Earlswood ASB and Traffic Issues Working Party Update 16th January 2021

Published: 19 January 2021

Earlswood ASB and Traffic Issues working party update 16 Jan 2021

PSPO - The consultation period is over and it is anticipated that it will take another two weeks to implement (according to Angus Eagles at the Arden Chairs and Clerks meeting this month). The draft order is now available to view at: https://www.stratford.gov.uk/doc/209881/name/PSPO%20Earlswood%20V3%20Draft%20order.pdf/

Malthouse Park –The PC has approached two security firms for quotes for managing this in future. The PC is still investigating security companies who will take on the releasing of vehicles outside stipulated opening times aspect. Collating of costs etc is ongoing and, we believe, will be an agenda item for the February PC meeting.

The car park is scheduled to be lined for parking purposes and the PC is waiting for a date for the work to be done. It will necessitate closing the park to the public (Heath & Safety) for 3 days (one day power washing, one day lining and one day drying). Only estimates are available at this point and the work is weather dependent.

The Causeway – There is unlikely to be any further correspondence exchanges until after the Causeway is closed in March / April time in order to allow CRT to effect their maintenance work on it and for the WP to assess the benefits, or otherwise, of the closure. CRT is indicating that the causeway may be closed for a longer period than first thought.

However, we understand that the RA has been in touch with CRT re the “one-way teeth” in the CRT car park in Wood Lane being jammed closed due to infill of debris and requested their cleaning out as they are not functioning presently, thus causing parking issues.

CCTV cameras – The camera and pole at the bottom of Malthouse Lane has been approved by the PC and is in the hands of SDC. The public consultation was very positive with 91% of 133 responses (119 responses) agreeing that the MHL camera should be installed. Planning Permission has now been applied for and will be considered at the next Planning Committee meeting on 20 January 2021.

Tony Dixon replied to our questions that we outlined in last month’s update as follows:

· We asked TD if, in the interests of cost saving, we could contract with someone outside SDC to provide construction and infrastructure work and still be able to connect up to SDC’s monitoring control room. The answer is that we cannot, so we can’t negotiate prices for the works;

· We asked TD if he had any funds available, or knew of any funding available, to assist with this project. He does not have further funding available;

· TD had previously advised that it might be possible to obtain loan finance for the ASB camera works by going through SDC and getting the same terms that SDC normally gets. We have asked him to pursue this line of investigation and are waiting for further details on this.

As stated in the last monthly update, we also contacted John Horner to ask him if he was aware of any funding, through the CC or other supporting organisations to whom we might make application for funding. He replied suggesting that he would bring it up at the next Arden Chairs and Clerks meeting and ask for £10k to be granted through the County Councillor Minors Works Fund. That meeting took place and we have been granted £10k out of the Minor Works Fund. We thank John and the members of the Arden Chairs and Clerks committee for that generous donation.

The WP has drafted an application for a grant of £10k from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Grant Scheme. This application needs to be made by the PC and it needs to be submitted by 31 January. We understand that it is being discussed at this month’s PC meeting.

We believe that, because planning permission is required for each pole and cameras, that we recommend to the PC to ask SDC to make applications for both poles and cameras at the same time. The planning approval will be extant for 3 years and, assuming that we will get funding at some point, enable us to react quickly when the time comes. The cost of the planning application is minimal (of the order of £500) and SDC may actually pay for it themselves. We await a response from the PC (which should be forthcoming after this month’s PC meeting).

CRT – We have not been in contact with CRT in the last month.

Road Lining – We have again written to SMBC to ask them to line parts of Wood Lane and Lady Lane. We have also been corresponding with Tidbury Green PC on these matters as the situation is pretty bad and quite dangerous with all the parking on blind bends and at the dangerous crossroads at the Engine House. Tidbury Green PC has now submitting requests to SMBC Highways on this and copying us in on the correspondence.

We have written to John Horner to see whether or not he can help us get WCC Highways to re-line the streets around the Lakes. WCC Highways’ first response was that they would do this when it came up for renewal in their schedule of works. This is entirely unsatisfactory as the double yellow lines in the areas detailed to Highways are completely unfit for purpose and wouldn’t stand up to a parking violation appeal, hence our speaking to JH.

At the Arden Chairs and Clerks meeting this January, JH said that there might be some surplus funding still available at the year end in the Minor Works budget, so we have also asked him whether he might be prepared to make funds from there available if WCC Highways refusal was on the grounds of costs. We do not anticipate any further funding from the AC&C on this as they’ve been more than generous already but help would be apprecited in progressing this issue.

General – We’ve picked up some information that there may be moves afoot to fly tip rubble or wooden poles into the parking area at the bottom of the dip in Valley Rd. If this is correct, please do not do that as we will need access to erect the second CCTV pole and infrastructure in due course.

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