Red Lodge – Developing village.

As Chairman of the Red Lodge Working Group at Forest Heath District Council I thought it would be useful to mention some of the good things that are happening in terms of the developers S106 money currently paid to the local authorities.

So far, a total of £944,999.50 has been paid by Crest Nicholson to Forest Heath and Suffolk County Council.

Some examples of how this money is spent:

The money pays for a development monitoring officer, this is something the public don’t see but is vital to provide the local Councils with a member of staff to monitor the large legal document that is required for a development of this size, some 1250 homes (see earlier blog on development in the village). 

Tracey Robertson is our new community development officer in the village and am I pleased to see her!  Again she has been paid for by the S106.

There are many road improvements to the area, including long awaited improvements to the Herringswell cross roads, and the Bell crossroads in Kentford.  The infrastructure benefits reach further than the village its self and probably residents are not even aware the developer contributions are paying for this work.

There isa small contribution towards public art and I am hoping this can be developed into a project for the young people of Red Lodge to take part in, something that will be a visable structure for the community.  If anyone has any ideas of projects that have worked in other places I would love to know about them, I feel it is important the village “owns” this piece of art work and that can only happen it they are able to take part and make it happen.

The next major contribution will be for education and our village school becomes a step closer, I look forward to writing about this over the coming weeks, we have waited so many years for this to happen.  While out canvassing in my first election (some four years ago) I can remember a middle aged lady asking me when the school will be built, as it was promised when her children were very small and they had just moved to the area, her children are now out working and in their 20’s! 

Shortly the developers should be producing plans of the village centre for approval at the working group and planning committee.  The developers hope to have the playing fields ready and open for the community by the end of 2007, it would be good to hear peoples views on the proposed village centre and playing fields over the coming weeks.

Forest Heath District Council nominations closed for the Red Lodge Ward

I have been returned unopposed to Forest Heath District Council for another four years.  Also elected unopposed for the Red Lodge Ward is Steve James.  We look forward to the next four years supporting and representing this developing community.

Lorry Parks love them or loathe them?

Since being elected to district and county council I have realised how peoples lives are made a misery by HGV’s parking on residential roads. However, my sympathy not only lies with the residents but also the drivers, who are merely trying to do their jobs. 

We recently surveyed drivers stopping overnight at the Red Lodge Cafe, and we were informed the drivers would appreciate the following facilities: a top priority would be a safe place to stop, somewhere secure, closely followed by somewhere to wash and be clean and good food to eat.  This is not rocket science and no different to what we would all expect for ourselves so why do we deny our lorry drivers the most basic facilities?  This is something I hope to rectify working with both the district and county councils.  Suffolk County Council are looking to provide lorry parking facilities at 30 minute intervals along the A14 and A11, this will not only give drivers better conditions but also release residential roads from the pressure of lorries parking overnight.

This is a subject I shall return to on many occasions here I am sure, please watch this space for an update… 

 

New School for village – but which educational system?

Suffolk County Council’s school organisation review WILL NOT delay the delivery of the school for the community of Red Lodge.  A new school can only be provided in an area in accordance with the population and catchments and it will be determined in Red Lodge by the build rate of the new houses.  At the moment Suffolk County Council is actively working on plans for the new school, aiming to start the statutory consultation period (required by law) with the community early in 2008.   

Moving to a two-tier system for Red Lodge would mean our children will be educated in the village from the age of 5 until the age of 11, children will be able to walk and cycle to school and they would no longer require buses to transport them. I know how difficult it is to put your child on a bus at the age of five, wondering who is more nervous you or your little one!  From the age of 11 they would transfer to one of the local secondary schools, for the rest of their education.   

The new school for Red Lodge will be a 300 place school if we continue with the three-tier system (ages 5 to 9) or a 420 place school if we move to a two tier system (ages 5 to 11).  The school will be set in grounds of 4 acres and I am sure the community will be as excited as I am to think the children here in our village will have a brand new school with excellent facilities. 

Major development in a rural location.

Red Lodge development

 

For many years now Red Lodge has been a village in waiting, held static wanting development to happen.  Not resisting but wanting it to happen, something you rarely find.  A community waiting to receive the infrastructure it was denied in previous years through badly designed developments.

Crest Nicholson are now on site and building to their masterplan of Kings Warren 1250 homes, this part of Red Lodge will contain the local primary school, village centre for shops, allotments and local playing fields.

These are exciting times for our community, a growing community, I am sure over the next few years many challenges will appear, and no new development on this scale can be integrated seamlessly into the old village.

Our community centre was a Millennium Project funded by the Millennium Commision and Forest Heath District Council with further contributions from developers.  Many local people have given hours of help, tears, blood and sweat to make the villages community centre happen.  It is a pleasent building and a good location for many national conferences.  Visit our website and see for yourself what is happening in the Red Lodge Millennium Centre.