Down Your Way, for Mon 6th May

Committee members of the SJRA attended a reconvened meeting organised by County Councillor Suresh Patel  to discuss traffic issues in the area, which were attended by Councillors, Residents Association, Police, Saints management and other bodies. This is the first meeting to take place in over a year and focuses on mainly matchday parking but also other contributory factors as well. The main item of good news is that the Saints will be paying for some more match day traffic management next season for most of the games. More details on this will be available after the fixture list is revealed. Now the Claret car park is to be opened regularly, this will be a useful tool in helping to alleviate traffic and parking problems in the area. It cannot hope to eliminate them all together, and thanks are due to the Saints for stumping up the cash to do this, and for being seen as part of the solution instead of the problem. As many people realise, it is not just the Saints who create traffic problems, the Weedon Road is saturated with traffic most days of the week and particularly on Saturdays as everyone goes shopping. The SJRA has repeated its calls for both ends of St. James Mill Road to be connected to create a through route which would alleviate traffic using St. Peters way and St. James Road. It is staggering that after visiting the Northampton Alive exhibition recently, that the information provided did not include St. James Mill Road being connected, as a key transport strategy for Northampton, mind boggling and short sighted, particularly with the dawn of the much trumpeted Enterprise Zone! The SJRA has also requested from the County Council an electronic traffic information sign to be placed on Westbridge that would advice motorists of congestion in the area and to seek alternative routes, namely via Edgar Mobbs Way. The traffic meeting is due to reconvene in August.

Carol Whiteley from the Jumpz Gymnastics Club has contacted us to advise residents that their group has Gymnastic sessions for over 5’s your child can attend sessions at St James CEVA Primary School on Tuesdays 4.30pm -5.30pm and 5.30pm -6.30pm, sessions are 1 hour at £4 per session with a 15% sibling discount and a 20% multiple session discount.

They are also hoping to open sessions at The Doddridge Centre on Saturdays when they have enough children attending to cover costs.

For more details contact Carol 07941849728 or 01604456674 or visit www.jumpz-gymnastics.co.uk for more information.

A planning application, N/2012/0290 has been lodged for the construction of three terraced houses on Ross Road. The plans would see the rear garden of the bottom house on Peverel’s Way given over to three two bedroom houses with associated parking spaces. The plans can be viewed online at www.northampton.gov.uk/planning or in person at the one stop shop in the Guildhall. This is the fourth application for houses to be built in Ross Road, in the Peverel’s Way gardens. The previous ones have controversially been granted permission for one house to be built in each garden, although no work has actually taken place.

Footmeadow is to see some money spent on it for improvements. The money is “section 106” money from the WNDC which is given over as part of building developments. The SJRA met with local Councillors from St. James and Castle Wards and Borough Council Neighbourhood Co-Ordinators and Wardens to see what improvements could be made. These range from extra dog waste and rubbish bins, play equipment and some fencing for the Westbridge arches. In addition it was raised about the missing wooden bridges that were removed because of rot. The SJRA expressed a strong view that these should be replaced, although the replacements may take a little longer to fund. In addition, the SJRA committee pointed out to the council representatives the decaying state of the brickwork on Westbridge itself. Trees are growing out of the brickwork and one or two bricks are being pushed out ready to fall on passers by below. We are now informed that the County Council have their contractors out to inspect the bridge and make it safe.

After many reports to the council, more “tidying” work is taking place in Victoria Park on trees and bushes. It has taken Enterprise nearly nine months to come back and do some more work since the SJRA requested they do some tidying in the park but at least it is continuing thanks to the efforts of local people and Cllr Wire.

Many of you will already be aware that the Olympic torch will pass through the streets of St. James as part of the Olympic torch relay. This will be on Monday July 2^nd at around 10:20 am and should provide a bit of a spectacle. Organisers are hoping that as many people as possible will line the route and that individuals will organise events around it as “Local Leaders”. In addition they are also encouraging people to plant Olympic themed gardens and planting areas, even window boxes! More information is available from www.london2012.com. Several organisations are intending to do something to mark the occasion, such as local schools etc.

The Foundry and the Thomas ’A Becket will both be hosting celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend in June with BBQ, face painting and live music etc. McManus Pub co. Director Paul McManus informs us that if any St James residents would like to fund raise for a particular community project or local charity they can contact him direct on pmcmanus@mcmanuspub.co.uk or through the SJRA details below to have a cake stall or similar at the event. For the Olympic Torch parade on July 2^nd both pubs will be open from 9am serving tea coffee, bacon butties and soft drinks the licensed bar will be open from 10am. Both pubs have meeting rooms which can be made available free of charge (pre booked only) for community events/gathering.

For the Queens Diamond Jubilee in June the council is encouraging residents to celebrate with a street party. All relevant information is on the borough council website at www.northampton.gov.uk.

Also for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, a local resident Mr A Barratt informs us of an event he is organising to be held in Victoria Park, itself named after Queen Victoria for her Diamond Jubilee, on Monday 4^th June from 12.00 – 16.00. He tells us there are lots of activities planned so why not come along and support it? The event is being promoted by Mr Barratt so for more details of exactly what he has planned, contact him directly on 01604 585447,  anthony.barrat@ntlworld.com

or 0792 0880460.