Amey works to be carried out in Newton Farm and Belmont

[Glenda Powell]

Over the past three weeks I have requested Amey to carryout works in Newton Farm, Hunderton and Belmont, the flaying of trees and undergrowth along the whole of the GWW will be completed by Friday this week,lighting has been checked and repairs done where needed, a meeting has been arranged with the PCC Mr Longmore to take place next week to ask for CCTV on the GWW.I Will update you on this after the meeting.

The Newton Brook in Newton Farm is in the process of being cleared and trees cut back, this work will carry on into Hunderton, The Brook From Northolme road through and along the CH7 in Belmont will be done at the same time, Amey is aware of a Badger set in Northolme road so care will be taken not to disturb the Badgers. The trees / undergrowth and grass will also be cut in Glastonbury Close open space along the boundary. This additional work I have requested will be completed within the next two weeks.

The trees and undergrowth will be cut back where necessary along the Shaw Walkway, also I have had a site meeting with Phil Pankhurst from Amey in the past week to look at the condition of trees in the nature reserve in this area
some work will be carried out.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following people Neill Davies, Phil Pankhurst and Adrian Hall for work that has been carried outso far, and in the process of being carried out.

I have been on a site visit this morning in Newton Farm, Hunderton, Belmont and GWW with Amey checking work in process.

[Frank Smith]

Well done Councillor, this is all very good, can they also have a look at the overgrown tress and bushes on the footpath from McDonalds all the way up to Tesco, I say this because you cannot walk along this path without being attacked by the overgrown trees and bushes, you are forced onto the grass, if you walk this path (which I do most days) you will see what I mean, I have to keep ducking down as I walk. Extra lighting along the GWW is also a must as it is way too dark up there.

Good to see an active councillor! Thank you for all that you do.

[Glenda Powell]

Frank, thank you for your appreciation of what I am getting done, to answer your question I have just spoken to Neill Davies in regard to the hedges along Belmont road from McDonalds to Tesco, if the hedges /trees are the other side of the fence it is the responsibility of the Homeowner to cut this, that said, the hedges in the recent past were cut back by Amey but the Councillor living in Belmont had it stopped. Neill Davies on my request will now go back and ask if Amey can take this work on again. When I get a reply I will post it here.

[Frank Smith]

Glenda thank you for replying. I appreciate that if the trees or bushes in in some ones garden it is their responsibility but if it overhangs on your property or onto the public highway then it can be cut back.

[Glenda Powell]

Frank I agree, why the ward councillor should stop it being cut came as a surprise to me, but there again maybe not!!!

still let us hope that Amey has the resourses to reinstate the cutting back of vegetation in this area I was assured that they would try for me. I know that Neill Davies will do his best, I have a very good rappor with Amey officers, always have done. I treat them with respect and find that they do their very best for me since they took over the contract.

[Chris Adcocks]

Hi Glenda, good to see you've got them running around doing what they should to be doing without you prompting them. When you say they are clearing Newton Brook is this the stretch of brook l mentioned a few weeks ago. We now have fence panels, tesco trolley's and countless bags of garden rubbish for us to look at from the Belmont side. I do think it has now become a health hazard with the smell and l think with the amount of rubbish now therewe may even get flooding this winter .

[Glenda Powell]

Hi Chris,yes the area of the Newton Brook is from Kingfisher road by the bridge to the new houses to Carwardine Green in Newton Farm we went to look at the area as you go into Yarlington Mill and noted the terrible smell from whatever is in the black bag, also the shopping trollie and slab of concrete from where the men were doing the electrical cabling work. We have also agreed where the brook runs along Golden post by the bridge leading to CH7 and Hunderton Rough leading to the river, the part of the brook that is in Glastonbury Close and the Belmont brook from Northolme road along the whole length of the CH7.Hope that clarifies all the brook areas that has been agreed to be cleared at my request.

[megilleland]

Frank, thank you for your appreciation of what I am getting done, to answer your question I have just spoken to Neill Davies in regard to the hedges along Belmont road from McDonalds to Tesco, if the hedges /trees are the other side of the fence it is the responsibility of the Homeowner to cut this, that said, the hedges in the recent past were cut back by Amey but the Councillor living in Belmont had it stopped. Neill Davies on my request will now go back and ask if Amey can take this work on again. When I get a reply I will post it here.

Hello Glenda cycled along this path last night and the hedge is pushing out over the path between the Three Counties Hotel and Tesco. The hedge and trees are on the highway verge and not in the residents gardens.

[Glenda Powell]

Update on other workI requested being carried out:

 

1. Hedging from 23 Flaxley Drive - 4 Pricknash Close (basically from Three Counties Hotel to Tesco) has been programmed in for 19th Aug HC highways have said it will be cut. Adrian Hall will be frailing the hedge back and providing a chainsaw team to tidy up the larger cut ends. Please note the hedge will look a little unsightly for a while but the yearly hedge cut ( which the other councillor who had it stopped, and which I asked to be reinstated has been agreed) planned going forward the look of the hedge will improve year on year. So basically next year when the hedges are being cut around the Oval this hedge will be done at the same time.

2. Low Willow branches on bad bend on Waterfield road will be cut.

3. Glastonbury Close vegetation clearance to be carried out next week.

4. Branch over hanging 25 Northolme road will be also be cut next week.

5. Belmont brook vegetation to be frailed and strimmed.

6. Phil Pankhurst is also programming in cutting of hedge along the CH7 footpath.

7. Bushes being cut back in Hunderton road.

 

This will be completion of 5 weeks work that I requested and was agreed to be done by Amey.

[Colin James]

Well we were promised that they would return to Glastonbury Close after some excellent work carried out in September 2011 see this article

 

Bushes & Small Tree's on the left

 

This is how the completed work looked back then

 

 

We did not see them as promised last year, so I have said nothing until now, I hope the standard of their work this week is the same as it was 2 years ago because this is how it looks now

 

 

Tree's (Near McDonalds Fence)

 

Now to the tree's that I requested should be removed, they never removed them but they did cut them down, however, they left stumps... I did complain at the time see this article

 

This is how it looked after Amey had completed their work back in November 2009.

 

 

NOTHING has been done with these tree's since then even though we were promised this would be added to the works schedule for each year, we are now August 2013 so this is how it looks 4 years later, I took this photograph 10 minutes ago.

 

[Mick]

Well this is the beauty of a forum I guess Colin you can always refer back to something that had been previously promised. Massive difference between how lovely it looked back then to how it looks today, I am not surprised the tree's look so bad if they have not attended to them in over 4 years! Saying that the bushes on the left look quite bad after not being touched for 2 years, lets hope they get it back to it's previous standard as per you pictures, more than a days works there though I suspect.

[Glenda Powell]

As I have said the work next week will be carried out to the boundary which is the middle of the brook. You notice these stumps are in front of the metal fence which is the other side of the boundary and which is McDonalds land. When they were cut by Amey 4 years ago McDonalds complained so unfortunately if they do not cut them back neither can Amey. Work will be carried out from the entrance to the open space to the brook all vegetation this side will be cut. I will ask Monday when they are going to the area and will make sure I visit while they are there!

[Colin James]

As I have said the work next week will be carried out to the boundary which is the middle of the brook. You notice these stumps are in front of the metal fence which is the other side of the boundary and which is McDonalds land. When they were cut by Amey 4 years ago McDonalds complained so unfortunately if they do not cut them back neither can Amey. Work will be carried out from the entrance to the open space to the brook all vegetation this side will be cut. I will ask Monday when they are going to the area and will make sure I visit while they are there!

 

Sorry Councillor but McDonalds did not complain! On the contrary, they were more than happy that Amey were doing the work as they own the land. I know because my GF worked their and I also know Dean the manager, so I think you have crossed your wires somewhere.

 

My recollection is that you were as unhappy as me that Amey had left stumps and not completely removed them as we knew this day would come and that the tree's would re-grow and need cutting again, so a pointless exercise then? we were also both concerned that kids would climb on them too.

 

I also suggest you read this post that you made back then. The answer is in the title of the topic...

 

'This is what happens when requests are ignored...'

 

You also wrote this:

I have heard from the officer this lunchtime in regard to Glastonbury Close and the site visit I arranged last week with officers. Amey will be going there for half a day, as part of a program of works, they will clear the area and cut back the foliage of the stumps but will not remove them altogether due to budget costs. I have accepted this,I feel although this was not what we wanted, something is better than nothing being done at all.

Have a look at this post too, where you were clearly not happy about Amey not removing the stumps altogether either because you wrote this:

It was not what I wanted, and yes I told them if they had done what I ask last year they would not be having to do work on the stumps again this year. I have said I want to know when they are doing the work and I will apply pressure on the day while they are there! McDonalds is putting the non drying paint on the wall and fencing to stop people climbing over. From what I have been told they have spent all of this year budget already

 

Can I assume that Amey will cut back the small tree's and bushes back on the left side (this side of the brook) then like in the first two pictures.

[Alex]

No flies on you Colin I have read threw the topics from back in 2011 and to be fair you are right.

[Glenda Powell]

Colin, I can only report what I have been told. I know what I put in the previous posts of sometime ago. I recollect that at that time we arranged a meeting with the manager who then did not turn up on the day in question, I know because I did not go to a council meeting in order to meet with him therefore we went ahead with the cutting back, after it was done the council was notified by Mcdonalds (not the manager)we did not have permission from them to cut the trees back which is on their land and they did not wish them to be cut back hense why they have not been cut again. As I said in my previous post the boundary is the brook, I have been advised everything up to the boundary will be cut. I have asked what day they are going there so that I can attend, I should get a reply back Monday or Tuesday.

[Victor Wright]

Colin, is the first picture work done that was done 2 years ago? So why did they not return last year and is this why is it so overgrown now?

[Chris Adcocks]

I know l may sound blunt, but when is the work on the brook along Waterfield road going to start? Newton Farm side is tidy having been cut back some time ago. Belmont side is a disgrace, the whole length is littered with rubbish and and completely overgrown.

[Colin James]

I know l may sound blunt, but when is the work on the brook along Waterfield road going to start? Newton Farm side is tidy having been cut back some time ago. Belmont side is a disgrace, the whole length is littered with rubbish and and completely overgrown.

 

Don't hold your breath Chris, Autumn is almost upon us... can you post a few pictures of what it looks like now?

[Glenda Powell]

Chris, I had the dates for the brook in Waterfield Road as the 19th-20th August, let me know if it is not done, Glenda

[Colin James]

This is the years completed work compare it to the last time they did it, although we are grateful you have to admit not done anywhere near the same standard as last time, did not cut the grass this time either as that was done at the same time last time, still better than nothing.

 

 

[Chris Adcocks]

Thanks for the pics Colin , but l dont know where this is. I will post more pics later this week after all the work has been completed. :Winking_32:

[Glenda Powell]

Colin, I came to see them doing the work and asked them to cut the tree stumps down to the ground, the grass is cut by a different team of operatives to the trees. But was assured it will be cut.

[Colin James]

Colin, I came to see them doing the work and asked them to cut the tree stumps down to the ground, the grass is cut by a different team of operatives to the trees. But was assured it will be cut.

 

Well the stumps or rather tree's again have not been touched Glenda. They have made what I would consider a pretty poor job of it, compare the pictures above with the ones from a few years ago and you will see, this looks like a real rush job, last time they took 2 days, okay they came back I think 4 days later but in total it was 2 days. I did not even see them arrive or leave this time so they could not of been her for too long...

 

Can you get them back to cut the stumps?

[Colin James]

Thanks for the pics Colin , but l dont know where this is. I will post more pics later this week after all the work has been completed. :Winking_32:

 

Chris, this is the open space in the cul de sac of Glastonbury Close where I live.

[Glenda Powell]

Colin, They were there one half days, I came past your house and your car was there so I knocked your door but got no answer to tell you they were on site.

[Colin James]

Colin, They were there one half days, I came past your house and your car was there so I knocked your door but got no answer to tell you they were on site.

 

Not sure when that was but if it was Monday my car was here but I was not hence why you got no reply probably.

 

See my last reply above, are they coming back to cut the stumps?

[Chris Adcocks]

Hallelujah, they have made a start and yes the brook is still there.I do hope that is not it. There is still a lot of overgrowth still to be removed and I think a fleet of skips may well be needed now to clear it out.Will post pics tomorrow of their progress.