Notes from meeting on 4th May 2018
Black Firs Park in Somerford
Planning application 16/5156C Land off Black Firs Lane and Chelford Road – 170 houses plus associated works
Site Visit @ 1.30pm
Present – Mr Andrew Taylor Planning Director of David Wilson Homes North West, Cllr G Bell, Cllr R Crookes, Cllr S Hughes and Mrs J Mason Clerk.
The curtilage of the site was walked with Mr A Taylor, in relation to the findings of the Parish Council and comments made by local neighbours around the site. The Show house was now officially open and the entrance to the site completed. The ‘garden effect’ had been removed and grassed over. The walk began from Chelford Road down Black firs Lane.
The points raised were as follows;
- The general housekeeping outside the site had slipped. There was evidence of signs fallen over, litter and debris in the hedgerow. There was a post left by the hedgerow which had been mentioned before. The blue signs also needed attention. There was debris around the noticeboard which needed clearing.
- There were a few gaps in the hedgerow and the construction entrance seemed to may be wider than it should have been. It was suggested that the missing hedge was replanted at this time as it was the best time of year.
AT agreed to look at the landscape plan and see if the entrance was too wide and would replace the hedgerow if this was the case.
- Hardcore had been laid on one side of the road but there was no evidence of any other works.
AT stated this was due to Cheshire East highways as they still had not come back to conduct a site walk to agree a road improvement plan. The site visit would lead to the road improvements along the lane and then the grass verge replant. CE Highways had told the Clerk this was not the case the visit was completed.
The Chairman and Clerk would investigate. AT assured the PC when the road was completed he would reinstate the verges.
- The 40mph sign was twisted and needed attention.
- Kerb stones had been installed which finished with a right-angle edge and which to be finished with a dropped kerbstone.
- At the site entrance adjacent to the show houses, the line of the development did not follow the hedge line with the result that decorative block paving and a flower-box were on the verge. This was not acceptable and needed changing.
AT would review the plan.
- The site soil mound was showing evidence of the weeds which would get worse if not treated and cause issues for the residents.
AT would take some actions.
- Verge maintenance
AT would ensure all verges were actioned after the road had been improved.
- The road works were questioned as the PC thought it was all completed.
AT stated it was BT Openreach and they had no powers on the works they were carrying out at this stage. The clerk would query with CE.
Further enquiries by the chairman revealed that BT had decided to install new ducting along the length of Black Firs Lane due to the overall development in the area and the poor state of the existing cabling which was a constant source of irritation. This would enable fibre optic cabling to be provided to both developments (Black Firs Park and Radnor Grange) and existing properties on Black Firs Lane.
Meeting closed at 2.30pm