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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Alb
PC Offices, 82B High Street, Albrighton WV7 3JA (T: 375455).
–
NOTE FOR YOUR DIARY: next AGM is at 7.30pm on 14th October
2013)
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