATE ON ISSUES AND EVENTS SINCE LAST AGM  

JV reported that we were invited to hold our committee meeting at Holyoake Field First School by the Head Teacher Mrs Koser in the early evening time.  Mrs Koser also attended the meeting on May 9th, as there were matters concerning the school, listed on the agenda.  After the meeting, Mrs Koser invited us to a tour of the school, which we arranged for June 16th.  Mrs Koser led us around the school, showing us the classrooms, the library and other communal areas and also the playground.  She showed us a war memorial which has been brought from the old school and placed outside in a prominent position.  Mrs Koser is a keen Historian, which will be of great benefit to the children.

On Saturday May 13th, we held a Plant sale on the Public Open Space in Appletree Lane in aid of the Wildlife Project.  It was very well attended by Residents and our local Councillors.

We held a Litter Pick on June 10th this year. It was not very well attended by members, but the Committee and Councillors, along with a few members and their dogs, enjoyed the sunny weather and exercise.  Fourteen bags of rubbish were collected from Brockhill Park and Burrington Close.  LH and JV met up afterwards to walk around Brockhill East to see if the litter bins placed around the area had been emptied, as there had been a few reports from Residents that some of them were over filled.  The bins had been emptied at that time, but we have now concluded that although there are several small bins near to the playground area, what we really need, to prevent constant overspill, are the larger black type. Lucy said that she will contact RBC Environmental department, to order these

On August Bank Holiday weekend, the Committee took part in the Summer Fete organised by RBC Joe Baker. It was held on the Public Open Space in Burrington Close, East Brockhill.  We met several new residents who had moved to East Brockhill in the last year and we promoted the membership.  We joined in with the fun and games, which were the usual sports day type of games:  MV had made a ‘Splat the Rat’ game, which raised a small amount of money for our funds – ‘Every little helps!’

It was after this event, that we decided that it would be good to have a banner for B.R.A. to display when we hold events, which we have now purchased.

On Saturday October 16th, we held a Quiz Night, our first fundraising event in three years, as the Skittles Night that we arranged for last Autumn was cancelled due to lack of interest. The Quiz Night, however, was extremely well attended, and the money raised from it should cover our running costs for the next year.

We continue to reply to members who contact us via the committee’s admin e mail address with any problems in the neighbourhood and, if necessary, report matters to our local Councillors for advice.

SC runs our Facebook Administration and posts items of interest to the community, mainly items such as car and house theft, which will then act as a warning for Residents to be more vigilant.  She also displays posters of lost pets.

Lately, some of the bushes in our area, have been missed off the maintenance programme and have been growing over pathways, to such a degree that two thirds of a path had been covered by brambles.  We brought it to the attention of our local Councillors, who have been able to arrange for them to be cut back and put on the list to be included on the maintenance list for next year, hopefully!

DISCUSSION OF THE FOLLOWING ONGOING ISSUES:

  1. Persimmon Homes and section 106 monies
  2. Traffic calming measures in Burrington Close/Hawling Street
  3. School Traffic/Parking
  4. Right of way across the Red Ditch
  5. More Dog Litter bins for Meadow View Estate
  6. Barrier/Crossing for Salters Lane entrance to Brockhill Park
  7. Anti-social behaviour issues in Brockhill Park
  1. Persimmon Homes and Section 106 monies:

Lucy Harrison has spoken to a Persimmon Surveyor who has told her that the land boundaries around Brockhill need to be surveyed and agreed again.  Some land at the back of a few houses in Carthorse Lane was sold off to house owners by Persimmon but it has now been established that the land was not owned by Persimmon, so was not theirs to sell! When the land boundaries have been agreed, the 106 monies should be paid to RBC.

2.Traffic calming measures in Burrington Close/Hawling Street:

Residents of East Brockhill have been complaining about speeding traffic on several roads and closes in the area, but particularly on the main spine road and on the school route.

This is naturally of great concern, with school children travelling on foot and by car every weekday.  Redditch Skip company had also been reported for speeding in Burrington/Hawling Street, since the speed bumps have been taken out.  Our local Councillors have been in touch with the Skip company and Residents are advised to take photographs of the registration numbers on the vehicles if it continues to happen.   Persimmon have erected a 20mph sign as it is a private road until it is adopted, when it will become 30mph, as are all residential roads.  When Weights Lane is reopened, there will be another way out of the estate, which we are hoping will relieve the situation.

3. School Traffic/Parking:

When the new School first opened in September 2022, the School traffic was made worse by the bad timing of Severn Trent Water who decided this would be a good time to repair the water meter in Burrington Close, near to the junction of Cookridge Lane, which is the main route up to the School.  Temporary traffic lights were installed, which caused more havoc as the lane isn’t very wide and vehicles which had taken children to school were trying to turn around.

The situation was eased somewhat, when Severn Trent’s work was completed, but there is still a problem on the school route at the drop off and pick up times, as with many schools, but as there is only one way in and out of the housing estate at present, this has made matters worse.  We are hoping that the opening of Weights Lane will ease the situation.

The Head Teacher, Mrs Koser, said that the school is still receiving the odd complaints from Residents regarding the parking but she feels that the barrier, which is used at the end of the school day, is certainly helping with the safety of the children leaving the school site.

4. Right of way across the Red Ditch:

You may have read in previous committee meeting minutes on display on our website, about us trying to have a pathway and crossing made across the wasteland, which had been possible to cross in years gone by.  We had a copy of an old map dating back to at least the 1940’s, which showed it as a right of way and we believe the farm workers used to use it.

If a properly constructed crossing and pathway could be made, this would enable some school children and their parents to walk to school, taking a short cut, thus relieving the school traffic.  We have been waiting to find out who owns this land and it has now been established that it belongs to Persimmon.  WCC BC said that we will have to wait for the land to be adopted, before the work can go ahead, and that RBC will be happy to do this.

5. More Dog Litter Bins for Meadow View Estate:

The current litter bins near to the Playground on the Meadow View Estate are the smaller variety and even though there are several in that area, there are some used more than others.  As they are so small, they soon fill up and as they are not emptied often, the poo bags end up being left at the base.  This is an environmental hazard, with the children’s playground being so near, so we have asked for the larger black metal bins to replace them.

RBC LH said that she would order the replacements straightaway.  There have also been complaints by residents about the lack of maintenance from First Port generally and in particular to the wooden steps leading up to the playground which have cheap wood supports and exposed nails.

6. Barrier/Crossing for Salters Lane entrance to Brockhill Park:

We have been trying to get a safer barrier or crossing in this area for several years now, as we feel there needs to be something to slow children on Bicycles and Scooters down when approaching the busy Salters Lane, which is on a bus route.  Many residents walk with children through the park to the playground or the local shops and when crossing over to Oaktree Lane, the traffic comes quickly around a bend in the road, making it hard to judge whether it is safe to cross.  SC said that she has witnessed several near misses, not only from children but also disabled older residents and those in wheelchairs.  WCC BC said that he will find out from previous WCC’s Robin Lunn and Graham Vickery about how far they had got with a solution when they were working on this several years ago, as for some reason nothing has been resolved, other than a speed monitor and a ‘Slow Down’ sign being installed.

7. ASB Issues at Brockhill Park:

The two areas of concern in this area are the Underpass and the Basketball Court, where Teenagers tend to meet up.  CCTV had been set up by the Basketball Court for a while but is only temporary.  It is moved on to other troublesome areas when things settle down. There are always more reports of ASB in the warmer weather so there haven’t been many instances reported of late.  The walls of the Underpass haven’t been defaced as much lately.  The Police have advised Residents to ring 101 to report any anti- social behaviour in this area. We have been told that the local Police team regularly patrol the area at night time.

ELECTION OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

In compliance with our Constitution, which states that two/three Committee Members must resign each year in order to recruit new Committee Members, Sylvia Collinson and Julie Vincent both resigned from the Committee, but agreed to continue when no-one else came forward to replace them. 

We are still seeking a new Chairman, as the person whose name was put forward at last year’s AGM has been unable to help us at all this year, due to work commitments. JV also said that she wished to stand down as Secretary, so we are still seeking a new Chair Person and a Secretary.  No volunteers came forward, so Julie agreed to stay on until a replacement is found.

The Committee thanked Ben Moseley for his great management of the Website this year and hope he will be able to continue to do so.

A.O.B./ MEMBERS’ OPEN FORUM:

MW said that he had witnessed drug dealing in Appletree Lane on the Car Park area near to the Public Open Space and Dairy Lane.  He asked if CCTV could be installed there and signage to make everyone aware.  LH said that she will speak to the Community Safety Officer and asked Mark to e mail her all of the details to strengthen the case.

Stephen Mole asked what would happen to the old Barn when the 17 new houses were built near to the school.  The Barn, which is derelict, was originally going to be converted into a bungalow. It has become a meeting place for young people, but is unsafe.  The owners we believe, live abroad and have not claimed responsibility for it.  We will try to find out more in the new year.

BC told us that when Persimmon submitted the plans for the building of houses at East Brockhill in the 1990’s, the development was split into phases and the plans seemed fine.  Unfortunately, the plans weren’t followed in the right order, which is why we have the problems we are faced with today.

The meeting ended at 9.30 p.m.

A.G.M. 2022 Minutes

AGM, Events, Minutes, News

BROCKHILL RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting

Held at Batchley Community Centre on Monday November 21st 2022

In Attendance:

Committee: David Dallaway, Lynn Dallaway, Julie Vincent, Sylvia Collinson, Mark Whitworth,  Gemma Monaco and Mike Vincent.

Members: Maureen Mole, Steve Mole, Claire Ivins, Jade Taylor and Colin Badger.

Councillors: Leader of RBC Matt Dormer and WCC Brandon Clayton. 

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: 

Apologies were received from RBC Lucy Harrison, RBC Nyear Nazir, WCC Salman Akbar, Stephen Siddle, Matt Collinson and Shirley Jobson.

ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS AGM:

The minutes of the last AGM held on 5th November 2019 had been available on the Brockhill Residents’ Association website for members to read and were adopted forthwith.   Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had been unable to hold an AGM until now.

TREASURER’S REPORT: 

This report includes the presentation and if approved, adoption of the accounts for each of the 12 months ending 29th February 2020, 28th February 2021 and 28th February 2022.

David Dallaway provided members with a copy of the Income and Expenditure Accounts and Balance Sheets for each of the 12 month periods, together with the current period to date.  Since the end of February 2019, Association funds have decreased slightly from £1,342 to £1,156.  Income in that time was £321 from the 2019 Quiz Night, donations totalling £2,000 towards the Wildlife Project from Councillors Akbar and Clayton, Fortis Living’s donation towards a new notice board of £2,000 and Mark Whitworth’s and Shirley Jobson’s plants sale of £301.  Expenditure incurred was £596 on website costs, £1,970 on Wildlife Project purchases, £2,006 on the new notice board, £164 on room hire and costs of organising the Quiz Night and Skittles Evening and £70 on the printing of membership leaflets.

Councillors Akbar and Clayton were thanked again for their generous donations from their discretionary funds.  Sylvia Collinson has sent a note of thanks to Fortis.

The Accounts were received, adopted and approved by members.   
  

UPDATE ON ISSUES AND EVENTS SINCE LAST AGM   

The new notice board for the Pointers Way/ Meadow View estates was finally installed on 12th May this year.  We had been waiting for over a year for its installation.   As previously mentioned a large donation towards its cost had been made by Fortis.  Former WCC Robin Lunn had, whilst in office, kindly arranged for any excess expenditure to be funded from his discretionary fund.

Litter picks, organised by Julie Vincent, had been held on 5th June 2021 and 14th May 2022.  Attendances at both had been extremely disappointing with very few people other than committee members and councillors turning up.  The lack of enthusiasm is difficult to comprehend as it is a most enjoyable and rewarding couple of hours spent on a Saturday morning.  On the latter litter pick fifteen bags of rubbish were collected from Brockhill Park and surrounding areas.

Proposed traffic calming measures by the postbox in Carthorse Lane had been rejected by the police.  The reason given was that the road was straight and speed bumps often encourage cars to go faster.

The pot holes in Hewell Lane had now been repaired.

Mark Whitworth and his neighbour Shirley Jobson have set up Wildlife Project.  They, together with a group of volunteers, are looking after its development on the public open space in Appletree Lane.   Mark’s and Shirley’s well-attended Plants Sale held on 2nd May had raised £301 and both were thanked for their efforts.  Mark is planning to hold another sale at the end of May next year, to give his cuttings longer to grow and hopefully fetch a better price.

Brandon’s and Salman’s grants had helped fund the purchase of some fruit and replacement birch trees.  Also an oak tree to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee was planted on 26th October.  Native bulbs have been planted in the area and Mark had made some wooden bat and bird boxes together with a bug house, to encourage the wildlife in the area.  Evidence of these being used has already been seen which is gratifying.

Leader of RBC Matt Dormer has offered the use of a turf cutter from Dormer Hire, to prepare the land for the planting of additional bulbs.  Mark will send an email to the volunteer group for their assistance when required.

SmartWater kits were offered to all residents in March 2021.  David Dallaway asked Councillor Clayton if he knew why there were no signs on lampposts etc. to denote that it was a SmartWater area.  He responded that this would be because an insufficient number of people have registered their kits to date.

The children’s play area at the top of Owlham Close by the new school is now up and running.

The secondary balancing pond parallel to Burrington Close is now surrounded by safety fencing.

The sewage pumping station’s leaks have all been attended to with no recent issues – literally!!

Richard Aldington, RBC Grounds Maintenance Manager, had kindly given us a bench owned by his late mother, Margaret.  After renovation by Mark Whitworth it was installed in the Wildlife Project area this spring by RBC.  It bears a small engraved plaque in memory of Margaret.

A resident in Dairy Lane had suggested to Mark Whitworth that it would be nice to have the subway, leading to Brockhill Park/Wetlands area, painted with a scenic design by a professional painter.  This would hopefully deter anti- social youngsters from making a mess of the walls.  We held a competition to involve the community, for the best design.   Arts Development Officer for Bromsgrove & Redditch, Huw Moseley, was contacted to seek his advice on how to run an Art Project.  He attended a meeting with the Committee on 21st March and was able to recommend a professional artist who had painted several other underpasses in and around Worcestershire.  He also recommended a Project Manager whom he had worked with before.  Unfortunately it has since transpired that although we had been told that the area had been adopted by RBC, this was not the case.  Adoption had not taken place because the underpass had not been built to the required standards.  We have therefore put the project on hold, while Brandon Clayton makes more enquiries to Persimmon Homes North.

We were due to hold our first fund raising event, since the outset of Covid, in October this year. A Beer & Skittles Night was proposed as a change from our previous Quiz Nights.  However despite it being well advertised, most disappointingly the vast majority of our members chose not to support us.  Reluctantly the event was cancelled although a s few costs had to be borne in so doing.  We have therefore been unable to raise any funds this year, as reflected in the accounts just presented in the Treasurer’s report.

DISCUSSION OF THE FOLLOWING ONGOING ISSUES:

  1. Holyoakes Field First School parking
  2. Persimmon Homes and section 106 monies
  3. Lowans Hill Farm Development
  4. Speeding on Pointers Way/Meadow View
  5. Emptying of dog poo bins by Mainstay
  6. Weeds in gutters and on pavements
  7. ASB issues at Brockhill Park
  1. Holyoakes Field First School:

The new school finally opened in September.  Brandon Clayton said it was of a blueprint eco design, which will be copied for all new school buildings in Worcestershire.  It has been built with facilities for the pupils to engage in eco-friendly activities, to teach the importance of caring for the environment. 

Parking at the school however is proving a problem.  The situation has been severely exacerbated by the laying of new water pipes by Severn Trent Water and their installation in September of temporary traffic lights at the junction of Cookridge Close and Burrington Close.  Congestion from car parking outside houses in the surrounding roads of any school is to be expected at drop off and pick up times.  However, Brandon added that once the roads have finally been adopted, the Highways Department will look into painting double yellow lines along Cookridge Close.  They will be on the opposite side to the houses to avoid double parking.

A copy of a letter from the new school’s Headteacher regarding a Safety Petition had been posted on The Association’s Facebook page.

2. Persimmon Homes and section 106 monies:

The Association’s former Chairman had met with Head of RBC, Matt Dormer, and Councillor Lucy Harrison last month to discuss what progress RBC had made in obtaining the thousands of pounds due to be paid over by Persimmon.  The payment is long overdue and has been highlighted by several articles in the local press.  Matt informed us that Persimmon had advised the delay is now due to a backlog with Land Registry.  He said that RBC would be seeking interest in addition to the total monies owed.

3. Lowans Hill Farm Development:

The proposed development on the land adjacent to the school, where the derelict barn is situated, is of concern to the Headteacher, Mrs Koser.  The plans being submitted are for 17 new homes to be built, which will cause severe disruption to the school.  An online petition has been raised by Mrs Koser, which is on the school website, for residents to complete to raise their concerns.  We had originally been told by Persimmon Homes Planning Director, Kate Tait, that the barn would be renovated to become two luxury barn conversions.  The Committee will attend the planning meeting to question this and to support the Headteacher.

4. Speeding on Pointers Way/Meadow View:

Residents on the two new estates have reported that car drivers are still speeding, despite the speed bumps in Burrington Close.  Brandon informed us that until the roads are adopted, no other speed reducing measures can be taken.  After adoption, Lucy Harrison’s ‘Speed Watch Project’ will be able to be undertaken.  

5. Emptying of Dog Poo Bins:

Julie Vincent had written to Mainstay in the spring to complain that the dog poo bins were not being emptied as often as required.  For a short period of time the letter seemed to have worked.  However, we have now had further reports from residents, who are paying for the maintenance of the public open spaces, that again the bins are overflowing.  This results in dog poo bags being scattered on the ground around the bins.  Margaret Mole said that Mainstay was acquired by a company called FirstPort in 2020 but Mainstay’s customers are only just being transitioned into FirstPort.  They have issued new customer account numbers and have asked members to re-register.  This has all been done by emailed communications at the end of September 2022.  We are hoping that this new company will be more efficient.

6. Weeds in gutters and on pavements:

We had reported several months ago that there were weeds growing in the gutters and on the pavements around Wheelers Lane, Dairy Lane, Appletree Lane and Brockhill Drive.  Since then RBC have sent the Parks and Public Open Space maintenance team around Brockhill to spray weed killer on some of the areas.  However not all areas appear to have been treated.  David Dallaway confirmed that the gutters and small paving stones along Wheelers Lane and its side roads are still covered with weeds.  One member of The Association was so distressed by the situation, they purchased an expensive petrol driven power weeder to tackle the problem themself.  However the machine proved to be faulty and had to be returned which in one way was a good thing as no resident should have to fund personally what is the local Council’s responsibility.  Matt Dormer said that he was due a review meeting with Persimmon regarding the ground maintenance. 

7. ASB Issues at Brockhill Park:

The two main areas of concern are the underpass and basketball court, where teenagers tend to meet up.  The underpass has its walls daubed regularly with undesirable wording and obscene illustrations.  The basketball court’s litter bin is regularly set alight and both areas are used for drug dealing.  The Association’s notice board has also been vandalised.  Mark Whitworth queried why the security light near to the basketball court had been taken down.  Matt Dormer said that the cameras are only temporary; they are moved on to another area after a few months.  He advises that our members contact 101 to report any anti-social behaviour in this area and we have been told that the local police team regularly patrol the area at night time.

ELECTION OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Our Constitution states that one third of the elected Committee Members must retire at each AGM.  As longest servers, David and Lynn Dallaway tendered their resignations and confirmed they did not seek re-election.  Julie Vincent said that she would stand down as Secretary if anybody else wished to take over the role.  We asked if anybody in the room would like to be elected but nobody volunteered.  Matt Dormer gave us a name of a colleague who was volunteering his services as Chairman.  He had been unable to attend the AGM due to work commitments, but if appointed, we would be able to arrange meetings around his shift pattern.

At a previous committee meeting, Stephen Siddle had agreed to take over as Treasurer with David Dallaway resigning from the Committee.

Mark Whitworth and Mike Vincent had both been co-opted on to the Committee after the last AGM and were now officially appointed as full members.

Although not a member of the Committee, Ben Moseley was thanked for his management of the website and it was hoped he would be able to continue with its administration.

A.O.B. & MEMBERS’ OPEN FORUM:

Brandon Clayton had received complaints about speeding cars from residents in Appletree Lane.  They had been disturbed by the noise of cars racing along Brockhill Drive and Salters Lane.  He is arranging for vehicle activated signs to be installed in those areas.

Mark Whitworth asked Brandon if it would be possible to have a pathway constructed on the grassland at the back of the houses in Carthorse Lane/Pennyford Close.  This is a well-used route for dog walkers and residents in general, as there is no path on the main road.  Brandon said that as with other issues, it would be addressed once the area had been adopted and he would arrange for this to be done.

Mike Vincent asked if Brandon had been able to arrange for engineers to inspect the area of flooding near to the entrance into the field at the back of Parklands Close/Dairy Lane.  Mike had reported the appearance of a sinkhole earlier this year.  Brandon had met with Mike and Julie to be shown the area of concern.  Colin Badger commented that the local farmer had been digging trenches in the field to divert rainwater away from his grazing sheep.  We wondered if this had caused water to build up by the gate and had also caused the sinkhole to appear.  With the onset of winter, it was feared that more flooding would occur if nothing is done.

The meeting ended at 9.30 p.m.

Brockhill Residents’ Association Minutes of AGM – Nov 2019

AGM, News

BROCKHILL RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held at Batchley Community Centre on Tuesday November 5th 2019

IN ATTENDANCE:

Committee: Sylvia Collinson, David Dallaway, Lynn Dallaway, Malcolm Gilks, Stephen Siddle and
Julie Vincent.

Members: Cherry Gilks, Tisha Greenway, Graham Haynes, Marion Haynes, Anil Jha, Shirley Jobson, Robert Merry, Susan Merry,  Margaret Mole, Mike Vincent and Mark Whitworth.

Councillors: RBC Pattie Hill, RBC Gemma Monaco (also a Committee member), RBC Nyear Nazir, WCC Brandon Clayton and WCC Robin Lunn.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE:

Apologies were received from Matt Collinson, John Dallaway, Claire Ivins, Peter Merricks, Lorayne Kimberley and Paul Kimberley.

ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS AGM HELD ON 15.10.18:

The minutes of last year’s AGM had been available on the Association’s website for the past twelve months.  David Dallaway asked if anybody wished them to be read out before their proposed adoption.  No request was made and they were duly approved nem. con.

TO RECEIVE AND, IF APPROVED, ADOPT THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE 12 MONTHS ENDING 28TH FEBRUARY 2019:

David Dallaway provided the members with a copy of the Income and Expenditure Account and Balance Sheet for the 12 months ended 28th February 2019.  The profit for the year of £364 had increased the bank balance to £1,342.  The profit arose from three sources of income:-

  • A £300 share of the proceeds from a Murder Mystery Evening put on by the Alvechurch Amateur Dramatic Society. Stephen Siddle and his fellow thespians were thanked for this.
  • A kind donation of £40 from Robin Denis following the sale through his business of a brand new child’s bicycle. An earlier attempt last Xmas to auction the bike via our website and Facebook page had regretfully resulted in no bids.  Robin was thanked again for his generosity, particularly as it was not the first time he had made a donation to Association funds.
  • A £100 share of the profits arising from a Fashion Show organised by Julia Cuzner. Thanks were given to Julia.  Several of those who attended this most enjoyable event were hopeful that another would be held in the near future.

The only costs incurred in the 12 months’ period were the renewal of the website hosting at £58 and the hire of the hall for last year’s AGM at £18.

Since the last financial year end our bank balance had increased by a further £2,090.  £2,000 of this was a grant from the Fortis Living Smile Fund obtained following the hard work of Claire Ivins.  The grant, together with a pledged donation from Robin Lunn out of his discretionary fund, will be used to purchase and erect a notice board on Pointers Way.

The only other source of income since last February was a net profit of £253 from October’s Quiz Night.  Expenditure incurred in this same period was £143 on the website hosting renewal and £20 for the hire of the room for this evening’s AGM.  Despite considerable effort we had been unable to negotiate a better deal on the website hosting cost that had increased by £85 from the previous year.

The accounts were approved by all members present.

DISCUSSION OF THE FOLLOWING ONGOING ISSUES:

  • Holyoakes Field First School

The school in Britten Street, which is still waiting to relocate to a new building at the top of Cookridge Close on Pointers Way, has now been told to expect this to happen in March 2021.  The delay in commencement of building has been due to land ownership issues.  A new contractor had to be found and J. Tomlinson Building Contractors started work a few weeks ago.

Mike Vincent asked the Councillors what was going to be done about the nearby dilapidated barns which could create safety issues.  Brandon Clayton replied that something would be done before the school opens to make the area safe.

  • Persimmon Homes and section 106 monies

A meeting was held on Friday October 25th by our local MP Rachel Maclean, with the Regional Managing Director of Persimmon Homes, Liam Scott, Leader of RBC Matt Dormer and the Head of Planning at the Council, Ruth Bamford.  An agreement was made between Persimmon and RBC on the section 106 monies the housebuilder owes.  An apology was secured also from Persimmon and an undertaking of immediate action to begin maintaining the open spaces and assets they still own until they have all been handed over to RBC.  This now means that the Council will be working with Persimmon to pass on complaints from residents regarding maintenance of land and street lights.  Persimmon will then be acting on these complaints and carrying out the maintenance required [see also iv) below].

We would like to thank Councillors Gemma Monaco and Nyear Nazir for all the work they have done to support residents and Rachel Maclean for resolving this long running saga.  Thanks also to former Association Chairman Peter Merricks for his persistence in ensuring that the issue remained to the fore over the last few years.

  • Brockhill East Phase 3

The building of 250 houses by Persimmon on the next phase of Brockhill East has already been accepted by the Council.  There will be a further meeting with both RBC and BDC to pass planning permission for a further 700 houses.  We will let members know the date of the meeting as soon as it becomes available.

  • Adoption and upkeep of public open spaces

Although the roads on the parts of Brockhill which were built 17-20 years ago have been adopted, some of the public open spaces are only now being adopted by the Council.  Our members have been extremely frustrated when reporting incidences like fallen debris from trees.  They have been told by the Council that they are not responsible for the maintenance of these areas, as they are still owned by Persimmon Homes.  Graham and Marion Haynes told us that they had a problem with the trees behind their property on public land that had not been maintained in the last twenty years.  They had reported it to RBC and had a visit from the Environmental Department who told them that it was not Council responsibility but that of Persimmon.

Robert and Susan Merry told us that they have a similar problem with overgrown trees behind their property in Pennyford Close.  In high wind, the branches are dangerous as they have fallen in the past and could cause serious damage.

Pattie Hill said that the Council do not have any tree surgeons and have to employ contractors.

By not handing over ownership of this land to the local authority, Persimmon has not had to pay the section 106 monies it owes to the Council.  This money is to provide and enhance community and social infrastructure.  As previously discussed in item ii) above, hopefully this issue will now be resolved in the very near future with complete adoption of all areas together with settlement of all monies owing..

Gemma Monaco spoke about the upkeep of public open spaces on the Pointers Way estate.  She said that the overgrowth around the balancing ponds has now been cut right back and re-seeded and that the footpaths have been tarmacked.  She told us that the ditch between Pointers Way and the Oaklands estate will be staying, but six to eight feet will be taken off on the Cookridge Lane side.  This will be done next year when the weather improves.

  • Carthorse Lane speed bump

Robin Lunn informed us that he is still awaiting information from the County Highways Department regarding the approval of the new speed bump installation in Carthorse Lane.  There have been objections from residents and from the Police Authority about having new traffic calming measures installed.  The costs were being met by Robin and Brandon Clayton out of their budgets and they are hoping that the matter will finally be resolved at the next Highways meeting.

  • Community Building

As most of our members are aware, we were offered a bungalow by Persimmon for use as a community building.  However their offer was declined as the building was totally inappropriate with regards to size and available parking facilities.  Another building was offered, a two storey house, but again its structure proved totally unsuitable for our needs.  In addition the costs of running and maintaining the building would fall on the Association and we do not possess anywhere near the funds that would be required.  We are hoping that we will be given access to the new school hall for meetings, but it is likely there will be a hire charge as the school will not be run by the Council.  We do not have enough Committee Members to take on the upkeep and responsibility of a separate community hall, even if Persimmon were to offer to build one.  As all existing community halls around Redditch have been taken over by Rubicon Leisure Ltd., unfortunately we do not have the option of one being run by RBC.

  • Foxlydiate Arms

The Committee submitted a Community Asset form to BDC in support of the non-closure of the Foxlydiate Arms,  situated just over the border in Bromsgrove.  In July two of our Committee Members, David Dallaway and Stephen Siddle, attended a meeting together with Robin Lunn at the BDC Chambers, to discuss making the building a Community Asset. Also present was a lady representing the Facebook Group which had formed called ‘Save the Foxlydiate Arms’.  But just before the meeting was due to commence, one of the Bromsgrove Councillors informed Robin that the Foxlydiate agenda item would not now be discussed.  This was because the pub’s owners, Whitbread, had changed the status of the Foxlydiate Arms to that of a hotel.  This meant that it could not be made a Community Asset.

The plans to build 48 houses and a block of two storey flats, have not yet been passed.  We are hoping that now that the housing needs in Bromsgrove have been met, the plans to build on the site of the Foxlydiate Arms may not be passed.  We will let members know when the planning meeting is being held.  Meanwhile, you can object to the plans by going on to the BDC website planning section.  There is already concern regarding the road infrastructure, with 2,500 new homes being built in Webheath and Bentley, and also the lack of social facilities.  Robin Lunn will let us know when the planning meeting is taking place and we will be attending.

MAIN EVENTS SINCE LAST AGM:

We held a Litter Pick in May which a few members attended and 18 bags of litter were collected.  We were disappointed at the turnout, particularly as the date had been carefully chosen as a Saturday morning in May, away from the Bank Holidays.

As mentioned in the Treasurer’s Report above, Claire Ivins had obtained a grant from Fortis Living of £2,000 towards the purchase of a new Community Notice Board for Pointers Way, similar to the two existing boards in Brockhill Park and Carthorse Lane.  Robin Lunn has contacted Matthew Mead, Senior Engineering Technician at RBC, regarding its installation.

We held our annual Quiz Night fundraiser in October which was a very enjoyable evening.  As already mentioned we raised £253 which will help with our running costs and enable us to continue the offer of free Association membership.

Membership continues to increase thanks in particular to Sylvia Collinson who has delivered many joining leaflets to households on Pointers Way and Meadow View.  Total membership now stands at in excess of 400.  However it should be noted that support for the Association in terms of attendance at litter picks, quiz nights and AGMs remains disappointingly low.

We identified a need for ‘Give Way’ markings at the junction of Lowfield Lane and Appletree Lane.  Robin Lunn and Brandon Clayton have since organised this with the consequent improvement of residents’ safety.

David Dallaway had made a further attempt to get Royal Mail to install a post-box on Pointers Way or Meadow View.  Their subsequent response as to why it was not necessary was somewhat puzzling.  They quoted that regulatory requirements deem that they must ensure there is a post-box within half a mile of at least 98% of all customer’s letter boxes.  They claim that current posting facilities in the area already meet this requirement.  Clearly they are aware of the existence of post-boxes that are unbeknown to the rest of us!!

ELECTION OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

In compliance with our Constitution three Committee Members  must stand down at this AGM but may offer themselves for re-election.  Tisha Greenway and Claire Ivins had offered their resignations and did not wish to apply for re-election.  David Dallaway, the third person to stand down said, if re-elected, he would serve for just one more year.  His re-election was unopposed.  We asked if anybody in the room would like to offer their services to serve on the committee but there were no volunteers.  However Mark Whitworth contacted us after the meeting to volunteer his services as Facebook Administrator which had been Claire Ivins’ role.

Ben Moseley was thanked for his work over the last year regarding administration of the website and it was hoped he would be able to continue in this role.

A.O.B./ MEMBERS’ OPEN FORUM:

Shirley Jobson asked the Councillors if a tree which had been brought down by the wind on public open space in Appletree Lane could be replaced.  Brandon Clayton said that as the land had not yet been passed over from Persimmon, it could not be done at present.

Mike Vincent asked Brandon if the grass bank in  Appletree Lane could be replaced to stop access by travellers.  The original grass bank had been flattened when the crossing was installed near to the traffic Island at the Brockhill Drive/Appletree Lane junction.

Mike also asked why the stile on public open space, leading into a right of way across the field, was allowed to have barbed wire on the top.  His son had ripped his coat trying to get over it.  He suggested it would be better to have a kissing gate in its place.  Councillors said that, as it was land belonging to Bentley Parish Council which comes under Bromsgrove, he would need to contact them.

Margaret Mole said that there is a litter bin on Pointers Way which is in a position that cannot be reached as it was behind temporary fencing erected in preparation of the building work on the new school.  The Councillors said that they will look into this when the land is handed over to them from Persimmon.

Gemma Monaco  told us that there is a P.A.C.T. meeting arranged on Saturday 7th December at 10 a.m. outside the Shopping Parade on Batchley Road.

The meeting ended at 9.30 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brockhill Residents’ Association Annual General Meeting 2019

AGM, Events, News

Hello Members,

The Brockhill Residents’ Association is holding the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday November 5th starting at 8 p.m at The Batchley Community Centre, Cherry Tree Walk, Batchley.

Please come along to meet the Committee and local Councillors, to voice any Community concerns you may have and learn about the new School and amenities in Brockhill East.

Refreshments will be provided.

We look forward to meeting you.

Best Regards

Julie Vincent, Secretary