Guilden
Sutton Parish Council
Newsletter
Welcome to our new councillors.
The Council is very pleased
indeed to be able to say
that its campaign to attract applications from
residents who wished
to be considered for co-option to one of the three vacancies which had occurred
produced six inquiries, four of which led to formal applications.
A welcome has been extended to new councillors Imogen
Brown from Cathcart Green, Cathy Carter from The Vetches and Bill Moulton from Moorcroft Crescent who will serve until the next Parish Council elections
which would normally
be expected to be held in May 2007.
We are delighted to see our new councillors who bring the number back up to our full complement of eight.
All councillors represent
all the village and you are more than welcome to contact any of them - details
appear at the foot of
p8 (the last page
of this newsletter)
and on our web site - or the Clerk.
Following the resignation
of long serving Cllr Pat Astbury of Heath Bank we are pleased to have Cllr Moulton on the Council as living in Moorcroft Crescent
he brings his own particular knowledge
of that part of the village.
Councillors shared the
disappointment of a
teenager who applied
in not being able to consider him for co-option.
Parish Plan
Following the well attended public
meeting held on Tuesday September 12, a small group of volunteers are
considering the next steps.
Experts from Chester City Council
and Cheshire Community Council were on hand to talk about similar plans which
are under way in other villages such as Mickle Trafford and Saughall.
A key point is the document would be
prepared by and owned by people in Guilden Sutton supported by the Parish
Council. It would be your plan for your village.
A parish plan would look at where we
are now and where we would like to go specifically on matters which are raised
by you. 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 affordable housing or provision for the elderly,
traffic speeds or action to deal with rubbish dumping.
.
The aim of the early stages would be
to tease out topics people in the village feel should be looked at and included
in the plan.
The benefit is the plan would be
validated by the City Council and taken into account as expressing the views of
people in Guilden Sutton when decisions are taken on the issues contained
within the document 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, more volunteers are most welcome whatever
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
delivered to the Clerk at 1 Orchard Croft.
Green Lane
As regular readers will know, parish councillors objected to a proposal
by the County Council to redesignate the status of the attractive green lane
running along the boundary of Guilden Sutton and Mickle Trafford from Guilden
Sutton Lane to Station Lane, as did a number of residents. The Council
subsequently presented arguments against the County Council’s case at a public
inquiry.
A key point in the parish council's representations
in the early
stages was the prospect of legislation
which
would see the end of the `byway open to all traffic' status sought by the County Council. This would have
enabled motorised vehicles to use the route on the basis of historical
evidence it would have been used by horses and carts in the 19th century.
Although the inspector accepted the
County Council’s case that
a right of way open to all traffic existed, the anticipated legislation was introduced
before his decision
was confirmed.
The outcome is the
route - and the
adjoining route to
the A56 in Mickle Trafford - is now a restricted byway with
no rights for
mechanised vehicular traffic. An exception would be available for adjoining
landowners who might wish to use the path to reach their land.
The new status of the path is in line with the Parish Council’s
aspirations for the route. The County Council’s countryside access manager has
previously given an assurance that in the event of any change, the minimum
amount of work would be carried out to make the route suitable for those entitled
to use it with the aim of retaining its rural character.
Parish Footpath Group
The footpaths group works hard on a voluntary basis to keep our network
of paths in good order. Why not given them a hand? Contact Brian Lewin, the
parish paths warden. (See p8.)
PC Mal Baker
PC Baker says he would welcome an opportunity to speak to any members of
the community about issues which concern them. He can be contacted through 0845
458 6394 or people can call in at Mickle Trafford Police Station next to the
primary school.
PC Baker has carried out high visibility patrols of the parish with
members of the Parish Council.
Street
light out?
Phone the Guilden Sutton highways depot on 01244 603475 with the road
name and column number.
Speed
Speed indicating equipment has again been in use in the parish. The
equipment collects data which enables an assessment to be made of the
proportion of drivers who exceed the 30mph and 40mph limits. Parish councillors
say the speed of traffic at school times is a concern.
Bonfire & Firework Safety
FIREWORK DO’s and DON’Ts
Keep fireworks in a closed metal box and take them out one at a time.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on each firework. Read them by torchlight - NEVER a naked flame.
Light fireworks at arm’s length using a safety firework lighter or fuse wick
Stand back after lighting
NEVER go back to a firework once lit - it may go off in your face
Keep a bucket of water handy. Used fireworks should be collected after the display with care. Douse with water, bury or place in a metal container.
Keep children under control.
Keep pets indoors.
Site well away from houses, garages, sheds, fences, overhead cables, trees and shrubs AND ALWAYS AWAY FROM FIREWORKS
Build the stack so that it is stable and will not collapse outwards or to one side.
NEVER use flammable liquids - paraffin or petrol - to light the fire.
Don’t burn foam-filled
furniture, aerosols, tins of paint and bottles.
Keep everyone away from
the fire - especially children, who must be supervised all the time.
For an emergency keep
buckets of water or the garden hose or a fire extinguisher ready.
Pour water on the embers before leaving.
Scam warning
Please note the following which has been brought to our
attention.
A card is posted through your door
from a company called PDS (Parcel
Delivery Service) suggesting that they
were unable to deliver a parcel and
that you need to contact them on 0906
6611911 (a premium rate number).
DO NOT call this number, as this is a
mail scam originating from Belize. If
you call the number and you start to
hear a recorded message you will
already have been billed £15 for the
phone call.
If you do receive a card with these
details, then please contact Royal Mail
Fraud on 0207 239 6655 or ICTIS (the
premium rate service regulator) at
http://www.icstis.org.uk or Cheshire
County Council trading standards.
This is a genuine scam.
This service is under investigation by
ICSTIS. Please be aware of this scam
and tell your friends.
Highway improvements
A number
of lining and signing improvements are
in prospect in the village.
They follow
site meetings involving
representatives of the
Parish Council,
the highway authority,
residents and our local
county councillor John
Burke.
A scheme
was agreed at an earlier stage for improvements on
Wicker Lane between
Cinder Lane and
Station Lane but
this has not been implemented.
Changes are now proposed there and on Guilden Sutton Lane
in the vicinity of the parish playing field which
will see measures
to deter the speed of traffic including road markings and high visibility 30
mph signs.
As part of the
package, a new Guilden Sutton village boundary
sign is also proposed further along
Wicker Lane closer
to the A 51.
At the
time of writing, details of the proposals were being considered by
the Parish Council.
Mobile phone masts
A number
of mobile phone
mast issues have arisen
in the parish.
Following consultations, no objections were raised
to proposals to increase the height
of the 15m high Orange installation
alongside the A55
in the highways
depot off Guilden
Sutton Lane. Permission for the increase was granted by
the City Council.
The question
of the height of the T Mobile installation on
land at Tile Farm, Wicker Lane has yet to be resolved. A 37.5m high mast had approval on the basis this would be only a little higher than the surrounding
trees.
When the
mast was constructed, it became apparent, particularly to
occupiers on the
A51 in Littleton,
that the trees were much lower than had been stated in the planning application and a much greater
part of the mast was visible.
Pressure by City Cllr Brian Bailey resulted in T Mobile’s agents being instructed to
ascend the mast to determine the height to which it could be reduced whilst still
clearing nearby trees.
Persuasive arguments have been
mounted by Cllr Bailey as to the height needed by T Mobile to satisfy the technical requirements of
the network. The intention is that a new planning
application would be
submitted.
On Guilden Sutton Lane, concerns have been
raised at an increase in the height of one of the two masts in the Dee Valley Reservoir site
and an increase in the number of antennas, on which the Parish Council was not consulted.
Steps been taken by the
Parish Council and by City Cllr John Boughton to ensure the issue is investigated.
Christmas lights competition
The Parish
Council cordially invites households to enter their house. Judging will take
place in the two weeks before Christmas for a small prize. For details contact
Cllr Trisha Paterson, 300307.
Special collections
Every household in Chester District is
entitled to one free special collection of rubbish a year. To get rid of large
unwanted items, such as furniture etc. that can get dumped and cause a hazard,
ring 01244 402477.
Unroadworthy/abandoned vehicles
If you have an
un-roadworthy vehicle you want to dispose of safely, or to report a vehicle
which is abandoned phone the City Council on
01244 402477
or email callcentre@chester.gov.uk
Some restrictions apply to disposals and proof of
ownership may be required.
Free home fire safety checks
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
reminds us that free home fire safety checks, smoke alarms and special
vibrating and illuminated smoke alarms for people who are hearing impaired are
available by calling the free phone number 0800 389 0053.
Anti social behaviour
The City Council's number for
reporting anti social behaviour such as rubbish dumping and graffiti is 01244
402477.
Vehicle fires
If you
have any information about vehicle fires or any other crime, ring community
safety officers on 01244 616183 or make a free, confidential call to
Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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 6 November and 11 December, 2006. All meetings are preceded by public speaking time and residents
are welcome to attend and address the Council.
Contact Councillors Bob Armitage 300528,
Ron Bayton 301286, Imogen Brown 300812, Cathy Carter 303101, Danny Fisher
301398, Derek Hughes 300185, Trisha Paterson 300307, Bill Moulton 348473 or the
Clerk, David Norbury,
1 Orchard
Croft, Guilden Sutton, CHESTER, CH3 7SL, 300783.
Pat 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. Cathy Carter 303101 is the parish recycling champion.