Minutes of the Committee Meeting of the
Albrighton & District
Civic Society
held
at APC Office, 82B High St, Albrighton,
on
Monday 7th January 2013 at 2pm
Present
Peter Woodman - Chairman
Rod Smith – Secretary.
David Hughes – Treasurer
Sarah Baker
John Bulmer
Ron Kidson
Mike Pitchford
Alan Wilmot
David Beechey – ex-officio, representing
Donington-with-Boscobel PC
David Murray – ex-officio, representing
Tong PC
Michael Ward – ex-officio, representing
Albrighton PC (part of meeting)
Malcolm G Pate – Shropshire Councillor
(part of meeting)
1.
Apologies received from Peter Leigh. Sarah Baker was co-opted and was welcomed to the meeting
2.
Minutes of Meeting of 3rd December 2012 were approved except to note that the name of the owner of the
Station Building is Mr Miah.
Mr
Steve Brown, Shropshire Council, was welcomed to the meeting
Several issues of lack of maintenance
of street furniture and pavement/footpath attention were raised.
a)
The need to paint the lamp columns black had been raised two years ago
and still not done – SB: they were not forgotten.
b)
SB: weeding of the traffic islands at Station Road/A41 would be done
by end of March 2013 and these are normally done once per year.
c) Patshull Lane/A464 Entrance Scheme
beds would continue to be maintained by the Society but SB agreed to mow
the grass verges more often. Normally SC mow three times per year but JB
suggested it should be once per month. As the DH of the Society mows the
corner at Patshull Rd/A464 saving SC this task then SB agreed to mow the
other two corners more frequently than three times per year and would ask
Anne Breakwell to organise it.
d) When the block paving is needed
to be repaired (when bollards are hit etc) then it should be done with the
same style blocks and not to replace the blocks with concrete
e)
The Society noted that many footpaths have significant surface defects
including:-
i)
Cross Rd between No. 4 and The Orchard where SC removed a manhole and
the backfilling has sunk
ii)
Church Rd. This item had been raised at the meeting with SB on 3 May 2011 and the minutes state:- Resident issue (previously reported to the Customer Service Centre by Mr Shaun
Meridith-Jones of Church Rd), to be revisited by SB, ACTION 8 SB to pursue and report back.
iii) Cross Rd. Footpath near No.8
where the cable manhole is slightly lower than the surround and a pond forms
Iv) Cross Rd. Gutter at junction
of Cross Rd /The Courts is low and a pond of several sq.m area forms.
v) dip in road surface at junction
of Cross RdA464
SB agreed to make a summary of the
points raised and send a copy to the Society and then to attend to the defects. ACTION: SB
a)
MGP:-1300 questionnaires were returned (out of 4800). Youth Survey showed
they did not want any changes. Workshops to be held on 16th January.
b)
The Society felt that traffic management in Albrighton needed an overall
and coordinated planned approach as stated in the Letter sent to the
Village Plan Committee and to Chris Edwards (SC) and wanted this proposal
to be included in the Village Plan Light.
c)
The Society strongly recommended that an overall concept plan for all
the area of the “White Land” between Shaw Lane/Kingswood Rd/Beamish
Lane should be prepared and not to develop this land piecemeal. For
example, it is likely that extra parking for the Station could be either
on the White land itself in the “ previous Gas Field” OR a land swop
of some white land with the area at the south of the Station Approach
ramp (subject to owner’s agreement) which could then be for parking
– this should be noted in the Village Plan Light. Consideration of other
items, other than houses, such as leisure areas could be discussed,
considered and added. The idea was not to have a definite plan or a
committed plan but to have concept plan which could be referred to in
future considerations when planning any next phases, if any, of the
white land.
MGP was opposed to having such an
overall concept plan.
(Post Meeting Note – at the 16/1
workshop, this point was raised by RS with the Planning Consultant who agreed
that this matter could be included in the Village Plan Light)
3.Main
Issues
a) Station
Heritage Centre.
PW
has followed up with other funders including Veolia who may be able to help
and PW is drafting an application. ACTION: PW
SB suggested contacting Marston’s
Brewery who has funds for communities. ACTION: SB to check this and report back.
DM suggested that shares could be
offered to residents say at £50 or £100.
ACTION:
PW/DM to review this option and report back
ACTION:
RS to chase up Fiona Fortune (SC) who was marking up her very long list of potential
funders to show likely ones
b) Villages Entrance Scheme.
JB thanked all (John Foster, Sarah
Baker, Bob Lansley, Mike Pitchford, and JB’s son) who recently planted
bulbs in Albrighton & Boningale. JB reported that it was agreed with Boningale PC that the areas at
the junction of Patshull Lane/A464 will be improved by the Society and
re-inspected in December 2013.
c) Planters.
MP
reported on his presentation to Alb PC and it was agreed that 3 No. planters
would be pourchased directly by Alb PC and ADCS would transfer £1100 (£600
LJC + £500 AlbPC) to Alb PC who would make the purchase – all subject
to agreement by SC who provided the £600 LJC grant and agreement with
SC and AlbPC on locations.
ACTION:
MP to complete negotiations with SC and AlbPC
d) School Awards Scheme
PW reported that Alb Primary and
Birchfield will participate this year. PW is meeting the new head of St
Mary’s. Idsall do not respond to any correspondence.
e) Traffic Management
See discussion with Cllr Pate above.
f) Public WC in Crown Car
Park
Members who stayed on at the last
AlbPC meeting reported that it appeared that the Council had asked Cllr
Nelson to inspect the building and review the matter. His report was that
if AlbPC want to revert back to conventional toilets for Gents and Ladies
in two separate parts then the Company who owns the Automatic Loo are asking
for many thousands of pounds to remove their equipment. It appeared that
some hard questions need to be asked.
ACTION:
PW to send email to ask Steve Brown (and cc MW) for copies of the paperwork relating
to the WC.
Any
Other Business
a) RK reported that a lot and serious
vandalism has taken place in the last 2 weeks, including damage to St Mary’s
Church Centre and windows at St Joseph’s.
Next
meeting: 2 p.m. Monday 4th February 2013
Following
Meeting will be at 2pm on Monday 4th March 2013.
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)