Please check your sheds and outbuildings, one inquisitive cat has gone walkabouts, please help reunite with owners.

Last seen on Wednesday evening, the cat is a large ginger Tom called buster – He has no white markings.

With warming weather, many people are out tending to their gardens, hanging washing on the line and leaving windows open around the house for ventilation.

Smoke from garden bonfires can prevent your neighbours from enjoying their garden, opening windows or hanging washing out and can be an irritant for those people that have health conditions, such as asthma.

With the Romsley Recycling Centre closed and the District Council not currently emptying brown bins, more residents are lighting bonfire to get rid of their garden waste, this is causing many complaints.

Is that bonfire necessary?

Householders are therefore urged to consider an alternative method of disposing of garden waste e.g. composting, which can provide a useful soil enricher for your own garden.  Compost heaps/bins also provide a home for many insects, voles and even slow worms.

How to prevent smoke nuisance

If it is essential to burn material in the open air, please follow the advice below:

• Light your fire when your neighbours are not likely to be in their gardens, having windows open for ventilations or washing on their line.  Speak to your neighbours and liaise with them.
• All material to be burnt should be as clean and dry as possible
• Bonfires should be sited as far as possible away from any houses
• Check the wind direction to prevent smoke from being blown into your neighbours’ property or onto roads
• Never burn plastics, oil, rubber, electrical components or other chemicals as these materials produce toxic and offensive fumes
• All bonfires should be closely supervised, since they are potentially dangerous. Do not leave a fire smouldering – put it out using soil or water

What do I do if my neighbour is regularly having bonfires and I think it is a nuisance?

If you wish to make a complaint about a neighbour’s bonfire, please contact Bromsgrove District Council.

A fertiliser lorry is blocking Wood Lane at Wood Lane Farm, the cabin has driven into the ditch and so far all attempts to get the lorry moved has failed.

Whilst work is going on today to get the lorry moved please avoid the area.

If you have grass cuttings and other garden waste, please use the Brown Council Bin or a your own compost bin/heap.

Please do not throw in hedge or fields, as what you arr getting rid of may be harmful to livestock and can kill hedgerow wildflowers, which are great pollinators.

Our resident litter dropper continues to leave sweet wrappers along Wood Lane and in Pepperwood Close.

Every day three or four clear wrappers are being picked up.  It is suspected that it is a local person.

It is bad enough that volunteers have to clear the grot from non-villagers, but a resident…

If you know who is littering our village please ask them to stop or tell FVCA and they will approach.

Plants that you can give to people that care and love you can be picked up from St. Mark’s on Sunday.

The church will be open between 10.30 am and 1.30 pm. You are welcome to stop for private prayer.

It’s that time of the year, the weather improves and people start venturing into their gardens, perhaps doing a bit of clearing and having a bonfire.

If you are having a bonfire, please consider your neighbours – some may have washing on the line and others, who may have respiratory conditions and following isolation orders, are having some exercise in the garden.

Your consideration will be appreciated.

Cty Cllr. Webb has shared the following update from Worcestershire Highways:

“As I know you are aware, Swan Lane, as a small unclassified rural lane, and in light of the total saturation of the ground surrounding it (with the wettest February on record), has for some considerable time had a large amount of water arriving on it from the surrounding land.

Regarding the temporary repairs, these were only ever meant to be very short term. We had intended to go out and do some full blown structural patches to repair the key sections of the Lane, however, this was not practicable in light of the amount of water still on the lane at the time, thus we completed these temporary repairs to at least fill in the worst potholes, whilst recognising in such saturated wet conditions that they would not last very long.

We have now been in and completed the aforementioned structural patching works which should hold reasonably well. We did visit the lane with a gulley emptier last week, however, some of the gullies in question we believe drain into the surrounding ditches and some of those ditches are overgrown and blocked. Most ditches are the responsibility of the neighbouring landowner ref clearance, so we will endeavour to sort this with them as soon as practicable. There is one section of lane, where a gulley is still surcharging onto the lane. We have attempted to clear this, but there appears to be a break/blockage further on in the pipe, which will require works. In addition during this week will also look at what other issues ref drainage matters exist on this lane & then programme works as necessary. This will hopefully improve the drainage on the lane (alongside the issues with the ditches as aforementioned). However, if the total ground saturation conditions did return due to more poor weather (let’s hope not), then it would be likely that water may well run off the fields onto and down the lane.”

At the Community Association’s  AGM, Residents gave an emphatic message that Worcestershire County Council MUST address local traffic issues and, contrary to instructions from the County Council, FVCA will continue to lobby County Hall directly as well through the Divisional County Councillor.
 

With vehicles travelling in excess of 70mph, traffic calming engineering works is urgently needed to slow down vehicles just before the village entrance.  This work is urgently needed before someone is killed.

Other work that is needed includes repairing Swan Lane and Wood Lane, drop kerbs to be sited at all junctions and footpaths cleared & secured enabling safe passage by all pedestrians, inc. the elderly, disabled and young children.

Residents gathered at the Village Hall on Saturday 7^th March for the Community Association’s AGM, celebrating the many achievements over the past 12 months.   These include monthly litter picks, social drop-ins, Dining Group, rambles, Floral Fairfield, Festive Fairfield and a new addition Fairfield Flicks. 
 
The Chairman thanked everyone for their support over the past year and asked that residents keep on supporting, as Fairfield, Wildmoor & Stoneybridges is YOUR Community. Without YOUR involvement we would not have a beating village heart, we would be akin to a private estate, called a village, with no spirit.
 
The full Chair’s report, along with a copy of the Independently Examined accounts can be downloaded from http://fvca.org.uk/documents/agm-2020/
 
During the AGM the following persons were elected to serve on the Community Association committee:

Chairperson: Conrad Palmer
Secretary: Vacant
Treasurer: Robert Garvin
Officers: Carol Brogan, Mary Gibbs, Carole Morris & Carol Edwards

Dear Fellow Residents,

As many of you are aware, the Community Association has been fighting for a safe and accessible village, requesting Worcestershire County Council to adopt suitable measures that address speeding along our roads, to alleviate congestion, open up our footpaths, cut back hedges and to unblock our gullies.

We wish to share with you our most recent emails with County Hall and their reply.  Copies of these emails can be picked up on Saturday 6^th March, at the Association’s AGM.

Before the Community Association’s committee replies to the email received, we would like to hear from YOU.

Following Saturday’s brief AGM, which starts at 10am (Village Hall), we would like to discuss the response received and seek your thoughts.  The meeting to discuss Highways issues will end at 11am

Any response that the Community Association gives needs the mandate of the community, we do hope that you can join us on Saturday.

Conrad Palmer

Chairman

T:  01527 833583

E:  chair@fvca.org.uk

On Sunday 12^th January at 18:06  fire crews from Bromsgrove extinguished a fire in chimney stack in house in Fairfield, with a further reinspection being carried out using a thermal image camera.

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service is urging homeowners to get their chimneys swept by a registered sweep to prevent chimney damage, and, in worse cases, household fires.

Having your chimney swept regularly can prevent chimney fires, and all it takes is one phone call (to a registered sweep), one modest payment and one hour of your time.

To keep you and your family safe from fire:

• always use a fire guard to protect against flying sparks from hot embers
• make sure embers are properly put outbefore you go to bed
• keep chimneys and flues clean and well maintained
• never burn rubbish
• never use flammable liquids such as petrol or paraffin to light your fire.

Station Commander Amy Bailey from HWFRS’s Community Risk department said: “To keep you and your family safe from fire make sure you have your chimney swept regularly, depending on what fuel you burn.”

Station Commander Bailey continued: “A stove or open fire can be an ideal and pleasant way to keep warm, but without proper maintenance a chimney can become dangerous.” She urged people to make an appointment now with a registered chimney sweep if their chimney is due a clean. Further chimney safety advice and full details of chimney sweeps operating locally are listed on the Service’s website at www.hwfire.org.uk under the Safety and Advice heading.

A recent survey by Jane Chamberlain RIBA AABC at St. Mark’s (our village church) has identified works that need to be carried out over the next 12 months, to main the safety and soundness of the building and grounds. It is estimated that works will cost approximately £8000.

Further works estimated at £10K will need to be carried out within the next 5 years.

We need someone to help facilitate the project that will see these works being done, which will sustain and maintain a building that has been at the heart of the village for over 160 years.

The person will advise and help steer our church volunteers in the right direction, The person will not be expected to do the work. The church volunteers will do the fundraising.

If you or someone you know can assist, email our vicar Canon Sue Oliver email: canonsueoliver@btinternet.com

Please share this message with your friends.

This year’s Remembrance Service will be held on Sunday 10th November, commencing at 10.45am.

Fairfield will be hosting the Royal British Legion and members of our community are being asked to join the parade, which is being led by a Piper and Drummer, leaving Fairfield Recreation Ground at 10.30am.

Like previous years, the Community Association would like a young person to lay the Association’s wreath. Please submit nominations to admin@fvca.org.uk

Blocked gullies in Fairfield

We had previously received the following update regarding the blocked gullies along Stourbridge Road:

“There is a project in place to dig back the verges along Sandy Ln and jet the whole system, [Ringway] will look to cleanse all the gullies along the Stourbridge Rd from the main island that joins Sandy Ln up to the motorway bridge (by the nursery) at the same time.”

On Friday 2^nd August we received the following update from Worcestershire Highways:

“Ringway … are looking to have the work completed by the end of September, this is due to the permits needed to be obtained, and the length of notice we need to give to obtain them.”

“Several operations will be carried out, overpainting of the carriage markings (where needed), cutting back of the verges and jetting of the drainage system, plus any other maintenance issues that can’t be done without traffic management.”

Over the next two weeks decorators will be at the Hall repainting & re-varnishing internally.

Whilst work is taking place there will be no activities. Weekly evening activities will resume Monday 5th August.

Then during the rest of August work will take place to install external CCTV, improve lighting over the car park and along the entrance plus installation of a projector, sound system and media player.

The CCTV installation & operation will be fully compliant with relevant legislation & ICO guidelines, the Village Hall policy will be available on the village website on the Village Hall web page.

This Autumn we will see the start film nights and afternoons. Full details in the next FVCA newsletter.

Over the car park low energy, LED, lights will now come on automatically when it goes dark, remaining on until it becomes light. This will improve Hall User safety.

Fairfield First School has been chosen by the Local Authority (LA) to expand to a 1 Form Entry (1FE) School, to help ease the pressure on school places, across the town of Bromsgrove.

To do this the LA allocated funds to build one additional classroom. During the Feasibility Study it quickly became obvious that it would be cost effective to also replace the ageing mobile classrooms, currently in their 35th year on site!

As such, plans have been created to build 3 additional classrooms, on land belonging to the LA, to the rear of our school.

The Headteracher, Scott Smith, said “This, as I am sure you can imagine, is a very exciting prospect for everyone associated to Fairfield First.”

A ‘drop in’ session has been arranged where you will be able to view the current plans and speak with the design team. These plans will also go on display within school, when they return in September.

PRE-PLANNING CONSULTATION EXERCISE IN RESPECT OF EXTENSIONS AND ALTERATIONS AT FAIRFIELD FIRST SCHOOL

Place Partnership Ltd have been working with Worcestershire County Council to develop proposals to extend and alter the existing buildings at Fairfield First School.  A pre-planning consultation will take place at the school on 6th August 2019 from 2:30pm to 6:30pm where the proposed plans will be available to view and make comment on.

The session will be a ‘drop-in’ arrangement so you can call in at any time between 2:30pm and 6:30pm.  Plans will be available in the school after this date, should you wish to view them at the school, then arrangements are made direct with the school.

We have received the following message from Worcestershire County Council:

“Just to keep you informed regarding the emptying of the gullies along Stourbridge Rd, there is a project in place to dig back the verges along Sandy Ln and jet the whole system, we will look to cleanse all the gullies along the Stourbridge Rd from the main island that joins Sandy Ln up to the motorway bridge (by the nursery) at the same time.”

“As you can appreciate it wouldn’t be cost or time effective to do these at separate times.”

If no action is seen by the end of September, FVCA will be chasing.

Many of the storm drain grids along Stourbridge Road are still blocked, even though Residents and FVCA have reported to the County Council.

We will continue asking that our drain are unblocked. 

Can residents please do the same via the County Council Report It CLICK HERE

Smokers please #BinTheButt. Don’t #FlickIt.

Our community litter pickers have noticed an increase in cigarette ends on the Recreation Ground and along the Village Roads.

As well as plastic, cigarette filters are comprised of thousands of chemical ingredients, including arsenic, lead and nicotine, all of which can leak into marine environments. According to studies, just one cigarette butt per litre of water is highly toxic to fish.

Toxins from the filter seep into the ground killing microscopic & small insects that are valuable to the food chain. Plastics also harm our local biodiversity.

Our #BinTheButt campaign aims to raise awareness amongst smokers and highlight the link between the cigarette butt they drop on the street, on the Rec. or down the drain and the impact it has on the our environment.

Three years’ ago, residents suggested, and the Parish Council agreed in principal to extend the Recreation Ground car park, to relieve congestion on the road and on the footpaths.  Planning advice was sought and, after receiving incorrect advice, it would appear that the Parish Council does not need planning permission to expand the car park.

At the residents’ meeting on Saturday 6^th July, residents were consulted as to their thoughts on the size and fabric of the extension.

Prior to the meeting, two residents had expressed to the Chair that they were against any expansion. 

Other residents, not present, had indicated that they are in favour of an expansion by extending the car park in the direction of the Millennium Garden, stopping at the utility pole adjacent to the gate to the garden of 122 Stourbridge Rd.

The meeting agreed to the following proposals, that will be put to the Parish Council:

• The car park is extended in the direction of the Millennium Garden, stopping at the utility pole adjacent to the gate to the garden of 122 Stourbridge Rd. 
• A lattice surface is adopted, to aid drainage.
• The creation of a wildflower area around the Community Orchard and behind the Millennium Garden, including a wet area taking water from areas that are prone to flooding.