Parish Council Election – Thu 3rd May 2012

I’m sure that no one needs reminding (given the number of leaflets that seem to keep coming through our letterboxes!) but the Stansted Parish Council election takes place tomorrow – Thursday 3rd May.  If you are eligible to vote, then a polling card should have been delivered.  A total of 15 councillors will be elected to the Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Council (six from the north ward and nine from the south ward).  A list of candidates can be viewed on the Parish Council and UDC websites:

http://www.stansted.net/
http://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/main.cfm?Type=PARISHELEC&MenuId=1279

Link Contribution – May 2012

I thought it would be good to organise a few social activities and events in and around Foresthall Park.  The Committee met recently, and to get the ball rolling, we have made some suggestions and then anyone that is interested can get in touch with the organiser who can take it from there. Our initial ideas (walking and running groups, badminton, golf outing, tag rugby) are listed with additional details in the “Events and Social” page on our website.  I’m afraid that right now all suggestions are quite sporty but hopefully in time we’ll have a more diverse range of activities and events so this is also an appeal to other Foresthall Park residents (quiz masters, musicians, book clubs, knitters, photographers, scrabble players, walkers etc) who might like to organise something locally to get in touch and we can add your suggestion/contact details to the webpage.

The issue of airport parkers has been brought up again by some residents.  In order for any action to be taken, residents need to log the details of suspected airport parkers with the BAA airport parking hotline (0800 731 2385).  This is a central database and a list of all cases goes to the Stansted Airport Highways Working Group (which includes BAA, Essex County Council Highways and Uttlesford District Council) which identifies ‘hotspots’. Where recorded evidence highlights a ‘hotspot’ BAA may contribute financial assistance to the statutory authority (ECC Highways) to provide a solution.  Last year, 52 incidents were reported, of which eight were on roads in Foresthall Park.  If this is becoming a significant issue then residents need to use the hotline – right now, the reported numbers do not warrant any further action.

Residents living around the school site should have received details of the parking restrictions that will be put in place for the new school.

Regards,
Stephen Berry (Chairman)

e-mail: s.berry@mac.com
tel: 647 652
www.foresthallparkresidents.org

Proposed school parking restrictions

The issues of traffic and parking have already been well documented in some of the previous discussion threads.  With that in mind, I thought residents would be interested in the attached document which outlines the proposed parking restrictions to be implemented around the school.  Hard copy of this letter has been sent by ECC Highways to the residents living closest to the school.  I will pass on any comments made on this website to the Parish Council/ECC Highways.

SKMBT_C55012033010230

Bus stops on Forest Hall Road (510 service)

A while back some residents asked about about bus stops on this stretch of road.  I was advised that flag and pole bus stops would be put up on Forest Hall Road close to Bentley Drive.  At the moment, there is one on the west bound (to Harlow) side but not on the east bound (to Stansted Airport) side.  I thought this curious so I contacted the Essex County Council.  In short, some objections had been raised around putting in a flag and pole bus stop on east bound side of the road so in an effort to appease local residents, the Council agreed at that time that the opposite stop would be marked and that the stop outside the houses would be left unmarked.  The unmarked stop is still due to have a raised kerb installed in the new financial year although no time frame has been decided.  The agreement was that once the raised kerb was installed, if the bus stop was used appropriately by the passengers and the bus company, it would be left without a flag and pole.  If, however, there are problems with it being used properly, further consultation would be carried out with a view to installing the flag and pole as originally planned.  Hopefully the existing (albeit slightly strange) arrangement is working for all concerned.

Social Activities and Events

At our last general meeting I mentioned that I thought it would be good to organise a few social activities and events in and around Foresthall Park.  The Committee met recently, and to get the ball rolling, we thought we’d make some suggestions, and then anyone that is interested can get in touch with the organiser who can then take it from there. Our initial ideas are listed in the “Events and Social” page on our website.  I’m afraid that right now all suggestions are quite sporty but hopefully in time we’ll have a more diverse range of activities and events so this is also an appeal to anybody (quiz masters, musicians, book clubs, knitters, photographers, scrabble players, walkers etc) who might like to organise something locally to get in touch - please just contact John (our webmaster – john_sav@hotmail.com) and he can add your suggestion/contact details to the webpage.