Parish Maintenance Working Group

1.0 Objective

To identify how the cleanliness, appearance and maintenance of areas and facilities provided by Local Authorities and other Service Providers, can be improved.

2.0 Areas to be examined

Identify the authorities or bodies responsible for the following:

  1. Litter collection and clearance
  2. Clearance of fly-tipped rubbish
  3. Provision and emptying of Dog Mess Bins
  4. Cutting of verges
  5. Cutting of roadside and path hedges
  6. Road maintenance - including the Lengthsman Scheme and CLARENCE

3.0 Authorities Consulted

Wiltshire County Council - Wiltshire Highways Partnership [WHP]
North Wilts District Council - Direct Services Cleaning and Amenities
Environmental Campaigns (ENCAMS)- runs the Keep Britain Tidy campaign
Lydiard Millicent Parish Council

4.0 Findings - Roads

Maintenance is based on need/risk rather than road classification

Raising the road classification through the village would not increase the level of road maintenance and could have adverse effects, such as the removal of the current weight restrictions. (More research is needed with WCC Traffic Management Sevices)

The WHP area for North Wiltshire are very largely responsible for their own budget and are therefore the Authority that the Parish Council should target for any work identified.

Grass verges are to be cut twice rather than three time per year to save money.

The WHP look to land owners to cut roadside hedges but have the permissive right to cut any overgrown hedge. However, the WHP does not have any heavy duty hedge trimming gear and individual cases have to be referred to the WHP.

4.1 Findings - Litter

NWDC has no existing arrangements to sweep the village roads but hopes to introduce a twice yearly machine sweeps of both gutters and paths next year.

NWDC has no arrangements for routine litter picking, however they hope to have the personnel to walk village streets and pick litter next year but have not indicated how often.

NWDC has a legal duty - so far as is practicable - to clear litter but is failing to meet it's obligations in Lydiard Millicent

Litter bins should be emptied every Wednesday - unless otherwise advised - as part of the normal refuse collection, but, with the introduction of Wheelie Bins, the vehicles are not conducive to manual loading. Checks show that litter bins are not now being emptied.

The most common problem for the NWDC Cleansing Dept is in the location of sites where fly-tipping has been reported. This can be solved by faxing a map or giving map references of the sites to the Cleansing Dept. Please contact Pamela Sims tel 01249 706351 or fax 01249 653640.

Dog Bins should be emptied on a routine basis every Friday. Problems should be referred to the NWDC Dog Warden on 01249 275777. One "Quick Success" was the removal of a Dog Bin which had been lying on the floor of the Greenhill Crossroads Bus Shelter for over a year - It was not on the NWDC list!

4.2 Findings - Grass Cutting

The NWDC crew (based in the village) cuts some grass in the village:-

  1. around the Chestnut Springs roundabout
  2. along the Street to the bus stop
  3. in Meadow Springs
  4. in The Mews
  5. in The Moors
  6. in Buryfield
  7. in parts of Chestnut Springs
  8. they may also cut parts of Greenhill. But this has to be confirmed.

The frequency of NWDC cuts has been reduced from 14 per season to 10 or 11 because of budget cuts.

The Parish Council Groundsman cuts the area around the flowerbeds opposite the Parish Hall as well as the new graveyard, paid by the Parish Council. He also cuts the grass in the old graveyard under arrangements with the church.

The owner of "Greensend" the last bungalow before the Greenhill Crossroads arranges for the grass to be cut around the area with the shrubs before the crossroads.

At Greenhill, Blackfords and the occupants of properties in that area of the village keep the verges well trimmed.

5.0 ToDo List

  1. More research on the merits or otherwise of road re-classification.
     
  2. Locate the WHP "members pack" that details the road maintenance schedules.
     
  3. Confirm NWDC plans for street sweeping and liter picking.
     
  4. Clarify/confirm who cuts what grass; examine the possibility of rationalisation on either the Parish Council - with appropriate funds - or NWDC.
     
  5. Redefine findings.
     
  6. Draw up recommendations for the Steering Committee.

6.0 Working Group Members


6 Forge Fields
Lydiard Millicent
SN5 3WS
Tel: 01793 770031


66 Chestnut Springs
Lydiard Millicent
SN5 3NB
Tel: 01793 770734

 

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