Better late.....!

Two   (actually it was three!) years ago this build-out was constructed on the corner of St Mary's Square and Southgate Street. The trouble was that the original yellow lines got covered as a result. You might think that no sane person would park there, and be right. But the lines were still needed to emphasise the contour of the road and help slow traffic by keeping it on the road and off the build-out.

This week the lining throughout the Southgate Corridor was refreshed, and I and residents are delighted with the result. I could say a lot more, but I will just refer you to the title of this post and be thankful!

29-31 Southgate Street

Following the piling earler this month the ground works look set (excuse the pun) for the lorryloads of concrete which will surely soon be poured over. I wonder when the rear wall of the old building will be knocked down.

"Green lung" threatened

Scroll down a short distance to see my post about the plan to turn a garden path area into car parking. In support of residents living opposite who have objected, I have called this in for determination by the Development Control committee.

For more details click here...

Maynewater Lane flats

Following a presentation from local residents I am recommending the following:

1. All trees recommended for removal should be replaced with appropriate species, to create high quality screens between the development and existing properties, especially those in Harrington Close/Sextons Meadows.

2. There should be no balcony at number five, nor elsewhere if neighbouring properties would be overlooked.

3. All green/amenity spaces should be protected from antisocial parking, e.g. by bollards.

4. More dedicated parking spaces should be created, including designated visitor parking.

If this application gets as far as the Development Control committee, then I am advised it will not be until their March meeting at the earliest.

New year, new planning applications...

Here is the first of two interesting applications in Abbeygate to be decided in the new year. It is part of a proposal to convert the upper floors of 6 Angel Hill into two residential apartments, and is described as "alteration to parking area". This seems odd, since there is currently no vehicular access from Lower Baxter Street let alone a "parking area". In fact the location consists of a pedestrian access in the centre and a shrubbery of mainly Laurel where the parking is planned.

 

 

Is this a handy way to keep a couple of future residential occupants' cars off the road or the destruction of a small green lung in the heart of the town alongside a very tricky entrance for a car to negotiate? One of my electors certainly thinks the latter. What do you think?

 

 

The second application is for 14 2/3 storey flats on the area known as the former Linnet service station at the bottom of Maynewater Lane, shown below. Some residents of Harrington Close may be concerned at any loss of light or view, but others may be delighted at the prospect of the area's regeneration.

Find out more about both applications by clicking the website address below and inputting each of the the respective planning application references: SE/11/1432 and SE/11/1475. Then click "search" and the same number where it appears on the second page to show all the documents currently available.

http://www.stedmundsbury.gov.uk/swiftlg/apas/run/wphappcriteria.display

A Happy Christmas to you and a Happy New Year.

I suppose I should soon add 2012 to the copyright notice which has been at the bottom of every page since this website was started.

Free parking in Bury?

One of the recommendations of Mary Portas' report is that councils should consider making their parking offer more attractive, even considering free parking. Would this work for Bury?

My personal view is that since car parking numbers continue to increase, and space is limited, the council have probably got the charges about right. There has also been due consideration given to creating short stay parking to encourage a turnover of spaces.

The council clearly gain a considerable income from car parking, and having invested £4m into the underground car park that would seem reasonable. More importantly, the report begs the question: should all council tax payers subsidise parking for those who visit from elsewhere?

But this is only one of 28 recommendations, many of which are for government to consider.

See the full report by clicking here