Letter to residents of Place Road and Baring Road

15^th February 2013.

Dear Sir/ Madam,

Former Readers Site.

You may have read recent reports that the Home Leisure Garden Retailer, The Range has expressed an interest in redeveloping the former Reader’s site, located adjacent to Inner Space in Place Road.

When meeting with the landowner’s agent at a local Council’s Planning Committee, I suggested that a pre-application public exhibition is held to notify local residents about these proposals.

This exhibition will be held between 4:30-8pm, Thursday 21^st February at the Isle of Wight Community Club in Park Road, Cowes (opposite Northwood Recreation Ground). All residents are welcome to attend!

Gurnard Neighbourhood Plan: Settlement Boundaries.

Residents highlighted as their priorities within Gurnard’s Neighbourhood Plan Survey the need to retain a village identity whilst preserving the Green Gap which exists between Cowes and Gurnard within the Jordan Valley.

Because of this and previous feedback on the Island Plan Core Strategy, the IW Council are considering the following options, namely:

·         Retaining a modified envelope to maintain Gurnard within the same settlement boundary as Cowes.  

·         To create a separate settlement boundary for Gurnard.

·         To create no settle boundary for Gurnard. 

The view which the Parish Council widely supports, is for Gurnard to have no settlement boundary.  This would ensure future development within Gurnard would be treated in much the same way as that within the countryside. This viewpoint has been reinforced by Planning Consultants.

From my point of view, I support this and recognise that for residents living in Baring Road and Place Road the outlook and Green Gap is equally important to residents of Cowes as it is for Gurnard.  If you share this view, or not- please let me know!

Highways PFI Update.

From April 1^st, Island Roads will take on responsibility for upgrading roads on the Island.  It was stated by contractors than roads on the Isle of Wight will go from being the worst in the country to becoming the best within the first 7 years.

I am advised that there will be 15 times more work being undertaken on the roads than there is currently. In the first three years all street lights will be upgraded, whilst according to current indicators Place Road, Park Road, Parklands Avenue and Ward Avenue will be some of the first local roads scheduled to be repaired in the first two years.

Gurnard Primary School, Baring Road.

Last month I met with parents to listen to concerns raised about safety outside school at school drop off and collection times.  This meeting followed similar concerns being expressed to me from residents of Baring Road.

Parents have asked that I seek the views of residents that live in, or use Baring Road about the following:

·         A Zebra Crossing.	·         Improvements to safe walking routes.
·         Enforcement of parking on Cycle Lane.	·         Extending pavement east of school.
·         Better parking enforcement generally.	·         Swapping location of yellow lines, east of school.
·         Dog Mess	·         Further pinch points near to school.
·         Damage to Grass Verges, Woodvale Road.	·         Creation of car drop off points
·         Debourne Manor Drive access signage.	·         Creation of No Waiting restrictions
·         Disabled Parking Provision.	·         Further double yellow lines

Please let me know, which of these suggestions, you feel are worthy of pursuing or abandoning!

Yours,