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The VPRA News Blog
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Your VPRA at work reports for June 2008
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30.06.2008 Yorkshire Day
VPRA contacted to help organise the Yorkshire Day event on2nd of August. The group will work to liase between our Town Council and the groups in the area who will each be invited to take part. groups contacted to take part so far. Stainsby Wood Residents, Thornaby Branch of the Yorkshire Ridings Society,and the Stainsby Hill Residents association. Tristar Homes have also expressed an interest and are providing free face painting. Father mark will be holding mass in St Peter's on the Green and..well we have a few surprises already set out... WATCH THIS SPACE
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29.06.2008 St Peters Church.
Following on from the complaints to Police and Enforcement there have been increased patrols and no further damage reported. Both Inspector Garrett of Thornaby Police and Graeme Small from Enforcement are treating the vandalism and nuisance around the church as a serious complaint and will be looking to arrest the culprits as well as deterring others. CFYA have been approached about the graffiti on the rear church wall. With their help the VPRA intend to have a cleaning session to tidy this up.
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27.06.2008 Police Operations.
Police Community Support Officers out on patrol around the Green and River Areas confiscated a large amount of alcohol from young people. 2 young girls( Under 16`s) were seen hiding Vodka bottles in the bushes at the rear of St. Peters Church. They were confiscated along with some more from a 17 year old lad near the Holmes Close Wild Gateway Garden. This lad was a local and the officers went straight to his home and informed his mother she would be getting a letter from the police about it in the near future. The lady went straight down to the Green and gave the lad a rollicking he will not forget in a hurry.
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27.06.2008 Damage to St Peters Church.
VPRA secretary informed local media, police and council officials of the damage caused over the past 48 hours by vandals.They have been climbing on to the roof to try and ring the bells and using the windows as goals.
SBC Enforcement are taking the desecration of one of the area’s oldest churches and Thornaby`s “ Jewel in the Crown” very seriously and will be mounting extra patrols to initially stamp out the vandalism and also find the culprits. Full Gazette story on TS17
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26.06.5008 VPRA Green Thumb Awards.
The 2008 VPRA Green Thumb Awards Competition was announced today. Full Details on the In Bloom site.
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23.06.2008 Care For Your Area Awards
VPRA handed over nominations for 2008 CFYA awards. Including the winners from our In Bloom 2008 competition.
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23.06.2008 Tristar.
Replies from Tristar about double glazing complaints received and passed on to residents.
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22.06.2008 Tees Heritage Park
VPRA host a visit of some 35 members of the Friends of Tees Heritage Park to Black Bobbies Field and Lower Green. The visit was part of a visit to the whole Thornaby area by this most worthy body. They were shown examples of the local wild life and given a brief history of the area.
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21.06.2008 VPRA asked to have a look at new windows being installed into houses on Sherwood Road area. Although right on the edges of our boundaries a visit was organised and pictures taken. Report passed to Grahame French at Tristar.
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20.06.2008 Parkview
Thanks to local councillors Tina Large and Allison Trainer for taking up the baton to ask why people were excluded from last nights meeting. Especially as Tina is away on holiday and Allison hs been out of the area all week. (The Power of e mails.)
Contact has been made by the Chair of Cabinet and details of last nights meeting will be mailed as soon as they are typed up. The VPRA will also be kept informed of all new plans which may see the Parkview site become a new “Extra Care Facility”.
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19.06.2008 Parkview
Parkview was on the agenda again for SBC Cabinet. Unfortunately because of other commitments and work the VPRA reps did not get to the meeting until half hour after the opening only to find out that the doors were locked and they were not allowed in. The matter was immediately passed on to our local councillors
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16.06.2008 Fordy Grove Area
VPRA met briefly with residents from Fordy Grove, concerning anti social behaviour and a fear that drugs are being sold in the area. However, no one was willing to go on record nor make a formal complaint. The residents will be invited to meet with Inspector Ian Garrett at a meeting which will take place in the next few weeks. It is important to note, the VPRA are keen to support residents in this area and those who use the shops on Thorntree Road, However, we also believe it is the duty of shops and businesses who trade in the area to contribute towards policing (in the broadest sense)the area in which they trade.
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15.06.2008 In Bloom
Replanting of weather damaged plants at the Jolly Farmers Lay by. Some damage from the extreme heat of the sun and also the winds during the past week meant that a number off plants needed to be either replaced or re planted.
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15.06.2006 Dog Bins
Urgent communications were needed with CFYA to sort out the mess left by some “angelic little darlings” on Saturday night.Fuelled up on cheap wine and beer they thought it would be fun to empty the dog waste bin and throw the bags of excrement at each other and neighbouring houses. CFYA are to arrange the clean up and possibly re site the bin.
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14.06.2006 CCTV Cameras
The VPRA management committee would like to point out that any arrangements for extra CCTV or negotiations with shop owners on Thorntree Road will only be carried out by the secretary Peter Brennan once discussed with the full management committee and not by individual members of the public saying they represent the group. These people have good intentions but any activities must be organised properly with the advice of Thornaby Police.
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13.06.2008
VPRA interviewed for a film about the Northern Regional Funding grant which financed the Enforcement team,
for a DVD being made about the effects of such funding in the area. This particular interview was concerned with the help Enforcement had given the VPRA dealing with drunken gangs and vandalism in and around Black Bobbies Field.
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12.06.2008 Thornaby Police
VPRA informed that three motorcycles(off road) two of which were stolen had been siezed as part of a drugs raid on a property in Lancaster way.
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11.06.2008 VPRA contacted about youths throwing bricks and stones at the rowing boats passing by Surtees Bridge. This is the result of youths gathering around the stones which were meant to house the plaque which was installed when the bridge was opened after refit. Youths are sitting there and actually waiting for boats to come along. Police have been contacted and SBC will be asked to remove the boulders asap.
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07.06.2008 Thornaby Road Shops
After a discussion with the builders on site it appears that the Ladies Hairdresser and Bookmaker planned for the site have pulled out and the owners have now had to put the soon to be finished shops To Let to try and get some money back on the costs already incurred. He was warned that local people would not be happy with a take away as rumoured. It was also noticed that the car park was full along with the approach road to The Poplars Care Home with people using the Gents hairdressers. This is a regular occurrence on a Saturday and would be compounded even more by any type of shop that may open.
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07.06.2008 In Bloom
More planting on the “Holmes Close Gateway” wild garden with a dozen large growing Sunflowers planted around the fast growing Hawthorns.
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06.06.2008 In Bloom
Final planting up of the main Jolly Farmers flower bed took place and while this was happening several cars were observed parking on the pavements. One in particular pulling up just behind some schoolchildren. Enforcement notified again.
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05.06.2008 Thornaby Road Shops
Contacted by SBC planning to say that the shops can only be used for A2 use.
Banks, building societies, estate and employment agencies Professional and financial services, betting offices
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05.06.2008 In Bloom
Planting up of the Jollies Flower Bed is now well under way with over 200 new plants added.
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04.06.2008 Thornaby Road Shops
Contacted by SBC planning officers to explain the planning regulations and proposed shops options. A1 use
Shops, retail warehouses, hairdressers, undertakers, travel and ticket agencies, post offices, dry cleaners, etc
Pet shops, cats-meat shops, tripe shops, sandwich bars, showrooms, domestic hire shops, funeral directors.
This was queried by VPRA reps as to use granted was A2
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03.04.2008 Shop Development Thornaby Road
It was noticed that the newly renovated shops on Thornaby Road are up “To Let”. SBC and local councillors contacted for advice if this ia allowed under the application which was granted.
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02.06.2008 New Housing Development
VPRA contacted by residents of Millbank Lane about Kube`s proposed development. Objection have been lodged as per our April meeting.
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01.06.2008 Never Mind The Rain
Our secret planter was out this morning clearing weeds and planting sunflowers, nasturtiums and cornflowers around the Holmes Close Gateway Garden. The race is on now to see what survives, the wild nettles and chickweed or the cultivated plants.
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01.06.2008 VPRA Anti Litter Campaign.
The VPRA litter picks on the river have now been picked up by a national angling forum. We now have our own column there to provide updates of problems and also how the river is fishing.
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