Minutes of Meeting Thursday July 24th 2014
Those present:-
David Dallaway DD
Lynn Dallaway LD
Sylvia Collinson SC
Julie Vincent JV
James Doble JD
Ellie Doble ED
Paul Kimberley PK
Lorayne Kimberley LK
Guest in attendance: – WCC Robin Lunn
Apologies: – Tisha Greenway, Pattie Hill
The Agenda:-
1. Progress on the adoption of roads
2. Dog fouling and litter signs for the Nature Reserve
3. Replacement gate for the Nature Reserve
4. Road works and signage
5. Membership leaflets and quiz posters
6. Quiz Night
7. Notice boards
8. Batchley Summer Celebration 26th July
9. A.O.B. (To include Persimmon Meeting at Town Hall)
Actions from this meeting:
DD to contact Doug Wilks to discuss a new membership form and Quiz Night poster
SC to contact the local Community Halls to discuss booking for a Quiz Night
JV to e mail Karen Lumley with regard to the Feedback on the Funding Fair
Actions from this meeting:
JD to contact Sue Hanley to obtain a Schedule of Works
JD to find out whom to contact with regard to getting a new post box for the Wheelers Lane area
SC to make enquiries about an alcohol licence for the Quiz Night
RL to chase the new road sign for Brockhill at the Tardebigge end of Brockhill Drive
RL to find out about having a third Notice Board in the Wheelers Lane area from Section 106 monies
1. Progress on the adoption of roads:
Robin Lunn reported that there is only one road in Brockhill that is giving concern regarding its adoption and that is Rosedale Close. The area concerned is a Taylor Wimpey development and RL said that he will be visiting residents in Rosedale Close at the beginning of August to let them know of any progress.
In West Brockhill, Turnpike Lane, Vowchurch Close and Wheatcroft Close are still waiting for work to be completed. Carthorse Lane has been adopted but land to the rear of houses 147 – 159, which is owned by Persimmon, is being sold offered for sale to those houses for £500. We are concerned that the right of way between two of these houses might be closed off. This is a much used route for dog walkers and other local residents and the land was intended for this purpose in the proposed plans, so we will be striving to keep this open. Robin Lunn said that he would look into this matter for us.
The Wheelers Lane area of Brockhill is awaiting a 28 days’ notice period to elapse. Posters have been displayed on lampposts informing residents of the forthcoming adoption. During this period residents will have the opportunity of registering their objections. Subject to there being no objections, adoption should take place on 11th August.
2. Dog fouling and litter signs for the Nature Reserve:
Signs have been placed around the perimeter of the Nature Reserve area, accessed via Plumstead Close, following the request of several residents. The signs request dog walkers to ensure they pick up their dog waste. A dog fouling bin will be erected shortly near to the exit gate.
3. Replacement gate for the Nature Reserve:
Borough Councillor Pattie Hill and Gavin Boyes, Landscape and Arboriculture Officer, have made an inspection visit to the Nature Reserve to assess the requirements of replacing the padlocked gate on Brockhill Lane. For safety reasons it was proposed to install a new gate further up Brockhill Lane opposite the walkway through to Carthorse Lane. We all approved this new proposed siting and DD agreed to communicate this to Pattie. He would also ask her to confirm whether a disability access assessment had been carried out. Because of the new siting proposal, the replacement will not now take place on 28th July and we await a new date for the work to be carried out. JD suggested that when the work has been completed it would present a good photograph opportunity for our website.
4. Road works and signage (white arrow in left hand lane at Sainsbury’s traffic Island):
We are pleased to report that a straight on arrow has been added to the left hand arrow on the inside lane of the Sainsbury’s Traffic Island. However, we are still waiting for a new Brockhill sign to replace the Batchley sign on Brockhill Drive at the Tardebigge island end. Several residents have reported that their visitors have been confused by the Batchley sign.
The majority of the road works have now been completed in Brockhill by the Borough Council following the adoption of most of the roads.
5. Membership leaflets and quiz posters:
We are in the process of designing new leaflets which will hopefully attract new members. We plan to have these delivered with the local paper, although we have been informed that houses on the new Pointers Way estate do not currently receive deliveries. Consequently leaflets will have to be hand delivered to these residents. A quiz poster will also be designed shortly and hopefully be delivered in the same way as the leaflets.
6. Quiz Night:
Following the great success of our first Quiz Night, the date and venue have now been booked for the next challenge. Please make a note in your diaries for Saturday October 18th at The Tardebigge Community Hall at 7.30 p.m. Please invite your friends and family to this fun, fund raising event, with a licensed bar and nibbles. We will be holding a raffle at half time and there will be a prize for the winning team.
7. Notice Boards:
We hope that the two notice boards, which have already been ordered, will be erected before the Quiz Night so that we can display advertising posters. We are in the process of requesting a third notice board so that we can cover all areas of Brockhill. The first two boards, which were ordered about six weeks ago, should hopefully arrive by October. One will be placed in Brockhill Park and the other near to the temporary polling station site in Carthorse Lane. If we are successful in obtaining a third, it will be placed somewhere on the new Pointers Way development. Residents will be able to display advertisements by contacting the committee – details to follow.
8. Batchley Summer Celebration:
We were contacted by Maureen Muckle of the Batchley Support Group asking if we would like to have a stall at their event on Saturday July 26th. Unfortunately we did not have sufficient time to produce membership leaflets and Quiz Night posters and were therefore unable to take up this offer. However we were able to advertise the event on our website.
9. A.O.B.
DD & JV attended a Persimmon presentation at the Town Hall on Monday June 30th. The plans for the next phase of mixed use development at Brockhill were on display. These plans can now be accessed on the RBC website. We spoke to a Persimmon Planning Officer and expressed our concerns that there are currently no community facilities in Brockhill. We told her that the Brockhill Residents’ Association has to hold its AGM and fund raising events outside the area because there is no community hall. We asked if the new development would encompass such a building and were told that the new proposed school would have facilities for us to use.
DD also expressed his concerns about the hedgerow that was ripped out illegally by Persimmon or its sub-contractors at the start of the work on Pointers Way. A large number of the shrubs planted to replace it have now withered and died. Also the plans for Pointers Way, held by Redditch Borough Council, showed a fence bordering the road and the public open space along the replanted hedgerow. This has still not been built.
We were given comment forms when we left the meeting and DD submitted his concerns by e-mail to Persimmon Homes on July 12th. He is still awaiting a reply!
With the absence of a chairperson we decided to elect a spokesperson. DD has kindly agreed to fulfil that role until such time that a new chairperson is elected. If anybody would be able to fill the role of chairperson, please come forward. We need YOU! We could also use the help of an artistic member, to aid with the design of our leaflets and posters.
The meeting ended at 9.50p.m.