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LETTERS PAGE

Posted 7th March 2011

Sunday, 20 February 2011

RE: Sawley Parish Council

To Whom It May Concern,

I have lived in Sawley for the past four years on Harrington Street. I have visited the Sawley Parish Council website a number of times and have attended monthly meetings in the past.

I’m writing this letter to give Sawley Parish Council some feedback, thoughts and suggestions from a local resident’s perspective.

Unauthorised Signage / Posters – Tamworth Road

Over the last 12 months a number of changes have occurred to shops on Tamworth Road from the Long Eaton Railway Station to The Bell Inn Public House.

I acknowledge that change is good and that we no longer have any vacant shops on Tamworth Road which is great for Sawley and local business. However, I can’t help but notice the amount of unauthorised signage that has and is currently appearing on walls, lampposts and pavements.

This does have a very negative effect and detracts from the overall street scene.

Could this matter be raised from the Parish Council to Erewash Borough Council?

Lakeside Park

Since Sawley Parish Council has adopted the Lakeside Park it has been transformed into a much improved public area.

However, I would like to point out that the chain that secures the car park as set down by planning regulations is clearly not fit for purpose and is clearly not visible during the night and dark mornings. The car park is not always closed in the specified times and on occasions I have witnessed cars gaining entry late into the night.

I have already seen on one occasion a car that turned into the car park to find the car park locked this almost resulted in a crash as the car suddenly had to break causing other to break suddenly on Tamworth Road.

A number of young people are also sitting on the chain when locked after visiting the nearby takeaway outlets.

Could an alternative option be explored for example removable bollards that can be removed during the day or pull up posts from the ground?

In addition to this the flowerbeds that have been recently created and planted are already in a poor condition from cars driving onto them whilst entering and leaving the car park. This has not been helped by recent gas/ electricity working being carried out at the neighbouring takeaway outlet. The bins from this outlet are also being parked / stored in the flowerbed / car park.

Flower Bed / Long Eaton Train Station –

I would like to also raise the condition on the flower bed outside Long Eaton Train Station, I realise that this may not sit within Sawley and may not be a Sawley Parish Council matter however, this sits at the main opening / route into Sawley.

Could this be explored with Erewash Borough Council through “The Pride In Erewash Scheme” or maybe this be sponsored by Sawley Parish Council or a local business for example Co-op. The flowerbed would create a great welcome opening appearance to Sawley for example “Welcome to Sawley”.

As this flower bed is situated right next to the only train station in Erewash surely we should aim to create much more of a welcome to visitors into the borough.

Waste Land – Co-op Tamworth Road

There is currently an area of waste land next to the Lakeside Park at the side and behind Co-op on Tamworth Road. This is currently full of rubbish and attracts a number of young people in the evening. Could this be explored by the Parish Council to see whom this land belongs to? Could this land be added to the Lakeside Park or at least tidied up?

Christmas Lights

Sawley Parish Council each year fund the Christmas lights display in Sawley. However, each year the lights go up later into December and this year remain in situ until early March. Could this be explored so that the lights are put up at the same time as the rest of the borough and are in fact checked and maintained yearly as each year fewer bulbs seem to be lit.

Marketing / Website / Notice Board

Community Leaflet –

As a resident in Sawley for 4 years I have never received any information or leaflet from the Parish Council detailing the current work Sawley Parish Council are working on and how to feedback or get involved.

Sawley Parish Council Notice Boards –

The notice board currently looks uncared for and is not regular looked after or maintained, would this notice board benefit from being moved to a much more central location within Sawley?

Website -

Various links on the parish website are not updated or no longer work for example “Events in and around Sawley” only links to the Parish Council minutes and the letters page “To view our new letter page” fails to show any letter and in fact takes you to an unrelated website.

Community Days /Activities –

A number of other local Parish Councils have recently and are intending to have a number of initiatives for the community for example a “Community Bulb Plant” where bulbs have been donated or purchased and the community have planted these in community areas / parks.

This could easily be organised within Sawley and bulbs could be planted at the Lakeside Park, Draycott Road Community Centre or the recent green area opened up near the train station for example.

Ockbrook Parish Council are planning a “Community Hanging Basket” scheme this year which also seems a great idea to enhance the street scene and to engage the community in activities to in turn benefit the overall community.

Reply to letter

Dear Mr. Aram,

Thank you for your letter and feedback. I would like to try to answer a few of your points.

1) Lakeside Park. We are awaiting the fitting of two pieces of fencing that will close the gap where the flower beds are, plus, the flower bed is being edged to prevent cars driving onto it. Only when this has been completed will we then have the flower bed put right (this is in hand) Once the fencing is up, we will then look at the chain situation. It is unlikely that we will be able to use bollards, as you suggested, due to costing.

2) With reference to the flower bed situation at the Station,. This does not fall within Sawley Parish therefore you would be better speaking to your Borough Councillor over this matter.

3) We have been trying to have the mess, behind the Co-op, cleared for some time and, unfortunately, are having problems finding whose responsibility this is.We will continue in our endeavor, as we agree with your comments

4) The company who erects the Xmas lights, do so for the whole of Derbyshire, so things do, at times, run late. The weather also plays a big part in when they go up. Having said that, the Parish Council, in light of the current financial situation, will be looking at the future of the Xmas lights later in the year.

5) Notice Boards. There are two in Sawley, one on the Monkey Park on Tamworth Rd and one at the Community Centre, Draycott Rd. With regards to re positioning the one on Tamworth Rd.. I will bring this up at the next meeting and the possibility of having them re stained. Once again this is dependant upon costs!

6) Web Site. With reference to events in Sawley. Unless people let us know what is going on, we can not include it. The same applies to letters. As yours is one of the first it will be posted.

7) Bulb Planting. There have been several lots of bulb planting in Sawley, All arranged by Pride in Erewash and planted by the Children from Sawley Infants School. These have been done on Purdy Meadows Park and Haddon Way Park. Daffodil bulbs have also been planted, by the above, at The Parish Councils request, on the small triangle of land near to the Monkey Park. Daffodil bulbs have also been planted, by the Parish Council, around all the trees that edge the new Lakeside car park (these will not flower until next year)

Over the past two years much of the Parish Councils effort's have been spent on Lakeside Park. What will happen in the future will be dependant on the financial situation. Any project will have to be done with outside contributions,as we try to keep any increases in the precept to the minimum.

Apart from Lakeside Park, the small garden on Draycott Rd and the War Memorial, Sawley Parish Council has no control,
as it is all owned by either D.C.C. or E.B.C. For instance, we are not allowed to hang anything from the lamp post. Therefore, most of the efforts will be spent in those areas

Once again thank you for your feedback and suggestions, these will be circulated to all the Councillors for their comments.

In the meantime I hope that I have managed to answer some of your concerns

Regards

Ken Johnson
Clerk to Sawley Parish Council

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