Gamesley Community Awards

Coming up in a week or so, is the annual celebration of achievement evening orgnaised by Adult Education, primarliy around celebrating achieve within the education course, it also includes a section for community volunteers to be nominated for the work they have done within the community.

If you know someone working with, for or in a community group working on the estate and you think they deserve some recognition let me know, who they are why you think they should be nominated and I'll be quite happy to nominate them.

CESP - Private Resident Costs

For private residents on the 'electric' side of the estate, that are still awaiting prices for the energy efficiency works, I'm advised that you should have an answer shortly with the details of the final price for the works.

Earlier on this week, it was expected that the final price would be known today, however upon checking earlier today, Climate Energy who oversee this element of the project are still assessing the latest offer from British Gas.

One of the reasons behind the delay, is due to the negotiations going on between the various companies involved to ensure that the cheapest possible price is obtained, so that as many private residents as possible can take part in the scheme and have the works done to their properties.

More details as soon as I hear them, but I do hope / expect that it will be quite soon - especially as the first of the houses having the full works are due to be finished shortly.

Firework Photo's

For photo's of last week's bonfire and fireworks, please goto : http://www.flickr.com/photos/anthonymck/sets/72157628046277728/

Samas Roneo - What next ?

Just days before the planning application for the Samas Roneo (HPK/2011/0452) site and adjoining field, the application has been withdrawn by the applicants, and as such will no longer be considered by the development control committee.

What this means for the future of the site is unknown at current, it could be that applicants have withdrawn the application to address the shortcomings around that left officers recommending refusal or it could be that there is another plan forthcoming for the site, only time will tell.

Don't forget - bonfire and fireworks tonight

Don't forget tonight's Gamesley Community Bonfire and Fireworks display - which starts at 6.30pm tonight at the back of the shops.

As can be seen in the photo an early start has been made on building the bonfire and hopefully the weather will hold off for the duration of the fireworks

Samas Roneo – Good news / bad news ?

One of the items up for discussion and decision at the development control meeting of the 7^th November is the recent application by BNP Paribas / Astor Property Group with regards to the Samas Roneo site and adjacent field.

The application which is for 93 properties, provoked to a certain extent the usual response to any sort of building / planning application, along the lines of not in my back yard, along with a reasonable number of valid concerns around the amount of additional traffic that the proposal would bring with the likely hood of a minimum of 90 additional cars on the road.

There were however some elements of support for the development, mainly around the idea of removing the factory from existence, but also in terms of support to one of the local schools who currently low in numbers quite likes the idea of a potential additional 90+ homes with kids.

Interestingly despite the comments above there have as detailed in the report only being 5 letters of objection to the proposals (so far) with those objections highlighting concerns around traffic impact, employment land availability, housing supply and the environmental impact of development.

That said however, the recommendation from the planning officers is for refusal, which in part gets the good news, bad news commentary, with I suppose it been good news to those not wanting developments / having traffic concerns etc but bad news to those that wanted the former Samas Roneo warehouse removing.

In terms of the refusal recommendation, the grounds it’s recommended for refusal on are, around a lack of affordable housing being offered by the developer, along with a failure to make adequate arrangements for traffic access to the site of the proposed Gamesley Station.

The report will now go for discussion and decision at the next meeting of development control, which may or may not back the recommendation of the officers.

You can read the report yourself by clicking here, but I would suspect that this won’t be the last we will hear on the proposal, with additional information on changes to the site layout, and amount of affordable housing been offered, still being in a state of flux or at least they were at the time of the report been written.

Gamesley & Charlesworth Safer Neighbourhood Meeting

Although I won't be there due to being away - tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday) see the next meeting of the Gamesley & Charlesworth Safer Neighbourhood Team.

The meeting that takes place at 1.30pm in the Gamesley Residents Association Office gives you a chance to raise issues of concerns with local police, housing and officers from the council.

If you can't attend but have an issue you want to raise please let me know - you can get in touch by clicking get in touch on the menu above.

CESP - Construction Compound - Update 2

At long last (or so it seems) work has finally started on the Gamesley CESP Project with the start of construction on the site compound.

As previous advised the compound will be in place for a little over 12 months for the duration of the work, and the area will then be returned to how it was previously.

The next steps should be for the 'show bungalow' to be completed - this should be within the next few weeks - however I have been advised that it may take longer.

If you have any queries on the project staff from Climate Energy are now based in the site office on the shops at Winster Mews, and all private homer owners should have received a letter advising them of the costs of the scheme and that staff were available yesterday and today in the site officer to answer any concerns.

As before if you have any views, comments, questions or concerns about the location of the compound or the progress of the project please let me know.

CESP - Construction Compound - update

As advised last month, for the duration of the 'energy saving works' on the 'electric' side of the estate, there will be a construction compound located on part of the grassed area at the top of Gamesley across from Castleton / Ashford (Not Bakewell as previously advised).

As an update to that, I now have a more detailed plan of the compound which is as below :

The expectation is that the compound will be in place for just over 12 months with construction starting in the next few weeks (exact dates will be advised as soon as I have them), with the area being returned to how it is now following the removal of the compound.

If you have any views, comments, questions or concerns about the location of the compound please let me know

August Walkabout

Thursday 18^th August see’s this month’s estate walkabout covering the areas from Ashford to Tissington (Ashford, Monyash, Bakewell, Tissington, Wardlow, Totley, Langsett.)

The walkabouts aim to cover a whole range of ‘environmental issues’ from ground’s maintenance to quality of footpath’s, gardens and anything else that crops up. So if you are available, please join us at 2.00pm at the Ashford Bus Stop.

If you can’t get along to the walkabout but have an issue you want to raise, please get in touch.

Samas Roneo / Glossop Road - Housing Consultation - Feedback Forms

Following on from Monday's post on the consultation event, I advised that BNP Paribas would be emailing a feedback form, however they have now advised the following :

I refer to a resident’s request last night for further feedback forms. The feedback forms have been purposely designed to obtain feedback from people who attended the exhibition and had the opportunity to view the scheme. For this reason, we feel it would not be appropriate to send out feedback forms to people who did not attend the exhibition. Alternatively, however if people have any queries or would like information about the proposals they should feel free to contact us. Notwithstanding this, there will be a further opportunity for local residents to view the development proposals at a second consultation event once the planning application has been submitted. There will also be opportunity for local residents to submit their views to High Peak Borough Council once the application has been submitted and the planning application documents have been made available on the Council’s website.

Now whilst there reply is not entirely helpful, it does seem to indicate that they will be going ahead with submitting a planning application at some point in the near future.

Samas Roneo / Glossop Road - Housing Consultation

This afternoon from 4.00pm until 7.00pm in the GRA Office, a consultation organised by BNP Paribas on behalf of Astor Property Group took place.

The consultation was around proposals from the above to seek planning permission for 95 houses on land including the former Samas Roneo Warehouse on Glossop Road.

The consultation took the form of the below display boards, with attendees been asked to complete a questionnaire (copies of which will be available here tomorrow - once it's been emailed through).

It will be interesting to see what happens next - in terms of whether they go to the next step of submitting a planning application, as many of the folk attending today event seemed in opposition to the proposals, but in addition to concerns around the proposals there was also a number of questions the proposers of the scheme were unable to answer, as they will only be seeking outline permission with the actual 'builder' to come forward at some later date.

If you have views, comments or questions on the scheme please let me know - and as and when I have any further details on what's happening around this proposals I'll let folk know as soon as I know.

CESP - Construction Compond

Due to be constructed within the next few weeks and left in place for the duration of the 'energy saving works' on the 'electric' side there will be a construction compound, with the various kit and supplies needed for the works.

The construction compound will be located on part of the grassed area at the top of Gamesley across from Castleton / Bakewell as indicated by the plan on the left.

The expectation is that the compound will be in place for just over 12 months, with the area being returned to how it is now following the removal of the compound.

If you have any views, comments, questions or concerns about the location of the compound please let me know

Samas Roneo Site - Housing Consultation

BNP Paribas on behalf of Astor Property Group are holding a consultation on proposals from them to build up to 95 homes on the former Samas Roneo Site and adjacent land between the site and the Bluebell Pub.

The consultation is set to take place on Monday 24th July from 4pm until 7pm in the Gamesley Residents Association Office and you can download a copy of the information leaflet about the consultation by clicking here (it's in PDF format - and you can download a adobe reader for free from www.adobe.com).

I expect the proposals if they move on to become an actual planning application will raise a mixed response from local people and the planners.

I would expect a welcome to proposals that will sort out / remove the 'ruins / remains' of the former Samas Roneo warehouse, but with both the former warehouse and most of the adjacent land being put forward for development both being classed at current as land for industrial / employment use will the proposals meet the requirements of planners ?

and the winner is (prize draw)

As a thank you for taking part in the consultation 'climate energy' who are the contractor with responsibility for 'programme delivery' were running a competition to win a camera and other prizes and again following the close of the fun day at 2.00pm, the following lucky winners were drawn from the box :

1st Prize - Camera - David Leary

2nd Prize - Pack of solar garden lights and energy saving kit - Kirsty Roberts

3rd Prize - Remote control sockets - Pauline Brannan

The winners will be contacted on Monday and the prizes are available for collected from the GRA Office

and the winner is .....

Thank you to everyone that has attended the Energy Efficiency Programme Consultation that has taken place during Friday and today.

One of the aims of the consultation event, aside from giving locals a chance to find out more about the scheme, was to pick what colour the majority of the houses within the scheme will be done.

To do this the area of Gamesley where the works will be completed was split into three areas, with a vote of those that attended the consultation event picking the colour.

Well after all the votes were counted this afternoon following the close of the event at 2.00pm the result are as follows :

Zone 1 – (which includes Hurdlow, Tissington, Monyash, Ashford, Bakewell, Totley, Wardlow, Langsett) - picked option 2

Zone 2 – (which includes Shelden, Combs, Longnor, Hucklow, Haddon, Hollins, Elton) - picked option 3

Zone 3 – (which includes Winster, Eyam, Heyden, Cromford, Rowarth, Whitwell, Alport, Brailsford, Calver, Wessington) - picked option 1

If you want to have another look at the samples for your area, the samples picked above are available for viewing in either the GRA Office or the HPCH office on Winster Mews.

Local's will get a chance to see the colour of the bottom half of option one, within the next few weeks, when a 'show bungalow' at 17 Wessington Green (near the shops) is completed, further details will be advised on this as soon as available.

If you have any questions on the scheme or you want further details, please let me know, or alternatively information leaflets / details will be available from the GRA Office or HPCH offices, and within the next few weeks as work starts on the scheme Casey's the contractor carrying out the works will have an office in what was the clinic on the shops.