Kingsway Villagers

I had a call earlier today from Mark Smith of BBC Radio Gloucester.
He tells me that the Government are in the process of promoting new building projects by offering a 5-year loan to development companies in order to re-initialise “stalled projects”, (no doubt as part of their master plan to kickstart the economy, or perhaps just a desperate attempt to provide the much-needed additional housing) and that the Kingsway Developers are one of the organisations who have received the offer.

Mark is hosting a show early tomorrow morning with representatives from the Quedgeley Parish Council and Kingsway School, to discuss issues surrounding the project, the Village and the current “state of affairs” and he wants a representative from the local community, so he asked me to take part.

Sadly, I am unable to make it as Angelina is working and the kids are (obviously) on holiday (plus my neighbours – who double as my “emergency childminders” – are in Tenerife)!

I offered to post this invitation (and he agreed) so:

Here’s your chance to have your say on BBC local Radio.

If you’re interested, and will be available to visit Kingsway School between 7am & 8am tomorrow, call Mark Smith on 01452 307093 ASAP, or just turn up (and let us know).

Does anyone have any idea when all the hardcore is going to removed from Woodvale (towards the business park) so that we can use the road to go towards the Naas Lane roundabout?

It is really starting to irk me that we cant use a road that has been laid and is intended for the purpose yet we have to go on some silly detour which is about a mile just to get to a place that is about 300 yards from the estate, please somebody have some good news?

Recently I had a message from PC Fraser Mackie, saying:

Hi Clive,
I am putting together a community walkabout for Friday 31st July 2009…

The aim of this activity is to gather together interested representatives, and walk around the environment, looking for the smaller issues, and generally looking to improve the quality of life of people living nearby. Highlighting where graffitti could be painted over, holes in fences fixed, road signs replaced. Small, but significant stuff.

Having all the representatives there has had considerable results elsewhere.

I have invited representatives from our local parish, county and city councillors, QUVL, as well as housing associations, quedgeley news, anyone who has an interest in the estate. I’d like you to have the opportunity to add your viewpoint in these discussions.

So I will be going along and I already know of one or two areas that could use some attention, but I would very much like to hear from you all about areas/issues you think we should look at, so please add your suggestions/comments.

I do not want to live in a hell-hole/sink-estate/new-Matson/new-Coney Hill or a “Hesters Way dumping ground”. DO YOU? If the answer is NO read on…

Do you want to keep crime and anti-social behaviour in our community low?

PROBLEM: There are criminals living here (local papers have named Michael Smith a violent burglar and Mark Daint a drug dealer)
BUT: there are criminals living everywhere (if you don’t believe me read the local paper to see how many live in Quedgeley)!
AND: Crime rates in Kingsway ARE low – visit the Gloucestershire Constabulary crime mapper or the local SCT report for proof – and incidently why not compare to Quedgeley/Coney Hill or Matson?
PROBLEM: Residents don’t feel safe.
ANSWER: DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT – The Council wont, QUVL won’t and the Developers won’t – Will YOU?

• Have you attended the local Police and Community Consultation Meeting?
  This is a chance to put Kingsway on the priority list of our local Police officers.
• Are you in touch with your local neighbourhood officers?
  Ours are PC Fraser Mackie, PCSO Helen Devlin and PCSO Anna Tyndall. Ring them on 0845-0901234
• Do you ring in incidents as they occur?
  Ring the non-emergency number on 08450901234 and give as much information as you can – when is this happening, where is this happening, who is involved?
• Are you a member of neighbourhood watch?
  Join – not only can you get a discount on your insurance but you can get regular updates about incidents in your area.
• Are you keeping your home and car as safe as possible?
  Also don’t forget garden sheds/garages and bikes.
• Are you part of the Residents Association?
  By getting together as a collective we can arrange for crime prevention advice and potential solutions (e.g. shed alarms, mobile CCTV for problem areas, resident awareness etc)
• Have you shared ideas about how to solve the problem?
  Join the Residents Association and make them happen.

Do you want amenities/shops/dentists/doctors/restaurants/decent roads etc?

PROBLEM: The Developers are a money-making enterprise – they have your money now so they really aren’t that interested in what you want!
AND: Pavements are wobbly, roads are unfinished and your local shop is Tescos!
BUT: The developers wont be doing these things until they have to – they don’t have to until they’ve sold a certain number of houses
BUT: We’re in a recession – no one is buying houses
AND: We’re all telling people we live in a hell hole so no self-respecting people want to move here
AND: The recession is hitting local families, and there is a lack of social housing
AND: We will get more housing association whether we like it or not so moaning is just a waste of energy
ANSWER: DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT – The Council wont, QUVL won’t and the developers won’t – will YOU?

• Stop whinging and whining – it’s a self fulfilling prophecy. If you moan that everyone here is anti-social and criminal then this is the only type of person who will be attracted to the area and then we really will be in trouble. We want to attract decent young families to the area don’t we?
• Have you shared ideas about how to solve the problem? Join the Residents Association and make them happen. For example can we put together a petition, can we hassle our local MP, how can we persuade the developers it’s in their interest? Can we provide mobile services such as the mobile Police Station/ Monthly Healthcare surgeries in the local School etc

Do you want to live in a happy community with an “urban village” feel?

PROBLEM: Your house price has dropped, you’re feeling disillusioned
AND: You’re worried Kingsway will become “Gloucester’s largest housing estate”
ANSWER: DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT – The Council wont, QUVL won’t and the developers won’t – will YOU?

• Would you pay £5.73 to make this a better place to live?
  That’s the current minimum wage. What if you could make this a better community for free? If each person living in Kingsway donated an hour of their time we would have over 1000 hours of volunteer work to make this a better place – set up a sports club – 5-a-side football/cricket/aerobics/social club/running group/street dancing/litter collection.
• Meet your neighbours – physically go round and introduce yourselves – they might just be nice people!
• Help organise a neighbourhood activity; a big lunch, a jumble sale, an am-dram performance, a school fair, a dog show…
• Join the resident association! Be part of running this community and shaping it to be the “urban village” you imagined.

IN SUMMARY: NO ONE ELSE WILL DO IT FOR YOU. IF YOU WANT SOMETHING DOING… DO IT YOURSELF!

Coming home from taking my child out today, I found some dog poo outside my front door… not just one bit but quite a few!
The owner obviously couldn’t be bothered to clear it up, how pleasant!
I’m sure they wouldn’t like me to return the favour outside their front door would they?

Then I went out this evening and – upon turning into our road on the corner – found more dog poo… Could be from the same dog I don’t know!

How do these people get prosecuted?
Do you need to catch them in the act?

Can you all please be on the look out for our lost kitten.

She is a grey tabby – less than a year old – and has just been spayed, so she has a shaved area above her rear leg.

She is micro-chipped but unfortunately she caught her collar on the gate as she left the garden and this is her first visit outside!

We have 3 children who are really upset.

If anyone sees her please ring/text 07837 418040

Thanks.