Lichfield District FAZELEY Rural Planning MILE OAK Project BONEHILL A. WHAT YOU SAID B. WHAT C.A.B.E. SAID C. OTHER EVIDENCE RELEVANT TO PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE OF FAZELEY D. TOWARDS A VISION FOR THE FUTURE Lichfield District Council September 2011 NB – To be read in conjunction with the Introduction and Conclusion Reports. November 2011 A. What you said: workshop event said that they valued the poor maintenance of shops, of both the countryside and the canal. spaces and a proliferation of signage. 1. The following paragraphs summarise the main outcomes from the rural planning project in terms of the views gathered, principally from residents of the village, between July 2010 and February 2011. The original analyses on which this summary is based are included as Appendix 2. Views and ideas arising from the February 2011 workshop event are illustrated on the accompanying Composite Plan of Workshop Ideas. Reindeer Road Houses on Coleshill Street: scaffolding • Character and environment 4. Although many people There is a strong and widely held local acknowledged the history of Fazeley view that cumulatively these issues 2. The size, linear form and historic as part of its environment, its historic are significantly reducing the development of the present village buildings and the canals, most people environmental quality of the area. from a number of settlements were had issues with the quality of the Coleshill Street and other streets in recognised as impacting upon today’s environment as it is at present. the centre of Fazeley are particularly character and environment. People affected. Some people recognised visiting the events identified several 5. There are several buildings which maintenance cost as an issue but different communities within the whole are damaged or in a poor state of considered it should have been and many raised the difficulty of repair, including fire damage to addressed when funding recent integrating the mix of communities as Bonehill Mill and Fazeley garage. environmental schemes. an issue. These buildings are scaffolded and two of the buildings, along Coleshill 6. Some residents are concerned at 3. Notwithstanding this, people living Street and Lichfield Street, have been what is viewed as a poor standard of in the Fazeley, Mile Oak, Bonehill area scaffolded for a number of years. care and maintenance within a value the environment they have, People viewed these as giving the Conservation Area. A number of including the ease of access to the area the appearance of being derelict. people identified that a lack of trees countryside, the relative peacefulness In addition some areas, in particular and other planting contributed to and a feeling of safety resulting from a within Fazeley, are suffering from reducing the environmental quality of low level of crime. Many said that damage or poor maintenance to street the area. This was further impacted there was an atmosphere of a village. furniture and from issues such as litter, upon at times by traffic, including Children who visited the February queues sometimes arising related to 2 visitors to Drayton Manor Park and workshops included the lack of a the District Council offices. It was also traffic accessing Ventura Park, central focus for the community. Some noted that there were currently no bus Tamworth. raised this as an issue and asked services along Coleshill Street. whether new play and community 7. At the February workshop there was facilities located centrally could help to 11. There was some consensus great concern expressed at the address the problem. Some identified amongst those taking part that more general quality and care for the making better use of the square as a traffic management should be a environment of Fazeley/Mile Oak, but means of focussing community priority. The objectives of this should in particular the central part of activity, but others identified lack of be to reduce speed and the level of Fazeley. A need to significantly parking as an issue, which gives rise heavy vehicle movement, and to improve the environmental quality of to a conflict unless it can be facilitate better pedestrian movement, this area was seen as a priority, addressed elsewhere. both within the centre of Fazeley and including a general need for ‘tidying also along the former A5, particularly up’, for environmental improvements, 9. Although people recognised the crossings to access public transport. and for more planting – there were relationship of Fazeley to Tamworth, several suggestions for this, ranging many were concerned at the need to 12. Visitors to the events made from a tree avenue stretching from maintain the physical separation from several traffic management Fazeley to Mile Oak – a ‘mile of oaks’ Tamworth where it still exists. They suggestions. These included reducing (a point picked up in the CABE report), therefore wanted to see no spread of the speed limit on the former A5 from to flower planters/hanging baskets development into these areas, but also 40 mph to 30 mph at Mile Oak and within the streets around Fazeley wished to see better access to them introducing a weight limit on this road, centre. by improving walking and cycling introducing more crossings and routes. creating a cycle route along the north side of the former A5 from Fazeley to • Transport and traffic Mile Oak. A series of mini- management roundabouts at the road junctions along Sutton Road were suggested 10. Many people were happy with along with more parking within public transport links from Fazeley to Fazeley centre. Tamworth, Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham although some 13. Some people noted that there commented that they were too were several footpaths or alleyways expensive. Several people providing connecting links that were commented that the lack of a direct closed, which, if opened would allow Coleshill Street bus service to Lichfield did not help better connections and play a role in with the identity of Fazeley as part of improving the linkages between the 8. Another environmental issue arising Lichfield District, nor did it help with different parts of the community, through the consultations and reaching some services – for example combined with more crossings of 3 major roads. The improvement of the • Community activities and improvement of the Mile Oak play footpath/cycleway route from Bonehill facilities area. to the canal, for access to Tamworth, was specifically identified. 15. In the initial consultations (2010) 17. Some Bonehill residents said that people identified the range of shops, Bonehill lacked facilities, although services and facilities available there was no particular strong call amongst things they liked about living emerging as to whether facilities there in Fazeley/Mile Oak. This was also would be generally what people related to the good access to the town wanted. There was one suggestion centre and other facilities in Tamworth. that the field lying between Bonehill and Lichfield Street should be used as an ‘events park’. This may have been related to the issue of whether there was a need or desire to strengthen Fazeley, Mile Oak and Bonehill as a strong community with a single Fazeley ‘crossroads’ identity. There was some discussion in the event and workshop about 14. Issues related to the highway whether more centrally located play network were identified by some. and community facilities would create These included Mile Oak crossroads, more of a sense of community. where some thought that the introduction of a right filter lane out of Local shops, Mile Oak 18. Others mentioned a lack of Tamworth towards Hints would help, facilities for the elderly, that there 16. During the course of the whilst others suggested its conversion should be a local library and that there consultations differing views emerged from traffic lights to a roundabout. was a shortage of pubs. Others identified issues on the A5 about the range and quality of trunk road network, suggesting that facilities. The shortage of facilities for 19. Generally people wanted to see the ‘tight’ exit eastbound towards Mile teenagers was highlighted as a more facilities and at the workshops Oak was dangerous whilst one person particular concern, along with play widening the range of uses in or near suggested a new westbound slip road facilities for children. A number of to Fazeley centre seemed to be a could be constructed to allow traffic to suggestions were made including theme highlighted. Suggestions arising access Hints without the need to pass provision for skateboarding and BMX included a ‘tea room’, café/coffee through Mile Oak crossroads. and a desire for more and better shop, that would accommodate both quality play and open spaces. There local and tourist trade. The vacant were individual ‘calls’ for the use of Methodist Church was a suggested ‘waste land’ to provide for children’s location for the latter. One suggestion facilities, for a library and for the was that Fazeley should have a canal4 and mill museum that would be an to meet needs locally. At the February settlement to accommodate District- additional attraction for the area. workshops event the ‘post-it’ wide housing need. While there was responses showed 20 comments no desire expressed for any significant 20. The cost of activities and facilities indicating that there was a good local housing development, where the was raised as an issue by a number of choice and only 1 resident disagreed possibility of more housing people, suggesting that this may be a with this view. During the workshop development was acknowledged, significant factor limiting access by sessions there was no recorded brownfield sites were flagged up as some residents to certain facilities. mention of affordable housing. the most acceptable options and it One suggestion was made that the However within the exercise overall, was felt that these should be used District Council should negotiate with including the February event, some first.