resident from the High Street, who is actively encouraging the relief pipe to be laid under his property. This scheme is well under way in the planning stages and is expected to be completed later this year. Another initiative is to collect the large volume of rainwater that comes from London Way as it meets Back Lane and direct it to a ditch running parallel to Royston Road, thus preventing surface water from entering the drainage, and relieving pressure on the system. The Parish Council have also been in discussion with the current owners of the Old Police site in the High Street, an area that has often seen some of the worst flooding as a result of surface water in the village. The plan, which has been agreed in principle with the County Highways, the owners of the Police site and the Village College, is to place a relief drain pipe across the site into the school playing fields, where it would eventually meet the brook near the old library building. This drainage plan has the potential for storm relief at the most vulnerable point in the drainage system. Work is expected to start in November.
Traffic problems Speeding traffic has been an ongoing problem for residents for many years. Discussions are taking place with County Highways to see what measures can be put in place and what budgets are likely to be required. Many possible solutions have been pursued in the past, but we have been fortunate that the County Highways have considered the potential of each suggestion we have put forward. It would be fair to say, in partnership with the Parish Council they will help put favourable ones into action.
New Recreation ground play areas An ongoing request from younger members of the village has resulted in the upgrade of the skateboard ramp in The Moor play area. This was precepted for a number of years, and this year has seen the work come to fruition. The new ramp is a great addition to the play area and is well used by young people. Following some graffiti damage on the existing ramp, it has now had a makeover and some damaged areas repaired. A new landing balcony will be incorporated, joining the two ramps together. The Parish Council is delighted to see the One-on-One basketball arena remains popular and widely used by young people. The shelter (mushroom) has also had a new coat of paint. There have been a number of suggestions, that we incorporate a proper BBQ area with additional picnic benches in the QEII New Recreation ground. We would appreciate your thoughts on this. The pavilion has also had a face-lift to the front (painted and re-rendered due to graffiti and fire damage). The inside has been cleaned and has had a complete electrical upgrade including hand driers, new cooker, and better shower facilities for football clubs. The Parish Council now also employs a regular cleaner for this facility. The ‘free’ walls to the side of the pavilion are still available
to be used as ‘graffiti’ walls. We are also looking for a new display project to be shown on the back wall. The pavilion, recently painted, has yet again become the focus of vandalism. The front of the building has had graffiti sprayed on the newly painted area. A number of brick pillars at the front of the building have also been painted. It seems, not content with the two walls given specifically for graffiti, these vandals also feel the need to damage the front of the building as well. The Parish Council is considering various options to prevent this sort of situation in the future. And sadly, not everyone in the village appreciates the work carried out in QEII New Recreation ground. The ‘mushroom’, which was recently painted as mentioned earlier, was been damaged within days of its makeover. Someone took a knife and scraped away the new paint.
The QEII Fields in Trust update In the last issue of the magazine we mentioned the Queen Elizabeth II Fields in Trust. We are delighted to tell you that four of the sites mentioned in the article are now officially QEII Fields. These are: The New Recreation Ground, Stockbridge Meadows, Clear Crescent and The BMX site. A number of questions from residents have been raised since the article, including: What is the QEII Fields in Trust? Why are we putting our open spaces into a trust? Which open spaces can be protected? Who owns the land once it is protected and how much is it costing the village?
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In answer, here is a brief history The Fields in Trust was founded in 1925 by King George V, as the National Playing Fields Association. The aim was to ensure that ‘Everyone – young or old, able or disabled and wherever they live – should have access to free, local outdoor space for sport, play and recreation.’ In 2012, in order to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Queen Elizabeth II Fields Challenge was set up, operated by Fields in Trust. As a permanent living legacy of this great event, the QEII challenge will help protect 2012 outdoor recreational spaces, such as sports pitches, woodlands, children’s play areas, gardens, bicycle trails and parks.
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