Parish Council
We have had another successful month which included using the Leaf Blower at both sides of the village. We have completed two clearances of the pavement in the West Side of the village which is intended to make it easier to walk down from the bus stop and I have cleared the bus stop on one other occasion. We have used the leaf blower on the bridge on the East Side of the village. I was approached by one very happy resident who congratulated me on my usage of the leaf blower and commented that it was an excellent inclusion to Parish Council equipment. During these clearances, we ensured that we completed a quick check on drains in these areas and the usage of the leaf blower has had a marked impact and improvement on the quantity of leaf matter present on the kerb side which helps the sumps and underground drainage present in the village and reduces opportunities for blockages to drains which has caused significant issues in the past. We have, therefore, had no occurrences of any flooding or blockages of any drain in the village so far this Autumn compared to other years when this was a regular occurrence. So, therefore, I am delighted that we purchased this leaf blower.
In the week of the publication of this report, I will be writing another email to Live West to remind them of their responsibilities to manage the vegetation at Lower Back Lane. I have rechecked the vegetation in this area and I have concluded that coverage is worse at the bottom end of Lower Back Lane than the top; this area is the responsibility of Live West and the occupants of the house adjacent to this area. Following this email, I will inform Highways and indicate that I have done this and I will leave it up to them to decide whether to escalate this issue or not.
There have been concerns raised about drainage in the area of the Playing Field. I have spoken to a resident who is very knowledgeable about the Playing Field, the Wall and Willey Lane. Drainage was put in place in the field roughly 12 years ago so there is no need for drainage to be installed in this area. An engineer has already surveyed the whole wall and established that there is one area which is leaning towards the field and that this is incur a cost of approximately £1500. The continuing problems with drainage on Willey Lane caused by deterioration is an ongoing issue which I am addressing and I have mention to Highways frequently. I think that the best course of action would be allow funds to be raised to meet the costs of the current identified section of the wall and that we conduct a regular assessment of the integrity of the wall and the drainage around it.
The next month or so will be very busy for the Road and Snow Warden team. We will need to do our best to clear as much leaf matter from the kerbside to protect our drains and there is every possibility that we will be in receipt of spells of significantly cold weather. We all need to be vigilant for damage to older trees in our parish and if you notice any damage which could lead to structural failure and potential obstruction to roadways/footways or pavements then please let me know and I will inform Highways and activate their response team. It is vital that we keep all residents in the village informed and ensure that they all feel safe at this time in the year.
Request for a periodic assessment of the Playing Field Wall to ensure that funds are available for its repair.