Date Held. Thursday 8th September 2016 at 7pm in 11 Barlaston Old Road
Present:
Committee members.Sheila Weightman (Chair), John Redford (Vice Chair), Joan Shore (Treasurer), Peter Hayward, Dave Botham,
Sue Brookes (Secretary)
Cllrs. Terry Follows and Dan Jellyman, Kristian Hallam
Local Matters Team. Kristian Hallam
Apologies: Annette Greenwood and PCSO Scott Woodward
1. Severn Trent Water and Barlaston Old Road
* JR described the trial run with STW vehicles on the southbound route of BOR. A video had been taken from the cabs showing that this
was dangerous, when two HGVs were crossing. However, whenever the A34 is closed, then HGVs do use this route. JR said that at the
Strongford exit, all HGV drivers are informed to turn left.
* SW had written to both The Sentinel and Gareth Jones of Barlaston Parish Council (no reply having been received from the latter)
suggesting that Trentham and Barlaston residents should work together to find a suitable solution. The Sentinel had published an
article outlining the outrage of Barlaston residents when STW’s lorries had had occasionally to travel through their village, ignoring the
fact that BOR residents have to suffer this on a daily basis.
* At present, as STW is installing an under-ground pipe from Strongford to a site on the other side of BOR, there are traffic lights in place at
the chicane and the traffic problem might well be alleviated if these were to become permanent in that HGVs would be able to pass each
other on the southern route. STW’s Simon Oakden had previously intimated that he would be agreeable to letting his vehicles turn right if
such traffic lights were installed permanently. SW would write to STW, Stoke and Stafford Councils to suggest this.
* JR said that BOR residents had received a letter about a consultation day to be held at Strongford before the end of September 2016 to
explain about the construction of a new thermal hydrolysis plant. Work was underway to construct the 8-metre high steel towers to
support another project providing gas to grid which, currently, was causing the road to require the traffic control lights. At 13th July 2016
meeting at Strongford between TSRA committee members and Simon Oakden, he had suggested that it might be possible to “absorb” the
cost of construction of an access road from Strongford to the A34 within the budget for the hydrolysis plant. This would be beneficial to
STW as presently traffic can operate only between 7am and 7pm but, if this access road were to be built, then operating hours would be 24
hours daily for 7 days a week. Simon Oakden had also stated that, although there would be an increase in the volume of traffic during
construction, he did not envisage there being any further increase once this was finished.
* JR had complained to Simon Oakden, as had other residents, about the speed of tipper trucks transporting aggregate, as these trucks
seemed to travel in threes at 50mph. TF said that this should be reported to the police. PH suggested that residents note the name of the
company employing these tipper trucks (Parkers?) and then complain to their respective C.E.Os and also to STW.
* TF will find out whether STW needs planning permission for any further development.
2. Planning Applications
* As regards Barratt Homes and the proposed Meadow Lane development, TF said that Stoke CC had employed barristers who had
concluded that any expansion of the Longton Road/Meadow Lane junction was not feasible.
* The owners of the land below the rugby club in New Inn Lane had been in consultation with Stoke CC. about a housing development.
* Within the City’s 5-year plan, the building of 1000-1500 new houses was being proposed.
* BOR Methodist Church was raising money for further development but a planning application had not yet been submitted.
3. Defibrillator
* Richard Minton, General Manager at Trentham Golf Club, would contact a TGC member who belonged to St John’s Ambulance Brigade,
for information about donating a defibrillator to be housed outside the Natwest Bank. Money would then need to be raised for a box to
house this.
* DB said that Nigel (Richard) Williams, manager at Natwest, was not there full-time as he was also manager at Natwest in Stone.
4. Speedwatch and residents’ training
* Training for this is usually done in a different area to avoid confrontation with neighbours.
* Normally, speeding residents can receive three letters from speedwatch groups about speeding before information is then passed to the
police.
* KH said that at present there are no new speedwatch training courses taking place and resident groups needed to fund their own
speeding guns, as a cost of perhaps £500 each. SB felt that Matthew Ellis, Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner, might be willing
to fund this under his “antisocial behaviour” scheme.
* JR thought that we needed to find other residents who would be willing to undergo training and help monitor this.
* PCSO Scott Woodward had informed SB that seventeen drivers had been caught speeding on BOR in June 2016.
If you are worried about speeding in your area and would like to help with this, please contact me on [email protected]
5. Speedbumps etc
* The new, wider “cushions” on New Inn Lane should be in place before Christmas. They will be reduced in number.
* DJ said that “hatches” are being painted at the Longton Road junctions with New Inn Lane, Brough Lane and Meadow Lane.
* SW said that the traffic filter lights at the BOR/Longton Road junction are still causing a problem. DB suggested installing a camera on top
of these to film drivers who “jump” the lights.
* DJ will speak to the traffic engineer; at present the filter arrow works only when there are more than three or four cars waiting and he will
suggest that this is reduced to one or two vehicles, although it would increase the waiting time at the lights by a further minute or so.
* DJ said that the drains on BOR had been cleared although JR had not noticed this.
* DB complained about overflowing drains on Carisbrooke Way and DJ will report these.
6. Neighbourhood Plan
* PH had attended the successful Fun Day at Hanford and handed out questionnaires about The Neighbourhood Plan. Almost twenty people
had shown some interest, but PH felt that he needed to revise the questionnaire.
* A £40 refund had been returned by the company employed to distribute the flyers, as many residents had not received these.
* PH said that before a Neighbourhood Plan could be drawn up, a Neighbourhood Forum (a statutory body to be approved by the local
planning authority) had to be created, for which there were government funds and professional assistance available and our small group
had successfully applied for some of this funding and help. It was hoped that the necessary contracts could now be implemented so that
the first six-month programme – to form the Neighbourhood Forum – might start in early October 2016.
7. Sports for All
* TF said that Stoke-on-Trent would have City of Sport status for three years.
* Staffordshire University would be conducting research on the uptake in sporting activities during this time.
* A junior and senior triathlon and dragonboat racing would be held at Trentham Gardens on 23rd and 24th September 2016.
8.Trentham Centre/Library
* DJ said that the final plan had been drawn up and the new centre should be finished by September 2017. Unfortunately, although at the
meeting held at Trentham High School it had been agreed that three community representatives would participate in the Trentham Centre
forum, only one (Ann George) had been invited to join the group of councillors and high school staff to advise and oversee the final details
of the new community learning centre so it was hoped that such influence would not be diluted. DJ agreed to verify this.
* PH said that Trentham Centre Association was considering what needed to be done to cancel the “Asset of Community Value Order” on the
old library site and modify its constitution to reflect the changes with the new situation.
9. Funding
* KH said that funding from £500 to £5,000 was available for community initiatives, such as planting wildflowers and cleaning up the
tow-path, but applications had to be received before the end of September. She would forward information on this.
* A Christmas tree was suggested for erection by the Natwest Bank and/or on the open space on Burrington Drive.
* The Co-op have staff available to volunteer in the local community.
* JR suggested placing a booth in the Co-op with information on the Neighbourhood Plan.
10 A.O.B.
* DB complained that the Federation of Stoke-on-Trent Residents’ Associations was too biaised in favour of RAs in housing association
areas. KH suggested informing the council staff involved that we would send representatives only if there were matters of concern to us
on the agenda. JR and DJ will attend the next meeting.
* DB asked that police officers attend all local high schools to talk about “legal highs” as the incidents of both dealing and ingesting were
very worrying in the City.
* KH said that Deputy Police Commander, Phillip Eaton, wanted to establish links with Residents’ Associations and ensure that there was
contact with PCSOs and she would forward his details.
* PH was worried that, should there be a change of council, the community lawns and grass verges would not be mowed and asked for a
copy of the minutes of the cabinet meeting where this was discussed. DJ would send these and also said that such grass-cutting was in the
process of being adopted formally by the City Council. JR was concerned about overgrown hedges and ditches on BOR, although hedges
would not be cut until birds were no longer nesting.
* It was suggested that TSRA advertise in Trentham Local magazine and use this to publicise the AGM, consultation about a defibrillator etc.
Unfortunately, as we had not been informed before about Staffordshire Heritage Open Days from 8th-11th September 2016, it would be
too late to publicise events. Perhaps RAs could be informed about this in mid-summer next year.
* A man had been seen on the bridges on both Jonathon Road and Burrington Drive exposing himself to people walking on the canal
tow-path below. DJ will speak to Chief Inspector Rob Taylor.
*JS said that there was £885.90 in TSRA’s bank account.
Date of next meeting
7pm Wednesday 19th October 2016 at 192 Barlaston Old Road