St James Residents' Association

For The Residents And Workers Of St James

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Down Your Way, for Mon 29th August

Waste collection and street maintenance issues have been high on the agenda of Jimmy's Enders. Complaints about missed collections of rubbish and recycling, in Stanley Road and St.  James Park road, have been voiced, apparently operatives have only been collecting boxes from one side of the road and leaving the recycling on the other. Meanwhile, in Abbots Way longstanding collection problems have hopefully been brought to a head. The household rubbish has on more than one occasion been put in the same vehicle as the green waste and recycling as well as not being collected on the right day. A letter to the leader of the council prompted action and this week the managers were out early in Abbots Way to make sure the items were collected in the agreed manner.
Letters were also sent on the subject of fly tipping and street maintenance. Sources at the council are assuring us that fly tipping is not an issue in St. James as any items are collected regularly by passing collection vehicles going to and from Westbridge depot, they all travel via the back streets of St. James then do they?? This seems a rather spurious answer to a question that many Jimmy's Enders know the real answer to.
We all know that rubbish and waste is tipped on a regular basis but there seems to be no regular collection or deterent. We know that people should be more responsible when disposing of their items but in reality there is more to it than that. Until a system of education in peoples roles and responsibilities is implemented and regular collections are introduced then the same thing will keep happening. People are also leaving black bin bags out well before or after collection day but again it seems there is no will on the part of the council to get to grips with the situation. The environmental wardens never seem to be in the area dealing with the issues and there seems to be more reasons for no action than there is for.
The Residents' Association has also pressured the council in to long overdue maintenance for the tree that stands between It's a gift and the Natwest Bank. The tree had sprouted much lower growth and had engulfed the litter bin and was threatening the footpath. This has now been cut back looks a lot better, you can now see what lies beyond the tree in either direction. The tree in question has also been pushing up the paving that surrounds it, the roots are protruding to such an extent that the paving slabs were sitting proud of the rest and causing a serious trip hazard, not to mention looking unsightly and scruffy. The paving has been removed and replaced with tarmac although it is now safer it does nothing for the look of this particular area, this will of course only prove to be a temporary measure as the roots will continue to push out, dislodging the new tarmac and other paving slabs in the process. Its only St. James, just throw some tarmac into it, seems to be the attitude from the council. Across the way, in Abbey Street another tree continues to be a safety hazard for pedestrians with it roots pushing up underground pipes which have formed a large ridge in the footpath adjacent to Jimmy’s club next to Melbourne House. Many residents including elderly and disabled have complained about this, as has the residents’ association, but the council(s) are ignoring the issue. It is vitally important that residents keep reporting these issues as it enables councillors and residents groups to build a case. Call the Streetcare service on 0300 330 7000 or e-mail streetcare@northampton.gov.uk alternatively if it is a road issue then call the County Council on 01604 236236 or e-mail streetdoctor@northamptonshire.gov.uk or contact your local councillor.

This Saturday (3rd Sept) sees the St. James Community Fun and Information Day take place on the precinct outside the library and community centre. (inside the centre if the weather is bad) The free event has been organised by the Friends of St. James Library group (FoSJL) and the St. James Residents' Association (SJRA) with support from the Doddridge Centre. All three will have a stall at the event for locals to find out what is happening in the area or to get involved in the community. In addition, the fire service, NHS and Police and other community groups have been invited to attend.
There is also fun for the children, with "Steve the Magician" on hand to entertain the children and he will be balloon modelling and performing a magic show at 11:30. Also, there will be Nail painting by Ruby's Beauty Room, Indian head massage by JayBee massage, Henna tattooing, a raffle to win a pair of Cobblers tickets and a signed Saints Rugby ball and much more! It all kicks off at 10.00 and runs until 2.00pm. In addition, there will be a special Rhyme Time and Story time in the Library for younger children and to be confirmed a juggling group is also proposed. Local businesses have pledged their support including, C & C home improvements, Little Urchins, CostCutter KP News, the Best One Med Food Centre, Ruby’s Beauty Room, JayBee Massage and St. James Post Office as well as the Saints and Cobblers. The event is FREE but there may be a small charge for certain things like the Henna Tattooing etc and to enter the raffle. Donations are welcome on the day, with the any money going towards the running costs of the event. All we need is local people to turn up and enjoy themselves.

A planning Application, N/2011/0714 has been submitted for premises change of use in Stenson Street from light industry (Use Class B1) to acupuncture and alternative therapy clinic (Use Class D1) and also N/2011/0750 change of use from existing offices (Use Class B1) to 3 residential dwellings (Use Class C3), including demolition of the existing link building and erection of fire-escape staircase at 96-98 St. James Road on the corner of Bowden Road. Plans can be viewed online at www.northampton.gov.uk/planning or at the Guildhall quoting the individual case numbers.

The Annual General Meeting of the St. James Residents’ Association (SJRA) takes place on Thursday 22nd of September at 7.00pm at the Doddridge Centre. This important meeting is where the changes to the Association rules are made, if any, the Treasurer and Chair give their annual reports and more importantly the committee is elected for the coming year. Any resident wishing to stand for a management committee post, must have attended at least three residents meetings in the previous year. For ordinary committee posts a minimum of one residents meeting must have been attended in the previous year (which would include the AGM, if its your first meeting). The association is always looking for new committee members to help run the association and nominations are welcomed from all members of society, regardless of age, race or gender. This association belongs to the community and is run by the community so it is important that local people have a say in what is going on. For more information of how to get involved contact us via the details below or come along to the community Fun and Information Day.

No comments:

St James End before 1965

St James End before 1965

HOW TO CONTACT US

Either reply to a post here or email us at : sjrajc@ntlworld.com Remember, Your Problem is Our Priority