A Summer of activities for NENA

Throughout February NENA (North Earlsdon Neighbourhood Association) has been active in trying to reduce the disruption to residents in Spencer Avenue caused by major cabling works.

In January Western Power announced 7 weeks of disruption whilst they laid cables along the length of Spencer Avenue and Spencer Road.  There were fears that residents would lose all parking spaces in their street. With help from Councillor Allan Andrews, NENA pressed for something to alleviate this problem and council officers have now closed the road and introduced residents only parking.

NENA has also carried out a survey of the new street lighting across their area and have fed back to the council a number of residents’ concerns.  Generally the new lighting has been well received but there is still some room for improvement, including the lighting of Anarchy Bridge.  NENA is also in discussion with the council about the introduction of a permanent residents only parking scheme to Earlsdon.

The  Annual Street Sale this year will take place on Saturday 5 July.  Members will be contacted shortly with details of how to book their stall.

Dates are also now confirmed for this year’s residents’ meetings.  The next meeting will be on Tuesday 4 March when Peter Waters will be talking about the history of the area and the work of the Earlsdon Research Group.  Also attending will be City Tree Officer Tim Wetherall who will talk about Coventry’s current tree planting and maintenance policy and its impact on the area. The May Meeting will be held on Monday 12 May and will be an election hustings for the forthcoming council elections. This will be an opportunity to see and question candidates from all of the political parties standing in the Earlsdon ward.  This will be a joint meeting with sister association SENA.

Other residents’ meetings will be held on Tuesday 8 July and Tuesday 9 September.  Their AGM this year will be held on Tuesday 4 November. As in previous years, this will be primarily a social event and an opportunity to meet neighbours.

Other local events for the diary include the Big Lunch in Spencer Park on Sunday 1 June and the Earlsdon Festival on Monday 5 May.  NENA will also be supporting the ‘Bands in the Park’ events in Spencer Park in June, July and August (dates tbc) and is planning a social event in the Autumn probably a Beer Tasting Evening.

More details of NENA activities are available from their website and from their Facebook page.

 

Date for new vicar

 

The Collation Service of Rev’d Tulo Raistrick as Vicar of Earlsdon will be held on Sunday 11 May at 3pm in St. Barbara’s Church.  The Bishop of Coventry and Archdeacon Pastor John Green will officiate.  ECHO hopes to meet and interview Rev’d Raistrick for a future issue.

 

Churches fight litter

The churches of Earlsdon and Chapelfields are organising a Litter Pick-up on the first Saturday of each month from 9.15am – 11.15am starting in the roads around each of the local churches.  Members of the public are welcome join them.

The meeting points will be outside the following buildings:

5 April – Earlsdon Methodist Church; 3 May – Hearsall Baptist Church; 7 June – St. Barbara’s Church; 5 July St. Mary Magdalen Church; 2 August – All Souls Church.

 

Further changes to bus routes through Earlsdon

Another revision to local bus routes is planned to take effect from 23 March. These have come about in response to the anticipated disruption on Warwick Road caused by the Friargate development work which starts then.

The bus operator National Express intends diverting the number 18A service, which currently runs to Tile Hill via Warwick Road, Kenilworth Road and Cannon Park. The change is that this service will run via Albany Road and Earlsdon Avenue South before picking up its old route at Kenilworth Road.

This is in fact a change from an initial proposal to make changes to the number 11 and 12 services to Warwick University. As part of this original plan a new bus stop would have been created in Earlsdon Avenue North, opposite Earlsdon Library, for the University-bound service, mirroring the one on the library side for city-bound services. This had already been subject to consultation with affected residents with mixed results, with some concern about traffic issues balanced by other people welcoming the possibility of an additional stop.

The change of plan means the new stop will not now be required for 23 March but Centro has indicated that this could turn out to be more of a postponement than a cancellation, depending on National Express’s future operational decisions.

 

Hearsall Residents Association Launched

The new residents’ group for the Hearsall area was launched at a meeting on 3 February at the Spencer Club.

Around 30 residents attended, as did Whoberley ward councillor Bally Singh and the police, who were represented by Lee Froggatt and Joanna Jones-Kiamou.

The common issues that residents were keen to tackle in the area were:

  • Wheelie bins being left out on pavements, blocking people with pushchairs or those with wheelchairs or mobility scooters.  Many bins are improperly filled and left uncollected.
  • Security gates are being left open or are in disrepair, walls around gates have crumbled leaving the gates useless. The area is a crime hot spot but when complaints are made to the council or landlords nothing is done.
  • Street cleaning is not being done and some gardens have rubbish left in them. Albany Road bridge is particularly bad. Fly tipping is a problem on some streets and entries. It was suggested that a group of volunteers could organize a litter pick.
  • There were some concerns about Kingston Road becoming a cycle path and anger that residents were not consulted until the plans were nearly completed.
  • The area has a high number of students and others in shared accommodation, and many felt the landlords should take more responsibility for their properties and tenants.

It was agreed the group should meet again to discuss these problems further and the next meeting was arranged for Monday 24 February at the Albany pub. Unfortunately this fell into the period while the March issue of ECHO was at the printer’s, meaning it was too late for us to report on it in this issue but too soon for us to let people know that it was happening.

Chairman Paul from Kingston Road explained to ECHO that the plan for that meeting was to work in small groups, each group considering solutions to different problems including gates, bins, litter, the condition of infrastructure (roads, lights, pavements etc.), creating a network of residents to solve problems and build community spirit, funding and organization.

The group has yet to be named officially – Paul refers to it as ‘The Hearsall Group’ but wants to see if another name gains popularity. Anyone wanting more information about the group can contact Paul by email at: hearlsdon@yahoo.co.uk

 

Calling all artists

 Alba ny Logo JpegAlbany Theatre is launching an exciting new project for the summer and is offering opportunities to get involved.  Applications are invited from people over 60 with a personal story to tell, digital artists and creative performers aged between 16 and 25.

 

Storytellers

If you’re in your 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s or indeed your 100s and have a moment of your life story that you’d like to share, join your new community theatre for a special high tea at 4pm on 20 July.  While you’re enjoying cakes and sandwiches, you’ll meet a team of talented young actors, who will ask you questions about a special song that tells a wonderful sad, happy or extraordinary story from your past.  Every participant’s story will be performed on stage as well as filmed – making a perfect gift for your spouse, children or grandchildren.  It’s said that the past is a place that can never be visited but with the magic of theatre; who knows what is possible?

 

Digital artists

A team of talented digital artists with skills in film, photography or video is needed to create a visual/aural environment for performance.  This is a chance to show what you can do and add to your portfolio by working with young performers and professional writers and directors.  A budget of up to £100 will be available to successful applicants.  With your application, include a CV and describe your experience in up to 500 words.

 

Performers

The project is giving performers aged between 16 and 25 the chance to take part in a challenging, exciting summer school, working with leading directors and writers, from 25 to 30 August.  Successful applicants’ costs for the week are subsidised by Albany Theatre and will be £60, while a small number of bursaries will be available.  Auditions and interviews will be held on 10 and 11 May.  Include a passport-sized photo and a brief paragraph outlining any previous performance experience.

Applications to participate in this project should be made by 30 April, to Ms Alexandra Johnson, Albany Theatre, 53 The Butts, Coventry CV1 3BH or by email to info@albanytheatre.co.uk.

 

Common work will benefit cyclists and pedestrians

 

Significant  delays have arisen in both directions on Hearsall Common.
Significant  delays have arisen in both directions on Hearsall Common.

The plans we reported in October last year for changes to the roads, cycle paths and footpaths around Hearsall Common are now being put into effect, with work having started in mid-January and continuing for the next few months. The downside over the first three months or so of the year is significant delays to traffic in all directions around the junction of Hearsall Lane, Queensland Avenue, Earlsdon Avenue North and Hearsall Common, a situation that has been made worse by electrical repair work being carried out at the same time.

The first phase to be delivered will be new toucan crossings being installed at the main junction, with associated changes to upgrade the traffic lights.
Footpaths on either side of Hearsall Common will be widened to improve the route for pedestrians and cyclists to Canley Station and the cycle route into the city centre.
Lastly a refuge will be provided on Earlsdon Avenue North near the junction with Kingston Road. This will enable cyclists to link up safely with the cycle route into the city via Spon End.

Whoberley ward councillor, Bally Singh, told ECHO “The Hearsall Common area is seeing some major improvements to footways and cycleways but unfortunately work to progress our city always has an impact on traffic while it’s being carried out. We are trying to minimise disruption as much as possible and have been working alongside Western Power who have needed to carry out urgent repair works to electrical cables. This work has been more extensive than they initially planned and so we have started works on shared footways and cycleways in Canley Road while they complete their works on Hearsall Common. Once they have finished their repairs, we will complete the path on Hearsall Common, only using traffic management wherever necessary to keep the traffic moving. We will then move onto improving the pedestrian crossings, which I helped campaign for by submitting over 100 signatures from residents. We hope to complete all of the works by the end of March. Until then, we ask people to continue to be patient and try and use alternative routes if possible.”

The planned improvements are part of the Cycle Coventry project which aims to improve facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, by working with Centro to create a network of routes across the city linking with employment areas, education, health and leisure facilities. The scheme is funded by the government grant for cycling (LSTF) and developer payments for the pedestrian crossings.

Samantha Tharme, Cycling Coventry Programme Manager, added “These plans will help more people get to and from key places by walking or cycling, such as the station and city centre, more easily in the long run. We realise that Hearsall Common is a valuable space to local people and its roads and paths are well used. We are working to make as little disruption as possible and ask people remain patient while the work is taking place.”

The Kingston Road element of the project has been changed significantly from the plans announced last year – the consultation was rerun because it originally just offered residents an opportunity to say yes/no to the proposal of a refuge on the junction of Kingston Road and Earlsdon Avenue North, which prevented right turn entry and exit. Residents were unhappy about this so Cllr. Singh helped local residents run a campaign, with a petition, that supported the Cycle Coventry proposals but with the refuge moved slightly, in order to keep right turn access into Kingston Road. The re-run consultation result was that 108 out of 117 residents supported this option.

Kingston road map
The planned crossing on Earlsdon Avenue North. Image courtesy of Coventry City Council

Cllr. Singh commented “It’s great news that the council have listened to local residents, who wanted equal access for both cyclists and motorists into Kingston Road. Thanks also to everyone who responded back to the consultation and made their views heard.”

 

Baptist church welcomes new minister

Though he’d hardly had time to unpack, recently-arrived Hearsall Baptist Church minister Reverend David Sutcliffe found time recently to talk to ECHO about his new role.

“Bringing it all together” is how David described the core of his vision for the future. “Hearsall Baptist Church is home to many groups and societies, but the church is keen to help forge a greater unity among them – the unity that chapter 4 of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians describes, that makes Christ visible to the wider world. Part of our review will include considering how we can use our buildings to make the church a more integral part of the local community”. But “doing services well” with a blend of the best of the old and the best of the new is clearly also on David’s agenda, as is a desire to become involved in the city’s inter-faith work and to help the church think about – and reduce – its environmental impact.

Although brimming with thoughts and ideas, it’s clear that a contemplative and prayerful approach underpins everything David does – “the luxury of cultivating that peaceful relationship with God”, as he describes it. He was therefore delighted to have already received invitations to join contemplative prayer groups at two other local churches. And in that same ecumenical spirit, he intends that the church will continue to maintain strong links with Churches Together in Chapelfields and Earlsdon (CTEC).

David (who moved to Coventry with his wife Ruth at the end of December) is no stranger to ministerial roles, having served as a church minister previously. Most recently, though, he’s been a trainer with Mencap, based in Bristol, where one of his four grown-up children still lives. Very much a man who values spending time with people, he retains a keen interest in helping Christians connect their faith with their working lives, and will continue to do some consultancy as an executive coach. Never having lived in Coventry before, he praised its neighbourliness – exemplified by the fruit pie given to him and Ruth by a neighbour shortly after they moved in – and told ECHO how much he appreciated the “busyness” of Earlsdon.

We wish David well in his new role. In a future issue, we also hope to catch up with the recently-appointed minister at Earlsdon Methodist Church, Andrew Meredith, who has so far proved rather elusive since his arrival in September.

 

Friends of Spencer Park

 

Our next gardening sessions are on Saturday 15 February and Saturday 15 March from 10am to 12.30pm. If you have time please come and help us tidy up the park. If you are able to come please bring gloves and tools if you have them. We have some spares so don’t let it stop you coming to help us.

Our half term activity will take place on Friday 21 February from 10.30am to 3.00pm. It will be a drop in event, so come along and make a bug house to take home and help us to create a bug motel for the park. If you would like to book on this event please email: Friendsofspencerpark@gmail.com or phone 7667 9458.

We would like to collect materials for the building of our bug wall so if you have any broken or whole terracotta pots/drainpipes, plastic pots or tubing (could be pots with cracks in), newspaper, old bricks, air bricks etc, please let us know or bring them along with you on the day.

For more information please email:  or visit our website.

Karen Berry, Secretary of Friends of Spencer Park

 

Snowdrop day in Earlsdon

Zilpha Reed and family are opening their garden at 37 Belvedere Road for people to enjoy their wonderful show of snowdrops on Sunday 16 February from 11am to 4pm. The admission charge of £3 includes tea or coffee and homemade cake. All the money collected will be donated to Coventry Myton Hospice Appeal. Any enquiries please phone 7667 6231.