Minutes of the Committee Meeting of the
Albrighton & District Civic Society
held on Monday 9th May 2022 at 2pm
at 32 High Street (PW’s house)
Present :
Peter Woodman – Chairman
Rod Smith - Secretary
Peter Illes
Ron Kidson
Phyl Woodman
David Beechey (ex-officio member representing Donington-with-Boscobel PC).
David Slatcher (ex-officio member representing Boningale PC).
1. Apologies - Roger Rudman, Gaynor Richards, Patrick Richards and Mike Pitchford
2. Minutes of Meeting of 11th April 2022 were approved.
3. Treasurer’s Report.– MP away.
4. To consider progress in regard to following main issues
a. Progress with gaining SC Planning Application Consultee status for all four parishes. We received an email from SC “Our formal consultations are restricted to statutory bodies, and we advise all other interested Groups to register for notification alerts, and submit any comments they may have on individual applications via the online register”. RS started the on-line registration for notifications to be sent to chairman@albrightonanddistrictcivicsociety.co.uk which is also monitored by MP. ACTION: RS A glitch occurred and so the process will be tried again.
b. State of roads especially pot holes in High St, the depression in Station Rd and the very bad surface in Cross Road – NL had received information in an email from SC which had been sent to PW and RS this morning. ACTION: RS & PW to review
c. . ‘Welcome Pack’, MP was away but RS reported that he and MP, GR and Chris Pitchford had delivered 58 copies to all occupied house at the Millfield development and the remainder handed to Mark Yeomans who will include a copy in the Boningale Homes pack to new residents as they move in to their new houses.
d. ADCS Annual Calendar Project.. Good progress has been made. Some photos received from Carol Langford and some from RS. The 12 photos, the cover and the text for the back page were agreed. It was agreed to sell them at £4 including a C4 envelope (kindly donated by PW). ACTION:DS will meet the printer on Tuesday and we hope to have 250 copies ready to start selling at Fayre Day
e Fayre Day (9th July)
RS reported that the Fayre committee is still only five people and more would be better next year. MP has paid the £30 pitch fee.
John Bulmer has kindly agreed to provide some plants for the Society to sell.
RS will meet the Air Operations director of the Air Ambulance next Thursday to view the pitch (outside nos 30 and 31 High St) for their Helipod, Gazebo and Critical Care Car and to discuss the plan for the Helicopter to fly along and over the High St at the start of the parade.
5. Matters arising
a. High vehicle speeds in the central part of the High Street. . PI reported that he had asked the APC Law & Order Committee about the issue but they felt that 20 mph on the High St may penalise law abiding drivers. PI reported that APC has asked SC for a Survey of Speeds.
b. Parking or lack thereof at the Station
PI had reminded APC the possibility of purchasing the “triangular” land (ex wood yard) to see if they wished to continue this potential action OR if they decide not to seek to have this land used for parking – ie to progress it or to state they will not – so residents know the situation. He reported that they are waiting to see if the new owner/developer of the “Jessup land” will include some parking for station users before they consider the triangular land further.
6. Any Other Business
a. Crown Pub. PI raised matter of the boiler flues at the wall of the Crown at near head height and suggested that they need an extension to take the outlet higher.
b. Station Access. DB said that at the recent APC Annual Meeting, Paul Joseland had suggested that instead of opening the pedestrian access ramp which needed a dispensation that it may be better to build a set of longer and flatter ramps at the north side of Station Rd. PW said that this option had been looked at years ago (the land is owned by Heartwood who did not wish to sell it). RS said that such a set of ramps from Station Rd level to the platform level, as had been suggested, would also need a dispensation as such a series of ramps would not meet the Design Standards for Accessible Railways. In any case the issue being tackled by the Ramp Team for the past 9 years was - can the existing and already built pedestrian access ramp which had been successfully used for six months be brought back into use or not. The Ramp Team had worked long and hard to gather all the documents and reports needed for the dispensation and had liaised with Network Rail for the preparation of the required assessments which were now ready to be re-issued to the RailwaysForAll, part of the DfT. Receipt of the dispensation would then allow the project to move to the next stage for the new footpath to be built.
c. Pepper Hill Solar Farm. DS reported that the proposed on-line webinar had not been successful due to internet problems and that a face to face meeting was to be held at St Chad’s on 16th May from 6pm to 8pm
7. Next meeting:- 2pm on Monday 20thJune 2022 at 31/32 High Street
(This is the third Monday)
Following Meeting will be at 2pm on Monday 4th July 2022.
Note for your Diary
Public Meeting & AGM is at 7.00pm
on Monday 10th October 2022 at the Red House
All future AGMs are on the second Monday of October