Notices

Paul Jarczewski, Woodland Trust Site Manger (Central England) has provided the Community Association with the following update:

The online consultation was very successful.  We had 79 responses, which indicated very obvious support for our plans to establish the new wood.  I’m sure this interest was in no small part due to the Community Association championing the project locally, so many thanks for that.

We are just about to submit our final design plans to The Forestry Commission for their approval.  The consultation response is an important appendix to this, as it provides evidence to the Commission that the new wood is something that local people will value.

One of the things we wish to do is set up some monitoring as the new land develops (hoping of course that our fundraising is successful and we acquire the land).  The monitoring will look at how well trees establish on different areas of the site, but also look at how the biodiversity changes/improves with time.  It is very interesting to know we already have some potentially rare species.

We are still fundraising to buy the land, so any opportunity you have to let people know would be greatly appreciated.

If you would like to know more about the proposed Pepper Wood Expansion visit http://fvca.org.uk/directory/pepper-wood/

Another balloon found next to pasture land, near Pepper Wood. This balloon, in the shape of a bottle with the word ‘Cheers’ on it, was made out of plastic. In addition to being unsightly, spoiling our beautiful countryside, balloons can kill livestock – cattle have been known to eat balloons that end up stuck in their throat, choking them to death.

The Woodland Trust have released the design plans for the proposed Pepper Wood extension and they would like to hear your views. The proposed design plan is below.

To have your say, please complete a 5-minute survey, to access CLICK HERE

At last we have contractors due to carry out works to improve the drainage at the footpath end of the Recreation Ground.

The work by Kelbec Civils Ltd is due to commence Monday 17th May with initial marking out of the areas. The works will take circa 5 to 7 days.

The access will be via the carpark and with no traffic using the lane to the school. 2 bays will be out of commission on the car park for the duration.

All works will be suitably ‘Harass fenced’ off.

Sandy Lane was closed Wednesday 12th May following a collision at the junction of Money Lane.

A spokesperson from West Mercia Police said: “The road is currently closed and will be for sometime.

“Officers are currently dealing with a collision on Money Lane.”

A spokesperson from West Midlands Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 3:11pm to reports of a two car RTC at the junction of Sandy Lane and the B4551.

“We currently have one ambulance at the scene assessing two patients. “

The Woodland Trust have organised a public consultation event planned on 19th May regarding their proposed plans to extend Pepper Wood.  The provisional design for the new woodland is ready to be viewed and the Woodland Trust would like to share these plans with you and invite your opinion.

The event itself will be quite informal.  Paul Jarczewski (Woodland Trust Central England Site Manager) and a design consultant will lead 2 short walks over the new land, one leaving at 2 pm and another at 6 pm.  Maps and layouts of the design will be available for people to view.

To join the walk and/or view the design, meet Paul in the Swan Inn car park.  Each will last about an hour.

For more information regarding the Pepper Wood Appeal and to make a donation visit http://fvca.org.uk/directory/pepper-wood/

This year’s Village Spring Clean will take place on Saturday 12th June. 

Please donate an hour to help clear the grot from our community and to wash street signs.  Meet outside the Village Hall at 10.00 am, wear suitable clothing & footwear, litter picking equipment will be provided.   

If you would like to help wash the street signs, please bring a bucket, sponge and some mild detergent.  If you have step ladders, they will come in very hand.

Interested? Email chair@fvca.org.uk

Message from the current FVCA Chair:

The Duke of Edinburgh’s ceremonial royal funeral will take place at St George’s Chapel on Saturday 17th April. The procession and service will be televised. Details tbc. After the service, the duke’s coffin will be lowered into the royal vault below the quire. A national minute’s silence will be observed as the service begins at 3pm.

The death of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, has been announced, the Union Flag in front of the Village Hall has been lowered to half-mast. Many residents have expressed deep sorrow at this news, and wish the Queen and the Royal Family strength at this very sad time.

For 70 years the Countryside Code has been guiding us on how to protect our outdoor spaces, and it’s still as important as ever.

Read the updated Countryside Code: CLICK HERE

A Fire & Rescue crew from Bromsgrove attended a fire in the open involving 25m of hedgerow today (Tuesday 30th March), Middle Road, Wildmoor.

Philip Shipway, Appeals Manager at the Woodland Trust, has provide FVCA with a Pepper Wood appeal update.

In his email, Philip said how pleased the Woodland Trust are to have the support of residents and Fairfield Village Community Association and that it is wonderful that local residents have been contributing to the appeal.  

Public support for the appeal has been phenomenal, and with money from other funding sources the Woodland Trust are confident they will raise the money needed to acquire the extension which will allow them to double the size of the wonderful Pepper Wood. However, they do still need donations to take them over the line, so please keep spreading the word.

For further information about the appeal and to make a donation CLICK HERE

Frequently Asked Questions

Philip has provided some answers to some frequently asked questions, plus an aerial photograph from which you will be able to see the area of land we are hoping to purchase to extend the existing Pepper Wood.

“We aim to establish a lot of the new trees on the extension via natural regeneration but there will still be a need to prepare the ground, and protect areas from deer etc so any young trees can flourish.   We will carry out some tree planting and this will give us the opportunity to run several low-key tree planting events with, for example, local schools. This is very much a conservation-driven project.  We are not necessarily aiming to attract lots of new visitors to the site and put extra pressure on the already limited parking facilities at Pepper Wood.  There will be a footpath network across the new land linking to Pepper Wood but on the whole facilities and any public events will be relatively low-key.“ 

We have received the following from Angelique Cremer in the Netherlands:

“For the English War Cemetery in Brunssum the Netherlands I am (still) looking for relatives of Reginald Farmer. Mr Farmer died during WW2 and is buried in the Cemetery. He was with the Worcestershire Regiment, 1st bn. His date of birth should be around 1915.

The only thing we know about him is that he mentioned his ‘Auntie Ada Hancox’ in his soldier’s Will. I realise she doesn’t have to be his actual aunt. Ada Hancox was living at 1 Woodlane Fairfield Bromsgrove in the 1940’s.”

Angelique would like to inform Reginald’s family that his grave is well looked after and that he will never be forgotten by the Dutch people.

To help trace the family of Reginald Farmer, we are trying to trace the family of Ada Hancox to see if Reginald was a family member.

The Community Association have been doing some research and have found the below leads.  Do you know anyone who is mentioned, perhaps they or any memories that you may have may shed some light on our enquiries.

According to the 1911 census, a family by the name of George Ernest Hancox (28, born about 1883), Ada Selina Hancox (24, born about 1887) and Lizzie Hancox (48, born about 1863) lived in Fairfield. George Hancox is recorded as a Glassworker and Ada as Charwoman, but this has been crossed out.

In the first quarter of 1910, George Ernest Hancox married Ada Selina Evans, in the Bromsgrove registration District.

Ada Evans, according to the 1901 census, lived with parents and siblings, at Bournheath Glassworks, which would have been on Parish Hill.  The family at the time consisted of: Thomas R Evans (40), Mary Evans (35), Ada Evans (14), Lilly Evans (11), Esther Evans (7), Albert Evans (5) and Ralph Evans (6 months).

It could be that after her husband’s death in 1940 (see below), Ada moved back to Fairfield to be nearer to her family, possibly living in one of the Wood Lane Alms Houses.

Unfortunately census records for 1921 are not yet online.

In the 1891 census, a family by the name Hancocks is recorded living in Belbroughton: Abratha Hancocks (68), Rose Hancocks (68), Elizabeth Hancocks (28) – Who we are assuming is Lizzie – John Hancocks (26), Earnest Hancocks (8) – we are assuming is George Ernest – Ellen Hancocks (4) and John Hancocks (2).  It is quite possible that the enumerator spelt the family name incorrectly.

A further search (1939 War Register), we have found that a George E Hancox (56) and Ada S Hancox (53) – date of birth being about correct – lived in Brierly Hill, Staffordshire, George Hancox was an Agricultural Heavy Worker.  The 1941 Probate Register records that a George Ernest Hancox (17 Queen Street, Wordsley, Staffordshire) died 20^th December 1940, leaving £421 5s to his widow, Ada Selina Hancox.

Residents may wish to see the notice that has been placed on the FVCA website today (10^th March 2021) detailing the proposed revised 40 mph plan, please do have your say and inform WCC if the revised plan is acceptable, http://fvca.org.uk/notices/tro-update-revised-proposed-plans/.

FVCA have pushed for a 40 mph buffer to the planter from Stoneybridge Island, and so welcome this more sensible proposal.

Of course, more needs to be done to reduce the speed of vehicles entering and driving through the community.

The Parish Council are considering the proposal to replace the VAS with one that displays the vehicle speeds. If installed it will use the current VAS site and electricity supply.

It has been suggested that we should adopt a gated entrance, and funding has been offered to part support the purchase of the gates – an offer that been made previously from our County Councillor’s Divisional Fund. To date, both FVCA and the Parish Council have been reluctant to spend any additional money on what studies have said may be ineffective.  Studies have shown that gated entrances can reduce speeds by up to 6% should certain other road conditions be met and if sited in the correct position. The entrances of our village do not meet the required conditions.   And, with the speed that some vehicles enter the village at (in excess of 50 & 60 mph), any speed reduction needs to be greatly more than 6%.  Another factor to consider is that regular drivers through a community get so used to seeing the gates that they take no notice, driving on “autopilot”, and most driver found speeding through our village are regular users of Stourbridge Road.

FVCA strongly believes that meaningful traffic calming should be adopted that will actually slow down all vehicles, preferring Road Speed Tables that have the support of the emergency services and other groups.   The Road Speed Tables just before the village, near the planters, will reduce vehicle speeds entering the village and will slow down vehicles exiting the village, making the road safer for residential properties nearby.  Road Speed Tables could also be installed at other strategic locations, but with regard to properties and minimising any unintended consequences.  Should Speed Tables, or any traffic calming measures, be considered by Worcestershire County Council, FVCA believes that residents should be consulted.

Residents may wish to read https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/traffic-calming-ltn-107  which gives the Department of Transport pros and cons for various traffic calming measures. Hopefully by reading this document you will understand why we have not pushed for some other traffic calming measures.

It is worth noting that when discussions have taken place with County Cllr Shirley Webb and Richard Clewer (Worcestershire Highways), they have both refused any traffic calming works (except gates).  FVCA and the Parish Council’s Traffic Calming working group have even turn round and said if they will not fund Speed Tables, what will they fund and install, so far the answer is zilch.

In the past 5 years, not one traffic calming measure, including visits by the Police Speed Enforcement Unit, has been supported.  FVCA battled for the speed enforcement visits to take place.  Until nearly 5 years ago, even though 30 mph signs were displayed at both ends of the village, the police would only stop and give you a verbal warning if driving above the speed limit, they could not fine a motorist as the TRO was non-compliant.  Thankfully FVCA lobbied for the TRO to be compliant, MR. Clewer arranged for the installation of the appropriate signs in the correct locations and now motorists are fined, etc if found exceeding the speed limit. 

County Council election will take place on 6^th May.  Candidates/existing Councillors need your votes, perhaps saying what you want to hear.  Something that you could do is ask the candidates for a written/email commitment that they will not oppose and will fight for meaningful traffic calming engineering works in Fairfield Village.   If they agree and provide the statement then do not honour their written commitment that can be held against them, perhaps at a future election.

Fairfield Village Community Association have now received sight of the original and draft revised plans to create a 40 mph buffer between Stoneybridge Island and Fairfield village along the Stourbridge Road.

The initial proposal, as detailed below, was to have a 40 mph buffer to Orchard Farm. As previously reported the Community Association, Worcestershire Highways have admitted that there was a procedural error with the original consultation.

As further consultation is required, Worcestershire Highways are taking the opportunity to consider a revised proposal, having taken account of concerns expressed by some local residents. The revised proposal is for the 40 mph buffer from Stoneybridge Island to the (north) village planter, where the current 30 mph zone commences, see image below.

A formal consultation is required, and we await the public notice that should details the Traffic Regulation Order, which will include the exact legal start and finish of the new 40 mph zone. 

Residents may wish to comment on the draft plans. Any objection/representations you may have must be sent in writing to Thomas Pollock, Head of Commercial Law, Legal and Governance at County Hall, or email roadtrafficregs@worcestershire.gov.uk

Reported blocked gullies in Third Road have been cleared.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Swan Lane; a couple have been cleared, one has had the mud cleared from the top of the grid yet there is still mud just below the grid, a couple have been partially “wiped over” and there are still hidden grids that are beneath the mud that has slid from the roadside.  The broken gully grid has still not been replaced and the gully by the gas pipeline is still blocked.

Whether another return return visit is being scheduled, who knows? 

There is still no news regarding repairs to the Swan Lane pot holes and road erosion.

Fibre optic cables have been laid underground to nearly all the telegraphs poles that are connected to the Mount Road junction box in the south of the village.

Work is expected to commence in the next two weeks laying fibre optic cables underground to those telegraph poles in the north of the village that are connected to the Mount Road junction box.

Once underground fibre optic cables have been laid and connected, properties will be contacted to arrange the final Fibre To The Property journey. 

See below email that received on 4^th March in response to the Community Association’s email 7^th February.

From: Clewer, Richard
Sent: 04 March 2021 08:06
To: chair@fvca.org.uk
Cc: Benson, Rachael
Subject: FW: Outstanding Repairs & Improvements to Swan Lane & Wood Lane, Fairfield

Dear Mr Palmer

I am sure you will appreciate that covid restriction together with the recent floods and bad weather have both severely restricted and pressurised our operational ability.

An inspector has visited site this week and new orders have been raised to jet the blocked gullies reported in both Swan Lane and Third Road together with the repair of the damaged covers. Whilst I have yet to receive firm dates for this I would hope that it will be done within the next 28 days.

As previously explained we are unable to dictate to road users directions they wish to take to access the commercial units however signs have been ordered to indicate to drivers leaving the commercial units the direction of the M5 via Wildmoor Lane. I will follow up with the traffic management team as to where we are with these.

Changes to local speed limits require the support of the local member you may wish to discuss with Cllr Webb the speed limit in Swan Lane. However although Swan Lane is derestricted drivers are expected to drive to the conditions of the road. Swan Lane is a typical rural county lane with little development of it and therefore will fit the current speed limits according to the Dept for Transport guidance.

As previously reported, we are aware of the signs directing traffic away from Wildmoor Mill and that Third Road has been assessed.

Mr. Clewer’s email does not mention the blocked Wood Lane gully.  It is not clear whether the jetting of the gullies on Swan Lane will include the unblocking of grids, replacing a broken grid, clearing the blocked gully near the gas pipeline, reconstructing the parts of Swan Lane that have eroded away, filling in pot holes and preventing further mother slide on to the road.

The response to the Swan Lane speed limit is poor; the speed of traffic driving along Swan Lane and the need for a reduced speed limit has been mentioned to County Councillor Shirley Webb previously and the Department of Transport guidance Setting local speed limits paragraph 127 states:

127) Table 2 sets out recommended speed limits for roads with a predominant motor traffic flow function. If walking, cycling, horse riding, community or environmental factors are particularly important on any road section, consideration should be given to using the lower limit.

Table 2 Speed limits for single carriageway roads ^{[footnote 8]} with a predominant motor traffic flow function

The Department of Transport guidance suggests that Swan Lane can be considered for a 40 mph speed limit, due to, and not exclusively to, the bends, landscaping (that provide low light) and vulnerable road users – due to the nature of the road the speed limit could be lowered even further, Swan Lane between the “Devil’s Steps” and Mill Lane forms part of the Monarch’s Way and is used by walkers, including older people walking their dogs, and Swan Lane is often used by horse riders.

Residents may wish to lobby County Councillor Webb and Worcestershire County Council requesting the required repairs and improvements.