Update

Poor buggers in Sheffield - but it could have happened here if the wind direction had been a little different.

Hugh and I have been hassling the council - but there is precious little action from them. We think we need a new approach - and will be setting up a meeting soon to get something agreed.

Also - There are two other points to consider.

The new development at Larkrise - of a new nursery
And the maintainence of brook and footpath

Here is a copy of the mail that Hugh sent to the planning officer pushing the project from the county council. The city officers have been kept in the loop on this too!

Dear Rachel

I have just been chatting to John Hamilton, who told me you were the
best point of contact with any queries about the development planned for
Larkrise school. I am a resident to Campbell Road - the cul de sac end -
and we are planning a small meeting to discuss local maters, mainly
flooding, and want to be able to explain clearly what is planned with
the school.

There are two main areas we would like clarification on:

What will be the route used by contractors for the work? If it is going
to be along Campbell Road then we would need to be kept informed of what
is happening. We were utterly left out of discussions surrounding the
large development at St Gregory's school, and were all shocked when the
developers started to use our very quiet, toddler rich, road as access.
I hope that this won't be the case this time. I believe that there would
need to be strictly enforced controls over timing of access - there are
three footpaths, our road and the park entrance all at the point where
lorries would enter. Also there would need to be strict enforcement of
the speed with which lorries travelled (again something ignored by the
developers at St Gregory's).

The planning application states that the development is not within a
flood plain. I am not sure that is true, and even if it is, there is
potential impact on our properties from flooding that could be
exacerbated by the development. Loss of any green space is to be
regretted unless there is some other water collecting feature to reduce
the increased run off. Additionally, if the increased surface and sewage
water are to be added to the LA sewer that runs down Campbell Road - it
should be remembered that Thames Water have already said that they are
too small for what they deal with now.

We hope to arrange a meeting in the next three weeks, so it would be
great to hear from you soon

with best wishes

Hugh


Footpath - as you must all have noticed the footpath along the brook is getting worse and worse. The highways officer in charge, Andrew Burchett thinks that the fencing along the footpath is ok - and that the rubbish and safety problems are not worth doing anything about. He is going ot look at the erosion of the path next to the school - and might be open to fixing the banks to prevent the collapse that has happened near Rymers lane.

Overall, I think this is an area where we could have some action - and I would like to push this idea along. Another agenda item?

Take care and let's hope that there are no heavy storms .

Eylan

News re park and possible crime

This email arrived today, from the Friends of Florence Park:

Dear Friends,

I know that many of you are concerned that the park is being left unlocked at weekends, so I would like to bring to your attention a meeting to be held next Sunday 3rd June.

Last night, Councillor Shah Jahan Khan called on me, as Chairman of the Friends of Florence Park, to tell me about this meeting, and to ask if I would pass this information on.

He has been approached by a number of residents of the neighbourhood and Friends of Florence Park, concerned about this matter.
He informs me that there have been a number of incidents of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage, which he believes have increased since the park has been left unlocked.

He is naturally concerned about this issue and has a number of possible solutions that he would like to suggest to a meeting of interested residents.

He is therefore calling a meeting on Sunday 3rd June at 3pm in the Florence Park Community Centre, Cornwallis Road, for anyone concerned about what is happening to the park and interested in helping to find a sustainable solution.

He is aiming to canvass views and ideas before the Cowley Area Committee discusses the future arrangements for the park on the following Wednesday 6th June at 6.30pm in the John Bunyan Baptist Church, Crowell Road.

If you are at all concerned about this matter, I urge you to try and come to this meeting to express your views, but if you are unable to come, but still have a contribution to make, then please contact Shah Jahan Khan or myself.

Yours sincerely,

John Todd (Chairman of the Friends of Florence Park).

Based on the recent crime problems we have been having (including a chase from the park into our back gardens on Sunday and car stereo thefts last night!) - perhaps we should all try to register our views re the park being open.

Interesting background on our area

http://www.yourhouse-myhouse.org/index.htm

Defra - and meeting

Good idea to have a meeting. Just yesterday I spoke to a man who knows a lot about this sort of thing - he is the father of a good friend, and works as a consultant now. He is particularly concerned that there is a presumption on the part of the Environment Agency to invest in protecting a lot of houses that flood rarely, rather than a few that flood a lot ... he is based in Swansea, but has said he will have a look around here if he is nearby.

he also passed on some information about what we can do to our houses to make them more resiliant to flooding - and there is hot of the press report to be read (I have not yet ... )

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy/strategy/rf1rf2.htm

This indicates that there are grants going to be made available to help defend properties.

The worry about passing on the problem, if we all board up, he says is nothing to worry about - the amount of water we keep out of our houses is trivial compared to the amount in the park.

Thanks Eylan for keeping this up to date

Hugh

New Meeting

Is it about time for a new meeting - if not just to find out where we are all at? To talk about:

Flooding
Park
School gates


Also - There is a meeting of the Friends of Florence park on Saturday....is anyone else going?

Eylan

Thames Water - Blockage

Hi

yesterday - 14th May - Thames Water contractors 'Future' came to look in the soil pipes in the road with cameras. When they lifted the cover up by the back gate of the school (the one higher up than the road) we were able to see that there was solid waste almost to the top of the pipe.

This pipe follows the brook - going East to West - and takes all the waste from our area. The engineers on site explained that this was very bad - because the height of this blocked pipe meant that we would have got BIG backwash IF there was a surge from our direction.
Sound Familiar>??

This is proof that TW are responsible for the problems we have been having!!!!

They then ordered the big blasting truck that arrived - and it came straight away! They cleared the mess - but further investigation has taken them to the top of the hill - on Between Towns Road today - to clear more there.

This seems to be further proof that there is insufficient capacity in the pipes coming down the hill to the Brook - a series of 25inch pipes feeding into one 25" pipe. This pipe is in our road - and it is trying to feed into a blocked main pipe that is too high to feed into!!!!

What a mess.

Let's hope that Angela at the council can sort this out.

If there is any more news - let me know - and I will pass it on.

Eylan

stinky Brook and warning

Yes - the brook has been stinky! Toilet paper and bad smell = pollution from sewage.
I reported it to council and Steve Smith rang me within minutes to find out more. He is getting onto the EA about it - and who ever is reponsible will be fined.

Also - It has been very dry - and we are primed for another big flood. Be ready!!!
Keep valuables off the ground outside. And have a plan for where to move stuff.
Know where your sandbags are - and leave a tel number with a neighbour, in case it happens when you are away.