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Dronfield Civic Society Celebrating 25 years of caring for our environment Web: www.dronfieldcivicsociety.org.uk Email: enquiries@dronfieldcivicsociety.org.uk Photograph Paul Millington Issue 21 Welcome to the December newsleer December 2015 Dronfield Civic Society has been acve on a number of fronts over the past three months. We are delighted to be playing a major part in the Safer Dronfield Campaign. This is gaining momentum as many residents are raising traffic issues related to speeding, rat runs, HGVs, parking and the safety of pedestrians. More bulbs have been planted this autumn around the town and we connue to monitor and report mindless acts of vandalism and fly‐pping. Now is the me to consider who, within our community has made a significant contribuon to improving the local natural and built environment through the annual A message from JRC award scheme. See inside for details of how you can make a nominaon. Chairman John Harvey We are hopeful that many of you will have entered the new photographic compeon and we look forward to viewing the entries. Happy New Year. Making Dronfield Safer Dronfield Civic Society is working for a SAFER DRONFIELD. We plan to forge a united front of residents, schools, churches, police, the local council and businesses to bale for beer, safer roads across Dronfield. We are co‐ordinang with residents on Snape Hill Lane, Lea Road and Stubley Lane. We are examining issues like: SPEEDING TRAFFIC RAT‐RUNS on residenal streets 20 MPH extensions PEDESTRIAN SAFETY WEIGHT LIMITED ROUTES FOR HGVs PARKING NEEDS WE SEE THE END RESULT BEING THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A DRONFIELD‐WIDE TRAFFIC PLAN See inside for the full story If you have a couple of hours a month to spare to take the minutes at commiee meengs please contact our Secretary on 01246 418607. If you are a member and would like to receive this newsleer by email, please contact enquiries@dronfieldcivicsociety.org.uk Campaigning for a SAFER DRONFIELD—It’s Gaining Momentum Residents from across Dronfield are joining forces to fight for greater safety for pedestrians and users of the town’s roads. The campaign group ‘A Safer Dronfield’ held a public meeng on Tuesday November 3rd at 7 pm in the Civic Hall, Dronfield Civic Centre, to gather ideas and support for a comprehensive traffic plan with the aim of solving the issues of speeding traffic, HGVs on residenal roads and rat‐runs created by the piecemeal traffic management of the past. More than 70 people aended the meeng, which is surely indicave that traffic is a major issue within our town. The campaign aims to forge a united front of residents, schools, churches, police, the local council and businesses to bale for beer, safer roads across Dronfield. Measures for consideraon included:‐ The development of a Dronfield wide traffic plan Measures to enforce speed limits, including community speed watch The expansion of the current 20 mph zone especially around schools The creaon of safe pedestrian crossing areas Weight limited routes to control HGV traffic Parking needs John Harvey, Chairman of Dronfield Civic Society and a campaign spokesman, explained; ‘’We are lucky enough in Dronfield to have a picturesque town centre with oen narrow winding streets and narrow pavements, but with today’s traffic volumes that creates its own problems. We also have had two new supermarkets, Sainsbury’s and Aldi, in recent years which are undoubtedly an asset to the town but which have increased traffic flows. As drivers leave the centre they put their foot down along the oen residenal roads to avoid speed bumps which were installed on the main Chesterfield Road and Holmley Lane in the past. We need a ‘big picture’ traffic plan with praccal soluons to avoid this happening.” The catalyst for the campaign was provided by Dronfield Civic Society which brought together three groups of residents from: Snape Hill Lane where residents have been baling rat‐running speeding ‘through’ traffic Stubley Lane where residents face speeding traffic and connuous HGV traffic going to and from Gunstones Lea Road where speeding traffic on a narrow residenal road has the added danger of parked cars hampering visibility Residents who have already contacted the campaign Speeding and Corner Cung on the Snape Hill Lane Rat Run group with their concerns also include those from High With thanks to Jill Tingle for these images and for her previous work for the Street, Carr Lane, Green Lane, Longcro Road, Snape Hill Lane residents and recent involvement in this campaign Chesterfield Road and Hallowes Lane. John Harvey urged people to aend the meeng to have a voice in making Dronfield a safer place. ‘‘ The Civic Society has long campaigned for a safer town and our members tell us that this is an issue of great concern to many residents. We are looking forward to the community raising its collecve voice to achieve a safer Dronfield.” For further informaon please contact John Harvey on 07766911754 or [email protected] Tribute to our Former Treasurer It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Ian Collins in October. Ian was instrumental in the formaon of the society 26 years ago, and became its first and only treasurer. His commitment to the society was mirrored by his acve support of many Dronfield organisaons including the Scouts and the Parish Church. Ian’s enthusiasm for his town was limitless and we join with many others in our town in passing on our condolences to his wife Gill and the rest of Ian’s family. Discussions are being held about how best to remember Ian. This may be Ian Collins enjoying the fun through the creaon of a new special award in the same way that we at the Dronfield Gala remember John Robert Clough, a former chairman of the society. See below pictured in front of the as it is now me to begin the nominaon process for 2016. DCS stand (aka Ian’s Arabian tent) It’s That Time of Year Nominaons for our annual awards begin in January and recognise those who have made a significant contribuon to improving the local built and natural environment in Dronfield and District. The 2015 overall winner was the Cruck Barn on Church Street, one of Dronfield’s oldest buildings which retains its character and charm now as residenal accommodaon. If you would like to make a nominaon for 2016, you can do so using the nominaon form which appears on our website or by wring to DCS Secretary 7 Forth Avenue Dronfield Woodhouse S18 8ZG. Autumn Planng for Spring Colour A big thank you to commiee member Robert Hardcastle who has undertaken the planng of hundreds of daffodil bulbs in Dronfield and Coal Aston this autumn. We shall be keeping a close eye on the grass cung team in the spring next year, as it was disappoinng to note that they cut the flower bulbs too early which is detrimental to the flowering of the bulbs the following year. The area manager will be contacted to avoid a repeon in 2016. Follow‐Up Staon Signage In our last issue, we commented on the inappropriate new signage near Dronfield Staon. Commiee member David Hallam pursued the maer with the NEDDC Enforcement Invesgaon Officer Sandra Tagg, and this was her response. “We have now carried out a site visit with regard to the signs at Dronfield Staon. We believe that the signs benefit from deemed consent as they are within the perimeters of the car park. We have however wrien to Network Rail and advised them that concerns have been expressed that they are prominent within the Conservaon Area and requested that consideraon be given to replacing the signs with smaller less obtrusive signs.” MAV Spong Dronfield Civic Society commiee members are always on the look out for the Mindless Acts of Vandalism which regularly occur across our town. Damage to the bus shelter on Dyche Lane occurred on the evening of Saturday 3rd October. A commiee member reported it to Stagecoach the following morning. At the end of August, all three bins between Apperknowle and Hundall were uprooted and thrown onto nearby farmland in a mindless act of vandalism. Members of DCS worked to reinstate the bins and clear lier which had accumulated in the lay‐bys. Perhaps those responsible could answer the queson on everyone’s lips: WHY? Washing Away The Evidence More than 15 chemical containers were spoed in the River Drone along Mill Lane, some of which had already made their way further downstream. A commiee member reported it to NEDDC and on this occasion someone else had already reported it. If you see any fly‐pping in our area, help us by reporng it to the authories. Report Enviro Crime on 01246 217610 or online www.ne‐derbyshire.gov.uk What’s Behind the Green Door? There has been a 20% naonal increase in incidents of fly‐pping over the last year, and our local area is not immune from this type of an‐social behaviour. We know it is on the increase because most of our newsleers feature a photograph of it. Commiee member David Hallam who connues to press for more acon on the part of the Council, has recently brought to the aenon of Steve Brunt, the Joint Assistant Director of Streetscene for Bolsover and NED, a pile of rubbish on Callywhite Lane. The small pile to begin with, has been added to over the course of a year. The difficulty with respect to its removal is due we are told to the fact that the rubbish lies on a private road up to an industrial estate, and so is a management responsibility on the part of the businesses rather than a Council responsibility.