Regular Meetings bring Real Benefits

The building of an estate as large as Saxon Heath is bound to create a number of on-going problems, however well-run and well supervised. The process in Tarvin with Taylor Wimpey has been made much smoother by the regular meetings held with their Site Managers, the CW&C Supervising Development Engineer and Councillor Cotgreave on behalf of the Parish Council.

Concerns voiced by residents and problems noted by Councillors have been discussed regularly and on site. While not a perfect mechanism, it has meant that solutions have been found, actions have been taken, and when promises have not been kept, questions have been asked directly. The last meeting was held on Feb. 25th and four issues were raised.

The new street lighting on Tarporley Road is to be completed and the grass verges repaired where old lamp-posts have been removed. Councillor Cotgreave has also asked that gaps in the hedge be replanted and supported by post and rail fencing while the new saplings get established. All parties are anxious to ensure that informal exit points are not created by people looking for shortcuts into the village.

The state of the new pavement has caused concerns, and at least one pedestrian fall. In many cases such issues are left to the last few weeks of a development as the estate is finally 'tidied up' but Taylor Wimpey have agreed to undertake this within the next few weeks so that existing residents can walk into the village safely.

Councillor Cotgreave also asked that the pedestrian link through the Broomheath Lane be completed soon so that children and their parents can start using this planned short-cut to the school.
On the first three issues work has been promised within 6 weeks and the Parish Council will be keen to ensure that these promises are kept.

One issue not raised at the site meeting but discussed at the Parish Council meeting, was a complaint from a new resident who was dismayed to find that the noise abatement barrier alongside the by-pass stopped before her house and before the end of the estate, leaving her and nearby residents exposed to what she felt was an unacceptable amount of road noise.
A check of the original plans revealed that this shortened barrier was actually correct, defined probably by a specific, projected noise value initially calculated by engineers when the environmental study was done prior to building. However, when a number is calculated to dictate a certain action, there is always a problem for those who live just outside that value, as is probably the case here.

The Parish Council feels that the cost of the extra few yards of noise barrier would be a very small part of the total cost of the development and would greatly benefit the residents affected, even though, technically and legally, it might not need to be built.
As well as making formal written representations, Councillor Cotgreave will raise this at the next site meeting. It is sincerely hoped that the goodwill built up between all parties will mean a solution can be found.