More Criminal Damage to Village Hall Gates
Friday 26th April, between noon and 5.40pm, someone superglued the Hall’s brand new gate padlock.
If you know who has committed this act, please telephone the police, 101 – Crime Ref. 600S260419
Community
Police and Village Hall Need YOUR Assistance
On Sunday 21st April the Village Hall entrance gate was unlocked so that the car park could be used for the Easter Sunday morning service at St. Mark’s church. Unfortunately the padlock was hooked over the open the catch post and when the gate was checked later in the day the padlock was found to be missing.
The gate was then locked using the “twin padlock”
Two days later, Tuesday 23rd April, the regular Tuesday evening hirer unlocked the entrance gate and when they went to lock up found the padlock missing. They usually clasp the lock, but on this occasion they did not.
Today, the elderly Welcome Club arrived at the Village Hall to find the entrance gate padlocked, someone had replaced the stolen padlock with another padlock lock prevent Hall users from having access to the car park. Bolt cutters were used to remove the padlock. The elderly ladies are, understandable, worried and anxious (youngest member is 82 yrs, oldest will 93 yrs next month).
These incidents have been reported to the police and the Village Hall’s solicitor.
If you know who is committing these acts or you have seen suspicious activity please telephone the police 101, crime ref: 289S240419
Wildmoor News
Download the latest newsletter from Wildmoor Residents’ Association .
The first page promotes the Association’s AGM and invited speaker.
The next two pages are an update on pending and proposed quarry planning applications and an invitation to the annual WRA garden party.
Location of Existing and Proposed Quarry Sites
How long does it take litter to rot?
How long does litter take to rot if we carelessly throw it away?
Two Weeks – Apple Cores
Although this is a rapid decomposition time, throwing away cores and other pieces of fruit can encourage rodents.
Four Weeks – Paper towels, paper bags, newspaper
With these items, decomposition time can vary enormously depending on how they are disposed of.
Six Weeks – Cereal boxes, banana skins
Banana skins can take longer than this to decompose if the weather is cold, as the skins are designed to protect the fruit inside. They are full of cellulose which is the same material from which cellophane wrappers are made.
Two – Three Months – Waxed cartons, cardboard
With such items, the decomposition time will vary depending on the thickness of the carton.
Six months – Cotton clothing
Of all textiles, cotton is the most biodegradable. Cotton can be composted and if the conditions are damp and warm enough, a piece of light cotton clothing can biodegrade in as little as a week.
One Year – Light woollen clothing
Light woollen clothing such as pullovers and socks. Wool is a natural product, so when it decomposes it releases into the soil useful nutrients such as protein keratin.
Two Years – Orange peel, plywood, cigarette ends
Cigarettes contain more than 600 ingredients, of which the longest lasting is cellulose acetate which takes a very long time to biodegrade.
Five Years – Heavy woollen clothing
Ten to Twenty Years – Plastic Bags
Many newer bags are designed to decompose when exposed to sunlight, though the majority are made from high density polyethylene. This is made with refined petroleum and it is not easily decomposed. The natural micro – organisms in soil don’t recognize the chemicals as food, so don’t break them down.
Thirty to Forty Years – Nylon, Carpet, Disposable Nappies
While they are convenient, disposable nappies are pretty toxic items, even if they haven’t been used, as they are treated with many chemicals.
Fifty Years – Tin cans, Car tyres, trainers, leather.
Seventy-Five to Eighty Years – Crisp Packets
With many packets made from metallised plastic film, they last a ridiculously long time.
One Hundred Years – Plastic Ring Holder
These are particularly hazardous to animals, as the rings can get trapped around their necks and choke them.
Two Hundred Years – Aluminium Drink Cans
It is more beneficial to recycle aluminium as it can be done indefinitely and the energy of recycling cans is far lower than creating new ones. Twenty recycled cans can be made using the same amount of energy it takes to make one new can and recycling just one can, can save as much energy as it takes to power a television for three hours.
Five Hundred Years – Plastic Bottles
Petrochemical products like these never fully biodegrade and the chemicals will remain in the soil.
One to Two Million Years – Glass Jars and Bottles
It could well be that these may last indefinitely. Glass is mainly composed of silica, which is one of the most stable and enduring minerals on the planet. The greatest problem with waste glass is that it is breakable and shards can do serious damage to creatures who eat or lick any food or drink residues.
And Even Longer – Batteries
While the thin metal casings break down eventually, the chemicals inside such as zinc, lead and mercury stay in the ground and can be extremely toxic.
Pooper Snooper: a free app to tackle dog fouling
A new app designed to encourage dog owners and wider communities to take responsibility for tackling dog fouling in their local area has been launched.
Pooper Snooper, a free smartphone application and website aims to build public awareness and inturn increase social pressure on dog fouling, and to identify problem hotspots to allow for better targeted enforcement activities.
To achieve these aims, the mobile app, designed by Natural Apptitude, enables you to quickly and accurately record the locations of dog fouling on an interactive map, providing an overview of dog fouling hotspots. Any dog fouling incidents that are cleaned up can be marked as resolved, and bin locations can be recorded within the app, with a “find nearest bin” function helping you locate bins in unfamiliar areas. To help raise public awareness you can share your records along with an overview of dog fouling in the local area, on Twitter and Facebook. The app also has a gamification element to encourage sustained public engagement via the inclusion of leader boards and personal profile pages on which a user’s stats appear.
Natural Apptitude CEO, Dave Kilbey, said: “Our main hope for Pooper Snooper is that in years tocome it will actually cease to be necessary. A dog poo free environment may seem like fantasy, but it shouldn’t be that way. We hope that Pooper Snooper can start to turn the tide on this modern-day scourge by actively engaging people with the problem and by raising awareness of the sheer scale of the issue. Ultimately, what is required is a cultural shift around dog fouling; from tacit acceptance to zero tolerance, regardless of where it takes place. Dog poo is not only unpleasant, but a form of hazardous waste that can have serious repercussions for the health both of humans and livestock.”
The supporting website enables local authorities and other interested parties to see dog foulingincidents on an interactive map based on local authority boundaries. This is designed to further raise public awareness and promote engagement on the issue. Anyone can export the data to enable enforcement effort to be targeted where most required.
In Bristol, about four tonnes of dog faeces is produced every day and on average there are 11 to 26 faecal deposits per kilometre of pavement. Evidence has found these are concentrated around schools and in the first 300 metres of paths in parks and nature reserves.
Councillor Steve Pearce Cabinet member with responsibility for waste, said: “Dog fouling is simplynot acceptable, and we need to see everyone taking responsibility for our city and how it looks. We hope that this initiative will go some way towards addressing dog fouling in Bristol and help to change the attitudes of those who think it is appropriate to leave dog mess on the streets for anyone to stand in.”
For more information, go to https://poopersnooper.app/
Formal consultation on the expansion of Fairfield First School
Proposal to increase the capacity of Fairfield First School
Worcestershire County Council is proposing to expand the school buildings at Fairfield First School to provide sufficient accommodation for an increase in the Published Admission Number of the school from 23 to 30. The current capacity of the school is 115 and the proposed capacity will be 150.
As part of any proposal of a community school that would result in an increase in the capacity of the school by more than 30 places and 25%, a formal consultation must take place.
Have Your Say
In accordance with the guidance document from the Department for Education – Making ‘prescribed alterations’ to maintained schools (April 2016), a further consultation into expansion of Fairfield First School is now underway in which anyone with an interest can express their views. The Public Consultation (Autumn 2018) document can be viewed on the County Council website at http://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/schoolconsultationsYour comments are most welcome and can be made using the online form which is also available via this website link.
A hard copy of the consultation documents can be obtained by contacting: Bosko Medakovic, Capital Accommodation Officer, County Hall, PO Box 73, Worcester, WR5 2YA. Telephone 07983965299 or email bmedakovic@worcestershire.gov.uk
Representations in response to the consultation must be received by noon on Friday, 7th December 2018.
Letter from Head Teacher School Expansion Letter from Head
Public Notice School Expansion Consultation Public Notice Expansion of Fairfield First School
Consultation Overview Formal Consultation Proposal Document
Operation Snap
Members of the public can submit (via a secure online form – https://www.nextbase.com/en-gb/national-dash-cam-safety-portal/) digital footage showing potential traffic offences.
This can range from driving dangerously or carelessly to overtaking on solid white lines, using a mobile phone while driving, ignoring traffic lights or dangerous driving around other road users, such as horse riders and cyclists.
Your submission will be sent to West Mercia Police where the evidence will be reviewed by one of their road traffic officers, who will enforce against any offences committed.
Any footage submitted through the portal can also be used by the Police to help educate other road users and to advise on case results.
Village Hall Gates
In response to anti-social behaviour and illegal activities, which has involved the police, the Village Hall trustees will be installing gates at the entrance & exit to the car park and parking post in the service road.
Gates will only to be opened for the duration of the hire period and will be locked at the end of each hire. This will prevent unauthorised vehicles accessing the car park and deter anti-social & illegal activities, which have included drug dealing.
To restrict vehicle movements during a hire period, hirers will be allowed to shut the gates.
With several users reporting near misses of vehicles using the service road to do a “u-turn” and an intervention by the local police, posts will be installed prohibiting vehicle access. The posts will only be retracted for emergency vehicles or with the authorisation of the trustees.
The Village Hall trustees appreciate that the gates may inconvenience some motorists, however, our duty is to provide a safe venue for Hall users.
Dog Fouling in the Village
In response to residents’ concerns, volunteers from the Community Association have this morning cleared dog faeces from the cut grass verge along Brook Road.
For some having a dog leave its mess on the path, cut grass verge, recreation ground or on someone’s garden appears to be a laughing matter. Last year an elderly resident stepped in some dog mess, unfortunately unknown to the resident there was a slight cut on her foot and she became infected, subsequently requiring hospital treatment.
Please spread the word, clear up dog mess after your dog has defecated.
Place dog poo bags in the bin, not on a tree, hedge, railings, side of road etc.
To report dog fouling please complete the online form http://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/my-place/street-cleaning/litter,-street-cleaning,-dead-animals-and-street-name-plates.aspx
Operation Snap – report poor driving and dangerous behaviour
Road users across Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Warwickshire can report incidents using footage from dashcams or other devices
As part of Operation Snap, members of the public can submit (via a secure online form ) digital footage showing potential traffic offences. This can range from driving dangerously or carelessly to overtaking on solid white lines, using a mobile phone while driving, ignoring traffic lights or dangerous driving around other road users, such as horse riders and cyclists.
Your submission will be sent to West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police where the evidence will be reviewed by one of our road traffic officers, who will enforce against any offences committed. Any footage submitted through the portal can also be used by us to help educate other road users and to advise on case results.
See the Frequently Asked Questions section (https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/article/47353/National-Dashcam-Safety-Portal-NDSP-FAQs)
For further information regarding the Safer Roads Partnership please visit the West Mercia Police Website, (Crime & Safety Section) Safer Roads Partnership
https://www.westmercia.police.uk/article/38869/About-Safer-Roads-Partnership
Traffic Issues – Background and Update on What Is Being Done to Address the Issue
During a visit to a FVCA meeting in February 2017, the Chief Constable recognised that there was an issue with regard speeding through the village and suggested that the following measures needed to be adopted:
1. Psychological interventions e.g. signs,
2. Enforcement and
3. Engineering work.
The first two have been achieved, with better signage in the village, a speed limit that is now enforceable (at the time the Traffic Regulation Order for Stourbridge Road was non-compliant) and now visits by the Mobile Enforcement Officer. The Safer Road Partnership found that the road through the village was of concern, in fact the speeds can be so high that it is deemed unsafe to operate Community Speedwatch.
The last things that needs to be done is Engineering Works. FVCA in partnership with the Parish Council, having considered the options and the community impact (residents, school, businesse, etc), have suggested suitable works for consideration by Highways. It is vital that any works are effective and have minimal negative impact on the community (residents, businesses, school, etc).
Residents, School Parents, Commuters etc are invited to email Cllr Alan Amos, Cabinet Portfolio holder for Highways, detailing their experiences and personal observations. This will help focus his mind as he considers our suggested works, i.e. works before the entrance to the village to slow down traffic and a traffic table between school drive and the post office. Please email Cllr. Amos at AAmos@worcestershire.gov.uk Please copy your email to Cllr Shirley Webb swebb2@worcestershire.gov.uk
Of course, people will be wanting more. A systematic step by step approach is required.
It is worth noting that a pedestrian crossing was considered in 2016, the cost would be £100,000 + (cost of build, consultants, electricity, etc) and the County Council said that there was a long waiting list. The works that are being proposed would provide traffic calming across the village (Stourbridge Road), whereas a pedestrian crossing provides a one-point piece of calming that in reality will only be effective when someone wants to cross the road.
Even though the County Council have trialled 20mph zones outside schools located on minor roads, the Council will not adopt a similar policy on a main B-road, i.e. Stourbridge Road.
Parking restrictions do have a part to play with regard accessibility for pedestrians, especially for enabling safe accessibility for young children, the elderly and people with mobility issues. FVCA are urging Highways to adopt strategically placed lines that have minimal negative impact. Before adoption, any further parking restrictions will need consultation.
Lastly, the Parish Council have agreed to consider an extension to the Recreation Ground carpark. Unfortunately, we need someone with planning experience to help guide us through the maze that is Green Belt regulations. If you or you know anyone that can assist us do please contact fvcommunityassociation@outlook.com
318 Bus Update
13th July 2018
Kev’s Coaches have been awarded the contract to operate the 318 Service from 2nd September.
Kevin will be at August’s Community Meeting (Monday 6th, 7.30pm, Fairfield Villa Club House) to discuss community requirements and issues – please attend.
14th May 2018
Update received from Cty Cllr Webb “The replacement service is currently out to tender and an extension has been agreed with Diamond buses to align the start dates, the service will continue with Diamond bus until September.”
21st February 2018
Diamond Buses have acquired Central Buses – From Monday 26th February 2018, Central Buses services will be operated by Diamond Buses.
Diamond last year announced that they would be withdrawing from the 318 service, the service was re-tendered and awarded to Central Buses, delivering the 318 service from 26th February 2018.
The County Council’s commercial team have been in discussions and have decided not to novate the contract to Diamond buses but to re-tender the 318 again. The County Council have agreed to an extension of the 318’s current operation with Diamond buses until the 3rd June 2018 to allow the commercial team time to complete a tender exercise.
5th January 2018
Central Buses will replace Diamond to deliver the 318 bus service. There will be no break in service.
4th December 2017
Diamond will continue to operate the service to the current timetable including Fairfield until the 25th of February 2018, the County Council will be going out to tender for a longer term option.
1st December 2017
Diamond Cancels 318 Bus Service: Linking Fairfield to Catshill, Bromsgrove, Belbroughton & Stourbridge
It was announced by Worcestershire County Council on Thursday 30th November 2017 that Diamond are withdrawing this partially subsided and partly commercial service. The County Council are in discussions with operators to provide a replacement contract for a similar service on Mondays to Saturdays.
County Hall have confirmed that Diamond are withdrawing from the 318 bus service with effect from 2nd January 2018, i.e. the scheduled last Diamond Bus Service will be on Saturday 30th December 2017.
FVCA has raised concerns with local County Councillor Shirley Webb. Withdrawal of the bus service will impact many residents, including school children and the elderly.
FVCA have been informed that the County Council are considering replacement services, further details are not known. Cllr Webb has said she will update FVCA when she has further news.
In the meantime, FVCA has asked the Parish Council to discuss the issue as a matter of urgency and it will also be discussed at the FVCA meeting on Saturday 9th December (10am, Village Hall), open to all residents.
Financial Support For Elderly Residents
Did you know that Belbroughton United Charities provides grants for the relief of poverty for the elderly residents in the Parish of Belbroughton & Fairfield.
If you know of an elderly resident in the Parish struggling to pay their bills, keeping their home warm or have little food to eat Belbroughton United Charities offers one off grants.
To apply or for more information contact:
Pauline Jones
Telephone: 0121 453 7785
Email: pjones45650@btinternet.com