Minutes of Committee Meeting held at Thorpe Primary School on Monday 13^th July 2009 at 7pm

Apologies for absence were received from Mr. Tom Heath and Mr. Robert McGeever

Minutes of meeting held on 11 May and previously circulated with Agenda were read through by the Chairman, were approved and signed by the chairman, as a true record of transacted business.

Item 11. Traffic.  The City Engineer had been contacted by telephone and E mail but the response in the first instance was reluctant help and no response to the E mail.  PCC had contacted Anglian Water Board seeking their help to level a manhole cover which had been a source of irritation to residents for several years.  It was not known when this work, if ever, would be undertaken.   There had been no consultation on the reduction of heavy traffic although we anticipate their should be PCC help to alleviate this problem.

Chairman reported that the work on the hospital was proceeding according to programme.   The entrance traffic lights had been installed and were working.  Concern had been expressed over the road layout at the hospital entrance and junction with the main road where two roads ran into one road although access and egress to the hospital had been greatly eased.  It was thought the road lay out would be the cause of future road traffic accidents.

The Secretary reported that he had met Ms. Gillian Beasley, Chief Executive of Peterborough City Council.  Several Netherton past and present problems had been discussed resulting in an opportunity of a further meeting which would explore, more deeply, Netherton difficulties and problems.

The Treasure reported that funding had been received from PCC and that NNA were now in funds.  Written Financial Statement on File.

This item had been previously placed on NNA Web Site. The Secretary Reported that the Course had been very well presented and there was much to be learned from attending.   Dates and Venue on File.

The Committee approved the action of the Secretary in inviting both key note speakers.  It was also agreed that Notices would be prepared and circulated, as was usual, into every house within NNA area.

The Secretary had met with Chief Inspector Glazebrook regarding a rumour that there was to be a reduction in local policing of Bretton Longthorpe and Netherton.  The origin of this rumour had arisen from a Bretton Parish Council meeting.

Insp. Glazebrook accepted with reluctance that the rumour was true but said that the there had been no reduction but a re-organisation strategy which was thought to be a better arrangement of resources than previously.  He suggested on prompting that there would be a strategy review after 6 months or thereabouts.  It must be reported that the meeting closed with some dismay and chagrin as it seemed that Netherton was to be served by a PCSO and no warranted police officer.  It seemed reasonable to conclude that this change of strategy was a direct consequence of central government cutting police financial resources

2 Lindridge Walk – erection of 2 metre wall had been approved

Thorpe Primary School – approved, and under construction

18, Ledbury Road – No report

128 Atherstone Ave – No report

103 Ledbury Road-    No report

1/3 Winslow Road – Conditionally approved

23 Winslow Road – No report

80, Ledbury Road – No report

2, Denholm Walk – No report.

Subsequent to a received verbal report the Secretary contacted the media to seek confirmation that PCC again proposed to sell off the site of the outline planning permission for housing to a developer.   The media confirmed that they had received prior notice of the Council’s intention.  The secretary subsequently was able to draw local attention to the proposal on the radio.

The Secretary and Mr. Gordon Barker of the Westwood Allotments Association then met Mr. Gull Nazwaz and asked him to explain the action of the Council.  This he did with clarity and then said that  their was a Member proposal that the site be not sold to a developer but sold as individual designed house plots to local or national people who wished to live in Peterborough.  The design would be sympathetic with local housing.  The basis of this proposal was to maintain Netherton environment, so far as was possible, but, more importantly also to use the site as a local economic strategy to stimulate and assist in the recovery of Peterborough’s construction industry, with work for building trade operatives, builders merchants, and the financial services of fees, solicitors, estate agents architects etcetera within the Town.

So far as is known this proposal has had the support, and approval of the Leader of the Council, and Chief Executive. Mr. Fletcher, Bretton, was the originator, supported by our local West Ward, Ravensthorpe and West Town Councillors except one who remained to consider the proposal on its merits or when more had been learned.

At this moment in time it is understood that City Officers are examining ways and means on how, or whether, this proposal can become a viable planning and economic growth mechanism.  

NNA Web Site has been operational for almost a year and acting on congratulatory reports of topical Netherton news, locally, nationally, with almost immediate dissemination the Committee agreed to continue the Site for a further year.  There would, of course, be continuance and circulation to every house of typed newsletters as need arises.

A member raised her concern over the ever increasing traffic of all types and sizes using the east end of Atherstone Avenue which services the entrance to and the exit from the Netherton residential area and then moves on in particular to the Prison, The Westwood Industrial Area, the new hospital site, Bretton and Westwood residential areas, our three very large Schools, and then again onwards to the Soke Parkway A47 and further to outside villages. 

She was of opinion that these housing estate roads were being used as the main arterial roads in and out of the City and that this use should be abated and the East end of Atherstone Avenue should be narrowed to assist in the prevention of the area being used as a rat run for smaller vehicles but positively to prevent vehicles over 7 ton from entering.    Thereby diverting heavier around the inner ring roads constructed by the Peterborough Development Corporation for that very purpose some 30 years ago.

She asked that the residents of Atherstone Ave, Wilton Drive and Ledbury Road be involved in the preparation of a petition to the City Council and to, hopefully, stimulate them, and also to invoke support of our Local Councillors in residents endeavours.

The committee agreed that this was a matter of concern and that NNA had in previous years, petitioned, but had been unsuccessful in their attempts to have this through traffic stopped when the City Council had not agreed.  Now, with this further increase in numbers and sizes of vehicles it was time to seek, at least consultation and negotiation and an on site vehicle origin and destination, or traffic count survey by the City to assess the feasibility of this proposal always bearing in mind, the next years of the Peterborough Re-generation Plans.

Eric Dent

Secretary

July 2009.

Go to top of page