|
• home
• back to Back Issues list
Birstall Post October 2006 (276)
Pic: In the stocks: Martyn Hall gets a
soaking from daughte Lucy (10)
Garden fete fun
HUNDREDS OF visitors enjoyed a sunny afternoon
at St James Church Annual garden fete.
Pic: looking for a bargain are
Lucy Stretton, Hilda White & Mabel Brocklebanks
Pic: Marissa Van Ristel with her father Richard
Pic: Organist Mark Warburton
Held on the Church Lawn, the event raised over £1000 for
the Jeel-Al-Amal children's home near Jerusalem, Rainbows and
church funds.
Organiser Betty Howard said: "I'd like to thank everyone
for coming and all those who worked so hard to make it a success."
Bus lane plans
THERE WILL be no bus lanes or road widening
on the A6 through Birstall between Redhill and Greengate Lane,
other than a short section on the approach to Redhill roundabout.
In the northbound direction there will be no bus lanes at all
on the A6 through Birstall.
The County Council's plans were mentioned in passing when two
officers from the Highways department attended a meeting of Birstall
Parish Council to present proposals for 'no U turn' signs on
the A6.
Councillors were surprised to hear no bus lanes were planned.
Councillor Roger Wilson commented that as far as he knew, it
was common knowledge in the village that bus lanes, road widening
and the removal of trees was planned, to cope with the increased
volume of traffic created by Hallam Fields.
A County Council spokesman told the Birstall Post: "When
travelling into the City beyond Greengate Lane the only likely
source of significant delay to buses would be on the approach
to Redhill and this is why it is identified as a location [for
a bus lane] to avoid queuing traffic. Over the remaining length
any other delays, for example at the pelican crossings, are transient
and further widening would be costly and require the removal
of trees/verges which could not reasonably be justified in terms
of journey-time savings. These are the same proposals that were
displayed at public exhibitions in 2002 and nothing has changed
since that time, although the developer did originally identify
more extensive sections of bus lane some years prior to this."
Cllr Roger Wilson said: "At the time of the public enquiry
into Hallam Fields, bus lanes and road widening were a feature
of the plans. At that time I lived on Loughborough Road and that
was the reason I had to declare an interest and take no part
in discussions about Hallam Fields, both at the Parish and Borough
Councils. It should have been made clear when these plans were
altered."
Parish Council notes
A FULL meeting of Birstall Parish Council
was held on September 11.
The County Council has responded to a request for a vehicle speed
flashing road sign on Birstall Road. The County says a safety
assessment of the road will be carried out and the benefits of
any improvements will be prioritised against similar proposals
at other locations across the county.
Jason Peel and Alan Headley from the County Council's Highway
Department presented details of locations of 'no U turn' signs
on the A6 in Birstall, bus lanes and the introduction of a one-way
system in the access road outside the NatWest bank.
A resident reported that parked vehicles on School Lane at weekends
was causing serious congestion.
Sergeant Louise Dirito reported that Birstall's new beat officer
PC Chris Falle, was very committed to the role. She reported
an increase in burglary dwellings and in vehicle crime. Illegal
parking is a current police priority and the police will liaise
with the new Charnwood Streetwardens when they start in November.
Sgt Dirito said there will be no increase in the number of police
officers but that the number of Police Community Support Officers
will rise. Councillors expressed their concern at a lower police
presence in the village.
The Council has received 70 [as of September 19] replies following
the publication of a full page advert in the September Birstall
Post about the proposals for employment land north of Birstall.
5000 copies of the Birstall Post are delivered each month. 69
of the correspondents disagreed with development and one agreed.
Comments included: loss of separation between communities, increased
traffic, loss of rural character.
It was agreed to call a public meeting with representatives from
Charnwood to explain the proposals, before deciding on any further
action. Rothley Parish Council has agreed to support a public
meeting and has offered to host it in the Rothley Centre.
Councillors expressed their concern at possible damage to protected
trees at 271 Birstall Road and objected to proposals to remove
them.
It was reported that the Dog Warden has been asked to carry out
more early morning patrols in Birstall as dog fouling is a continuing
problem.
No U turns
THE COUN TY Council plans to introduce
'no U turn' signs at several locations on the A6 through Birstall.
No U turns will be permitted on the A6:
o For northbound traffic at the A6/Greengate Lane junction
o For southbound traffic at the A6/Greengate Lane junction
o For southbound traffic at the Bentley Road junction
o For northbound traffic at Hallam Fields southern entrance
o For northbound traffic at Hallam Fields northern entrance (yet
to be built)
A bus lane will be constructed from the proposed Park & Ride
site on the southbound A6 to a point halfway between Bentley
Road and Colindale Avenue.
Traffic signals will be installed at the Bentley Road junction
and at the Hallam Fields northern entrance.
The county also plan to make the access road outside the NatWest
bank one way. The direction of travel will be north to south.
The Parish Council has expressed concern that the proposed direction
of travel in the access road is the wrong way, and that Loughborough
Road residents north of Bentley Road will be greatly inconvenienced
by the 'no U turns'.
Dr Duncan McNeil lives on the affected part of Loughborough Road.
He said: "The County Council does not understand the needs
of this area. This will add greatly to my journey times. To travel
to Loughborough I will have to turn into Bentley Road, do a 3
point turn, and come out again."
The County Council are consulting on their proposals and say
that they are not scheduled for another one to two years, as
they are linked to the occupation of the 150th dwelling at Hallam
Fields.
Goscote Hall development nearing completion
A PAINSTAKING restoration of Goscote Hall
is underway as developers DT Group convert the building into
eight apartments.
Pic: Operations Manager Yamit Chauhan
The 16 houses in the grounds are almost complete and the Hall
is expected to be finished in spring 2007.
A team of 23 Polish workers are busy at work on the hall. Operations
Manager Yamit Chauhan said: "It's taken us two years to
put this team together. They are experts, craftsmen and stonemasons,
who have worked on restoration projects in Germany, France, Russia
and Canada."
The developers bought the Hall in 2002 and started work in August
2005 having spent three years negotiating planning issues with
Charnwood Borough Council.
"The property had been seriously vandalised while it stood
empty and a lot of restoration was needed" said Mr Chauhan.
Vandals had damaged windows, chimneys and cornices and thieves
had stolen the staircase rail and balustrade, a listed feature
of the building that was built in 1841 and enlarged in 1874.
Pic: Polish workers take a break
Pic: a mark found carved into a floorboard,
likely to be the initials of a carpenter
Pic: the capitals at the top of the columns
have been restored
Pic: an upstairs room in the Hall
The restoration has been carried out in close consultation
with experts from Leicester University and Charnwood's Conservation
Officer Martin Tincknell.
Mr Chauhan said: "It has been a very personal project, it's
a lovely building and will be absolutely spectacular when it's
finished."
Pics: a kitchen and bathroom in the showhome
The 16 houses in the grounds are now being marketed, starting
at £161,500 for a 2 bedroom apartment rising to £218,500
for a 3 bedroom townhouse. They all come with high specification
Shaker style kitchens and come complete with oven, dishwasher,
washer dryer, fridge freezer and microwave.
For more information and a brochure, call in at the showhome
on site.
o GOSCOTE HALL was built by Benjamin Payne in 1841, and was
originally called Birstall Hill House.
It was not a grand house but had extensive park-like gardens.
In 1846 it was bought by James Jacques, a wealthy woolstapler,
and in 1874 by John Coupland who paid £8,922 10s for it.
Coupland was a wealthy man, well connected socially and was master
of the Quorn Hunt.
Pic: Goscote Hall around 1900
He renamed the house Goscote Hall and it was for a time the
social and business centre of Leicestershire hunting. He made
extensive extensions and improvements to both the building and
grounds but following his bankruptcy, the Hall and contents were
sold in 1895 to Thomas Fielding Johnson, a wealthy Leicester
industrialist and philanthropist. He died in 1931, followed by
his wife in 1933, after which the Hall became a hotel and the
park was built over.
The map is from the sale catalogue of 1933
when the Hall and grounds were auctioned. The numbers indicate
the areas for sale.
|