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Pic: Birstall United Juniors Under 9 Foxes,
Division 7 Champion 2005/06. Back row (l-r): Paul Martin (Coach),
James Pearce, Kyle Bailey, Toby Hay, Lewis Bonsell, Caleb Steele,
Thomas Bates, Stu Coleman (Coach). Front row (l-r): Liam Stafford
(Captain), Oliver Kidd Martin, Tommy Robertson, Harley Betts
Juniors undefeated
BIRSTALL UNITED Juniors have reason to
celebrate this month.
Firstly, the Under 9 Foxes have captured the Division
7 League title in some style, having gone undefeated in all of
their games and racking up an excellent goal tally along the
way.
The Cubs have also had an excellent season in Division 8, finishing
in a respectable position against stiff opposition. They are
the only team to take points off the two top teams, holding both
to draws in all four meetings.
The Club's older age group at Under 12 have also given a great
account of themselves, challenging for the League title and appearing
in the County Cup final to be held on April 9.
The Club has also secured a sponsorship deal with MacDonalds
on Abbey Lane to provide kit, training equipment and coach education
for the Club over the next 12 months and hopefully beyond.
Restaurant owner Mark Raybould said: "We are looking to
support a local team at the grass root level and what better
way than to offer sponsorship to Birstall United, who over the
last two years have achieved FA Charter Status and improved the
facilities for the children who play football in the area".
Pic: Birstall United Juniors FC with the new
sponsored kit from MacDonalds, Abbey Lane
Birstall United Juniors are currently expanding beyond the capacity
of their current ground. They currently have 15 teams at all
age group levels, with the proposed expansion to 20 teams to
include girls teams at Under 11 and Under 9s for next season.
The Club are looking for additional pitches to accommodate this
expansion but at present are not having much luck.
A Club spokesman said: "You would think with all the expansion
of the village and the development of the Hallam Fields site
some provision or discussion would have been made to offer quality
facilities to what is the biggest youth organisation in the village.
Sometimes we feel that we are forgotten in the service that we
offer to the village, we are a voluntary organisation surviving
on our own without any visible form of support, we keep the children
off the street and install in them the values of sportsmanship,
team spirit and respect."
Traffic chaos feared
PLANS FOR a 20 acre hectare industrial
site on land north of Birstall have resulted in objections from
Birstall and Rothley Parish Councils.
They are concerned that the plans, part of the Charnwood 2021
proposals produced by the Borough Council, will erode the separation
between the villages and put ever more pressure on an already
congested road network.
Charnwood Borough Council has produced the plan to provide for
the expected future need for homes and jobs in the Borough up
to 2021.
A public consultation period on the preferred options detailed
in Charnwood 2021 ended on March 31.
Although Charnwood must be more specific than "north of
Birstall, south of Rothley" the 20 hectare employment site,
equal in size to the Stonehill/Longslade campus, is expected
to be north of the A46 and west of the A6, on land in the parish
of Wanlip.
Speaking at a meeting of Rothley Parish Council in March, Guy
Longley, Principal Local Plans Officer, said that "a very
rough calculation suggested that 2,000 jobs could be created
on this site, but said there was no formula for predicting the
numbers of jobs per hectare. He said that "around 500"
jobs had been created at the Rothley Lodge site.
Birstall Parish Council has submitted its response to the proposals,
which includes the following points:
o At present the A46 creates a definite boundary to the north
of Birstall. To breach this would be to set a precedent and invite
a gradual creep of development towards Rothley. It is what we
understand planners would call "significant urban intrusion
into open rural landscape".
The development would be plainly visible when approached from
the north as opposed to the rural views we have today.
o Although 'national' planning policy supports urban concentration,
it is difficult to believe that it is their intention to tack
on a block of industry to the edge of a unique residential area
such as Birstall which is totally separated from the main Leicester
urban area by a river flood plain, its natural elevation and
the Great Central Railway corridor. This is quite unlike the
Thurmaston - Barkby Road - Hamilton area which is already part
of the urban sprawl and liberally industrialised.
o Reasons given for not choosing the Glenfield area as a preferred
option for development were, its elevated landscape and the land
being a critical part of the green wedge between Anstey and Glenfield.
Both factors could apply to Birstall.
o On the north side of Birstall we are committed to 900 new houses,
6 ha, of employment land, a motel/service station , and two new
sets of traffic lights. This development could quite easily create
thousands of extra car journeys per day to and from, and through
the village, causing more congestion, more standing and slow
traffic and more pollution. There are no extra facilities in
the main village to cope with this let alone even more development.
o Unlike Rothley, Mountsorrel and Quorn, Birstall still has the
A6 running through the middle of the village, with no bypass.
It is quite a frightening experience for pedestrians young or
old standing at the Sibson Road/Greengate Lane traffic lights
waiting to cross, inches away from four lanes of traffic, often
overtaking each other at over 40 mph. This will not improve.
o Whether or not employees of the proposed development live in
Birstall, which is not certain, you can be sure the journeys
they make will affect the village.
o National planning policy is to make best use of previously
developed land and buildings, and to reverse decline in rural
services, but in Charnwood when a business site closes it is
usually developed for housing, losing potential for jobs and
services and necessitating greenfield sites being used for employment.
o The urban concentration approach was quite rightly rejected
by the Structure Plan Authorities", As it would mean the
release of substantial amounts of greenfield land which could
undermine attempts to maximise urban capacity in Leicester and
frustrate regeneration initiatives" also "It would
put pressure on transport infrastructure and local services",
furthermore "It would lead to limited development in North
Charnwood and would not reflect the important role played by
Loughborough as the main sub-regional centre within the three
cities sub-area."
A 20 ha. greenfield employment site on the edge of Birstall seems
to flying in the face of these concerns.
Sustainability Questions
Q. Will this employment area, on top of the ongoing Hallam Fields
development, provide a better quality of live for everyone in
Birstall?
A. It will create even more traffic though the village, so definitely
not.
Q. Will it reduce the need to travel, and the distance of travel
by car?
A. Knowing that employees are just as likely to come from a large
radius around the village as from Birstall itself, jobs being
very dependent on particular skills, travel reductions are unlikely
Q. Will it enhance as well as protect biodiversity, natural habitats,
the historic environment and landscape character?
A. By turning an area of fields and hedges into an industrial
site, not at all. Visually it will totally change the character
of the area.
Q. Will it protect the built heritage and separate identity of
towns and villages?
A. By allowing development to spread to the north of the A46
there will be a precedent set and an ongoing threat to the separation
of Rothley and Birstall.
The Charnwood Borough Council will prepare a 'Submission Draft'
of Charnwood 2021 which will be presented to the office of the
Deputy Prime Minister in November 2006. The public will be consulted
again at this stage.
Parish Council notes
A FULL meeting of Birstall Parish Council
was held on March 13.
Residents from School Lane and Birstall Road gave their views
on the Parish Council's proposal to erect a 1.8 metre high palisade
steel fence on the boundary of the School Lane playing field
along School Lane.
Comments included:
o this is an industrial looking fence, unsuitable for this site
o it looks unwelcoming
o it will not secure the park
o a metal fence similar to the one at Queens Park Loughborough
would be more suitable.
o the fence will prevent 'natural surveillance' of the park by
neighbours and passers-by : any criminal activity inside the
park will be unseen and go unreported.
o the biggest problem on the park is vandalism and if this fence
does anything to stop
that it is welcome
Comments given by councillors in the way of replies included:
o this section of fencing is the first phase of a plan to fence
the whole park
o this type of fencing is cheaper to repair than a more decorative
fence
o troublemakers are currently escaping through gaps in the fence
when the police arrive. Police advice has been to reduce the
number of access points for this reason.
o the fence will make the park a safer environment for its users
It was reported that the fence would be black and that a hedge
will grow alongside it, obscuring the fence as it grows.
Cllr Iain Bentley said he could not support a proposal to erect
a fence of this type, which would "look like an industrial
eyesore". A traditional looking fence would be more suitable,
he said.
Cllr Bentley and Cllr Roger Wilson voted against a proposal to
continue with the installation of the 1.8m palisade steel fence,
which was carried by a majority decision.
The Council considered its response to Charnwood's 2021 plans
for employment land north of Birstall and resolved to vigorously
oppose the proposals.
It was reported that plans for a golf range on land next to the
Co-op Sports and Social Club on Birstall Road have been turned
down by Leicester City Council.
It was reported that Leicester City Council are "monitoring"
the travellers occupying City Council land on Greengate Lane.
It was reported that youths had entered Birstall cemetery during
late mornings/lunchtimes and on one occasion some minor damage
was carried out near the Memorial Wall.
It is believed these were isolated incidents and the Police have
been informed.
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Birstall’s scouting history
Pictured at an exhibition to mark the 75th anniversary of
Birstall Scouts are (l-r) Alan Chapman, Group Scout Leader Vic
Dolby and Ann Coltman
New homes needed
NEW GOVERNMENT estimates for building homes
are expected to result in higher numbers across the East Midlands.
On March 14 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published
new estimates for the number of households needed across England
up to 2021. This information is likely to persuade the Regional
Assembly to increase its requirements for new homes in the East
Midlands.
In a statement, Charnwood Borough Council said it was aware of
a bid being processed by Leicester and Leicestershire Councils
to become a 'Growth Point', along with Nottingham and Derby.
A 'growth point' is a scheme the government wants to adopt which
will see the concentration of new homes and infrastructure, such
as shopping and leisure facilities, transport links and green
spaces, in certain urban centres. This aims to protect the environment
from inappropriate development and will reduce pressure on Greenfield
land wherever possible.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Max Hunt, said: "This
comes at a difficult time for Charnwood and other District Councils
who are working up proposals for growth based on previous estimates.
"We will be supporting applications for growth point money
from central Government within our current growth estimates but
believe that a county wide debate is needed before consideration
of further incursions into Districts like Charnwood on the city
fringe."
Bulky waste collected
CHARNWOOD BOROUGH Council is marking the
first days of spring with the launch of a borough-wide environmental
clean-up campaign, that includes a bulky waste collection from
people's homes.
'Spring Clean' month runs from Monday March 27 to Monday April
24 and is designed to focus the borough on environmental clean-ups
and promote pride in Charnwood.
Every Monday throughout 'Spring Clean' month, March 27, April
3, 10, 17 & 24, bulky waste, excluding fridges and freezers,
can be collected from people's homes - provided the Council receives
notification of the collection before each Friday at 12noon.
Litter picks, graffiti removal, road cleansing and general environmental
improvements will be focused throughout the month, with the aim
to continue the work throughout the year.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Max Hunt, said: "Spring
Clean is about promoting pride in Charnwood and the Council will
be doing a whole host of activities throughout the month, the
bulky waste collection is just one of the services offered."
Items of bulky waste will be collected from the edge of residents'
property at a cost of £11 for every three items. To book
a collection please telephone 01509 634563 and pay using a credit
or debit card. Alternatively, print off the form from the website
and send in with correct payment or pay online by filling in
the form at www.charnwood.gov.uk
Gunns’ service award
THE ROTARY club is to present an award
to Carl Gunns, to recognise the success of his boxing gym and
the work he has done for young people.
Carl will receive the 'Alan Morley Service Above Self' award
from the Rotary Club of the Wreake Valley at an awards ceremony
this summer.
The award recognises voluntary work in Wreake Valley and is named
after Rotarian Alan Morley, who died in 1999.
Carl will receive a cup, a certificate and £100 to spend
on the gym.
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Cannabis charge
A MAN accused of cultivating cannabis at
a house on Henson Close has been granted bail by a city court.
Van Chuan Mguyen (44) of Cambridge Barracks Road, London, appeared
before District Judge Richard Holland. He pleaded not guilty
to the offence, alleged to have been committed on February 15.
He was given bail on condition he lives at the address given
to the court, reports daily to the Plumstead police station and
surrenders his passport to the court.
He will return for committal to crown court on March 31.
Art will spread from Hallam Fields
STUDENTS AT Longslade and Stonehill have
been participating in workshops led by the consultants preparing
the public art for Hallam Fields.
"Longslade College art students used their own thoughts
and experiences to create a palette of colours for the development"
said Lucy Banwell from consultants Orange Dot, who are leading
the £95,000 project.
"Pupils at Stonehill School developed starting points for
a postcard from Hallam Fields, and older residents of the village
discussed their thoughts about the development itself as well
as other public art in the area" she added.
Many other local groups, clubs and organisations have also been
invited to participate in the consultation, says Lucy.
Artist Martin Heron has been joined by Trudi Entwistle, Jo Fairfax
and Nadya Monfrinoli, and they will now use the information,
material and ideas gathered from the initial community consultation
to shape and focus specific arts projects for the future.
The Hallam Fields development has a strategy of spreading benefits
further than the physical boundaries of the Hallam Fields site,
and the public art programme is being planned to reflect this.
Lucy said: "As well as practical arts workshops taking place
in the wider Birstall area, it is also planned that some art
features will be sited in the existing village itself. For example,
members of the Birstall Youth Club are interested in developing
artwork for the areas of the village that they use, and this
artwork could be linked to public artwork at Hallam Fields. Orange
Dot are currently exploring opportunities to build ideas like
these into the Hallam Fields public art programme."
Martin will have his first meeting with the developer Jelsons
in early April. Lucy said: "Until he has met with Jelsons
and found out a bit more about their various production and manufacturing
processes, he won't know exactly what he's doing or how long
it will take. For example, he might use casting techniques, if
that fits in well with the work done at Jelsons, but something
completely different if his research at Jelsons goes at a different
tangent."
For further details, please visit www.hallamfieldspublicart.co.uk
Stamford’s amazing cup run ends
BIRSTALL STAMFORD FC's dramatic FA Cup
has come to an end after the side were defeated 2-1 by Hetton
Lyons CC.
The Football Association's Sunday Cup is the premier cup competition
for Sunday football sides, and Birstall Stamford were only one
match away from the final at Anfield.
Played at Durham FC on March 19, Birstall Stamford took the lead
against Hetton Lyons, who equalised just before half time. Lyons
scored the winner in the 82nd minute.
Manager Pete Barnsby said: "It was a hard fought game, with
chances for both sides. In the second half they were certainly
the fitter side which boils down to the fact that they have several
semi professional players. Their late goal gave us little chance
of coming back."
He added: "I am immensely proud of the team and the club
for what they've achieved this year and hopefully we will be
back next year and will do as well."
Edith Murphy estate
BIRSTALL'S EDITH Murphy MBE, who died in
October last year, has left an estate worth almost £50
million.
In her will, eight of her favourite charities, mainly city and
county hospital appeals, shared £250,000 from her estate.
Leicester Royal's Scanner appeal received £50,000 and £25,000
was given to Glenfield Hospital's breast care centre, Leicester's
Macmillan Cancer Relief branch and the Cancer Research Institute.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare, the National Kidney
Research Fund, Headway and Revitalise - a charity giving disabled
people and their carers respite care and holidays - also had
£25,000 each.
In 2003, Mrs Murphy set up the Edith Murphy Foundation which
is continuing her charitable work, donating money to charities,
research projects and other organisations.
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Bowls club
THE NEW outdoor bowls season starts this
month and visitors to Birstall Bowls Club will notice several
changes this year.
Major improvement works have taken place during the close season
including a veranda, new double glazed windows and general refurbishment.
Look out for May's Birstall Post for more details and photos
of these great new developments.
The club is looking for new members both male and female this
season. Men can call Grahame on 2677994 or Andy on 2677100 while
ladies can contact Jan on 2122578 or Diane on 2675457.
For more information about the club, and for details of the Open
Evening to be held in May, please contact any of the above numbers,
or visit the new Birstall Bowls Club website, the address is:
http.//beehive.thisleicestershire.co.uk/birstallbowlingclub or
go to Google and search for 'Birstall Bowling Club'.
Police report
Over the past few weeks there has been a spate of Theft from
Motor Vehicles in the Birstall area. Over the course of 14 days
three vehicles were targeted. On two of the occasions works vans
were broken into and tools taken. On the third occasion a car
was broken into and the stereo and CDs were stolen. The thefts
occurred on Blenheim Road, The Meadway and Freehold Road.
I would urge anyone who may have seen anything suspicious at
these locations between March 6-16 to contact me. Any information
can be discussed in confidence. Can I also remind people to ensure
you don't leave valuables in your vehicles when left unattended.
The police conducted two operations in the Birstall area over
the month of March in which Automatic Number Plate Recognition
was used. From information held on our data bases we were able
to make arrests and seize several vehicles.
Criminal Damage associated with antisocial behaviour continues
to cause residents headaches over the early part of 2006. Advice
letters have been sent to some of the youths responsible which
has had a very positive result. It shows that working in partnership
with parents can prevent potential problems from occurring. However,
an element of antisocial behaviour still persists and action
will be taken in response. In order to investigate these incidents
of damage we are very much reliant on information given to us
by the public and I strongly encourage people to get in touch
with any information they may have.
Plain clothed operations by officers are also in force sporadically
in the village in a bid to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour,
so even if you don't see a police officer, there may well be
one around!
I hope you have a pleasant Easter.
PC Jamie Hughes 0826. Dial 222 2222 and enter 0826 to leave
a voicemail.
Methodist news
Auction
If you receive your Birstall Post in time, don't miss our Auction
on April 1 at 2pm. There will be plenty of bargains, and viewing
beforehand starts at 12noon.
Pantomime Result
The Men's Pantomime realised a grand total profit of £3204.14,
much of which will go to church funds, however final decisions
will be made in the summer as to the allocation of the various
amounts.
If you missed the Panto, Graham White has made a DVD of the 2006
show, and most members of the cast have a copy - you might be
able to persuade them to lend you theirs.
All the men are grateful to the many folk who helped in so many
ways, with this year's production, and to the many favourable
comments received about the show.
Charnwood Hike
The 'past members' of the Boys' Brigade are arranging this year's
Charnwood Hike for Saturday April 8. It is a competitive competition
open to teenagers (but they do also take veterans' teams) to
test skills in map reading, walking and a variety of competitive
incidents. Participants are in teams of three. There is an entry
fee, you need your own map and are likely to get very muddy on
the journey. If it appeals then phone 2923740 for more details.
Easter
The various special services for Holy Week are shown on the back
page. The Passover Supper is a most interesting event, which
is Jewish in origin. It takes place at the village hall on Wednesday
April 12 at 7.30pm and there is a £5 charge for the meal.
It is organised by Joint Churches in Birstall & Wanlip, and
details are available from any of the churches or the clergy.
Bells
THE LEICESTER Diocesan Guild of Church
Bells Ringers has recently received a grant of £5,000 from
the National Lottery's 'Awards for All' fund.
The money will be used in its new recruitment drive for more
ringers throughout the county.
The cash from the grant will be invested in new equipment to
assist with presentations to interested groups, and for the purchase
of other promotional materials. It will ensure that this ancient
tradition can be enjoyed by as wide a range of people as possible.
With 144 churches with five or more bells in Leicestershire,
there is somewhere close to almost everyone in the county to
engage in this activity, which is as much a part of the nation's
heritage as cricket, but much older.
Anyone who would like to find out more about ringing, or who
perhaps represents a group that would welcome a presentation,
should contact Jennie on 01509 260345 or email 3Rs@leicesterdg.org.uk
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