21st February 2008 - RENWICK HOUSE RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
I chaired the monthly meeting of Renwick House Residents’ Association Committee today. The residents have been most concerned over the lack of an emergency procedure to cope with a prolonged electricity cut, as happened on 6th December. Tina Drury, Castle Morpeth Housing’s Chief Executive, attended the meeting along with Katherine Glen the Estates Manager. Both gave residents an assurance the issues raised were being looked at as a matter of urgency, and they would report back to residents quickly.
This coming month’s meeting will address issues of the planned refurbishment of the whole building. Residents will be given a schedule of what is to be done, and a timetable for action.
On 19th March one resident, Agnes Potts, will reach the revered age of 100. I plan to join in her birthday celebrations!
12th February 2008 – PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS & SPEEDING SIGNS
I have been requested to look at the possibility of a new pedestrian crossing on Abbey Meadows closer to Abbeyfields School. This is not the first time such a suggestion has been made, but visibility restrictions mean no crossing can be situated immediately adjacent to the school. At the same time residents at Renwick House have asked County Councillor Joan Tebbutt to see if dropped kerbs opposite the entrance to Renwick House could be installed. This would considerably assist the regular “traffic” of residents to & from St Christopher’s House. The two Sheltered Housing Units have lots of joint activities, but crossing the road is sometimes hazardous for older, infirm people. I have suggested the two ideas might be effectively combined.
Northumberland County Council Highways say a second crossing at Renwick House would be too close to the existing crossing. However they have agreed to undertake a survey of people using the existing pedestrian crossing to see whether there is a demand for moving the crossing, and exactly why people use the existing crossing. Anecdotal evidence would suggest that the primary uses will be to access the local shops and the bus stop, but I am sure many parents & children who go to Abbeyfields from higher up Kirkhill also cross here. They still then have to cross the access road behind the shops, which is often very congested with traffic. This has been pointed out as a potential hazard on more than one occasion.
Speeding on Abbey Meadows remains a real issue, even if officially the police say there is no evidence of excess speeding (when they last did covert speeding checks at my request). I have suggested one option could be to put a second crossing in further into Kirkhill, and move the existing one nearer to Abbeyfields School, but this would change the primary use of both crossings. Any such suggestion would need full consultation as any change will inevitably adversely affect some people.
In the meantime residents will have seen poles going up on Abbey Meadows, Spelvit Lane &, further afield, the A197 by Deuchar Park & near County Hall. These are the poles for the Vehicle Activated Signs being financed from County Councillor Joan Tebbutt’s Small Schemes budget. We hope to see the actual signs soon! The perennial problem of parking at Abbeyfields School at opening and closing time remains something I am really concerned about. I do urge parents and carers to park sensibly & legally. Now the Abbey Meadows shops car park has been resurfaced hopefully more parents will park there and walk to school, rather than block Abbey Meadows, Woodhill Drive and Abbots Way.
26th January 2008 - FALLEN TREES
The high winds of Thursday night & Friday brought down dozens of branches and several whole trees. Kirkhill was not left out and 2 dogs had a very lucky escape when a massive branch fell on their kennel. Only the sturdiness of the steel structure saved them from certain injury or death. Two whole trees were blown over in the Downing Drive area; one uprooted by the strength of the wind; the other snapped off at the base – obviously rotten. Castle Morpeth Borough Council’ Green & Clean team were out from 4.00am on Friday (25th January) clearing up dozens of incidents right across the Borough. Their response to the two incidents in Kirkhill was fantastic, and I have sent the team a congratulatory email.
19th Jan 2008 - RESURFACING ABBEY MEADOWS SHOPS CAR PARK
Residents who use the car park at the Abbey Meadows shops will have been delighted that finally this car park has been resurfaced. For years the surface has been pitted with holes, so bad to have caused damage to cars. County Councillor Joan Tebbutt agreed about 2 years ago to fund resurfacing from her Small Capital Schemes Allowance but doubts over ownership and responsibility meant actually doing it has been delayed. But it’s done at last!
19th Jan 2008 - TRAFFIC PROBLEMS NEAR ABBEYFIELDS 1st SCHOOL
The current work on the pavements in Woodhill Drive, coupled with all the disruption from FastFlow’s work on the water supply, has highlighted the dangers our young children are in from cars travelling along Abbey Meadows. The speed of traffic continues to be one of the issues I get many calls about. County Councillor Joan Tebbutt has already agreed to fund Vehicle Activated Speed Signs and we await their installation. Now I have written to Northumberland County Council about the possibility of a pedestrian crossing nearer to Abbeyfields School than the current one at the shops. Whilst I question whether visibility restrictions might mean it isn’t possible, I would welcome views on this via email.
RENWICK HOUSE RESIDENTS’ASSOCIATION
Following the completion of the transfer of all of Castle Morpeth’s housing stock to the newly formed Castle Morpeth Housing Association; all the residents at Renwick House Sheltered Housing complex were asked to consider forming a residents’ association to look after their interests. There was an overwhelming positive response and the inaugural meeting will take place in early December 2007. The tenants living in 1-8 Renwick Walk bungalows are also included.
I have been chairing regular tenants’ meeting at Renwick House for some 6 years, and I am delighted that they have asked me to continue to chair their meetings in future. The new Housing Association will be looking to revamp the Sheltered Housing Unit and the bungalows in the near future.
PLANNING APPLICATION REJECTED
At the Castle Morpeth Borough Council Development Services meeting on 11th December the views of a number of objectors were confirmed when the Committee refused an application to turn the Abbey Café at 2 Abbey Meadows into an Indian Takeaway. The current café closed some weeks ago and residents in the area were surprised and concerned when the application was submitted, particularly as the company managing the Unit have posted a notice on the building to say “Not Suitable For Takeaway Purposes”. Objectors raised concerns about the noise, smell of waste food, the positioning of a flue near the upstairs flat and traffic congestion. Parking issues were particularly highlighted. The potential impact on the 130 residents in St Christopher’s House and Renwick House was also emphasised.
I spoke against the application, highlighting the traffic issues, and Councillor Joan Tebbutt, Northumberland County Councillor for Kirkhill Division, but also a Member of Development Services, advised the Committee that she was using some of her Small Schemes Allowance to put Vehicle Activated Speed Signs in that area because of the complaints about speeding traffic.
The Committee rejected the application unanimously, but the applicant has a right of appeal, should he wish to exercise it, and this would be considered by a Planning Inspector, so we have to wait to see if an appeal is lodged. Anyone who wrote in with an objection will be notified if an appeal is lodged.
