Planning Applications
(View these at Stoke.gov.uk/planning)
Phone Mast – Hartshill Business Park
There were objections to the extension period for its present siting from both this Residents’ Association and from Basford and Cliff Vale as well as from several residents immediately confronted by the monster. The application is granted for a further six months but the mast must be removed by 23 January 2014.
Former St Dominic’s School site
This development for 23 houses,6 bungalows and a nursery in the existing school buildings was approved on 17 July.
Dyson Industries site
Outline Planning Permission for no more than 111 houses, together with retail units was approved on 5 July.
Former HSS Hire Shop – MOT and Tyres
This application has been refused.
Creative Support 1 Longfield Road
Two additional car parking spaces
Ritchies Catering Warehouse.
Demolition and replacement with a retail unit and 6 semi-detached houses.
Hospital Developments
A meeting with representatives of UHNS on 7 August gave an update on developments on all three sites and the number and frequency of shuttle buses and their impact on Ashlands Road was considered. There is an ongoing review of the latter over the next few months which may reduce the frequency, but is unlikely to do so at peak times. The buses use two different routes within the City General site, serving different buildings, which may explain why two buses follow each other at a very short interval. The buses transport over 9,000 staff each week between the sites. Drivers are instructed to show courtesy to residents and to allow them to exit their drives.
Two new car parks for visitors with 170 spaces have been opened on the City General site. More signage is promised to distinguish visitors’ parking from that for staff. Though planning permission for smoking shelters has been received, it is unlikely that they will be built, being contrary to national guidelines which oppose smoking on hospital premises. This of course means the continuation of staff littering the pavements around the entrances.
The COPD demolition continues and the application to use the site for an additional, but temporary car park until 2015 has been granted, subject to the UHNS agreeing to conditions covering the use of the CCTV cameras, which will be masked to prevent them covering residents’ properties and of the lighting columns. The car parks are intended for day time use only and the lighting should not be required after about 6pm,since staff working nights are expected to use the car parks at the City General site.
Moorcroft Centre
The former GP surgery on Longfield Road has become a Day Centre offering a personalised service for older people, including those with dementia, and adults with physical disabilities. The Centre was opened on 25th July by Tristram Hunt MP.
The service is operated by Creative Support - a not-for-profit provider with charitable status - and commissioned by the City Council. The charity has invested its resources into the centre in order to offer the local community a friendly and supportive alternative to a traditional day service. The service aims to provide social interaction and activities to address social isolation and enhance physical and mental wellbeing for those that attend. It is a place for people to relax and participate in a wide variety of centre-based and community activities which will be developed in accordance with the interests and wishes of the individuals attending the centre.
The centre will cater for up to 12 people and transport is available for those who require it.
Helen Broadhurst is the Service Manager and can be contacted on 01782 620553 or by email
Friends of Hartshill Park
The Friends of Hartshill Park have held two very successful events recently as part of the
Community Spaces Sustainability Grant. The first was a Moth Night on Friday 5 July led by Dave Grundy from Birmingham. He told us that this was the best time of the year to see moths, although it meant that it would be late into the night before there would be much to see. Five traps were set and over 400 moths collected for identification. These were categorised into 90 species,
The second event on Wednesday 10 July was the visit of 60 children from The Willows to the Convent Pools to pond dip and hunt for insects (mini-beasts). The pond dipping took place in both the Top Convent Pool and in the Middle Pool restored a year ago. This gave us the opportunity to see how quickly the Middle Pool could be colonised and what the first species would be. As expected the Top Pool, some 200 years older, provided a far more varied collection – newts; a ramshorn snail; great diving and whirligig beetles; water boatmen and water lice – compared to the new pool which had none of the above – only freshwater shrimps, bloodworms and water fleas.
The next Event will be a Bat Night on Friday 6 September led by Suzanne Wykes.
Throughout September we shall be planting spring bulbs in the Convent Pools area. If you would like to give us a hand contactReg Edwards.
PACT
(Partners and Communities Together)
Meetings are held monthly on Mondays at the North Staffs Conference Centre, beginning at 6.45pm and all residents are welcome. The next meeting on 2 September will feature Matthew Ellis, Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner. On 7 October John van de Laarschott will be speaking. On 4 November Sergeant Martin Stevenson will describe the Police’s innovative measures to deter re-offending which brought the Home Secretary here to see how it works. The meetings are also an opportunity to question your local councillors and policing team.
HAHO
(Hartshill and Harpfields Occasions)
Community Events
On May 28 we were thrilled to be able to host the legendary BBC Radio 4 programme, Gardeners’ Question Time. Nearly two hundred residents, and visitors from as far afield as Birmingham and Macclesfield came to Harpfield Primary Academy to be entertained by chairman Eric Robson and experts Chris Beardshaw, Matt Biggs and Christine Walkden. About 20 residents were called on to ask questions for the two programmes recorded, one broadcast in June and one in July.
On 30 June we held the second Canine Capers on Hartshill Park. Our fun dog show attracted an entry of 30 dogs and three times that many spectators. The judges were led by Val Bambrick and Margaret Bradshaw and the winners received medals and rosettes designed by Royce Bambrick.
Saturday July 27 saw our third Green Summer Fair. Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Majid Khan and his daughter Sameeya, the Deputy Lady Mayoress, together with the Cabinet Member for Environmental issues, Councillor Andy Platt, attended and visited the stalls and displays. 66 organisations were represented and the Co-operative Foodstore in Hartshill donated a generous hamper of Fairtrade and organic products which was won by local resident Linda Holt.
Around 500 people were present on the day, visitors, stallholders, suppliers or helpers. A team of local residents worked hard to ensure smooth running. The Residents’ Association’s new mugs, featuring local artist Sally Mancell’s“Hartshill High Street” design sold well.and our official photographer on the day was Richard Redshaw.
HAHO thanks the North Staffordshire Medical Institute for allowing the use of the Conference Centre. Councillors Conteh and Pender and officers of the City Council gave invaluable assistance and we are especially grateful for the Community Events funding received from the City Council and the financial support from Councillor Pender’s Ward Budget.
Councillor’s Column
Shaun Pender writes:
Within Hartshill and Basford I have been involved with the two new housing developments on Shelton New Road and the former St Dominic’s site to make sure that both meet the concerns of the community. I have made a representation against the extension requested for the temporary phone mast on Shelton New Road and while this has been granted it is clear that it will be removed in January. I have worked closely with HAHO to help plan the events which have taken place and to help fund some through the ward budget. Similarly I have funded a football programme that has been delivered at St Peter’s and one at Basford Park. The ongoing issues in the ward – parking and traffic – aggravated by the unavoidable continuing hospital development have been the subject of meetings with council officers and the hospital and together with Councillor Conteh I am working on ways to ease the problems.
On a personal note I was appointed Cabinet member for Education in May. My principal objective is to bring about changes that will enable the City’s young people to achieve levels of attainment to match at least the national average. One of the ways in which this can be brought about is to redesign the service so that schools work in collaboration with each other and also more closely with other stakeholders.
Local Organisations
Penkhull and District Townswomen’s Guild
Are you looking for a new interest, are lonely and wishing to meet new friends, then the Guild may be just what would appeal to you.
We meet once a month in the Minton Centre on the first Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm, except in August and December when we meet for a meal at a local venue.
Our meetings are varied and we try to include a wide range of interests, with guest speakers, quizzes or a social event. We arrange theatre trips, a shopping trip in November and take part in events organised by the North Staffs Federation of Guilds. We are happy to welcome ladies of all ages and are always looking for new ideas.
Visitors are always welcome to attend our meetings at a cost of £2.50 and if you would like to know more please ring Pauline Wallbank on 01782 617152 who would be delighted to help.
Minton Beer Festival
The third Minton Beer Festival will be held in the Minton Centre from Wednesday 25 September to Saturday 28 September.
National Heritage Weekend
14-15 September
Jordan White will be undertaking his Hartshill Heritage Walk on Saturday 14