Council Newsletter August 2019
Added on 14 August 2019
Waste Collections
A new Waste Collection System will come into operation in October. We have emphasised to the VoGC that it is important for residents to know what is involved. As a result we are arranging for a Road Show to visit the Village to demonstrate the new collection equipment, distribute some leaflets and answer questions. We shall circulate details of the arrangements in the near future.
In the meantime from Monday 19th. August 2019 recycling will not be accepted in carrier bags or white, clear or coloured sacks, only in Council issued bags or boxes which most of you already have. If not, they are available from Cowbridge Library, Civic Offices or the Alps Depot at Wenvoe, CF5 6AA.
See valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/recyclingandwaste/bagsandcontainers for further details.
Tree Planting
The Community Council thanks all those who made suggestions as to where trees could be planted around the Village and also offers of help with planting programmes.
Amongst the suggestions from Villagers was to make use of roadside verges and the Countryside in general. Unfortunately landowners have not responded understandably because trees in fields tend to hamper efficient farming. This means there is even more need to follow up the suggestion to create tree lined avenues making use of the roadside verges.
As a result the Community Council has started discussions with the Vale of Glamorgan Council in order to establish the scope for planting on what is part of the Highway and will be subject to a range of safety considerations. The VoGC will also consult adjacent landowners who will want to ensure that their ability to maintain fences and hedgerows is not made more difficult. This is a legal requirement.
We will update you further later in the year but inevitably it will be 2020 before any programme might get under way.
Of more immediate concern is the problem of Ash die back in the area. This is an air borne virus which has become very apparent in this year. Unfortunately we have a very high proportion of Ash around the Village and felling and replacement with Ash saplings does not appear a viable option at this stage. This we are also discussing with the Vale of Glamorgan Council. Even so many self seeded saplings have emerged this year and the green fingered amongst us will have no problem in putting them in pots to keep them in a sapling bank as they might prove to be virus resistant and suitable for replacing those we lose.
Ed Lewis will keep us all up to date but if you have queries, comments or ideas please contact him via the Community Council Website.
Vines and Heol Cae Pwll Street Adoption and Attenuation Basin Safety
Street Adoption matters are currently a major UK problem and likely to require Westminster Legislation to make Developers comply with the agreed specifications. In the meantime this does not address owners concerns. Having just discussed this matter with the VoGC Director concerned I shall now discuss with Cllr. Ed Lewis (the Vines) and Cllr. John Savery (Heol Cae Pwll) as to how to best brief owners in these areas on the actions which you might care to take individually or collectively through your own legal representatives.
The Attenuation systems at both sites are a particular problem and the VoGC has drawn both Persimmons (the Vines) and Redrows (Heol Cae Pwll) attention to the seriousness of these matters.
With regard to Safety I hope to agree a wrought iron fence extension to Heol Cae Pwll Attenuation Basin and will shortly be submitting proposals to the VoGC Director responsible and with whom I have already had discussions.
For legal reasons I cannot be publicly more specific but if you have individual concerns please contact me, 01656 661787, when I shall try to direct you to the most appropriate source of advice,
Broadband
We have completed a comprehensive analysis of potential Fibre Optic Broadband Residential and Business requirements in Colwinston. With some 700 individuals in houses along with about 40 businesses plus a very high number of people working from home we have an excellent case for an upgrade. Our report will be submitted to the AG, the VoGC and Openreach by the middle of this month.
St. David’s Church in Wales School
Most of you will be aware that the VoGC Cabinet has approved the building of the new school on the existing site. Inevitably this will cause varying levels of inconvenience which the VoGC is doing all it can to minimise. The CC will be meeting with the Senior Manager in charge of this project, indeed all the current Vale School rebuilding programme, in the near future. So if you have any observations which you would want us to raise please let me know.
Road Resurfacing
By the time you read this you will have probably have seen evidence in the Western Vale of the first phase of the Vale’s Road Resurfacing programme. It is not clear which of the priority routes in this area will be addressed this year but those which are not will be dealt with next summer. This will be the case with the area in front of the new school which it is hoped will include a range of infrastructure modifications.
Brown Tourist Information Signs, Pedestrian Signs and 30 MPH signs.
Some years ago the VoGC changed its Highway signage policy in order to reduce ‘clutter’. Not only did it fail, it meant that no new Brown Tourist Information Signs have been permitted. This has had an adverse effect on the local tourist industry including for example the Sycamore Tree and Highfield Farm Cottages. It is undoubtedly time for this policy to be reviewed and through Cllr. Christine Cave we shall be submitting proposals to the VoGC.
Following observations from residents we have also submitted revised proposals for ‘Pedestrians in Road’ signs to be erected at the entrances to the Village. This has previously been rejected but we are now more optimistic of success.
After a long wait all the damaged 30MPH signs have either been replaced or renewed. The matter of 20MPH speed limits is in the hands of the WAG. This said the area in front of the School is likely to become a 20MPH zone when the rebuild is complete.
Peter Graham-Woollard - Chairman - Colwinston Community Council - chmncolcc@gmail.com