Thursday, August 23, 2007
My piece for the Community Newsletter
A few local issues to mention. First of all, I went on a inspection tour of the public areas in Badger Farm with a couple of City Council officers during July. It was a useful opportunity to look at some of the most overgrown areas and to agree action to get them sorted. Most of the planted areas in Badger Farm are owned by the County Council and are "looked after" by the County's Highways Department. Some of this work is then passed down by the County to the City Council, but with a very small maintenance budget attached to it. However, we try to make the best use of the limited funds and get the worse problems sorted. Please let me know if there are areas that are particularly overgrown and I promise to take them up with the officers concerned.
I also met with Oliver's Battery Parish Council Chairman, Geoff Sharman, and some Compton Way residents during July. The concern here was that traffic was still using the newly re-surfaced stretch of Compton Way leading down to the Recreation Ground. This is a bridleway and has been signed as "no motorised traffic". The only reason for using this stretch of pathway is for access to 52 Compton Way, which opens off of it. I'd appeal to all residents to abide by the sign and access the Rec via Priors Way...or, if able, walk!
An ongoing concern has been the future of the Tower Arts Centre. I've taken part in two demonstrations against the County's plans to transfer the management of the centre to King's School. Although the plan means that the centre will survive, it also means that its independent artistic programme will be lost. This is our local arts centre and a valuable service to our community. There is an independent website dedicated to supporting the Tower at http://savetowerarts.blogspot.com/, please take a look.
I also met with Oliver's Battery Parish Council Chairman, Geoff Sharman, and some Compton Way residents during July. The concern here was that traffic was still using the newly re-surfaced stretch of Compton Way leading down to the Recreation Ground. This is a bridleway and has been signed as "no motorised traffic". The only reason for using this stretch of pathway is for access to 52 Compton Way, which opens off of it. I'd appeal to all residents to abide by the sign and access the Rec via Priors Way...or, if able, walk!
An ongoing concern has been the future of the Tower Arts Centre. I've taken part in two demonstrations against the County's plans to transfer the management of the centre to King's School. Although the plan means that the centre will survive, it also means that its independent artistic programme will be lost. This is our local arts centre and a valuable service to our community. There is an independent website dedicated to supporting the Tower at http://savetowerarts.blogspot.com/, please take a look.
