Hon. Secretary’s Report – 2017 AGM
Once again, very many thanks to Angie (and Ib) for all their work on behalf of the Association during the past year. As you’ve already heard, there continue to be important issues that confront us and it’s so important that BPARA’s voice is heard in the community.
Angie has already reported on some of the major development projects that are of concern to the local community and how BPARA is represented on the Consortium of Bletchley Residents’ Associations at Committee level to challenge any planning applications which are felt not to be in the public interest.
I’d now like to remind members of other activities undertaken by our Committee members on your behalf.
Committee Meetings
We’ve held 1 full Committee Meeting since the last AGM – on Tuesday 14th March 2017. But in addition to this, Angie, Derek and I do our best to assist individual members with specific concerns and work with organisations such as West Bletchley Council, West Bletchley Neighbourhood Action Group, COBRA and other local Residents’ Associations.
Newsletters & Website
On behalf of the members and Committee, I would like to thank Fiona and Derek Storey, for all their work on designing the very glossy new-look Newsletters and Website. (We are, however, looking for support in maintaining regular updates for the website if any members have any time to spare!)
We have distributed 3 Newsletters during the last year – in June and in the Autumn of 2016 and in March 2017. The majority of newsletters are sent to members by email, with paper copies posted through doors for the remainder of members.
A group mentioned regularly in our Newsletters is the
West Bletchley Neighbourhood Action Group – NAG for short
These meetings are held at Lord Grey School every 5 weeks throughout the year and Angie or myself attend when we can. They’re chaired by Brenda Hart and are also attended by a representative from Thames Valley Police – currently Police Sgt. Mark Swallow – who provides valuable reports on any crimes or anti-social behaviour in the area. West Bletchley Council is also represented – currently by Councillor Felicity Cockbaine.
The main priorities for the group are monitoring Anti-social behaviour, Parking, Speeding, and Littering in WB.
The meetings serve as a useful forum for sharing information on these issues and we can raise other items which are of concern to our members.
Sensory Garden, Church Green
This time last year, Brenda Hart, in her capacity as WBNAG Chair, began a venture to refurbish the Sensory Garden on Church Green which has sadly been neglected for some time. As reported in our recent newsletters, a small group of volunteers, led by Brenda and including BPARA’s Kev and Maxine Grenville did some amazing work clearing & digging the main bed in some very hot (or sometimes cold and wet) weather. Working with Simon Rose and his colleagues at WB Council, the volunteers prepared the ground for the autumn planting of rose bushes donated by Dobbies under the Community Champions Scheme. Much of the wood fencing was sanded down and repainted and path and bed dividers were constructed by the Men in Sheds group, based in Rickley Park. The materials for this were purchased with the £100 donation from BPARA’s funds.
It’s hoped that various groups, including local primary schools, will participate in the ongoing reconstruction and maintenance of the rest of the garden and could each be responsible for different sections.
As I’ve mentioned before, with any community project, the donation of time is just as important as financial donations. If anyone here would like to become involved either by donating plants or spending an hour or two tending to the flower beds, please let me or one of the other committee members know.
Updates on Local Planning Projects
Fixing The Links
Members who attended last year’s AGM will remember the interesting presentation by Paul Hammond the Area Manager in charge of this MK Council project.
The improvements have been continuing throughout the year and are now in the final stages. Unfortunately, the recent road closures around Buckingham Road caused quite a bit of confusion and delays but traffic flows should now be back to normal. However, the temporary traffic lights outside Bletchley Station are still causing delays in Sherwood Drive.
Bunkers Crescent, Sherwood Drive
This development has now been completed and most properties sold, if not all occupied. It’s too early to assess the impact on traffic and local services.
Rickley Park
I recently discovered that West Bletchley Council’s plans for the enhancement of Rickley Park have been delayed. The favoured plan would have reduced the existing 3 football pitches to 1 and Sport England has raised an objection to this. Commencement of the work, due to start this year, has been halted, pending a resolution to the problem.
Bletchley Park Estate – G Block and the Old Canteen, Wilton Avenue
Members will be aware that, as stated in our latest newsletter, the not-for-profit organisation, Qufaro, is planning to develop both these sites as the National College of Cyber Security. This would be a college for 16-19 year old students to be opened in the autumn of 2018. Qufaro – according to a search on Wikipedia – is a consortium of 4 different organisations – The Raytheon Company (a major US defence contractor) BT Security, the UK-based Institute of Information Security Professionals and the National Museum of Computing. There was no mention of the involvement of Bletchley Park Capital Partners, who currently own both sites.
BPARA members can keep up-to-date with developments by logging on to the Qufaro site and the Committee will also monitor events over the next few months.
Planning Application for the demolition of outbuildings and the erection of a bungalow at Fennella in Park Gardens – a cul-de-sac adjacent to Bletchley Park (16/03355/FUL)
This application, objected to by residents of Park Gardens, was permitted by MK Council earlier this year, subject to conditions.
However, permission to develop the site was given despite there being some dispute over the actual extent of the site and concerns over the parking of vehicles on the privately maintained road. There is also the possibility that emergency services vehicles could be prevented from freely accessing the area. This road does lead to an old gate to BP which is normally kept locked but never-the-less could be used in exceptional circumstances.
And sadly I have to report the deaths, since our last AGM, of
Mr. M Carney of Church Green Road, long-standing and much-missed BPARA Committee member, Keith Tooley and finally,
Barbara Symons, who had moved to Penzance in 2010.
We learnt of Barbara’s death from her son, Jon Symons – a past Treasurer of BPARA – who wrote with fond memories of his mother, a teacher and later headmistress of Church Green Road School in the 1960’s. I hope to reproduce his memories of Bletchley in that period in the next newsletter.
Other Items:
- This year’s West Bletchley Carnival is to be held between 12-5pm on Saturday 10th June with the usual procession down Whaddon Way from Melrose Avenue to Rickley Park. It has the title “The Good Ole Days”.
- Also in June, on 17th, Mr & Mrs. Hale of 126 Church Green Road, will be opening their garden to the public under the National Gardens Scheme.
