We have been informed today that Miller Homes have decided not to submit updated plans, but instead they are appealing to Bristol to grant them planning permission, bypassing our council (and the conservation advisory committee) altogether. Therefore, it is now vitally important that you view the current plans (in the campaign section of this site) and send any objections you have to The Planning Inspectorate, Room 3/02, Kite Wing, Templekey House, 2 The Square, Templekey, Bristol, BS1 6PN – You must send three copies, quoting reference numbers C/1055/E/05/1179963 and APP/C1055/A/05/1177564. Alternatively, you could send us your objections via email, and we’ll forward them on for you.

This year the well dressing will be the well in the vicarage and the blessing service will begin at 2pm (Sat 18th). In the evening there will be a Ceilidh from 6.30pm to 9pm. Food will also be available. Sunday 19th service at 10am will be an open air event (weather permitting).

John & Joan D’Arcy will be holding an open garden event (i.e. come along and have a nosy……. 🙂 in aid of the Nightingale Macmillan Unit. You can go along from 11am till 6pm to Stone House Prebend (at the end of Old Chester Rd). Admission is £2 (under 14’s go free). There will also be refreshments, a Bric-a-Barc stall, cake stall and a tombola.

The council will be putting up a fence round the new play area on the green next week, and the council are now thinking of putting in a path from the play area to the edge of the Green. However, before doing this, they have asked the LCRA to gather any public opinion on the matter. So, are you for or against a path (it will be 1.2 metres wide with a timber border and inset gravel), or do you have any other suggestions/objections regarding the new play area. If so, you can find more information, and voice your opinions in the forum thread here.

You may have noticed that the recycling bins that used to be in the Coach and Horses car park have been taken away. This, according to the council, is because of the houses that are to be built on the site (although the owner seems happy to leave it as a pile of rubble for now!). However, the council are looking for another site for the bins but, as yet, have been unsuccessful in their search. If you have any suggestions, post them in the forum, or let the council know by calling Street Care on 01332 715000 (the StreetCare web page can be found here).

As was reported here, the Allestree and Darley Abbey Crime Prevention Group has been awarded a £2,250 grant from the Council’s Area Panel Five to buy portable closed-circuit television cameras and shed alarms. The cameras can be loaned out to residents who have been the victims of persistent anti-social behaviour (e.g. GRAFFITI!!!) or crime. Anyone in favour of this could give us their views in the forum and we will look into getting some of this funding or access to these cameras for Chester Green……

….to check that this thing is working is to wish Hannah L a very happy 16th Birthday for the 26th April 😉

Residents in Mickleover have caused the plans to build 20 flats and four new shops to be rejected. 11 people had officially complained to the council regarding the build and, he said “We have refused it because it was an over-intensive, over-dominant form of development. This was in terms of height and the impact it would have caused to nearby properties. It would also have detracted from the appearance of the nearby conservation area.” The full story can be found here and is potentially encouraging as these are some of the points we raised in our report about the Aida/Bliss Development.

There will be new bollards at the end of Marcus Street and Chester Green Road “in the next couple of weeks”, according to the council. These are not of the same style as others round the green, but we are to understand that we may get these eventually (when some are found!!!)

Fancy knowing how much you house is worth. Nethouseprices.com will tell what every house in your street sold for in the last five years……very handy. Basic information is free (i.e. selling price etc.), and more detailed info is available for a fee. All links open in a separate page.