Meadow View area update
Although the Meadow View area is the youngest neighbourhood of our town, it is also the most forgotten one. The pedestrian link to Bracken Road promised years ago exists, but only in plans. The connection through Stinting Lane in summer looks like a movie set of some jungle action flick.
Still, whenever I walk through this neighbourhood, I feel this place should be an example to the rest of the town. These two problems mentioned have been flagged up to me before, and I have raised them with Shirebrook Town Council. Recently, however, I began to wonder if the residents of Meadow View had any additional problems that I needed to be aware of. So, to learn more, I set out on a fact-finding mission.
I knocked on many doors, chatted with a few passers-by, and below is the result of my inquiries. In addition – given the upcoming town budget planning meeting – I decided to ask STC to allocate funds to bring Stinting Lane up to the standard that residents should expect.
NO ROAD- NO PROBLEM
A road planned years ago to connect this area with the rest of the town was given a negative opinion by the police. From what I understand from the interviews – an overwhelming majority of residents of the area do not want such a link either, as it would increase the traffic, air pollution and noise in the otherwise quiet neighbourhood.
However, several people have mentioned that it would be nice if there were additional exits from the estate beyond the only one that leads through Caraway Drive. I expect that already existing roundabouts and spurs will sooner or later relieve the Caraway Dr/Meadow Ln roundabout. However, I have no update on this at the moment.
DIRTY SHOES OR A LONG WAY
As I mentioned- I flagged up the problems with Meadow View’s pedestrian link at Shirebrook Town Council, and they generally agreed with me. STC knows this area is cut off from the rest of the town, and something needs to be done to make it easier for residents to connect on foot with the rest of the town. So why has nothing been done to date? I don’t know, but the STC Precept meeting to be held this coming Wednesday (25.01.23) is an ideal opportunity to discuss it and set aside money in the town budget for this purpose.
If you want to walk to the Town Hall in the centre of the town or to the Model Village and beyond – to the SportsDirect shops and gym or the train station – then you face quite a challenge. If you don’t have a car, you have a few routes to choose from, and none is convenient or quick.
You can use the pavements and lit roads currently available. These lead around the town, turning a simple walk into a several-mile challenge to get there and back. For more adventurous walkers, there is the Stinting Lane crossing. This route will shorten the walk considerably but leads through a path with an unpaved surface that turns into a mud pit after every rain.
At the moment, the surface is relatively firm and solid, thanks to the cold weather. Due to the winter break, the usually overgrown vegetation blocking the way is also limited. In summer, nettle and bushes obscure most of the path. Nevertheless- the road looks moderately uninviting even in daylight:
If I wanted to paste a picture of this road here at night, it would just be a black square– there is no lighting, and only cats and foxes feel comfortable there at night.
It seems to me that the paving of this road should only take place on the northern part of the path. Firstly: to retain the wild charm of the southern part (leading over the old steel bridge to Meadow Ln), which walkers and dog owners will surely appreciate. Secondly: to save the cost of such an operation.
THE FUTURE OF MEADOW VIEW
Investing in this pedestrian link is all the more advisable as Keepmoat is completing the last houses in phase 2 of this project. I contacted the developer to discuss the future of this area. I received a response from Shaun Fielding (Regional Managing Director of Keepmoat):
“Unfortunately, Keepmoat Homes were unsuccessful in securing the third and final phase of the development, which means that I cannot comment on any additional amenities that may be delivered as part of that scheme (…) Apologies that I cannot be of any further assistance at this time, however, I would assume that the new developer will be submitting their planning application shortly which will no doubt be presented to the Town Council for comment.“
Of course, if anything from the new developer comes up in the STC’s deliberations, I will report it at S247. I will also request that the money that comes into the STC and BDC coffers from this development be reinvested in the area- not in the north part of the town. As the map below shows, most of the taxpayer spending in Shirebrook currently goes to the north ward of our town.
WHAT ELSE? THERE MUST BE SOMETHING!
My general impression is that the people who live at Meadow View are the happiest in Shirebrook. Nine out of ten people questioned answered: “I have no problems”. Literally, a handful of people pointed out a problem with slow internet. Only when I started talking about traffic problems did few agree that only the road out of the estate is an issue.
In addition, the state of that road leaves much to be desired, although there were also people who pointed out that the potholes serve as speed bumps so that everyone is within the speed limit on the only exit road. I have also noticed that I have very poor mobile phone coverage, but the residents interviewed had no complaints here, so this is probably my phone’s fault (it’s old).
CRIME? WHAT CRIME?
According to police statistics- crime in this area is microscopic. So far, the safest neighbourhood in Shirebrook has been the so-called ‘Bracken Ridge’ (Bracken road/Leen Valley Drive area), but even that neighbourhood pales in comparison to how safe the residents of Meadow View live. The data below shows recorded crime in November 2022 (latest data- that’s why S247 need to wait a bit for the “Crime 2022 report”).
IT’S TOO COLD TO TALK ON THE DOORSTEP
Unfortunately, I rarely have days off to knock on doors and talk to residents. When I have time off, the weather usually doesn’t encourage me to knock on doors. When I’m lucky, and it’s sunny on my day off, it’s so cold that residents who open the door for me – despite all the politeness and surprise that a councillor is interested in their affairs – quickly end the conversation to keep the heat in a home. I will therefore have to wait until spring to investigate Meadow View more thoroughly.
YOU CAN BE A LOCAL HERO TOO
In conclusion, I carried out a small exercise: I plotted the areas where the councillors live on a map of our town. Without a surprise, I noticed that Meadow View and the entire Model Village have no representation at STC. However, there is also an area where as many as five Labour councillors live near each other. That is super weird!
If you live in the Meadow View or Model Village area- you are needed in STC. Clearly- those areas need representation. One of the reasons why the south of the township is under-invested is precisely because no one in the south has so far made an effort to do something for the area. It’s old-school “taxation without representation”.
So if you have a house in order, and yet you feel that there is a lack of excitement in your life, that something is missing-that is your local patriotism whispering to you from your subconscious: “yes, you run your house impeccably. But, still, your town needs your talents because those who run it are doing nothing for your neighbourhood!” Do you watch politics, are interested in politics but have never thought of being a politician? Maybe it’s just time to set yourself that challenge.
You pay the highest taxes in Bolsover District.
You spend more than anyone on Council staff salaries in Bolsover District.
You spend more than anyone on Council maintenance in Bolsover District.
Your town recorded the highest Covid death rate in Bolsover District.
For years your town has “topped the chart” of crime rate, and this only change with the election of a Conservative candidate as Police and Crime Commissioner in May 2021 (it took Angelique Foster a year to turn the ship around).
You spent over £3,000 in the hottest month in UK history to HEAT the Leisure Centre.
Your Council spent over a quarter of a million pounds on “leisure” and zero pounds on crime prevention last fiscal year.
Your town had the lowest voter participation rate in the last local elections.
Your town had the lowest voter participation rate in the last local elections.
Your town had the lowest voter participation rate in the last local elections.
Your town had the lowest voter participation rate in the last local elections.
You paid almost 160,000 pounds for a toilet in Market Square. How much did your house cost?
That is why I repeat: if your house is in order, if you believe in hard work, planning, and attention to detail and feel that our town squanders its potential: you need to find courage! You can do something epic, new and difficult. It would help not only you but many other people if you take responsibility for more than your own family. Or you can sit back, watch another mind-numbing series on Netflix and care only about what is inside of your four walls.
If you don’t know how to start your path to STC Chamber- send me an email at: info@shirebrook247.com
I’ll answer any questions you may have and suggest what, when, and how. When was the last time you did something outside your comfort zone? It may be time to remind yourself what it’s like to do something you never did before. If you would like to see what the deliberations look like and decide later- I invite you to the Precept meeting of STC.
Sylwester Zwierzynski info@shirebrook247.com
