Minutes of ninth APRA Committee Meeting, 10 August 2015, 8pm at 3 Abbey Mill Lane.
1. Present: Peter Trevelyan (Chair), Geoff Dyson, Robert Pankhurst, Andrew Yaras, John Hedges, Gillian Field, Justin Douglas.
2. Minutes of the last meeting were approved and signed.
3. Matters arising and on-going issues were briefly reviewed:
APRA’s complaint about the flawed Safety Audit of the school bus stands in Romeland Hill was still in the hands of the Local Services Ombudsman (JH). A meeting between the new Headmaster and members of the Combined Residents Associations had considered the possibility of a new trial (some changes in the parking arrangements of the smaller white buses had been agreed in principle) but no formal response had yet been received (GD). The effectiveness of the now regularised parking restrictions would not be apparent until the new school year starts in September.
The 2014-2015 Annual Report on performance of the SADC Scrutiny Committees had been received: a letter should be sent about the inadequate reference to the non-implementation of SACTAF recommendations and Cllr Edgar Hill should be advised [RP].
The 1 July meeting of the Car Parking Working Party had not dealt with the results of the 2014 resident survey in Zones B,E and Q, and a recommendation of 7-day resident-only parking would hopefully now be put to the next meeting (6 October).
The water leak in Romeland had been dealt with but the site needed proper re-instatement.
The state of roads and pavements continued to give concern: the pavement in Abbey Mill Lane (SADC) was especially bad but was complicated by the worse state of the adjacent wall (Cathedral). Part of the wall against the Gombards footpath was looking dangerous and should be notified [GD].
Some progress had been made on the issue of rubbish left on the pavement outside Nos 15-17 Verulam Road, and the domestic residents now appeared to have responded to warnings; the office that shares a doorway with Pizza Express was still putting out rubbish on a Friday evening for collection of Monday morning, resulting in partial obstruction and attracting further litter over the weekend. Cllr Hill was to raise the need for SADC to adopt Fixed Penalty Notices for littering at Council (14 October) and we should express support [RP].
4. The Brickyard (RP). While proposing mediation with objecting neighbours over noise disturbance, the owner had appealed to Magistrates against the refusal of post-11pm activity in the front courtyard – a hearing was set for 9 October and SADC would defend. The results of a survey of 12 residential properties on the east side of College Street demonstrated the widespread disturbance experienced, particularly in relation to the intensive use of the new open-air courtyard constructed at the rear of the premises. APRA would reply on their behalf indicating that mediation was not thought appropriate at this stage since the residents had no case to answer and the proper way of dealing with an apparent breach of licence conditions was through SADC Licensing Dept. [PT and GD].
5. The desirability of a late summer social event for members was discussed and JD offered to explore possibilities, including a tentative approach to Beth Hall (ex-member of this committee).
6. A further meeting would be required before the November AGM and should take place in mid or late October [RP].
Meeting closed at 10.10 pm