Guilden Sutton Parish Council
Newsletter
October 2005, no 109
Parish Plan/Village Design Statement
The Parish Council is in the early stages of
considering whether Guilden Sutton should have a parish plan and/or a village
design statement. These are both owned by the community and not just by the
parish council.
A parish plan would look at where we are now and
where we would like to go specifically on issues which are raised by the
community. It is a combination of
aspirations which may be achievable and a future wish list. Issues which might be raised could include
transport - do we believe Mickle Trafford station should be reopened for
example - or perhaps youth. Is there a
need for facilities in the village, if so, what should they be and where should
they be located?
Other issues raised in villages which have pursued
parish plans range from possibilities for affordable housing to provision for
the elderly.
The key feature is that topics in the parish plan
are driven by the community and the plan is prepared by the community albeit
with parish council involvement.
A village design statement would concentrate on
what the village looks like now, how residents would like it to look in the future
and how planners and others can take account of this.
The benefits of both types of plan are that they
are validated by the City Council and are taken into account as expressing the
views of the community when decisions are taken on the issues contained within
them by a wide range of organisations.
What to do you think?
If you support the idea, please tell us. If you
would wish to be involved, what is your particular interest - youth, transport,
the elderly, help with photography or printing or data collection etc. If you
believe the idea should not to go ahead, please tell us why, your views are
still important. Comments may be passed to any parish councillor, e mailed to info@guildensutton.org.uk or
returned to the Clerk at 1 Orchard Croft.
Wicker Lane. Following a request by the
Parish Council, a lining and signing scheme has been agreed with the highway
authority covering Wicker Lane from the vicinity of Cinder Lane through to
Station Lane.
Occupiers on the length from Cinder Lane to the A51 have raised a number
of further concerns, some of which have previously been explored at a site
meeting with the highway authority. These were again aired during public
speaking time at the council’s September meeting and it is hoped it may be
possible for a dialogue to be arranged which would explain what might be
feasible to improve conditions on the road, what measures cannot be agreed and
if so why and what alternatives might be considered.
Planning. Objections were
raised by the Parish Council and by a number of occupiers to plans for a corn
and grain shed at Tile Farm on Wicker Lane. Although it was indicated there
could be fewer traffic movements, the council believed there was a likelihood
of an increase in the amount of traffic. Concerns were raised as to the damage
caused to Wicker Lane by heavy goods vehicles and equipment travelling to and
from the farm.
Planning
officers were told it was felt the Green Belt would be harmed by the height of
the proposed store. Councillors also objected on the grounds of the effect of
increased traffic on the residential amenity which occupiers on Wicker Lane
could reasonably expect to enjoy and on the condition of the road.
The
Parish Council agreed to object on Green Belt grounds to a retrospective
application for temporary storage at the former Methodist Church on Hare Lane,
Pipers Ash. The application was subsequently refused by the City Council.
Plans
for a single storey side extension at 11 Fox Cover were approved by the
planning authority. Permission was also given for a
two storey extension at the side of The Courtyard, 8 Wicker Lane and for a
single storey side and rear extension at 6 Orchard Croft. A porch had approval
at 11 Orchard Croft.
CCTV. The procedures
followed by the Parish Council in the operation of the CCTV scheme installed on
the village hall have been discussed with the city council's CCTV manager. The Parish
Council has noted its approach is in line with that suggested for small
systems.
Public footpaths.
The public inquiry into the proposal by the County Council to upgrade the
status of the public footpath running from Guilden Sutton Lane to Station Lane
on the boundary of Guilden Sutton and Mickle Trafford to a byway open to all
traffic is to take place in the Town Hall on Wednesday, October 19 at 10am. The
Parish Council is appearing. Residents are also able to be present in the
public seats to support the council.
The
Parish Council has requested that a traffic regulation order should be imposed
on the footpath now to prevent its future use by motorised vehicles. If you
support this view, please write to Mr John Greenslade, 4/04, Kite Wing, Temple
Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN as soon as possible quoting reference FPS/Z0645/7/21.
Public seats.
A request on behalf of occupiers of
Summerfield House for further public seats in the parish is being considered by
the Parish Council. Any seats on land owned by the City Council would require
consultation with adjoining residents and approval would be unlikely to be
given if there were objections, councillors were told.
Use it or lose it.
With the assistance of Mr Stuart Hyslop, managing director of ChesterBus,
councillors are monitoring the use of the 9am bus service from Guilden Sutton
to Chester. This was re introduced at the end of July following complaints
about its withdrawal.
Passenger
numbers at present are not sufficient for a commercial service and the County Council
may have to be asked to subsidise the bus.
A
bus stop on the A 51 near Wicker Lane is to be reinstated at the Parish
Council’s request although county transport coordinators say it will not be
possible to provide a red marking on the road.
Concerns
have been raised that on occasion buses which stop on Oaklands to enable
passengers to alight do not stop near the kerb, making it more difficult for
the less mobile. Mr Hyslop has pointed out this can occur when there is
insufficient space between parked cars to allow the bus to stop by the footway.
Traffic speed.
The results are awaited of the latest sessions with the City Council's speed
indicator device. The equipment does not show the speed of approaching vehicles
where this is in excess of 40mph although the information is provided in a
printed report. The information is passed on to the police and traffic
engineers.
A
request has been made for the 30mph signs at the approach to the parish playing
field on Guilden Sutton Lane to be replaced by signs with a yellow border in
order to reinforce the limit and protect people crossing the road to the
playing field.
The
possibility of the Parish Council supporting the community speed watch and `Set
The Pace' campaigns is being considered.
Highways.
Repairs were carried out to Guilden Sutton Lane in the vicinity of the parish
playing field following a site meeting between the Parish Council and the
district maintenance engineer. The length of road concerned had been weakened
by repeated water main bursts.
Two
additional SLOW markings have been painted on the road in the vicinity of the
old school following a request by the Parish Council.
The
district maintenance engineer was asked to deal with basal growth on highway
trees at the junction of Oaklands and School Lane.
Our environment.
At the request of the Parish Council, an additional dog bin has been provided
in the dell.
Requests
have been made for a number of overgrown hedges in the village to be trimmed
where the landowners are known. The
council asks occupiers to ensure that boundary hedges and shrubs are kept tidy
particularly where these adjoin a footway.
Community safety wardens. The City Council's new community safety wardens
have visited the village and made notes of where youth nuisance and litter
problems are likely to occur.
Telephone kiosks. BT has
confirmed the long expected withdrawal of the telephone kiosk by the parish car
park in Church Lane.
The
kiosk in Hill Top Road is to be converted to cashless operation. BT says this will remove a significant proportion of the
costs it is incurring while at the same time retaining a service. Consultations
have revealed that little used payphones are felt to be necessary for possible
emergency situations and the cashless proposal is an alternative to a kiosk
being removed. Calls which are allowed include BT charge card calls, operator
calls, emergency 999 calls, transfer charge calls and free phone calls.
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Information. The Council's e mail address is info@guildensutton.org.uk and its web site is at www.guildensutton.org.uk
Future meetings: Future meetings of the Council are due to be held
in the Village Hall on Mondays 10 October, 7 November and 12 December, 2005.
Residents are welcome to attend and all are preceded by public speaking time.
Contact Councillors Bob Armitage 300528, Pat Astbury 318276, Ron Bayton 301286,
Danny Fisher 301398, Derek Hughes 300185, Trisha Paterson 300307, Julie
Proudlove 300318 and Gail Young 301558 or the Clerk, David Norbury,
1
Orchard Croft, Guilden Sutton, CHESTER, CH3 7SL, 300783. Cllr Astbury 318276 is
the Local Bus User Contact and Brian Lewin 301501 is the Parish Paths Warden.
The Parish Tree Wardens are Cllr Ron Bayton 301286 and Mr Alan Young 301558.