Recent Events

Our February was rather quiet for 3 weeks. All the activity was crowded into 4 days towards the end of the month. First Derek Palmer gave us an interesting history of ‘Well Dressings in Derbyshire and Around’ while the final event of the month was the ever popular Shrovetide Pancake Race. Socially, it was a very busy day in Rolleston which reduced the family team entries to zero but the 12 entries in 3 classes produced some exciting, competitive, racing. The winners were :-

INFANTS Pre-School Team 1
JUNIORS We Eat Pancakes For Fun
SENIORS Starbucks News Team
(for the second successive year – will they make it a hat-trick in 2009?)

The collection yielded £82.26 for St Mary’s Church fund and the Pre-School cooked and served pancakes in the Club afterwards to make a good end to another Civic Trust day.

For an utterly different evening out, the March meeting took us to Burton’s Constitutional Club – a brilliant idea for an evening in a splendid bar, the opportunity to look round this fascinating Victorian building (which started life as the General Post Office) and to enjoy a first rate buffet supper.

In April we met Wayne Ball, a Ranger with Severn Trent, who introduced us to ‘Local Reservoirs and their Wildlife’. He is one of four who, between them, take responsibility for five reservoirs. Their responsibilities include taking care of the large areas of land which surround the reservoirs themselves. Foremark, for instance, is a 230 acre reservoir surrounded by 500 acres of land. They are pleased that they can call on a team of 27 volunteers who have for instance, cleared a large area of trees and scrub and created new ponds, all with the intention of letting in more light and thus increasing not only more wild life but a more diverse wild life. There are now newts, butterflies and dragonflies where there were previously none and a new one acre glade has been observed to provide a home for 38 species of bird, 20 butterflies and 13 dragonflies, all of which are new inhabitants.

At our recently held Plant Swap in April we attracted an extensive collection of cuttings, shrubs, perennials, annuals, biennials, tomato plants and even the odd five foot palm. Despite a short, sharp shower at the outset, the remainder of the event took place in warm sunshine and enticed a steady stream of interested gardeners looking for a bargain and willing to share their expertise. After perusing the plants on offer, most visitors took time for a leisurely cup of tea or coffee and a piece of homemade cake.

We were able to present St Mary’s Church with £87 by the way of donations given for the plants. The proceeds from the refreshments amounting to £41 went to the Civic Trust Funds for future events. This was a very successful event and one which seems to be well established in the Civic Trust calendar.

The Civic Trust Award For 2007

This year, on April 16th, the plaque was awarded to St Mary’s Church for the work done in extending and improving the Old Grammar School building. Present to receive the award from our Chairman were Carol Webster (Parochial Church Council), Ken Holland (Builder) and John Lowe (Project Manager). In her acceptance speech Carol commented on the fact that the necessary finance had come from several sources of which the Village Design Statement Group in particular had played an important role in bringing a seventeenth century building into the 21st century without losing its essential character.

Our Summer Programme - - - -

Saturday 21st June : A Cheese and Wine Evening to be held at Appleacres, thanks to Mr and Mrs S Richardson. Ticket event – from committee members.*

Wednesday 19th July : A summer stroll around Barton under Needwood. To be guided by Arthur Kennedy, Chair of Barton Civic Society. With supper to follow at Barton Bowls Club. Ticket event – Available from committee members.*

Wednesday 17th September “A Japanese Tour”. By Margaret Hewitt, to be held in the Cricket Club

* Committee members’ contact numbers are displayed in the noticeboard outside Starbucks Newsagents.

Planning Matters

You may remember that back in Autumn an application was received for a house to be built adjacent to the Dovecliffe Hotel and hence outside the Development Line for both Stretton and Rolleston. The application included the transfer of land to create another cricket square and two football pitches at no cost to the clubs. The application was withdrawn on the day before the Planning Committee was to meet. Since we considered it a very beneficial offer we supported it and were, therefore, disappointed.

Well, it’s back! Slightly changed, it’s true. But, we consider, still a good offer – so long as the Clubs agree. So we’ve agreed with the application again. Keep your fingers crossed!

Front Garden Awards Reminder

Judging will take place for the 2008 Front Garden Award during the last two weeks of June. All front gardens will be considered unless specifically withdrawn. Observations will be made from the pavement / public highway and will not encroach on to private property. Front gardens not visible from the pavement / public highway will not be included in the competition unless requested otherwise. The Judge’s decision will be final.

The winners will be notified in due course in the Rollestonian and also in the village notice boards. Happy digging!

For enquiries regarding the competition ring Janet Sanderson on 01283 815480.

ESBC Site Allocation Document

Those of you who keep an eye or an ear on Central Government activities will be aware that it wishes the national housing stock to be increased by a large proportion over the next 20 years. How large isn’t awfully clear – we would probably be horrified if we knew – and until recently the possible local effects have remained a mystery. However, figures are now beginning to appear and it is even possible to estimate what the effects on us may be. The figures quoted here have come from two sources – ESBC (some of you may have seen the information in the E.S.News) and the CPRE (Council for the Protection of Rural England).

We start with the West Midlands Regional Assembly who, after considerable discussion and consultation, agreed that over the next 20 years 360,000 dwellings could added to the West Midlands stock. The Government riposte was to say ‘add another 60,000’. Currently, then, the various sub-divisions of West Midlands are scratching their heads in an attempt to increase the figure they first thought of. We shall concentrate here on ESBC and let the rest of the West Midlands take care of itself.

Staffordshire as a whole will have to absorb another 54,900. ESBC would provide 12,900 at the annual rate of 645. Of these, 550 would be in or immediately adjacent to Burton, with 95 shared between Uttoxeter and the villages. After 20 years Burton would have added 11,000 with 1,900 added to the rest of East Staffordshire.

It may provide some comfort that we are told that, in this context, Rolleston is considered to be village and the Planners are very conscious of the need to protect the thin green line that separates us from Stretton and greater Burton.

So current discussion is concentrated on where the Burton contribution can be built. Roughly half the sites needed are believed to be available within the Burton envelope. Expansion is difficult because not only is there a considerable river flood plain but beyond it is a different County, part of the East Midlands. The bulk of the second half of the necessary sites will have to be on the west side of the town and probably built on green field sites.

Over the past few weeks you may have noticed references in the media to ‘eco towns’ proposed for various areas of the country. These would be in addition to any other proposals referred to in the documents above.

When we examine the real nitty-gritty there seem to be four sites in Rolleston that may be considered suitable. At present these are simply sites ‘suggested to ESBC by external agencies’.

· The college/school playing fields.
· The triangular field at the bottom of Craythorne Lane.
· The paddock immediately adjacent to the west end of Meadow View.
· Craythorne Golf Course.

And before you relax too successfully, it is believed that central Government is about to commission consultancy work to examine how even higher regional housing numbers might be accommodated.

*Recent house building rates in East Staffs (2001-06) led to the construction of 1650 new dwellings. There is no separate figure for Burton.

Peter Galloway

Recent Events

On 21st November, we had a repeat visit from Stuart Dixon, professional horticulturalist, whose interests clearly take him to some fascinating places. This time, be regaled us with his tales of two Edens: ‘The Eden Project and Eden Gardens of New Zealand’.

We finished the Civic Trust’s year with a Christmas Dinner at the Jinnie. A great time was had by all with food, wine and company of the highest quality. A particularly successful raffle raised £162 which was donated to Rolleston Pre-school Play Group, to supplement their building fund.

This year began on 16th January with an introduction to ‘The Salt Industry of the Trent Valley’ by Tim Moss. His interest stems from the research undertaken by his local History Society. Tim, the Chairman of the Hixon Historical Society gave us a fascinating and knowledgeable insight into a local industry which began life in the 1690s. The work was very arduous, with the conditions extremely hot and uncomfortable. The industry employed men, women and children, all enduring the same harsh environment. We are very lucky that these conditions do not prevail today!

The Mulled Wine event, held at Apple acres by kind permission of Mr & Mrs S. Richardson, was enjoyed by approximately 60 people, who raised an impressive £77 on the raffle to be donated as a contribution for the purchase of stage blocks to be used in St Mary’s Church for future concerts.

Our Spring Programme - - - -

Wednesday 12 March, 8 pm at the Cricket Club
Extra meeting for the AGM to include discussion of the annual subscription fees. Mike Jobson will then give a talk.

Wednesday 19 March
Guided Tour of Burton Constitutional Club with buffet supper to follow. This is a ticket event with limited numbers (see village notice boards for details).

Wednesday 16 April, 8 pm at the Cricket Club
Wayne Ball on ‘Foremark Reservoir: a conservation challenge’.

Sunday 27 April, The School Room, St Mary’s Church. 2 pm – 4 pm.
Plant Swap: Please bring along your cuttings and surplus plants to be swapped - with a small donation towards St Mary’s Church Funds. Light refreshments will be available.

Wednesday 14 May, 8 pm at the Cricket Club
Rodney Paul and Mark Jordan on their fund-raising cycle ride: ‘Lands End to John O’Groats’.

Looking Ahead

Civic Trust Front Garden Award 2008

The 2008 Front Garden Award will be judged as usual over a 2 – 3 day period. This year judging will take place over the June-July period. As in previous years the winner of last year’s competition will not be eligible to win the award for the next five years.

There is no need to apply for entry to this competition; all front gardens will be automatically considered - unless specifically withdrawn.

Judging dates will be announced in due course in the Rollestonian and also displayed on the village notice boards. The judge’s decision will be final. We hope this notification will give you plenty of time to prepare your gardens.

Planning Matters

Apart from the usual collection of extensions, conservatories and other alterations, the outstanding move is probably that serious work on the Dower House has started and the plans show that it will be kept in line with ‘listed building’ needs. We hope it will become a very worthwhile part of Rolleston’s Conservation Area, leaving behind the alterations made during its existence as the Dove Clinic.

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Last updated: 31 May 2008