Parking Orders

New parking orders have been issued for the area. They are essentially a tidying up exercise, extending yellow lines in a few limited locations either at individual residents’ requests, our requests on behalf of residents or to even up parking restrictions where they were not quite properly implemented earlier this year. The list of roads with changes is as follows:

Clingan Road
Holdenhurst Avenue/St Saviours Close
Iford Lane
Newlands Road
Ovington Avenue
Petersfield Road
Southwick Road

The one that stands out is Ovington Avenue, where there are some substantial additional lines and we’ll be putting a consultation leaflet around about this.

AFC Bournemouth Housing Application

You may know by now that the application to build housing next to AFC Bournemouth has been refused by planners. Part on the ground on which the housing was to be built is landfill and there are concerns over the environmental safety of building in this location. We’re waiting to see whether the club decide to appeal and will keep you up to date.

Garden Waste Bins

We have now had confirmation that dedicated green waste bins will be introduced at the latest by next April. The new scheme will be rolled out first to those people who have been registered for the current green waste bag scheme. I know there are a number of people who have not registered for this scheme, preferring to wait for the bins. If you would like a bin then I urge you to sign up for the bags, because it will be those households registered for bags who get their bins first. The alternative may be a wait of some months before the wider roll out of the scheme.

You can order your garden waste bags by calling 451199.

Bus Route Changes

We’ve been contacted by a large number of people unhappy with the withdrawal of bus services, particularly from Littledown Avenue and Petersfield Road. Michael is working on a petition to show public opposition to the changes.

If I am honest as a consequence of a meeting our cabinet member for transport and planning, Bob Lawton, had with Transdev last week it looks very unlikely that we can get Yellow Buses to change their mind on the withdrawal of the service. We are working though to see if we can persuade one of the other bus companies to introduce a replacement service.

Zebra Crossing – Christchurch Road by the Iford Bridge Pub

Michael has been working with the Highways Department to push ahead with the upgrading of this crossing. They have now agreed to carry out this work and again this should be completed sometime in the autumn. We’re pushing for a new crossing as well by the end of the new Iford bridge where the Stour Way crosses the main road.

Road Improvements to Iford Lane

We hope to provide a wider pavement and some traffic calming around the railway bridge in Iford Lane - the plan is that this work should be carried out before the end of the financial year. Your comments would be appreciated in order that we can feed them back to the Highways Department of the Council.

As you may remember this was one of our pledges from the election and we’re pleased that the works are going to proceed in the near future, it’s important though that the proposals are approved by everyone.

Casino

I’ve been asked to update you on the Casino issue. The short answer is that we are still negotiating with the Trevor Osborne Group who are the developers with whom the Council signed the contract on election day. I honestly don’t know at what stage the negotiations stand, but I do know those involved in the negotiations are hopeful that a differently designed development with more acceptable content is achievable.

Beaches

I have been asked to give you an update on the beach clean up. This has begun, and in the next week or so the specific equipment that was ordered to deal with removing the stones should arrive which will speed up the process considerably. The target is to have all the beaches cleared of the shingle by the beginning of the school holidays.

The design of the mural to be painted on the Land Train Garage has been approved and again this will be painted, hopefully disguising it a little, by the beginning of the school holidays.

Bournemouth Post Offices

You may have seen the publicity over the last couple of days about the relocation of the main post office in the town centre. We’ve been working to persuade the Post Office to think about their plans to relocate the facility to the first floor of WH Smith.

I’ve been leading the councillor team working to persuade the Post Office that this is a completely inappropriate location because of the difficulty (indeed, impossibility) of access for disabled and elderly people and for those with push chairs or prams.

The Post Office have not listened to our concerns and indeed curtailed the consultation period. We are therefore running a petition to show public opposition to the scheme. It’s available to sign In the Square today and tomorrow between 10 and 4. I was there all day yesterday and we raised over 800 signatures during that period, despite the rain.

If you are unable to make it to The Square this weekend but would still like to sign up then do please let me know and I will get a petition form over to you.