Cotteswold Dairies
Over the last few months The Community Association has convened a working group to meet with representatives from Cotteswold Dairies and those residents and organisations most affected by some of the issues arising from the dairy. Following those meetings we would like to suggest the following actions. Please also continue to let us know any specific incidents that cause concern.
Impact of changes at Bartonsham Farm
Many local people have raised concerns about both traffic dangers and noise disturbance since the recent changes at the Dairy site. To help him pursue our case more effectively our ward councillor, Jeremy Milln, has asked local people to write to him about the way they are impacted. Having letters makes his voice louder with fellow councillors and with Local Authority officials. Below is a guide to the points you may wish to highlight. Of course you can write your own letter or add extra points.
When writing, bear in mind our two main objectives:
1. To get a retrospective planning application submitted for the change of use since Cotteswold Dairy took over from the Matthews family.
2. To get a Traffic Control Order which would limit the size of all vehicles allowed on our local streets.
1. Distribution Centre not a Dairy: When the Mathews family had dairy cows on the meadows and bottled their own milk, plus some brought in from other farms it was a relatively small operation. There is now no local milk production and no bottling. The site is purely a distribution centre and storage facility. Planning permission for this change of use should have been sought at the time. This would have allowed local residents the opportunity to comment on the application. It seems reasonable to argue that as a distribution centre the business is inappropriately sited.
2. A Traffic Control Order is probably our only option for restricting the size of vehicles brought to the area. At present according to Cotteswold Dairy there are two trips a day made by their large articulated lorry which is the main cause of concern. The lorry uses Green Street on the way in and Nelson Street & Mill Street to leave our area. We have had meetings with the Dairy management and asked them to avoid the times at which school drop off and collection take place. They say that they have noted these times and aim to avoid them. However, since when the lorry comes it can be at the depot for anything between 1 & 2 hours predicting when it will leave can be difficult. There is an added complication about the local bus meeting the artic. On several occasions they have met in Nelson Street and the bus has had to reverse into Nightingale Way a potentially dangerous maneuver. We have also let the Dairy Management know about this but it adds a further complication if the meeting of bus and artic. is to be avoided. Many of you will have noticed how large vehicles, including the smaller milk vans, frequently mount the pavements when turning corners. This can be seen from looking at tyre marks on pavements and damaged street furniture.
Noise: Doubtless some of you will have your own points to mention. In particular I have not mentioned the noise levels. The inevitable noise would of course be a valid point to raise if there is an enforcement order made requiring Cotteswold to make a planning application. Meantime we believe our representations have made the management aware of the night time noise nuisance if vehicles are left loaded with milk and consequently have their chiller units running. Drivers have been asked to unload into the main fridge overnight so no engines should be left running to power chillers.
UPDATE:
Final Outcomes
Change of Use: Despite the Dairy becoming a ‘distribution depot’ and no longer functioning as originally, a dairy and bottling plant, Herefordshire planning authorities have decided that there has been NO change of use and therefore a planning application is NOT required.
Traffic Control Order: Although the articulated lorries used by Cotteswold Dairies are in the Association’s view, wholly inappropriate in the streets of Bartonsham, particularly given the route is a bus route and a route used by primary school children, they do have right of access. The weight limit for HGVs does not apply to the artics as they have access rights to the Cotteswolddepot.So despite incidents where the artics have met the local bus, causing the bus to reverse, there is no means of banning them from the local streets. Please be aware of the route these artics take: down Green St to the depot and back via Nelson and Mill Street.If you do encounter incidents please let the Association or Jeremy know.There are 2 a day.
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The Association has had some success in bringing about reduced noise for local residents of Wye Way and Nightingale Way. The majority of lorries are now parked in the Green St depot, adjacent to Bartonsham Meadows; and lorries drivers have been told to avoid school drop offs and pick ups.
Please send your emails to:
Milln, Jeremy (Cllr)
Jane Straker on behalf of the St.James' and Bartonsham Community Association
