Draft Minutes of Burton Green Residents’ Association Committee Meeting
January 26th 2026 at 7.30pm
Present: Judi Hibberd, Janet Hickinbottom, Bron Putnam, Rona Taylor, Mary Webb, Hilary Cox, Helen Hehir, Faith Ward.
Apologies: Dianne Adams, Andy Gibbs, Paddy Deeley and Rob Wright
In attendance: Cllr Kyn Aizlewood
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By invitation, Cllr Kyn Aizlewood attended the meeting to present his proposal about a nature recovery area. The plan is to reconnect areas of ancient woodland by planting trees in the spaces between. This will promote biodiversity and wildlife. It is an area close to land set aside for 6,000 houses but Kyn feels a proper green space will enhance the area. A mechanism to fund the project is available and the City Council might agree to pay for large areas of wildlife rather than small green pockets that developers tend to create. Conversations are ongoing and have so far been well received. The Parish Council supports the idea and wants to get it into the Local Plan, the next version of which will be drawn up in April/May 2026. The idea will then be put out to consultation in early June and positive responses will be needed from the community before it can be implemented two years later..
The nature recovery area would incorporate HS2’s regreening work and should tie in with Warwick University’s plan for an eco-park. Landowners would benefit from biodiversity credits.
Communication of the idea will be important once it has been put into the Local Plan.
Cllr Aizlewood will be invited to present the plan at the Village Meeting on October 12th 2026.
Action: Rona
Minutes of the last meeting and Matters Arising
See Minutes of meeting November 24th 2025
Matters Arising from the previous minutes:
Electronic version of Bugle for Broadwell Heights: Paddy and Dianne will help Mary to do this. Ongoing.
Action: Mary
Use of microphones at Village meeting 2026. At the October meeting, those wishing to speak will be encouraged to use the microphones.
Faith to arrange tokens as prizes for school Christmas card designs. Completed.
Erection and decoration of Christmas tree. Completed
Decide on location and plant the commemorative oak tree – Agenda item.
Continue negotiations with IndieGo bus. Rob to continue discussions after the closure of Cromwell Lane. Action: Rob and Rona
The minutes of the November 2025 meeting were approved.
Village Hall:
There was no report.
Treasurer’s Report:
BGRA Accounts as at 26 January 2026
Current Account net balance: £2313.87
Deposit Account net balance: £1036.35
Total Funds: £3350.22
Major Expenditure Since Last Meeting
Emmerson Press Xmas cards and Bugle printing £922
Bugle delivery - £20
Paint for soldiers on green - £177.50
Book Vouchers School - £40
Soldier padlocks - £8.00
MP meeting refreshments - £28.45
Income Since Last Meeting None
Outstanding Parish Funds to be used by 31 March 2026 - £1,030.84. It was agreed this amount would be used to pay for the printing of the next edition of the Bugle and the purchase of a plaque on the oak tree (see agenda item below). Judi said it was time to submit an application to the Parish Council for further funding for 2026/7. Ideas were collated to include in the bid.
Action: Judi
As always, thanks were given to Dianne for her efficient handling of the accounts.
Residents’ views/concerns:
The redundant and broken metal road sign and fencing had been removed from the verge opposite the top of Red Lane.
The overhanging tree on Red Lane just beyond Broadwells needs cutting back further. Mary agreed to arrange this.
Action: Mary
Update on and discussion of Residents’ Association initiatives and issues:
HS2 issues
A successful meeting had been held with Sir Jeremy Wright MP. Warwick Webster has given an excellent presentation and Sir Jeremy had proposed two plans. Plan A was to arrange a meeting with the engineer responsible for the offending concrete wall and portal. This had to happen before the end of January, especially as Solihull will be holding elections in May and cannot be involved for six weeks in advance of that. However, nothing further had been heard and so Rona has written to Sir Jeremy to move to his Plan B which involves contacting Mark Wild, Chief Executive of HS2. Meanwhile, the design of the Burton Green portal building has changed, making it bigger and without the original sandstone cladding. This will make the building even more visible. Rona will continue to push for an acceptable resolution to this matter.
Action: Rona
Community Fund
Judi had again consulted the guidance (reproduced below) which confirmed we are not eligible for a community grant:
Linked to the levels of funding already distributed as described above, as well as levels of disruption from the construction of HS2, the priority geographical areas (in alphabetical order) for the 2025/2026 financial year are as follows;
Hertfordshire County Council
London Borough of Camden
London Borough of Ealing
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
London Borough of Hillingdon
Oxfordshire County Council
Staffordshire County Council
The intention has and will always be to seek to support a wider variety of lower value awards (up to £100,000) for greater environmental, social and economic impact from the budget available, rather than focussing on a high number of large awards (£100,001 – £250,000). Our average award size has remained within the range of £45,000 – £60,000 since launching in 2017.
If your organisation is based in a priority area and you have already received an award, we may also consider providing further funding for a new/different project (with additional outputs/outcomes than the first award) subject to an application being submitted which meets the programme’s criteria. If you have already received funding but also have another potential project that you require funding for, please contact Groundwork UK to discuss in further detail.
If your local authority area is not listed above, it has either already
received a proportionally higher than average level of funding or it will not experience high levels of disruption from the construction of HS2. You should therefore consider whether it would be more beneficial to wait and apply when your area is a priority, potentially in future financial years, consider another funding route, or apply with the knowledge of the current geographical and project theme priorities. If you are based in a non-priority
area, please note that the stringent application of the prioritisation criteria may mean that an application for funding may be unsuccessful, or a reduced level
of funding may be offered. As in 2024/25, we will recognise within 1km proximity to the line of route as a priority.
Oak tree update
A location has been identified in the grounds of the Village Hall. HS2 have agreed to help with the planting and the Village Hall trustees have other trees needing planting too. Advice has been received that April will be the best time for the planting to take place. The Village Hall trustees have suggested a plaque on a wooden stake to be placed by the oak tree which celebrated the platinum anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. It was agreed a metal stake would be more long lasting and Judi agreed to help Mary source one. Wording will be circulated amongst the Residents’ Association committee. The two oldest residents of Burton Green will attend the planting. It was suggested a Wednesday afternoon would coincide with the bowls club and hence encourage a larger crowd to attend.
Action: Mary
Christmas activities
Thanks were given to Faith for liaising with the school regarding the Christmas card competition; and to Janet and Judi and husbands, with help from Andy Jones, for erecting and decorating the Christmas tree.
The Lions’ Santa Sleigh had raised £300 for Warwickshire Young Carers. Faith hoped to attend the presentation evening. Mary will facilitate this.
Action: Mary
A committee member pointed out the presence of a large pothole in Cromwell Lane (opposite the Thorntons’ house) and said it had been reported numerous times with no action.
The state of the road in Hob Lane was of concern. Information had been received that the problem was to be addressed. The first improvement of the surface was scheduled for January 31st to February 1st. After that, the section which comes under Warwickshire’s jurisdiction will be tackled on March 9th – 11th. Finally, the section between the Gables and the school will be resurfaced on April 6th-8th. The committee was pleased to hear that action was being taken to improve this dangerous road surface.
The lack of play facilities had raised concerns. The newly refurbished playground in Red Lane was greatly under used and it was felt more publicity should be issued to raise awareness of its existence. Chris Langton had agreed to speak to Hickory’s to see if their play area might be open for community use.
Action: Chris Langton
Parish Council Report
There was no report available but matters involving the Parish Council had been included in the meeting.
Any Other Business:
A complaint was raised about flooding on the Greenway which seems to emanate from a black pipe belonging toHS2. Faith and Hilary will check this out so that Rona can report it to Sara Louise of HS2.
Action: Faith, Hilary and Rona
Judi had been contacted by Karen Davis from Heartsafe asking for information about the defibrillators and offering training to residents. Judi had passed this on to Alice who has arranged with Mary defibrillator training on March 30th at 7:15pm.
Disappointment was expressed about poor attendance at the St John’s carol service held in the Village Hall on December 23rd. It was agreed to offer support in publicising the event in 2026 and suggesting community involvement.
Action: Janet
Date of next Meetings in 2026:
Further meeting dates are booked as follows:
March 23
May 11
July 27
September 21
October 12 (AGM)
November 23
