Yesterday, I sent my latest Echo as below to my Ward distribution list of local residents. Please let me know if you would like to be included in future distributions.

 

Local Issues

Since my last Elstow, Stewartby and Kempston Hardwick Echo, here are just a small number some of the issues I have progressed, sometimes with the help of the relevant Parish Council:

Elstow

a)     Bus service for Abbey Fields – I am very pleased to report that the new bus service is still building up its numbers and some bus stops are in place. I had a meeting with the relevant Borough Council Officer on Thursday 10th October to catch up on its progress and look at how it can be expanded. He agreed to discuss peak time services with the operator.

b)    Grass and weed cutting in Wilstead Road – Despite mine and the Parish Chair’s best efforts, this is still an ongoing issue. In an effort to finally resolve this, I arranged a site visit on Thursday 17th October for the Parish Chair and me with Borough Council Officers. Plans are being put in place to deal with the encroachment of weeds and grass onto the sandy footpath.

c)     Wixams Development in Elstow Parish area – I attended the exhibition held on Tuesday 22nd, October by the applicants of an “Extra Care Village” on the Elstow Parish area of Wixams. I am relaxed about it as it is a good use of the land from Elstow’s point of view and the Borough needs this sort of care home in the south of the Borough i.e. Extra Care. But just as importantly if built, it makes any further waste planning applications at Elstow South extremely difficult to get through any Planning Committee or Inspector Appeal due to the care home’s proximity to Elstow South.

d)    War Memorial in Elstow – With the support of the Parish Council, I successfully asked the Old Lower School developers to clean this up in time for the Remembrance Day Service this Sunday.

e)     Abandoned Car on Pear Tree View green – I have asked for the abandoned Corsa to be removed.

f)     Street lights in Bayham Close not working – I successfully asked for these to be repaired.

 

Stewartby

a)     Parking outside Marston Vale Middle School – After much debate and discussion, the current proposal is that the bus bays will be extended to the length of the School and that double yellow lanes will be painted outside the driveways of 1-4, The Crescent. The scheme is likely to be installed in the Feb 14 half term.

b)    Speeding and over-weight-limit vehicles on Manor Road, Kempston Hardwick – I am planning to consult local residents soon on a proposal for a road-narrowing scheme to the east of Askern House. The aim of this is to make the vehicles that break the speed limit slow down and those that break the weight limit to not be able to get through. We obviously need to make sure that emergency vehicles can still get access. Given the low number of properties affected, it is not financially viable to install permanent speed cameras.

c)     Travellers on Brickmakers Arms – Residents advised me last week that an illegal encampment had been set up. I immediately contacted relevant Borough officers asking for action to ensure the travellers were evicted as soon as possible and that extra preventative measures are put in. I have been told today that this traveller group are now on the old access road to the Interchange Retail Park. Extra preventative measures have been put in on the Brickmakers Arms and will be on the access road once the travellers have been evicted from there.

d)    Kerbing of roads on the Sir Malcolm Stewart Homes estate – Residents have reported to me that some of the kerbing needs repairing. At my request, this will be done soon.

e)     Car theft in Stewartby – Residents have raised their concerns with me at the number of recent car thefts in the village. I have advised them to always ring 101 as well. I have asked the local police to view the footage from the parish CCTV system.

 

My Borough Council Ward Fund for 2013/14

I have so far allocated funds for:

Elstow

–       Elstow Brook Preventative measures.

–       No Verge Parking scheme in Bunyans Mead and High Street. Elstow Parish Council is also contributing to this scheme.

–       20’s Plenty signs on Abbey Fields and High Street.

–       Clearance of the old pill box at the B&Q development.

–       Bicycle racks at Elstow Lower School.

–       Traffic Survey in Wilstead Road – Funding requirement to be confirmed.

–       Traffic Survey in Abbey Fields – Funding requirement to be confirmed.

 

Stewartby

–       Bollards on Churchill Close.

–       Average Speed Cameras Scheme in Stewartby Way.

–       20’s Plenty sign on The Crescent.

–       20’s Plenty sign on Park Crescent.

–       White “H-lines” outside driveways in 1-4, The Crescent.

 

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