Minutes of the Committee Meeting of the

Albrighton & District Civic Society

held at APC Office, 82B High St, Albrighton,

on Monday 1st October 2012 at 2pm

 

Present :       

Peter Woodman - Chairman

Rod Smith – Secretary.

John Bulmer

David Hughes

Hugh Hughes

Ron Kidson

David Beechey – ex-officio, representing Donington-with-Boscobel PC

(Guest and nominated for committee: Alan Wilmot)

 

1. Apologies  received from Michael Ward, Mike Pitchford, David Murray, Peter Leigh

2. Minutes of Meeting of 3rd September 2012 were approved.

3.Main Issues

 a) Station Heritage Centre.

The Station Task Group (STG) to meet Fiona Fortune (SC) at APC offices at 2pm 10thOctober to discuss funding sources to compliment HLF.

ACTION:  PW, RS, RK, PL, MP

 b) Villages Entrance Scheme. JB reported that he has done more weeding at Patshull Rd/A464 (the areas damaged by the flood) but more grass cutting was required. PW & RS had inspected the 3 areas here and concurred that the grass of the NW area had been well cut and looked very nice and was a good example for how the other two areas should look. DH said that he had cut that grass and would take responsibility for that area in future but could not take on the other 2 areas. PW & RS reported that at the SE & SW areas the central plant beds with bark mulch looked very well but it was the surrounding grass which was overgrown and badly needed cutting to bring it back to a good standard.

ACTION: PW to ask Anne Brakewell (SC) to try to cut the grass there more regularly say once per month. PW to update David Thomas, Chairman of Boningale PC, who had received complaints from Bob Tummons.

 JB reported that he had handed to John Foster 2000 narcissus bulbs for planting.

 c) Planters. PW reported that more information was requested by Alb PC to allow them to progress their promised funding. Committee felt that this was quite right as the council need to be clear what it was getting. It was agreed to install one planter as a trial and only then to follow with others. ACTION: MP/RK to provide more information for APC. PW to ask Alb Garden Centre if they could provide any for bark for the planters

 d)  Parish Plan. RS reported that at the recent Plan Public Meeting Cllr Pate announced that the Plan would cover the parishes of Albrighton, Boningale, Donington-with-Boscobel and would take into consideration RAF/Defence College Cosford. Cllr Pate gave RS a Scope and Terms of Reference for the work – tabled. DB said that 3 local Enterprise Partnerships may bid to establish a defence college at the site. DB and RS said that the Plan should include the issue of resolving the ownership of the access road at the village green.

RS felt the draft questionnaire was too general and did not include some of the local issues and had said this at the meeting but it did not seem to have been accepted by Cllr Pate or their Consultant.

DB said that if the owners of the surgery wanted to move to the green belt land at corner of Cross Rd/Patshull Rd then it had already been agreed by SC planners and it could happen.

 c) Schools Civic Awards Scheme. PW reported that Birchfield and Alb Primary Schools had said that the 2013 topic concerning architecture was a good one. ACTION PW & JB to meet the new heads of both St Mary’s Primary school and Idsall to ask them to participate.

 d) AGM. All were ready to undertake their allotted tasks.

4. Matters arising

a) RS reported that Paul Joseland had telephoned the Secretary to ask if the committee had a view on the proposed removal of the Lime Tree at Millers Green – on the village green outside No. 32 High St adjacent to the uplifted kerb and road surface. A SC notice is posted on the tree.

         PW explained that after years trying to get various councils to repair the access roads of the Green and the ponding of water caused by the uneven surface he had proposed to Albrighton PC and to SC to install a new gully at a point where water collects and to connect this to the drainage system/manhole in his front garden. By connecting to his nearer pipework rather than connecting with the drain in the High St it would save cost. He tabled  drawings showing the existing situation and the proposed scheme. The cost was likely to be in the region of £8000 and he had decided, as years of asking for action had made no progress, to fund this himself and had notified Alb PC which he was pleased to report had agreed in principle to make a contribution. A root from the Lime Tree right next to the kerb of the access road had caused the kerb line to be severely distorted and lifted by several inches and the road surface to similarly rise as a ridge which was causing the flooding. To install the drainage would require the cutting and removal of this root. PW had asked John Bulmer (Albrighton Tree Warden) to visit the site and he had advised that this would weaken stability of the tree and that the tree should be removed. Cllr M Pate and Cllr Beechey had both visited the site and had both supported the scheme. Subsequently PW had received a rejection from SC, who had now placed a TPO on the tree, and also from Alb PC who had changed their mind since their first council meeting. PW then withdrew from the room to allow the committee to come to a view.

JB reminded everyone that Lime trees were not suitable in areas close to houses and it had been agreed that they would be removed in batches of one or two each year and replaced with a more suitable variety in slightly adjusted locations so that the tree lined appearance of the High St was maintained. DB confirmed that Alb PC had already agreed to this suggestion. The meeting was in full agreement with PW’s proposals for the new drainage and the tree removal and commented that it was strange that the Council should turn down an offer by a resident to spend thousands of pounds of his own money to resolve the access road ponding and that it was also strange that SC should reject tree removal as the local Tree Warden and Chairman of Alb PC had agreed to it. The consensus of opinion was DB’s suggestion that PW get the SC arborialist and Highway Engineer (Drainage) and Tree Warden and Alb PC Chairman to meet together with PW on site to try to resolve the matter. PW then rejoined the meeting.

 Any Other Business

a) PW raised the issue of the very long stretches of double yellow lines which had now been painted on Station Rd and Shaw Lane. All agreed that the lines were needed around the corner of both Shaw Lane and Station Rd to allow vehicles coming from Shaw Lane into Station Rd a better view - which was sometimes blocked by cars parked on Station Road too close to the junction. However the lines carried on far too long along the south side of Station Rd which had two consequences:

a)    the available open road space is now seen by drivers as very clear, unencumbered and wide and traffic speeds would increase (a point known by highway engineers) in an area where children are coming and going. This made the area more dangerous for pedestrian school children and so a safety issue has now arisen. This could have repercussions on the Parish Council, who apparently requested and approved the detail of the scheme, if any accidents occurred.

b)    cars of mothers taking and collecting children to/from St Mary’s School would have to park elsewhere – just moving the problem on and now there are fewer car spaces available on the roads in that area meaning that there would be more risk of obstructive parking occurring.

These consequences of the yellow lines could be anticipated and it was asked if Alb PC had been aware of the scheme and if so why they did not put lines only where necessary. DB confirmed that the Parish Council had seen details of the proposal but it appeared that no-one had considered the details or seen the consequences. DB also said that he thought that The Council were expecting only single yellow lines to be installed (to stop parking in daytime only) but double ones had appeared. The consensus was that they were too long and should be single. RS asked if Alb PC could now take steps with SC to remove the excess length etc. DB felt this question should be asked after a time interval.

b) JB suggested that John Blessington speak at the next Public Meeting on the subject of Lime trees as street trees.

c) the committee felt that Cllr M Pate should be asked if he wished to attend some of our meetings – he is both Chairman of Shropshire Council and Albrighton PC and it would help the liaison between the Society and these councils. DB fully supported this and commented that the recent change to conflict of interest rules, which caused Cllr Pate to resign from the Society, meant that this situation should not arise again.

 Next meeting:  2 p.m. Monday  5th November 2012

 Following Meeting will be at 2pm on Monday 3rd December 2012.

  All Committee Meetings, unless otherwise noted, are on the first Monday of each month at

Alb PC Offices, 82B High Street, Albrighton WV7 3JA (T: 375455).

 (All future AGMs are on the second Monday of October

– NOTE FOR YOUR DIARY: next AGM is at 7.30pm on 14th October 2013)

 

 

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