Kingsway Villagers

44 local people attended the Residents Association Resurrection Meeting on 22/10/’09, which was chaired by Barry Kirby.

Barry kicked of proceedings by running through a potted history of the Residents Association and thanking Emma (Miss_Lane) for her outstanding efforts in printing and distributing leaflets to publicise the event.

The agenda was summarised as 3 items:

1. Should the Residents Association go ahead?
2. What should be it’s mandate?
3. What is the best way forward?

Should the Residents Association go ahead?

There was general agreement that the Assocation could be a valuable asset to the local community.
Discussions followed regarding the structure of the Association and the meeting (in general) agreed that we should seek to elect:

1. A Chairman.
2. A Secretary.
3. A Treasurer.
4. A Social Secretary.
5. A Press Officer.
6. "General Committee Members" (X5).

What should be it’s mandate?

It was generally agreed that the RA should:

1. Be instrumental in promoting the local community.
2. Hold local events both to promote a sense of community spirit and offer opportunities for local people to meet each-other.
3. Present a "United Front" to the local press and promote some positive publicity to redress the balance following the recent negative press coverage (See Here).
4. Present a focussed approach to the QUVL and apply pressure on them to:
   • Communicate their plans and changes (eg: what is the latest schedule for the shops and facilities?)
   • Address issues which are adversely affecting residents (eg: builders hours, construction traffic, road and pavement surfaces, street lights and closed roads).
5. Liaise with local government (Quedgeley Parish Council and Gloucester City / County Councils).

Further suggestions included:

1. Inviting Fraser Mackie (Gloucester South SCT – Gloucester Police) to attend a meeting.
2. Inviting representatives from the various Housing Associations to attend meetings.
3. Asking QUVL to erect a sign (near the Village main entrance) to publicise future meetings.
4. Asking for permission to use the Kingsway Primary School for future meetings.
5. Holding a local event as soon as possible, in order to begin to create a wider sense of community spirit.
6. Organising a team of volunteers to remove the rubble blocking the Naas Lane link road! (Following a short discussion, it was agreed that this could constitute an illegal act and that the best approach would be to put pressure on the QUVL to open the road at the earliest opportunity).
7. Asking the School to assist in publicising forthcoming meetings via the School newsletter.

What is the best way forward?

To invite applications from local residents to fill the positions detailed above and to hold a meeting to elect the RA Committee.

To allow a 3-week period for local residents to apply.
Written applications should be delivered to Barry Kirby at 70, Thatcham Avenue, or emailed to him at mrbpkirby@hotmail.com by 13th November.

Elections will be held at a meeting on 27th November (hopefully at the School) and competing candidates will be expected to give a short "campaign speech".

AOB

We discussed an idea for appointing "local representatives" to publicise (leaflets and canvassing) future meetings and events etc; after some discussion we agreed that this should be left to the elected committee to decide.

We asked for volunteers to help with leaflet distribution and received 17 offers

All in all, it was a very productive meeting. Whilst some of those present expressed frustration (chiefly by those issues that affecting all of us), it was also apparent that the majority of us are very happy to be living in Kingsway Village and are keen to actively help to improve the area and it’s "public image".

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I would like – on behalf of everybody present – to thank Barry for organising and chairing the meeting.

Also – on a personal note – to thank Rich W. (Puzzlewood) for his kind comments, (I’m looking forward to reading your first post)

I do not know what all the other residents feel but I truly believe that the developers are taking the mick in leaving the pavements in a perilous state especially with the winter approaching. Walking along the pavements should carry a health warning for they are uneven, plastic pipes sticking up, ponds and muck left from the rain as they do not drain properly and the camber in places is truly unblievable but nothing is done. The County Council do not give a damn as they do not live here and say “the roads etc are unadopted so take matters up with the developers” yet they are the sorry people who gave planning consent and should look after the elctorate rather than just posying round for publicity for themselves.

The roads are potential death traps especially between the first and second traffic calming measures coming from the roundabout – cars parked on the double yellows right down to the corner. Mark my words someone will be seriously injured before long. The people who are parking in the road all the time must realise the danger they are causing, or is it the "I’m all right Jack" attitude and people are too lazy to walk to their allocated parking spaces or garages preferring to be a hindrance on the main roadway?

It seems as if the developers have a monopoly on blind tradesmen on this estate! Despite the signs saying "No Construction Traffic" there have been at least 16 lorries, fully laden inwards and empty out, plus umpteen vans and cars of contractors going up and down Thatcham Avenue today, presenting an ongoing danger when linked to the abysmal parking.

On the Taylor Woodrow site the contractors are parking on the pavements – or what should be the pavements – breaking them down even more! Lorries stop to unload, blocking driveways with no consideration for the residents.

When the developers had the little old security man at the roundabout matters improved, but they have slipped back.

I have rung the parking agents and nothing happens, so what the hell is the point of paying a fee for a non-service? Perhaps we should all hold back on the site fees and see whether matters improve!

After 2 years I still enjoy the location but the lack of a shop on this side of the road is a pain and with no pub’/hotel to call our own and create a focal point, the village is just a massive housing estate and does not possess the essential qualities of a village being its own stores and pub’ etc.

We have all heard of the death of Villages because of the closure of post offices and stores and even pub’s but Kingsway has not even been born yet as a village!

Has anyone else noticed whenever Kingsway is in the Citizen, its always referred to as “Kingsway estate” and not as Kingsway Village? Also any story a little bit negative they usually go along with “troubled estate” etc.

Is it any wonder why the area seems to have gained a reputation? As for this reputation, I personally haven’t really noticed anything out of the ordinary in the village. The way some people talk ill of the place now you would think its South Central or something.

Todays Citizen ‘sfront page said “Drugs swoop on city estate”. Doesn’t exactly make the place sound very welcoming! I realise they have to print negative as well as positive stories but it was for minor drugs offences in two properties which I feel for other areas would not have been on the front page. The headline was very sensationalised.

The other day they also printed several extremely negative internet posts about Kingsway, such as “it’s a good thing all the dole scroungers are going there, keep them all in one area”. Most of the stuff printed was factually wrong but they put them in anyway. I am not a dole scrounger thanks and I bet the vast, vast majority of residents in the area aren’t either. Without wanting to sound like a snob, I doubt many “dole scroungers” could afford nice new Mercedes’, BMW’s, Range Rovers etc like many in Kingsway have.

Do people really think of Kingsway like this? I’ve lived here for 2 years, have not known of any burglarys in my road or attempted break-ins etc. All my neighbours are pleasant, resepectful and keep their gardens tidy. I know not every household will have the same sense of pride but this will be in the minority and you’ll get the same everywhere.

I go jogging round Kingsway somtimes late at night (9/10pm) and the only people I tend to see are other people doing the same or people walking their dogs. Occasionally I see a few teenagers wandering about but have never had any problems. To put it into context, I used to live in Abbeymead – a so called “nice area”. I would never go running alone round there as there were always large gangs of 16/17 year olds hanging around, always problems with them outside the Tesco and the pubs getting into bother fighting and drinking. I lived in Longlevens before that and my house was broken into twice, my next door neighbours 3 times (and their dogs attacked in one incident). Several cars were stolen in my road, and I lived in Greyhound Gardens. Again another so called nice area.

Sorry for the rant but I cannot believe how quickly the village’s reputation has been tarnished with little evidence. Every area will have problems, however to say Kingsway is a “troubled estate” when compared to many other areas in Gloucester is ridiculous.

Folks

A brief note (which I hope to expand further) to say that I have booked a room in Kingsway Community Centre on Friday 23rd October at 2000h for a resurrection of the Residents Association.

This meeting will have a simple Agenda:

The primary aim is to determine if there is enough desire to make having the RA worthwhile.

Secondly it is to determine what the mandate of the organisation should be.

Finally it is to set a date for an Election of officers and for people to volunteer for their names to go forward for submission for that election.

If there are more agenda items to add, please make a comment here.

Please come, and drag your neighbours along. The last time I did this, I was accused of only talking to one portion of the village. This was not the case nor the intention. Everyone, providing you live here in Kingsway, has as much right as anyone else to make your feelings heard (what we can do about it is another issue).

Cheers
Barry