Around 40 local residents attended our regular Oldfield PACT (Public) Meeting took place on Wednesday 10th March 2010 at Moorlands Infant School, Moorfields Road.

These local residents were joined by two of our local Police team (PC Mark Brain and PCSO Paul Spreadbury), representatives from Somer Housing and your local Councillors, Will and Shaun. In addition, the President of the Students’ Union at the University of Bath attended with the new Community Liaison Coordintor from the Student Community Partnership, which I set up (well the Student Liaison Committee, which was renamed the SCP).

Firstly, we discussed the progress in tackling the priorities from the last meeting. Then those present were asked for their priorities, which were voted on. The following three top priorities were agreed at the meeting:

o Parking problems outside St John’s RC Primary School. Parents parking on zig-zags, pavement parking and double yellow lines.

o Student’s behaviour on St Kilda’s Road.

o Reduce the number of ‘To Let’ signs on houses of multiple occupancy.

In addtion at the meeting we heard about the ‘Oldfield Park Growing Together’ project.

We shall together with the Police now work towards resolving these issues and report back at the next PACT meeting scheduled for 6.30pm on 7th July 2010 at St Alphage’s Hall, Oldfield Lane, Bath.

The long-awaited amendments to the two Orders relating to HMOs have at last been published. You can find them as follows -

Use Classes Order at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2010/uksi_20100653_en_1 (this sets up a new Class C4: HMOs, and defines HMO as in the Housing Act 2004);

General Permitted Development Order at http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2010/uksi_20100654_en_1 (this allows a HMO to return to a dwellinghouse, without planning permission).

Also good news from Plymouth, Cllr Shaun McGall has found out that Halifax Building Society recently refused a buy to let mortgage in the city due to the impending legislation in April.

It’s great that the new play equipment is being installed this month, but there is now the opportunity for some new covered seating to be provided too!

We’ve done some initial consultation (with some park users and local residents) and there is a generally positive response, but a few people have raised concerns about any potential misuse of the community seating area. As a result Will and Shaun have got the local Police on the case along with Sam, the Council’s Outreach Youth Worker and the Parks Department.

So far we have spoken with over 40 adults and young people but we’re adding some consultation to the start of the Oldfield / Moorfields PACT public meeting this coming Wednesday. We don’t know exactly what the seating area will look like yet or where it will be, but it could look like any of these:

The doors open at 6pm to get your views about where seating could be put and what it could look like. The main PACT Meeting starts at 6:30 on Wednesday 10th March at Moorland s Infants. This is not part of the consultation, but to find out more about the regular PACT public meeting click here.

If you can’t make the meeting, please let us know your views (good or bad) about what the seating could look like and where it could be. Please email: oldfieldbath@googlemail.com

Following a review of all secondary schools in the local authority, a secondary school strategy was unanimously agreed by Full Council and Cabinet in 2008. The strategy identifies Keynsham and Bath as the areas where changes need to take place. The Council is consulting on these proposals, and will make a final decision on changes in July.

The public has already told the Council they want more co-education places and improved facilities. Although we already have some of best Schools in the country, we must continue to improve of school buildings and give our young people the best possible environment in which to learn.

What this means for Bath(proposals for Keynsham are at the end of this post)
In Bath, the proposal is to further raise standards and improve the quality of schools buildings, reduce the number of schools with surplus places and create the right size schools which are educationally and financially viable. The proposal will increase the number of co-educational places available. Steps will also be taken to make sure there are sufficient church school places and that parents still have the option to send their child to a single sex school.

No changes are proposed to Beechen Cliff and Hayesfield Schools which will provide the choice of single sex boys and girls places for parents. No changes are proposed to Ralph Allen and St Gregory’s Catholic College.

To achieve the overall strategy for Bath, Oldfield, Culverhay and St Mark’s will be closed and two new schools will be opened.

Information on the counsultation process can be found below:
Read the rest of this entry.

Partners and Communities Together (PACT) gives you a chance to meet the local Police team, your local councillors, Will and Shaun, and influence priorities in our neighbourhood.

It will be held at Moorlands Infants School, Moorfields Road, and start at 6.30pm. Please come along to discuss any issues of concern you may have in your community.

Current public priorities were established on 4th November 2010:

1. Problems with residents of the flats on Poplar Close and Monksdale Road;
2. Street Cleansing, state of the pavements;
3. Speeding on First, Second and Third Avenues, Oldfield Lane, and King Edward Road. Potential implementation of a One Way system?

If you are untable to attend, but want to voice your local priorities or issues, please email us at: oldfieldbath@googlemail.com

Quite often there has been bad press arising regarding the relationship between students and permanent residents in Oldfield Park. In order to help remedy this and improve the relationship between permanent residents and students in this area, the charity V Inspired, the Council, University of Bath and Bath Spa University’s Students’ Unions have created a project that aims to do just that.

The project, run by a core volunteer group of 4 students, seeks to match underutilised student household gardens with permanent residents who wish to grow their own food (responding to a local lack of allotments). The proposal is for a research project that will lead to a pilot scheme, designed and delivered by the volunteer group working in and with the community.

Currently being carried out is research into the market by distributing questionnaires, and semi structured interviews to determine the likely supply of gardens and also estimated demand for growing space in the community. The group are also attending local community meetings and collaborating with similar schemes that already exist such as the Bath Area Garden Share (part of Transition Bath) and Bath Organic Group, and taking inspiration from existing garden share schemes such as the one in Totnes, Devon.

The aim of this part of the project is to find out if it is feasible within the Oldfield Park area. If it is found to be feasible, by the middle of April it is hoped that two gardens will be being piloted with members of the local community using student gardens to plant their vegetables in, just in time for the recommended planting season!

If you feel your garden has a good space that someone could grow their veggies in please contact us!! If you are interested in getting involved or would like more information please email: op.growers@googlemail.com

Between 2pm and 9.45pm on Saturday 9th May, unknown person/s have gained entry to a dwelling via an insecure ground floor window, and removed property from within.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the Police on 0845 456 7000. Alternatively you could contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

The Planning Inspectorate has allowed the appeal against the Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a single new dwelling to be built in rear garden of existing property at 3 Cedar Grove, Englishcombe Park.

For more information please contact Cllr Sandry or Cllr McGall.