Sunday, November 30, 2008
David's "Commmunity News" Report
We’ve had a busy few months in Oliver’s Battery and Badger Farm. I’ll just try to summarise a few of the things that, together with my colleagues Charlotte Bailey and Brian Collin, I’ve been involved in.
The “Greening Oliver’s Battery” campaign has been going from strength to strength, proving that as a community we can unite to make a difference even on ‘big issues’ like global warming. The launch at Oliver’s Battery School in October was well attended by local residents and featured “The Twelve Months of Greening” as well as performances by the Brownies and children from the school. I’ll say no more about a certain sketch featuring two local councillors!
In Badger Farm we’ve had a number of issues to contend with. I attended a council Planning Sub-Committee meeting about a proposed mobile phone mast in the Ridgeway. Along with two dozen residents from St Anne’s and surrounding roads I wanted to object to this monstrosity in a residential area. Needless to say the sub-committee approved Vodafone’s application for a 10 meter tall mast over the objections of local people and local councillors. I strongly believe that issues like these should be decided locally.
We’ve had a few problems arising from the alterations to Sainsbury’s too. Residents in Harrow Down found their lives being disturbed by the constant hum from the newly sited compressor unit at the rear of Sainsbury’s building. Meanwhile residents in a different part of Harrow Down, as well as Fallowfield, are suffering from the glass smashing noises caused by the re-siting of the bottle banks. As I write this is a continuing problem and we’re looking to Sainsbury’s to prove themselves good neighbours and find a solution for this too.
So it’s been a busy few months, but I’d still like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a credit crunch-free New Year.
The “Greening Oliver’s Battery” campaign has been going from strength to strength, proving that as a community we can unite to make a difference even on ‘big issues’ like global warming. The launch at Oliver’s Battery School in October was well attended by local residents and featured “The Twelve Months of Greening” as well as performances by the Brownies and children from the school. I’ll say no more about a certain sketch featuring two local councillors!
In Badger Farm we’ve had a number of issues to contend with. I attended a council Planning Sub-Committee meeting about a proposed mobile phone mast in the Ridgeway. Along with two dozen residents from St Anne’s and surrounding roads I wanted to object to this monstrosity in a residential area. Needless to say the sub-committee approved Vodafone’s application for a 10 meter tall mast over the objections of local people and local councillors. I strongly believe that issues like these should be decided locally.
We’ve had a few problems arising from the alterations to Sainsbury’s too. Residents in Harrow Down found their lives being disturbed by the constant hum from the newly sited compressor unit at the rear of Sainsbury’s building. Meanwhile residents in a different part of Harrow Down, as well as Fallowfield, are suffering from the glass smashing noises caused by the re-siting of the bottle banks. As I write this is a continuing problem and we’re looking to Sainsbury’s to prove themselves good neighbours and find a solution for this too.
So it’s been a busy few months, but I’d still like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and a credit crunch-free New Year.