Tanworth in Arden Residents and Neighbourhood Watch Association

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)

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)

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)

Only 289 of the Neighbourhood Development Plan questionnaires sent out to over 1300 households in the parish were returned by residents.

This disappointing response was despite the inclusion of a freepost envelope and an extensive campaign of open days and public meetings in both Tanworth and Earlswood.

The Parish Council will be told details of the  responses received at its two meetings in July.  Details will be published here later.

(Source: Tom Ross)

Tanworth Residents Association hosted a public meeting at Tanworth Village Hall on Wednesday 23 May  to discuss an important stage in the preparation of the Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) for our parish. 

The Government inspired NDP must be in accordance with national and local planning policy and is meant to influence, but cannot dictate, all future planning decisions made by Stratford District Council (SDC) up to 2031.

Tanworth Parish Council is undertaking an important consultation exercise involving all residents.

Each household, not each individual, should have received a letter from the Parish Council together with a summary of the draft plan and a questionnaire.   It is important that every resident reads these carefully and, if possible, either gets a paper copy of the full draft plan free of charge from the Parish Office or reads it online at: http://tanworthndp.org/

The NDP has done much detailed work in a number of important areas such as transport, the environment and the design and look of future housing development.

It has also undertaken a Housing Needs Survey to establish the extent of the need for additional “affordable” houses in the parish, particularly for families and older residents hoping to downsize.

However, one of the most important, and contentious, elements in the draft NDP is the shortlist of three sites which the Plan has identified for possible housing development in Tanworth village, at Wood End Station and in Earlswood.  These are in addition to those which have already been approved by SDC’s Planning Committee in recent years such as Cank Farm and Doctor’s Close.

It is important to stress that the original advice from government was that an NDP had to include suggestions for housing developments but that is no longer the case.

The NDP has chosen to suggest three sites but there is now no requirement for the final document to offer any at all. 

In part, the Parish Council is undertaking this consultation exercise to see if a majority of residents accept there is a need for “affordable housing” and, in particular, to measure public opinion on these three sites before the final document is drawn up and eventually submitted to a referendum.

There would clearly be no point in suggesting sites now that would not attract overwhelming public support at the end of this long and costly process.  So it is vital that residents make their views and preferences known now.

The Three Proposed Sites

In the case of Tanworth village, the proposal is for some “more affordable” houses for families and residents wishing to downsize on the northwest side of Butts Lane.  There is no guarantee this would be in addition to the 18 (+1) on Cank Farm and the 5 new builds on Doctor’s Close developments already approved and any proposals for limited infill agreed elsewhere.

A major developer has purchased the Cank Farm site and has options on some of the Summers’ land to the west of Butts Lane.  Anticipating the inclusion of part of the site in our final NDP Duchy Homes have already approached Tanworth school for a mix of both very large and “affordable” housing and revised access and improved parking for the school itself.  As things stand the site is outside the Built Up Area Boundary of the village in open countryside.  Its inclusion in the village would be more difficult but not impossible to justify.

Both the school and the Tanworth Educational Foundation that owns the land say they will not endorse the project.  If this proposal fails there will be others you can be sure – especially if the site is identified in the final NDP.

In the case of Wood End, the site behind the Warwickshire Lad public house would be in addition to those already agreed at Arden Grange, Poolhead Lane and Hardwick House.  A local developer, Steve Parkinson, is hoping to develop the site.   The issues of the lack of disabled and pushchair access at the recently improved Wood End Station and the bad existing vehicle access to Wood End Lane would need to be addressed.

In Earlswood land owned by an Inclosure Trust, administered at present by the Parish Council, would be a third possible site for “affordable” houses in the parish if the agreement of the Trust can be secured.  So far that has not been forthcoming.

Consultation Process

Your Association cannot stress enough the importance of reading and understanding the implications of all the proposals.   A positive or negative response from as many residents as possible to each proposed site is essential for the success of the whole NDP process.

To allow residents to ask questions of those who have helped draft the NDP two open days have been held by the Parish Council.

In addition, both Residents Associations held  public meetings to allow residents the opportunity to discuss the proposals in detail.

If necessary, you can get extra copies of the questionnaire from the Parish Council if you wish to reflect all the views in your household.

Return in the attached pre-paid envelope by the due date of 4 June.

Please also make your neighbours and friends who may not receive this email aware how important this matter is for the future of Tanworth in Arden. 

(Source: Tom Ross)