Tanworth in Arden Residents and Neighbourhood Watch Association

Have you Signed the Petition to Save Earlswood Co-op?

The Midcounties Co-op has put Earlswood Stores on the market. The fate of the Post Office is not known.

Our sister organisation, Earlswood and Forshaw Heath Residents Association, has launched an online petition to try to save the shop.

Many Tanworth residents have already contacted us to say that they value this facility greatly and would not welcome having to travel further afield for convenience purchases.

To read more and sign the petition follow the link below:

http://chng.it/8KrbXPgt

(Source: Earlswood Residents)

NDP Consultation Ends on 27 March

Tanworth Parish Council has announced that the draft Neighbourhood Development Plan will begin a formal pre-submission public consultation at 10am on Monday 10 February until 5pm on Friday 27 March 2020.

Copies of the draft NDP may be viewed online at www.tanworth-pc.org.uk or emailed to residents on request to Julie White, Parish Clerk, on 01564 703200.

Paper copies may be viewed at the Parish Office (rear of Earlswood Village Hall) Monday to Friday between 10am & midday or at St Mary Magdalene Church, Tanworth.

Comments should be submitted via a “response form”.

These forms will be available on the website, via e-mail or at the Parish Office or St Mary Magdalene Church.

(Source: Tanworth Parish Council)

Delay to Broad Lane Closure

Further major road works planned by Severn Trent Water have been delayed because the upgrade on the A435 has not been completed.

No date has been set for the work on Broad Lane to begin.

Work was to have started on 6 January in three stages.

Phase One will involve road closure around the junction with Aspley Heath and Rushbrook Lane.

Phase Two will move towards Vicarage Hill with Phase Three moving along towards the junction with The Common.

Severn Trent is making good progress with its work to replace mains water pipes along Tom Hill, Butts Lane, Doctor’s Hill and The Green. This has meant major traffic disruption in the village for many weeks with temporary traffic lights and Road Closures. Pedestrians will be unaffected.

(Source: Severn Trent)

Anti-Social Behaviour

Earlswood, in particular, has been plagued for some time by anti-social behaviour around The Lakes. Often drugs are involved.

Tanworth Parish Council and Earlswood Residents Association have lobbied Warwickshire Police to take action for some time. Recently they have discovered that sometimes residents have reported a problem but it has not been logged by the police.

The Parish Council, therefore, asks residents, when they have called 101 or otherwise notified the police about anti-social behaviour anywhere in the parish that they should also let the Parish Council know so it can ensure that the complaint is logged and followed up.

Please telephone 703200 or email: office@tanworth-pc.org.uk.

(Source: Tanworth Parish Council)

Every Wednesday at the Village Hall

Since early July Tanworth Village Hall has opened its doors every Wednesday afternoon to enable the community to come together and join in gentle leisure pursuits.

Initially, the hall committee wished to establish if there was sufficient demand to warrant heating the hall throughout the winter months to justify such activities continuing. Demand has been such that the doors remain open. Residents have been able to enjoy Bingo, Draughts (the game not a chill!), a game called ‘Frustration’(It is well named) and to stimulate memories with playing cards and the occasional quiz.

In the summer we enjoyed a little light piano playing from a young talented teenager now back at school. We would welcome any local resident to come along and entertain us at the keyboard.

Doors open every Wednesday afternoon at 2.30pm and close between 4.30pm and 5.00pm depending upon the state of games at the time. Refreshments in the form or tea or coffee with biscuits are provided in exchange for a small donation.

All are welcome, do come along and meet old friends and make some new ones.

(Source: Tony Dixon)

How To Submit Your Views On A Planning Application

A resident has suggested it might be useful to set out in detail how to comment on a current planning application.

The conventional way is to write to Stratford District Council at Elizabeth House, Stratford Upon Avon CV37 6HX quoting the relevant number currently 18/00000/FUL followed by some letters which describe the kind of Application.

The planners tend to disregard loads of letters that are all in the same style or use the same form of words.

The much easier way that allows residents to view plans and the comments of others is to go to the SDC website:

https://www.stratford.gov.uk/

Scroll down and click once on Planning And Building

That opens an E Planning option

Click on that and then choose View Planning Applications

You are now on the main E Planning System page.

Put the 18/02392/REM application number in and you can then browse the history and relevant documents relevant to the current Cank Farm application.

On the right hand side is Comment. You than have access to a pro forma where you can type in comments.

Be very careful to ensure that you tick the relevant option – Support, No Representation or Object

Hope this is helpful

(Source: Barry Stephens and Tom Ross)

Could You Be a School Governor?

Tanworth School and Nursery is looking for a local resident to serve as a school governor. That person does not have to have an existing connection with the school.

Some of the existing governors are parents who, despite all the demands of having a young family and, usually, full-time jobs, are prepared to give up their precious time to bring their unique perspective to running our school and nursery. Other governors have an education background and are able to use that experience to help shape and monitor the learning that we offer.

Equally important are those who can bring a strong business background and experience to the governor role.

The Chairman of the Governors thinks such business experience is essential if the headteacher and her staff are to be able to focus on helping our children to learn and achieve their best.

Anyone with a business background, particularly in commercial accounting or financial management, or in buildings and asset management, either from the private or public sector, whether retired or nearing the end of a career, is particularly asked to consider becoming a school governor.

For more information contact Bob Perks on 07891 432881 or e-mail him at perks_robert@hotmail.co.uk. Note that is perks underscore Robert.

(Source: Tanworth School)

Neighbourhood Watch Matters

Your Chief Co-ordinator, Tony Dixon, recently reported these conclusions from a recent Neighbourhood Watch meeting he attended:

128 reported crimes were reported in the parish of Tanworth in Arden during first five months of 2018. June figures are not yet available. This compares with 105 in the same period of 2017 – an increase of 22%.

2017 itself saw an increase of 7% over 2016.

It is vital that residents report all crimes to ensure the authorities get an accurate picture of all the crimes being committed.

Burglaries in our parish for May 2018 are 24% up on June 2017, vehicle crime is up 16%, and anti social behaviour is up 18%.

In 59% of cases no suspects have been identified and, accordingly, no further action is being taken in respect of these crimes.

Police resources are stretched everywhere and, as ever, they are reliant upon good on the ground information being fed to them by the ever watchful residents of the Parish.

The advice from the police is that when residents see something out of the usual make a note of numbers, descriptions, perhaps take a photo with your ever handy phone and relay this information to the police on 101. This is the number to ring when residents do not believe an actual crime is in process. If a crime is in process ring 999.

Some of the residents in neighbouring villages are following suspect vehicles around their patches with mobile phone pictures.

WHILST THIS CAN BE USEFUL THE ADVICE IS NEVER PUT YOURSELF INTO A POSITION OF DANGER.

Tony observes that Claverdon are very active in their fight against local crime and are in the process of trying to raise sufficient funds to establish a scheme of Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras on the various roads which enter the village, they are investigating the option to create a charity, (gift aid benefits) but need to raise between £40,000 and £50,000 to establish the scheme.

This equates to about £30 per household if Tanworth Parish was to try something along similar lines, BUT we have more roads and lanes so costs may be double that figure, if we were to go along similar lines.

Elsewhere, Tony notes Neighbourhood Watches continue to encourage residents to receive the crime messages issued by the police and in some instances they relay these around small groups of e-mail addresses. See elsewhere on this site how to sign up for these messages.

In Tanworth we suggest the quickest way to receive information is to get it direct from the police, to wait for it to be re-transmitted from your Watch simply loses time in the receipt to such information.

Finally, where is the best place to park your car overnight? The advice is in a locked Garage.

Is your Garage full with other household items? Then leave your keys out of range of wireless signals, or risk your car disappearing over night from your drive!

(Source: Tony Dixon)

Community Bus Service

UBUS is a dial-a-ride community transport service operating within Stratford District.

It is available to anyone in the district who struggles to access public transport due to mobility issues, health problems or who lives in an area with no, or infrequent, public transport.

UBUS will collect passengers from their door, drop them off at their destination, pick up again at the agreed point and drop off back at home. Drivers can assist passengers to get on & off the bus and will help with up to 3 shopping bags or a trolley if necessary. All UBUS vehicles can accommodate a wheelchair.

Depending on where residents live in the district a single journey costs between £2.10 and £3.40. Return journeys from £4.20 to £6.80. Residents living in an Orbit property are eligible for a 60p discount on their journey.

Sadly, bus passes are not accepted and travel can only be within the district so, for example, trips to Redditch and Solihull are not permitted. It is available weekdays only. Passengers can only travel between 9:30am and 2:30pm.

Journeys need to be booked in advance. You can book up to seven days before you need to travel.

UBUS can be used to visit friends, attend social groups, leisure activities or go shopping. It cannot be used to attend medical appointments.

To book call 01789 264491.

The number is much in demand at certain times of the day so you may be asked to leave a telephone number or need to call back if you prefer.

(Source: Stratford District Council)

A Friendly Voice

The Silver Line is a helpline for older people that offers information, friendship and advice 24 hours day, 365 days a year.

Originally founded by Dame Esther Rantzen, it is the only national, free and confidential helpline for older people in the UK.

The Silver Line also offers telephone and letter befriending by matching up a Silver Liner to a volunteer for regular conversation.

So, if any resident feels lonely at anytime – or is worried about a problem that they have – and think that a chat with someone friendly who cares might help, please call the Silver Line on 0800 470 8090.

(Source: Silver Line)