Lazy Grass Cutters Strike again

Lazy Grasscutters strike again. This time at Barkers Field off Oakwood Road.

The grass was cut in the last couple of days and again drinks cans and plastic containers have been shredded.

Not only do dog walkers us this field but its home to many of Blurton’s Lads and Dad’s football teams.

There are loads of razor shop pieces everywhere.

This comes only days after Stoke-on-Trent City Council agreed to look into complaints of 3 dogs having been hurt on Cockstersbrook field which was highlighted by dog owner Jamie Naylor on BBC Radio Stoke.

Now warnings are being given to as many dog wardens and families as possible.

Im Praise of Bus Drivers.

First Staffs operating services

I write today in praise of bus drivers, and in this case those that work for First Staffs.

They are providing services where they can in extreme conditions.

Sadly this isn’t being helped in some cases by the Stoke-on-Trent City Councils cut backs, in relation to gritting.

I myself have just travelled on a service 23 from Longton to Blurton, via Newstead.

Although Carlisle Street in Dresden was impassable and a steep hill it had to be missed out.

My main concern was that a large mainly Council Estate like Newstead had not been cleared. This is a main bus route between Hanley and Longton and in saying that this is the only bus service they have.

Praise therefore has to go to the driver who managed to get his vehicle around the estate via a revised route.

The Estate has often been described as the forgotten Estate, and in this case it seems it is very true, Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Highways Team of Gritters need to be given permission to grit the estate.

Let’s for the sake of its residents hope they do, especially with more snow forcast for tomorrow.

Its not often our bus operators get praise but this time they do, because they could miss the estate out like they have had to with Carlisle Street.

Old Mill goes up in smoke

Scene of the fire during the operation.

Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service were called to a former Working Mens Club in Newstead around 8.30pm last night.

Fire Crews from Longton, Newcastle and Hanley attended the fire in the single story building which is situated at the edge of Newstead Industrial Estate in Blurton.

Four appliances and an arial platform tacked the blaze in the premises which was well alight.

Thick smoke in a solid band could be seen ad far away as Fenton and Longton, and the smell of burning could be smelt at
Heron Cross.

Residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed due to the concerns of asbestos.

Fire crews remained at the scene overnight.

This morning one appliance remains to keep a watching brief for any re-ignitions.

This morning a joint Fire and police investigation will begin to determine the cause of last nights fire.

Blurton Festival Ends

The Management Committee of the Blurton Festival met this morning and sadly we made the decission to disolve the committe and distributed the monies left in the account to other similar groups that hold events in their Communitys.

The decission was made on the grounds that we haven’t been able to hold the event for the last few years due to the building of the new Ormiston Sir Stanley Mathews Academy.

Due to the fact there is no other suitable venues, and please be assured we have investigated every site possible, we felt it better to end it now and give other groups the chance to run an event with some funding help.

Four Local Groups will now receive checks from us, Newstead over 50’s Group, Blurton Family Group, Blurton Farm Residents Association and Old Blurton Community Association. A total of £2170.14p was shared.

As the outgoing Chairperson and on behalf of the Committee we would like to thank everyone for their help and support over the years, iwe had some fabulous times.

The “Blueton Festival” name will remain the copyright of ours until such times as others may wish to take it over.

Roy Naylor.

Douglas Macmillan Hospice. Fancy Drag Race.

From @DougieMacStoke

Fancy Drag Race
 
ENTER ONLINE HERE http://bit.ly/IUgsdj
 
There will be no entries on the day for this event.

Sunday 27th May
 
9.30am
 
Newcastle Town Centre, Staffordshire.
 
A sponsored 2.6 mile walk/run for men dressed as women to raise money for Douglas Macmillan Hospice.
 
This will be the first year that Dougie Mac have held this event. The event is modelled on an event held in Chesterfield by Ashgate Hospice. 

To get a sense of the fun they have up there whilst raising money

FUN DAY

From Blurton Community Centre: Fun Day at Blurton Community Centre, Oakwood Rd, Blurton. Saturday 14th April.

Street Dance Sessions

From Sporting Ventures: Street Dance Sessions, for 11 to 16 Yr olds. Every Monday 6.30pm – 8.30pm, Main Hall, Blurton Community Hub. £2 Addmission fee per session. Professional Street Dance Coaching for all abilities with Shanice Harris.

For more information please contact Rob Simms on 07939 906168 or email: info@sportingventures.co.uk

Rat Run Danger

Resurfacing work on Blurton Rd, Blurton is turning the Hollybush Estate, into a dangerouse place especially for children coming home from school.

The work contracted out by @SOTCitycouncil is due to last two weeks.
But many impation drivers are speeding through the estates streets to try and beat the tempory traffic lights.

These people are putting pedestrians especially young children of the estate.

Some Residents are scared someone will get knocked down or killed, and want drivers to be more patient and Waite for the lights to change.

One resident said “I’m pleased to see the work being done, but concerned by the danger its brought onto the estate.

Community Disgrace

For a number of years now the Swallows Nest Public House on the Newstead in Blurton, has laid empty and derelict.

Residents who live near to the derelict pub have had to put up with fly tipping, windows being smashed, kids hanging around the building and fires.

The Swallows Nest Public House, Newstead.

 

In 2009 then Councillor for Blurton Roy Naylor was contacted after things got worse with the number of fires at the premises growing and break-ins. Not only were residents fed up but so were local community police officers and Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service.

He was advised that the building had been left empty for a number of years and that eventually the land had been sold to someone who wanted to use the shell of the former pub and the land to build a number of apartments, planning permission was granted by Stoke-on-Trent City Council. But nothing ever came of the application after residents in the area objected.

That was when the building became a target for vandalism.

In 2009 Councillor Naylor arranged for all the rubbish to be removed from around the site, the windows to be boarded up with metal and the roof removed. Emails were sent to all the local School’s Head Teachers asking for their assistance in letting both Children and parents know the dangers of being on the site.

Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service went into each school to give a talk on the dangers the building posed and showed photographs of the inside with floors missing and joists burnt through. Councillor Naylor also arranged for the Council to serve a legal notice called a Section 215 Notice on the owner of the building requiring him to either bring the building up to a safe standard or demolish it.

The 215 Notice expired in March 2011 and at that time nothing had been done to the premises, therefore in a meeting with the Local Enforcements Officer Councillor Naylor requested the file be forwarded to the City Councils Legal Team in Stoke for Legal Action to be comenced against the owners and ask the Court for permission to demolish the building.

In May Councillor Naylor stood down from the Council, and nothing was heard, now just as a member of the public he tried in July 2011 to find out what was happening, but nothing was forthcoming so on the 2nd August he made a Freedon of Information Request to Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

The request should have been answered by 31st August but that came and went, he twice had to contact the Council to remind them, on one occassion he was advised that the information was with the Audit Department checking the information was correct. After some weeks of still not hearing anything he again contacted them asking about the information.

On the 17th October Mr Naylor received a response in relation to just two of the four questions he had asked, responses were in relation to if the Legal Department had received the file, it confirmed they had on the 3rd June and that they had opened it on 7th June.

In relation to the question how much had it cost the  City Council in securing thebuilding and legal costs they responded, that so far it had cost £367.50 in legal costs and apparently further costs for securing the property and call outs are yet to be invoiced.

In relation to the questions; Has a decission on the case been made and if so what is that decission and the question; If a decission has been made could they advise what action is to be taken and when it is likely to happen, they wouldn’t answer stating the following.

 Section 42(1) of the Act allows us to withhold information where a claim
to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.
It is considered that the public interest in withholding the information
is stronger than the public interest in disclosing it. This is because the
public interest is not best served by restricting an authority’s ability
to take and provide legal advice. 

It is my opinion that the Council dont intend to take legal action in relation to this due to the costs that would be incurred, and the fact that no one is now there to push them on the matter. So sadly it would look as if the residents of Newstead who have to look out on this mess daily they will be doing so for some considerable time to come.

Possibly the only way that the residents will now get anything done is by setting up a petition calling on the Council to take the action required to have the building demolished and get the local MP involved.

School works entrance improvement

When a petition was launched recently for a school crossing patrol outside a local school after a fatal accident one of the concerns was the works entrance.

We are now pleased to report that it would appear that the builders carrying out the works to build the new Ormiston Sir Stanley Mathews Academy, Beaconsfield Drive, Blurton, have looked and the concerns and made alterations to the layout of the works access.

The access and exit ran directly in line with the school fence, on the bend and was dangerouse for pedestrians who could not be seen br drivers exiting the site until the last minute.

The newly improved works access at Blurton Academy

As can be seen in our photograph here on the left the entrance has been set further back and persons walking down or up Beaconsfield Drive can now see any vehicle that is leaving the site.

Also due to the small blue wooden wall to the right drivers of vehicle leaving the works can now also see the pedestrians as they walk along the pavement.

This is a really good improvement that goes a long way to making the site a lot safer for those who have to use Beaconsfield Drive.

The petition for a crossing patrol is due to close on the 24th July, and it will then go before the full City Council meeting in September.