Crest Nicholson Planning Application

The Parish Council would like to alert Burton Green residents to a 9th September deadline for objections to the current “Reserved Matters” planning application from Crest Nicholson to Warwick District Council (WDC). This concerns the land to the south of Westwood Heath Road, where Crest flags are now flying.

In 2018 Crest received detailed planning approval from WDC for Phase 1 of the development (129 dwellings) and in principle approval for the rest of the development (a further 296 dwellings and convenience store). On July 2nd Crest Nicholson submitted their detailed planning application to WDC for the latter (what is known in the trade as  the “Reserved Matters”). WDC has a planning backlog, so we have only just been advised of the application by them. 

Your Parish Council will object to the application, on similar grounds to those we outlined in June’s Burton Green Bugle. We encourage residents to do likewise if they wish to, before the 9th September deadline. The planning reference is W/21/1280, and documents can be found under Planning on the WDC website https://planningdocuments.warwickdc.gov.uk/online-applications/

The best starting point there is Crest’s Design Compliance Statement (which re-christens the development as a Garden Village). 

Minutes of Residents' Association Committee Meeting (July 15th 2021)

 The meeting was held virtually via Zoom because of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

Present
Andy Gibbs; Helen Hehir; Judi Hibberd; Janet Hickinbottom; Rona Taylor; Faith Ward; Mary Webb.

1 Apologies and Minutes of the last meeting (May 13th 2021)

Apologies had been received from Dianne Adams; Paddy Deeley; and Bron Putnam.

Summary of actions following the meeting	Responsible
Set up fund-raising page for Children in Need ramble	Dianne
Ask PC about noticeboard for Burrow Hill	Rona
Who has responsibility for the footpath next to the Hales on Red Lane?	Rona
Signs about dog mess on Greenway	Hilary
Check if Chris Langton able to update footpath route maps	Rona
Note of thanks to Pauline and Mervyn Harvey	Rona
Formation of a working group to progress application to HS2 Community and Environment Fund	Judi
Raise question at PC meeting about process of communication with HS2	Rona
Further planning for Children in Need walk	Mary
October 10th litter pick – check not clashing with other events	Mary
Distribute information via the village loop and the banner etc regarding format of the AGM 2021	All

Minutes of the last meeting and Matters Arising

See May 13th 2021 meeting.

Matters Arising from the previous minutes

• Set up fund-raising page for Children in Need ramble. Dianne had investigated costs which worked out at 39p for a £10 donation.  It was agreed to go ahead with this. Action: Dianne
• Turfing bare patches on Jubilee Verge – local contact to be approached – now sorted.
• Contact Parish Council suggesting noticeboard on Cala Estate – Rona would progress this.
• Approach local businesses to sponsor 2021 Christmas card – Mary had this in hand.
• Query local sculptor for wooden installations – Paddy had notified about progress with this. HS2 were liaising with Charlie Hubbard who might also be prepared to construct simple benches. HS2 were sourcing another chainsaw sculptor.
• Investigate route for Children in Need ramble – agenda item.
• Speak to Deirdre about art installations and a proposal to HS2 Community Fund – agenda item.
• July agenda item to look in detail at proposals for HS2 Community Fund and precept spending - agenda item.
• Update Welcome leaflet - completed.
• Create diary of annual events for discussion at meetings - completed.

The minutes of the May meeting were approved.

2 Village Hall 

Cheryl, Chair of the Village Hall trustees, had kindly joined the meeting. She said there was still no date for starting the building work. Problems remained regarding foul drainage and the siting of a septic tank. A percolation test had been carried out by the contractors.

3 Treasurer’s Report

A report had been circulated as follows:

BGRA Accounts as of 12 July 2021
Current Account net balance: £ 3459.74
Deposit Account net balance: £1006.14
Total Funds (A): £4465.88
Ring Fenced Funds (Balance remaining of monies donated/allocated for specific purposes but not yet spent): -
Defibrillator: £ 149.56
Freely available/unallocated Funds (A – B): £4316.32
For Information: Major Expenditure Since Last Meeting
Printing June Bugle - £250
Condolence gift for J Whitehouse - £17.79 

Income Since Last Meeting None
Outstanding Parish Funds to be used by 31 March 2022 - £1,728.52.

Thanks were given to Dianne. 

4 Residents’ views/concerns

• Access to and use of Greenway – the path from Red Lane next to the Hales was reported as overgrown and Rona agreed to find out who had responsibility for this footpath. Action: Rona

• Dog mess being left on the Greenway. Hilary would ask the Greenway Trust to erect more signs. Action: Hilary

• Publication of new circular walking routes in BG – Chris Langton would be approached to see if he would update his earlier work on village footpaths now that so many of them had been closed by HS2 work.  Action: Rona

• It was agreed to thank Pauline and Mervyn Harvey of Red Lane for their verge improvements to add to the safety of the often-flooded bend on Red Lane. Rona would send a note of thanks.

• It was established that the term “Burrow Hill” be used in future rather than “Cala Homes.”

• Update on and discussion of Residents’ Association initiatives and issues:

• HS2 Community and Environment Fund details – Judi

• Judi had circulated a document about the HS2 Community and Environment Fund. She went through the document emphasising the key steps necessary before a bid could be submitted.  These included:

Reading a great deal of information

Considering the need for whatever is proposed

Looking at what disruption HS2 has caused (!)

The legacy of the project and how this ties in with HS2’s legacy.

In light of the complexity of the process, Judi would invite participants to a working group which would report back on progress at the next meeting. Action: Judi

Judi was thanked for all her research so far.

• HS2 fund- what should we ask for? (Linked to above)

Entrance gates

Trees around the village

Ironwork sculpture

School project

Benches

Top of the tunnel ideas

Village hall signage recycling

Car park where VH car park was

Mosaic to be developed with children from the village school – discussions had begun on this.

Metal sculpture to reflect the history of the village. Deirdre and Thea would be asked to develop their idea and a costed proposal could then be given to HS2

• HS2 issues

Communication/consultation regarding progress of HS2 work remained poor.  Rona would ask about this at the Parish Council meeting.  Action: Rona

• Children in Need walk September

A date had been set for September 19th starting at the Village Hall with the route established. Mary was finding the marshals’ vests and had obtained material to make sashes to be bought by participants on the day for a small donation. Action: Mary

• The verge

It was considered this was now sorted as grass had now grown and Bill had kindly mown.

• Litter Pick

A litter pick would take place on Sunday October 10th at 11a.m. Mary would check this date did not clash with any other events in the village.
Action: Mary

• Beacon

The Residents ‘Association was already in possession of a portable beacon and so would hope to use this in 2022 for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.  Rona had signed up for further information.

A suggestion was made that the beacon might be able to be placed on the new sports field on Burrow Hill.

• AGM – Zoom or live on Sep 27th

It was hoped that this year’s AGM could be a face-to-face event. Government guidance at the time would be followed, such as increased ventilation. The Village Hall trustees had suggested that the formalities of the AGM should be followed by a selection of stalls explaining the different activities on offer in the village hall with the hope of attracting new residents and especially residents from Burrow Hill and Broadwells Wood. The VH committee would also plan to offer a second event to attract families with children.  It was agreed that this was a good idea although some members of the committee were still hesitant about the possibility of a “live” event.  Plan B would be to hold the event by Zoom as in 2020. Information would be distributed via the usual channels nearer to the time.

• Bugle

Mary reported that volunteers had come forward to deliver the Bugle on Burrow Hill.

• Priorities for precept money- ideas so far

Bugle funding
Spring bulbs
Jubilee verge maintenance

 

6 Greenway Trust Update

Hilary reported that the Trust had purchased 6 oak saplings to be grown on the Greenway in memory of John Whitehouse. Very sadly, John had recently died and he was acknowledged as a great friend and supporter of Burton Green.

7 Parish Councillor's Report

Cllr Gibbs said that the bridge in Cromwell Lane was to be closed from July 21st to 24th to move some services. 

A meeting with BBV had been held with little outcome.

8 Any Other Business

Rona had delivered a card and plant to John Whitehouse’s widow as a mark of thanks for all his work with the Residents’ Association.

Rona had visited the new owners of the Water Tower and had received their approval for the continued use of the water tower logo by the Residents’ Association.

Thanks were extended to Jonathan Hehir for designing seasonal header images for the Bugle.

9 Date of next Meeting

All meetings would be held via Zoom until further notice.

The next committee meeting was scheduled for September 9th.

Further meetings
Monday September 27th AGM
November 25th

Thanks were given to Judi for arranging the Zoom call and to committee members for attending.

Bugle - June 2021

The June 2021 edition of the Bugle has been published.

Just below are thumbnails of the page images. To enlarge any page image, click on the thumbnail below. Once you have the individual page, you may also need to click on the magnifying glass in your browser, where you can view the page at its original size...

The text of the Chair's Report has also been added to the Residents' Association page.

The archive of back issues of the Bugle is here: Bugle Archive.

Minutes of Residents' Association Committee Meeting May 13th 2021

The meeting was held virtually via Zoom because of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

Present

Dianne Adams; Paddy Deeley; Helen Hehir; Judi Hibberd; Janet Hickinbottom; Rona Taylor; Faith Ward; Mary Webb.

1 Apologies and Minutes of the last meeting (March 11th 2021)

Apologies had been received from Bron Putnam and Andy Gibbs. 

Summary of actions following the meeting	Responsible
Set up fund-raising page for Children in Need ramble	Dianne
Turfing bare patches on Jubilee Verge – local contact to be approached	Rona
Contact Parish Council suggesting noticeboard on Cala Estate	Hilary
Approach local businesses to sponsor 2021 Christmas card	Mary
Query local sculptor for wooden installations	Hilary and others
Investigate route for Children in Need ramble	Mary
Speak to Deirdre about art installations and a proposal to HS2 Community Fund	Rona
July agenda item to look in detail at proposals for HS2 Community Fund and precept spending	Judi
Update Welcome leaflet	Judi
Create diary of annual events for discussion at meetings	Judi and Mary

Minutes of the last meeting and Matters Arising

See March 11th 2021 meeting

Matters Arising from the previous minutes

• Find out about emptying of bins (Paddy)- Bins were to be emptied each Monday. Discussions were ongoing.
• Purchase long-handled litter grabbers (Mary)- Completed
• Set up fund-raising page for Children in Need ramble (Dianne)- Carried forward
• Ask LM about turfing the Jubilee Verge (Rona)- It was agreed Rona would ask a local contact to carry out this work.
• Contact Parish Council suggesting noticeboard on Cala Estate (Hilary)- Carried forward

The minutes of the March meeting were approved.

2 Village Hall

Paddy said there was little to report. Discussions were still ongoing and no start date had yet been agreed.

3 Treasurer’s Report

A report had been circulated as follows:

Current Account net balance: £3727.53
Deposit Account net balance: £1006.12
Total Funds (A): £4733.65
Ring Fenced Funds (Balance remaining of monies donated/allocated for specific purposes but not yet spent): -
Defibrillator: £ 149.56
Freely available/unallocated Funds (A – B): £4584.09
For Information: Major expenditure since last meeting:
Litter picker and flowers for Mr and Mrs Doyle £32.48 Printing March Bugle £450 BGRA Public Liability Insurance £196.48
Income since last meeting:
Funding from Parish Council £2625
Outstanding Parish Funds to be used by 31 March 2022 - £1978.52

Thanks were given to Dianne. 

4  Residents’ views/concerns

• Access to and use of Greenway – compounds were gradually starting to be established.
• Indoor bowls at the new village hall – this had been suggested by a new resident and was a matter for the Village Hall trustees. It was mentioned that a petanque pitch had been considered outdoors as part of the Village Hall design but matters about access and usage would need to be considered.
• Publication of new circular walking routes in BG – Chris Langton had been approached to see if he would update his earlier work on village footpaths now that so many of them had been closed by HS2 work. 
• Rona reported problems with the 233 bus service to Kenilworth. She had received conflicting information about whether the service had been axed and was now told it was no longer running on a Thursday. The only remaining service was the 10.56 to Kenilworth on a Monday. A demand response service was not available on this route. Rona would add information to the Bugle and asked WCC to ensure it consulted residents and kept us informed of changes to bus services.
• A complaint had been received about the noise from a machine thought to be a stone crusher on the HS2 route.
• Post meeting note: Paddy had investigated and this was not a stone crusher but a stump grinder /woodchipper removing the trees that were cut down at the end of last year.

5  Update on and discussion of Residents’ Association initiatives and issues

• Sponsor for Christmas cards – a number of local businesses were suggested to approach. It was agreed if one business could not fund in entirety, smaller donations from a number of businesses would be welcome. Action: Mary

• Wooden sculptures – discussions were still taking place. A number of sculptures plus some benches had been promised along with wood for use by a local sculptor.  As the Hickinbottoms had agreed to receive some of the wood for the latter, Janet asked if a local sculptor had been sourced but the answer was negative. Further requests would be made, including by Hilary. Other wood was to be stored by the Hubbards on Waste Lane but details of all this had been delayed.

• Sandstone blocks from the Greenway bridges to be saved for plant troughs – it was reported that a verbal agreement had been reached to save and store coping stones as bridges were demolished.

• Children in Need Ramble – the date for this fund-raising event was set for June 27th at 11a.m. Mary would work with her contacts to investigate a suitable route. Action: Mary

• HS2 fund- what should we ask for?
  

Entrance gates
Trees around the village
Top of the tunnel ideas
Village hall signage recycling
Car park where VH car park was
Mosaic to be developed with children from the village school – discussions had begun on this.
Metal sculpture to reflect the history of the village. Deirdre and Thea would be asked to develop their idea and a costed proposal could then be given to HS2 

• Priorities for precept money- ideas so far

Bugle funding
Lots of Spring bulbs
Jubilee verge maintenance
It was agreed to look in more detail at proposals for HS2 Community Fund and precept at the July meeting. Judi would add this to the agenda.

• Bugle

Thanks were given to Mary for her work on the Bugle. The next edition would be published early in June with a deadline for articles of May 24th.

 

6  Greenway Trust Update

There was no report.

7  Parish Councillor's Report

The Parish Council had been discussing building matters, especially the development on Westwood Heath Road considering recent national reports that population growth figures, including those from Coventry, had been inflated. There were concerns about increased traffic and pressure on local schools.

8  Any Other Business

• Thanks were extended to the local police force who had been in evidence in the village, for example putting fixed penalty notice on cars parked across pavements.
• A question was asked about the progress of a planning application for a house on land adjacent to Broadwells Park on Red Lane but no further information was available.
• If anyone is interested in joining the Westwood Heath History Group for a whistle stop tour of the history of the area please email westwoodheathhistory@gmail.com and they will send you the Zoom link - Tuesday 18th May at 7:30pm 
• Judi volunteered to update the Welcome Leaflet. Action: Judi
• It was agreed to create a diary of annual events and the appropriate meetings at which to discuss each of these. Action: Judi and Mary
• Ditch clearing in Red Lane had resulted in piles of debris left on the verges but Hilary had been told this would be removed the following day.

9  Date of next Meeting

All meetings would be held via Zoom until further notice.

The next committee meeting was scheduled for July 15th.
Further meetings:
September 9th
Monday September 27th AGM
November 25th

Thanks were given to Judi for arranging the Zoom call and to committee members for attending.

Lettice Floyd

The Floyd family were wealthy local landowners who owned several local farms including Arnold Farm in Cromwell Lane. They were social reformers and philanthropists and had a long association with Burton Green School.

Education in Burton Green can be traced back to the 1840s, when local children were educated by Mrs Chatterway in her cottage which was very near to Moat Farm, in Hob Lane. She was supported by Ann Floyd (1813-1884). 

In 1842 Ann Floyd's father, William Floyd (b1771) put up the money to build a purpose-build school, which was built on land donated by Lord Claverdon.  

This was the large brick-built building that we know today. The building was intended to be used as a school and also as a place of worship on Sundays.

This figure shows part of the Floyd family tree. 

Ann's brother, William (1807-1879), married Alison Clapperton who was the sister of Jane Hume Clapperton, the philosopher and social reformer.  

The Floyd family owned many farms and other properties in the area including Beanit Farm in Hob Lane, Arnold's Farm in Cromwell Lane, Beechwood House Farm in Tanners Lane, and Home Farm in Spencers Lane, plus several cottages around the district. 

In the 1800s the large field just behind Arnold Farm was known as Floyd's Close. 

The Burton Green School Log Book and Miss Floyd

There is a Burton Green School Log Book, which is effectively a diary of school activities written by the head teacher. The log book is now kept in the archives of the Warwick Records Office. 

The log book includes numerous references to a 'Miss Floyd'. One or other of the Floyd sisters visited the school occasionally, over a period of 36 years, the first visit being in 1875 and the last visit in 1910. 

Most of the entries simply say 'Miss Floyd visited', but there are a few more informative entries. These are some examples...

12 February 1881
"Miss Floyd and a lady-friend came in on Thursday and heard the children sing.

 Miss Floyd spoke to the children after school about the 'Missionaries'"

20 January 1883
"Miss Floyd came in today and heard the 1st Class read, 

she afterwards promised the children a Tea for Monday"

25 November 1887
"Miss Floyd visited the school on Friday morning and gave the children some apples"

20 December 1889 (Christmas)
"Miss Floyd and a lady friend visited on Friday morning & heard the children sing. Afterwards each child received a prize from Miss Floyd who also gave them a Christmas Card and an orange."

17 July 1908
"Miss Floyd invited all the children to tea at her house today"

William Floyd (1807-1879) had two daughters - Lettice Floyd and Mary Floyd. Most of the entries in the school log book simply refer to 'Miss Floyd' and it is not clear whether this refers to Lettice Floyd or Mary Floyd. A very small number of entries do include an initial - L Floyd or M Floyd, and on a few occasions both women visited the school together. There are some periods when we know that Lettice Floyd was working away from home but, in general, we do not know which sister each of the entries in the school log refers to.

An article about the Floyd family, written by Jean Musgrove, which was published by the Berkswell Local History Group, includes a paragraph about Lettice Floyd and states that she was an active supporter of the suffragette movement and that visiting Burton Green school was one of her activities:

Social Activism

Jean Musgrove's article does not give any further details about Lettice Floyd's activities in the suffragette movement.

In 1888 Lettice Floyd went to work as a nurse a children's hospital, and we know that from September 1895 to September 1898 she was working as a sister (in charge of a ward) at the Nottingham Children's hospital. Her time spent working in the children's hospital motivated her to become an active social justice campaigner.

In 1907 Lettice Floyd returned to Berkswell, and together with her sister, founded a local branch of the non-militant Women's Suffrage Society. But shortly afterwards, in 1908, the Berkswell branch was dissolved and its members joined the militant Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU).

The first significant reference to Lettice Floyd in a national newspaper occurs in October 1908. This would have been three months after the Floyd sisters had entertained all of the school children at their house...

At their trial the accused were ordered to be of good behaviour for 12 months, otherwise they would be sent to prison. None of them would agree to be bound over to be of good behaviour...

After they had served their sentences...

This is from the women's suffrage newspaper 'Votes For Women'...

Lettice took part in a further demonstration and was arrested a second time, but not charged, a year later, on 'Black Friday', 13 November 1910. This occasion was notable for the violence which the Police used against the suffragettes. This is from Lettice Floyd's entry in the National Biography: 

She was arrested for a second time the following November after travelling to London to take part in the mass protest organized against the loss of the women's suffrage 'Conciliation Bill'. The demonstrators encountered considerable violence, the day becoming notorious as ‘Black Friday’, but no charges were brought, the government realizing that to do so would be to incur adverse publicity.

Lettice travelled to London again in March 1912 to take part in a further protest...

Lettice Floyd was one of those arrested and subsequently sentenced to two months hard labour...

According to her entry in the National Biography, on this occasion, in prison she went on hunger strike and was forcibly fed. 

Being forcibly fed was a very unpleasant experience, and came to be regarded as the hallmark of the suffragette martyr. 

After their release from prison, suffragettes who had been force fed or received other exceptionally harsh treatment were given a personalised Certificate of Thanks showing their name in a bold script and signed by Emmeline Pankhurst. This image of such a certificate is a screenshot from a BBC documentary (The Suffragettes).

Click to enlarge

This image is not original. but it is a reasonably accurate reconstruction of a Certificate of Thanks. 

The suffragette campaign was suspended at the outset of WWI. Women's suffrage was eventually granted, at the end of the World War, in 1918

Disposal of the Estate - Legacy - Margaret McMillan House

After the deaths of her brothers William (d1895) and George (d1922), and her elder sister, Mary (d1918), the entire estate, of Beanit Farm, Arnold Farm, Home Farm and other properties, was inherited by Lettice Floyd (1922). 

Lettice Floyd maintained ownership of the entire estate until her own death in 1934.

After her death the estate was divided into lots and sold at a public auction. Arnold Farm was sold for £1,600. The two cottages adjacent to Arnold's Farm which had also been part of the estate were sold for £450 for the pair. The sale of the estate fetched £13,810. 

Lettice Floyd's total assets amounted to £51,660.

As directed in her will, various bequests of sums of money were made to friends and acquaintances, but the majority was gifted to the Rachel McMillan Centre, a children's charity, and was subsequently used to build the Margaret McMillan House at Wrotham, Kent. This is a country retreat outside London where children from deprived backgrounds can go to experience adventure holidays and other activities.

Rachel McMillan (1857-1917) was a social reformer with a particular interest in children's welfare. Rachel McMillan had taught at a girls' school in Coventry for 3 years c1874-1876.

The Margaret McMillan House at Wrotham was opened by the Duke of York  (shortly to become King George VI) in May 1936 ...

The Duchess of Cambridge visiting the Margaret McMillan House at Wrotham, 12th June 2012.

For most of these children it was the first time they had seen the countryside. 

Talk by the Royal College of Nursing 

Lettice Floyd was featured in a talk given by the RCN Library and Archive Service, on 11 March 2021, and which was presented over the internet during the pandemic. 

The section about Lettice Floyd begins at 15 minutes into the talk..

Watch here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m08_YHXjZkY

Biography

There is a complete biography of Lettice Floyd here:

Dictionary of National Biography: Lettice Floyd

That biography is a verbatim copy of the biography of Lettice Floyd which appears in the book The Women's Suffrage Movement, A Reference Guide, 1866-1928, written by Elizabeth Crawford.

Minutes of Residents' Association Committee Meeting March 11th 2021

The meeting was held virtually via Zoom because of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic restrictions.

Present

Dianne Adams; Paddy Deeley; Andy Gibbs; Judi Hibberd; Janet Hickinbottom; Rona Taylor; Faith Ward; Mary Webb.

1  Apologies and Minutes of the last meeting (January 21st 2021)

Apologies had been received from Bron Putnam, Hilary Cox and Helen Hehir. Cheryl Wall, Chair of the Village Hal committee had also sent apologies.

Summary of actions following the meeting	Responsible
Find out about emptying of bins	Paddy
Purchase long-handles litter grabbers	Mary
Set up fund-raising page for Children in Need ramble	Dianne
Ask LM about turfing the Jubilee Verge	Rona
Contact Parish Council suggesting noticeboard on Cala Estate	Hilary

     

Minutes of the last meeting and Matters Arising

See January 21st 2021 meeting

Matters Arising from the previous minutes

• Community Fund item to remain on agenda - ongoing
• Maintain list of suggestions for funding requests – ongoing
• Arrangements for next year’s end of year accounts – Sally Keys who had been recommended by Marlene Hills had carried out the inspection in 2020 and had agreed to do the same this year. 
• List of suggestions for HS2 funding - maintained
• List of priorities for precept money - maintained
• Funding required via Parish Council grant – request submitted
• Locate defibrillator notices – new notices would be ordered to be placed in the Parish Council noticeboard and suggestions requested for other places. The locations would be explained in a future edition of the Bugle.
• Ask LM about facilitating plugging Christmas tree lights into lamppost 2021. Reply received from Melanie Ryan, Community Engagement Officer, LM:

 LM has put this to HS2, and we or HS2 will also put it to Warwickshire County Council. From what I understand about maintenance arrangements going forward, HS2 will be coordinating/covering management of the temporary Greenway infrastructure – but WCC will be the local authority for that particular lamppost. We’re hoping we can get everyone’s agreement and sign-off on this so Christmas lights could be plugged in, in December 2021.

• Plan for re-use of materials for British Legion centenary in Nov 2021- to be included in future meetings.
• Contact WCC regarding blocked drain on Red Lane. Completed. Potholes still to be dealt with.
• Send flowers to Betty Woodward – completed.

The minutes of the January meeting were approved.

2 Village Hall

Paddy reported that there was still no start date for the commencement of the Village Hall building. Discussions were still taking place regarding drainage issues. The field was currently being levelled.

3 Treasurer’s Report

A report had been circulated as follows:
Current Account net balance: £1781.49
Deposit Account net balance: £1006.09
Total Funds (A): £2787.58
Ring Fenced Funds (B) (Balance remaining of monies donated/allocated for specific purposes but not yet spent):- Defibrillator: £ 149.56
Freely available/unallocated Funds (A – B): £2638.02 

For Information: Major Expenditure Since Last Meeting:
Book tokens for Snowman Competition - £10
Litter Pickers – 38.98
Income Since Last Meeting - None
Outstanding Parish Funds to be used by 31 March 2021 - £240.88.
These would be used for the next edition of the Bugle.

Thanks were given to Dianne for her efficient handling of the accounts. 

4 Residents’ views/concerns

• HS2 issues

Access to and use of Greenway - 

LM had been asked about signage on the Greenway. A response had been received as follows:

There are various types of signs for the Greenway diversion being installed, and we will also be putting up information boards showing the diversion route and giving HS2 Helpdesk details. We’ve had several requests from Burton Green residents to add more signs with specific instructions, e.g. ‘must keep dogs on a lead’, ‘cycle slowly’, etc. Some of these, we won’t be able to accommodate/install – because they would go against local authority guidelines for country parks. However, we’ll install as much information as we can (without making it too cluttered) and we’ll make sure the information boards carry general messages about using the temporary Greenway in a safe and responsible manner – covering dog walkers, cyclists, horse riders, and all types of users with messages about being careful and considerate.

Questions were asked about who had been consulted about signage. It was agreed a watching brief should be kept on the erection of further signs. Was the Greenway Trust involved? It was thought this was not the case. The bin at the top of the closed-off ramp had still not been moved. It appeared a plethora of bins was now in existence. Who would be responsible for the emptying of the bins? Paddy agreed to ask. Action: Paddy

A discussion took place with reference to the new temporary Greenway with mixed views expressed. There remained concerns about its width and the Parish Council was pursuing this matter. Waste materials continued to be left by the contractors but it was hoped all these would be removed in a final clear up of the area as LM completed its work. 

Parking for those visiting the Greenway was a problem which would be exacerbated once the roadworks on Cromwell Lane took place. This issue was also being addressed by the Parish Council.

• A resident was pursuing the difficulties caused by parking on pavements by leaving notices showing vehicles parked in a similar way having parking tickets.

5 Update on and discussion of Residents’ Association initiatives and issues

• Approach council re plugging in lights on lamppost on the verge for Christmas 2021. Already discussed under Matters Arising.

• Wooden sculptures – Discussions had taken place and it had been agreed that Burton Green community would receive two benches and two sculptures of a fox and an owl made from felled trees along the Greenway.  These would be placed in the grounds of the new Village Hall at an appropriate time.  Receipt and storage of other timber was being discussed. Charlie Hubbard was being very helpful in this matter.

• Sandstone blocks from the Greenway bridges to be saved for plant troughs –Demolition of the bridges along the Greenway (between Cromwell Lane and Waste Lane) was imminent. Paddy had not received replies from any questions. It was hoped that BBV would be amenable to creating the troughs at the entrances to the village.

• March 21st litter pick – volunteers should meet in the Village Hall car park at 11a.m. Nigel and Faith Ward would book a slot at Kenilworth recycling centre and Nigel would be asked to collect up the bags of rubbish gathered by volunteers. Mary would investigate the purchase of long-handles grabbers to add to the ones already owned by the Residents’ Association. Action: Mary

• Children in Need Ramble – the date for this fund-raising event would need to be flexible to meet government guidelines. It would be announced in the June edition of the Bugle. It was planned to sell yellow sashes for people to wear on the ramble and Dianne agreed to investigate setting up a fund-raising page. Action: Dianne

• HS2 fund- what should we ask for?

Entrance gates
Trees around the village
Top of the tunnel ideas
Village hall signage recycling
Car park where VH car park was

• Priorities for precept money- ideas so far

Bugle funding
Lots of Spring bulbs

• Bugle
  Thanks were given to Mary for her work on the Bugle.

6 Greenway Trust Update

There was no report.

7 Parish Councillor's Report

An interview had taken place for the vacancy for a Parish Clerk and it was hoped to fill the role soon.

Matters recently discussed by the Parish Council included ongoing complaints to LM; arranging a meeting with BBV for when the tunnel work begins; submitting a response to the Phase 2 Relief Road; traffic calming; and Westwood Heath housing developments which now seemed to involve revamping of some housing models and the purchase of the land. 

8  Any Other Business

• A resident had queried the muddy state of the Jubilee Verge following all the works at the junction of Red Lane/Cromwell Lane. Rona would ask if LM would be prepared to turf the area. Action: Rona

• Hilary had offered to write to the Parish Council suggesting a noticeboard on the Cala Estate. Action: Hilary

• Having received a copy of the Warwick University newsletter, Rona had written to say residents were pleased to hear the Coventry City football club would be returning to the Ricoh Arena and assumed this meant the university would no longer be pursuing its plans for a stadium .  The following response was received:

News of the agreement for Coventry City Football Club to return to Coventry at the Ricoh Arena is great news for the supporters, the community and the city of Coventry as a whole, and of course the Football Club.

Coventry City Football Club and the University of Warwick are actively continuing their discussions regarding a long-term collaboration to provide a new home for the Sky Blues.

Those discussions are progressing positively and further details will be announced when both the club and the University are able to do so.

We will engage with our neighbours on this when we are able to do so, and of course Burton Green are some of our closest neighbours and your views are important to us.

Post meeting note: Burton Green speed monitoring was top of the police priority vote. Thank you to all residents who voted. There will be a number of police speed monitoring sessions over the next 3 months

9 Date of next Meeting

All meetings would be held via Zoom until further notice.

The next committee meeting was scheduled for May 13th
July 15th
September 9th
Monday September 27th AGM
November 25th

Thanks were given to Judi for arranging the Zoom call and to committee members for attending.

Bugle - March 2021

The March 2021 edition of the Bugle has been published.

Just below are thumbnails of the page images. To enlarge any page image, click on the thumbnail below. Once you have the individual page, you may also need to click on the magnifying glass in your browser, where you can view the page at its original size...

The text of the Chair's Report has also been added to the Residents' Association page.

The archive of back issues of the Bugle is here: Bugle Archive.

Kenilworth Community Forum Policing Priorities March 2021

KENILWORTH COMMUNITY FORUM POLICING PRIORITIES ONLINE VOTE

Priority options to choose from are:

• Burglary Prevention Patrols

• Crime Reduction Patrols - Kenilworth Town Centre

• School Road Safety Patrols - Burton Green Primary

• School Road Safety Patrols - St. John's Primary

• Speed Checks/Monitoring - Burton Green

• Speed Checks/Monitoring - Farmer Ward Road

Please visit https://app.sli.do/event/ovytti9a/live/polls to cast your vote online.

Voting closes 1pm Tuesday 9th March. 

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE!

Regards

Kenilworth Safer Neighbourhood Team

The Stoneleigh Estate Sale 1928

The entire area of Burton Green on the East side of Cromwell Lane and Red Lane used to be part of the Stoneleigh Estate. 

In 1928 that area was divided into lots and offered for sale at an auction open to the public. 

The sale included 7 working farms, 20 cottages, and 80 plots of land for building. 

The sale documentation claimed "a large portion of the frontage land is ripe for immediate development."

Some of the lots being offered for sale are shown in detail in the map at the left. 

Historical Background

In 1154 Henry II (1133-1189) granted land in the Forest of Arden, which would have included part of what would become Burton Green, to a group of Cistercian monks (a Catholic religious order) who built an abbey at Stoneleigh. 

Henry's descendant Henry VIII (1491-1547) appointed himself as head of the church and dissolved the monasteries (1536-1541). 

Stoneleigh Abbey and the Stoneleigh Estate were subsequently purchased (1561) on behalf of Sir Thomas Leigh who was a wealthy London trader.  Sir Thomas Leigh had been Lord Mayor of London (1558-1559). 

The area of the Stoneleigh Estate corresponded approximately with the boundaries of Stoneleigh and Ashow Parishes, marked with a bold black line on this map.

With some additional land purchases the Leigh family eventually became the largest land owner in Warwickshire. 

A house built on the site of the original monastery, Stoneleigh Abbey, was the home of the Leigh family from 1561 to 1993. 

The significance of the areas shaded red and shaded green (which includes Burton Green) is explained below.

Sale of the Estate

During the 1920s large areas of the Stoneleigh Estate were sold, possibly to meet punitive death duties. 

In 1920 properties owned by the Estate in various outlying areas elsewhere in Warwickshire were sold including farms at Cubbington, Weston, Hunningham, Long Itchington, Fillongley and Maxstoke.

Sale to Coventry Corporation 1926 - Plans for Westwood

In 1926 2,334 acres in the North of the main estate were sold to Coventry Corporation for £114,000. This included Allesley, Tile Hill and Westwood. This is the area shaded red on the map above.  

This is an extract from a report in the Midland Daily Telegraph (12 August 1926):

Westwood Heath A New Townlet - Between Westwood Heath and the Coventry-Birmingham railway line it is intended there should be raised one of a number of garden colonies around Coventry, possibly each with its own shopping and civic centre. It would be satellite to but more or less independent or autonomous of Coventry, but linked socially to the city and it neighbours. For such a purpose Westwood is admirably adapted: situated on high land, it is healthy and can be made easily accessible by road and rail besides having a naturally beautiful setting in which ts ultimate purpose of producing a garden colony can be attained.

Stoneleigh Estate Sale 1928 - Burton Green and Crackley

Most of the land in Burton Green which lies to the East of Cromwell Lane, plus a small strip on the West side of Cromwell Lane near the Peeping Tom, belonged to the Stoneleigh Estate. 

In 1928 all of that land, comprising 1,300 acres, partitioned into 133 lots, was put up for auction to members of the public. This is the area shaded green on the map above. 

Click to enlarge

The image at the right shows a page from the sale catalogue. You can click on the image to enlarge it to read all of the details.

The sale included:

• 7 complete farms, including Bockenden Grange Farm, Cryfield House Farm, Lodge Farm, Hurst Farm and South Hurst Farm
• The Hollies (the house on the right at the top of Red lane)
• Westwood Cottages (near Westwood Church)
• 5 woods - Black Waste Wood, Broadwells Wood, Crackley Wood, Rough Knowles Wood and Whitefield Coppice
• 9 plots of building land in Cromwell Lane
• numerous plots of building land in Red Lane
• 5 plots of building land in Westwood Heath Road
• plus numerous other properties.

Just below are the sale details for Lot 13 (the right hand cottage of The Hollies) which subsequently became Seaton's Field.

Lot 13 was sold for £530, which is typical. Potential building land was selling for about £100 per acre. 

We don't know who purchased Lot 13. In the 1939 survey, 10 years later, the property was occupied by Patrick Hession, with his wife and daughter Hilda, who were running a Post Office and sweet shop from the premises. 

Plots of building land in Cromwell Lane near Westwood corner were sold for £75 each. 

A row of building plots in Cromwell Lane backing onto Black Waste Wood (lots 5-9) were sold together with Black Waste Wood (34 acres) and Broadwells Wood (42 acres) for a total of £3,250. 

The Hollies (lot 12) was sold together with Bockendon Farm (177 acres) for a total £4,825.

Plots of building land along Red Lane were sold for between £75 and £115 each.