Council issues warning in wake of advice from Fire Service

Advice on what to do to prevent fires in the communal areas of flats is being issued to Northampton Borough Council tenants in the wake of fire safety advice from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Letters warning tenants of the risks of leaving items in the communal areas of flats, which includes all shared areas such as hallways, stairs, entrance areas and areas under the stairs, will be delivered to all council tenants living in flats this week. 

News Release From St. James Residents’ Association

Residents’ Association Meeting – Parking Permit Consultation Thursday 16^th February 2012

The February meeting of the St. James Residents’ Association will take place on Thursday 16^th at 7.pm in the Doddridge Centre on St. James Road.

As well as the normal updates from Councillors and Police, the meeting is expected to be well attended; because also on the agenda is the issue of whether a parish council would be suitable for St. James.

Important Information For St. James Residents

Important Information For St. James Residents – Please Inform Friends And Neighbours

Please visit the pages below on the SJRA website for more information;

County Council Launches Consultation On Permit Parking Review – Extended Until 2^nd March

Residents Meeting Thursday 16^th February at 7.pm, Doddridge Centre

Agenda items include, Parish Council proposal for St. James and the main item; Permit parking consultation with guest speakers from the County Council: Jim Whiting and Andrew Leighton, who will be asking you what you want from the parking scheme. See attached agenda.

Please note other agenda items will be kept to a minimum to allow enough time for the main item of permit parking to be discussed.

Get ready to Love Northampton

Get ready to feel the love. A brand new website is launching tomorrow (Tuesday 14 February) to showcase all the great things Northampton has to offer, all in one place.

 

This is an exciting time for Northampton, with some amazing regeneration projects coming forward and the bonus of the Northampton Waterside enterprise zone.

 

In the tough economic climate that is affecting the whole country, we need people to know about what Northampton has to offer so that businesses looking to invest see the town as an attractive prospect.

Comments For St. James Local Development Order

To Whom it may concern,

The committee of the St. James Residents’ Association has resolved to comment on these proposals as follows;

Whilst we can see in principle the reason for this order, and in the main agree, we are very concerned that residential properties that border industrial sites may be disadvantaged by the relaxation of planning laws.

SJRA Viewpoint



“When on November 15^th 2011, the localism bill gained royal assent, the planning committee gave permission for the Old Church School in St. James to be demolished and replaced with 14 houses, ignoring the view of local people and consigning over 140 years of St. James history to the wreckers ball.

The SJRA was clear on this issue, a conversion either into residential or business use, thus preserving an elegant, historically important and integral building of St. James for future generations.

Despite the Residents’ Association protestations the community was ignored, the developer had their way and another piece of Northampton’s history was lost with nothing given back to the community in return.

So it will continue, across the town more power is being given to the developer. With this scenario in mind, the residents of St. James heard at the last Residents Meeting of the campaign to preserve Northampton last remaining Gasometers. Over 90% of residents present were in favour of preserving and converting these important remnants of our industrial past and commended it as a great idea.

For a stunning glimpse of what is achievable look at the Alliance building in Dublin. The Gasometer has been converted to accommodate a modern block within its structure, a fine example of preserving the past for the future.

Perhaps then, a fitting and “innovative” use for the Gasometers, should have been WNDC’s Innovation Centre? This would truly be a unique icon that would impress visitors to the town.

Northampton has lost too much heritage to the march of progress and the wallet of the developer, when all can be satisfied with meaningful consultation and a “can do” attitude from the town planners.

Evidence already suggests the Borough and WNDC are of a “won’t do” attitude with regard to the Gasometers.”

John Connolly, Chair

Graham Croucher, Secretary

On behalf of St. James Residents’ Association

Doddridge Centre

St. James.

Down Your Way, for Mon 23rd January

The next open residents meeting of the St James Residents’ Association takes place on Thursday 16^th February at 7pm at the Doddridge Centre on St James Road. As well as being able to meet your local Councillors and Police it is also the oppertunity to raise any concerns that may be affecting you or that you are having trouble in resolving. Also on the agenda will be permit parking issues and the latest situation on that. We also have a guest speaker or two lined up. More details when confirmed. Apologies for the mistake in last week’s column, the meeting is as above.

WNDC Approves Its Own Plans

The West Northamptonshire Development Corporation has controversially approved its own plans for a £6.5 million “Innovation Centre”, otherwise known as the Cube because of its squat uninspiring design.

Whilst we are in support, in principle to the potential creation of such a large amount of jobs to be created on our doorstep and in the principle of Social Enterprise, we are appalled and deeply concerned by the principle of no parking will be provided on site. We are equally appalled and deeply concerned that this association has not been consulted on these plans, particularly as the WNDC are our neighbours and should be all too aware of our existence and that, St. James and its legendary parking issues have not been taken into account within this application. The notion that it is deemed “acceptable” for no parking to be provided is astonishing, even more astonishing is that users of this building are expected to use public car parks and the railway station car park. Whilst it is laudable and understandable that such a model is an aspiration, in reality it does not work. Planning offices throughout the country have passed applications on the assumption that people will walk or use public transport to access facilities or buildings. The reality is something quite different and we only have to look up the road at the Life building development to see this. Here too it was stated that residents would be walking to work, the shops or using public transport as a reason to approve. The vast majority of residents use cars! We know because we live here! The very same problem will occur with this application for the following reasons;  SJRA Comment