Tuesday, 22 January 2002
Forum: road closures are dropped; Action Zone launched
37 residents attended the latest Mapperley Forum which -
* launched the Elliott Durham Small Education Action Zone;
* announced that the road closure proposals in the Mapperley Park anti-vice package will not proceed cos most residents are against them;
** Notes.
37 residents attended the latest Mapperley Forum.
The Elliott Durham Small Education Action Zone was launched at the event.
Woodthorpe Park is to seek to reach the “Green Flag” status.
Questions were asked on -
* Potential for further road safety measures for pedestrians crossing Woodthorpe Drive;
* Frequency of NCT's Red services
(have since established that NCT are checking to see if more services are required in the peak hours);
* Prospects for traffic calming of Ransom Road
(provisionally, there is finance for a scheme in the next financial year following an investigation into reported injury accidents);
* Case for traffic management measures for Querneby Road & Blyth Street
* Damage to vehicles parked on Querneby Road
* Moss growing on pavements of Sherwood Vale
* Timescales for works traffic calming works to Mapperley Rise
(The scheme would include Gordon Rise as well; but the impact of other changes to the road network (including the signalling of Woodthorpe Drive / Mansfield Road) will be assessed first)
* A new surface for Mapperley Rise, where lack of grip is leading to more accidents
(Consideration is now being given to a new "high performance" surface")
* A ban on HGVs using Mapperley Rise
(Relevant officer has been notified, but aim will be to persuade certain operators to use another route)
* More measures to reduce speed on the top end of The Wells Road
(One extra measure to be considered is a zebra crossing outside Walter Halls School)
* Bus shelters for the top end of The Wells Road
(2 extra shelters are to be provided in late Spring; both inbound; one 40 metres north of the Boynton Drive junction; the other 25 metres south of the Chestnuts junction; both shelters are subject to consultations with nearby residents)
* Must Sand services travel around Victoria Centre
(Initial discussion has been had with Mark Fowles, Managing Director of NCT)
* Progress on Road closures for Mapperley Park as part of the anti-vice measures
(Proposals aimed at curbing kerb crawlers in the Mapperley Park area have been shelved after residents voted against them.)
Other cases raised during the interval included-
* Concern over untidiness in some shops' backyards;
* Could other parks be improved to “Green Flag” status
** Fuller notes.
The City Council's North East Area Committee held a public meeting on Tuesday 22nd January, at Walter Halls School.
37 attended.
The Forums continues to be well attended. Local residents have appreciated the chance to ask questions of local Councillors, or City Council officers, on matters of local concern.
This Forum included the launch of the Elliott Durham Small Education Action Zone. £250,000 is being provided to Elliott Durham and its family of primary schools, to work together - to enrich the curriculum (especially music), to provide more mentors, technicians & assistants and to improve attendance. There is an opportunity for parents and carers to work with youngsters and obtain an NVQ.
As part of the launch, pupils from the school sang two popular songs. The music teacher announced a plan to produce a “Requiem for September 11th”, for which a CD will be produced and delivered to the Mayor of New York.
Woodthorpe Park has just hosted a “Winter Wonderland” festival and the Tropical House has recently been featured on TV. A presentation on its plans to acquire “Green Flag” status was given. This includes getting the basic levels of cleanliness and service right, as well as aspirations to -
* bring open air performances back to the park;
* move the toilet block next to the golf club house;
* improve the playground further.
A friends of Woodthorpe Park will be set up.
Some other more ambitious initiatives could be brought in, but these would have to be supported by entrance fees.
Three road safety & traffic management schemes are to be introduced in and around Mapperley ward this Spring -
* for Woodborough Road; with a wider pedestrian crossing on a raised plateau at the busiest crossing points;
* for The Wells Road; with on-street parking bays, narrowing the carriageway to traffic that currently speeds up and down the hill;
* the signalling of the Woodthorpe Drive junction, to be introduced along with extra bus lanes on the Mansfield Road, north of the Sherwood shopping centre;
Ideas for reducing traffic speeds on Ransom Road are to be considered.
The Labour Government will increase investment in local transport in Nottingham by 10% this year. This kind of investment is paying for the road safety measures, as well as the new pavements on Cyprus Road. New money has also been raised to maintain street trees across the city. Mapperley ward's trees will be pruned in the second year of the six year cycle.
The new bus services have included a more frequent service along Mapperley Rise and the Wells Road (the new 40) and the new 22 along Sherwood Vale and Winchester Street - for which extra services, particularly on Saturday, are now being considered. Since the new services were introduced, I've been attending fortnightly progress meetings with NCT and the Leader of the Council. NCT have been recruiting more drivers and are now running a very high percentage of services.
** Miscellaneous.
Note for Porchester Road - there's a scheme in next year's provisional programme to do refuges, build-outs at junctions and hatching; plus a zebra on Porchester Road near Cherrywood Gardens; £110k of work. However, this is still provisional.
Comentários