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PC Matt Pooley 07702 141876
Nottinghamshire Police
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Text of a letter sent to Tramlink from the Iremongers Pond Association expressing their concerns about the construction works
"Mr Steve Tough, NET Project Team Officer
Effects of Tram Construction around the borders of Iremongers Pond, Wilford Village
First of all, we must point out, that the Committee of the Iremongers Pond Association have no objection to the construction of NET Phase Two. On the contrary, most of us are fully supportive of the tram, and recognise the benefits it will bring to Nottingham’s transport network. We strongly want to work with Tramlink Nottingham, to retain a valuable amenity, as well as an attractive tram stop in 3 years’ time.
We want tram travellers to enjoy a positive view of the city as they pass through our village.
Our concerns are, that the proposed works appear to be impinging on our recreation area a little more than we first imagined.
Nevertheless, we look forward to working with our local Liaison Officer to minimise any damage and limit our loss of amenity.
I will try and break down our concerns into separate sections, so each can be discussed in greater detail in due course.
Introduction & a little history We formally took tenancy of the Iremongers Pond site in late 2008. Several years before this, it been leased and managed by Nottingham Anglers Association, but after they abandoned it, it had become unkempt and unsightly. We formed a voluntary group to clean up the area, shortly after the Environment Agency cut the channel which connects the pond to the River Trent. A formal constitution was instigated, and the Iremongers Pond Association took on the lease of the site from Nottingham City Council.
The considerable amount of work we have carried out, and the awards we have been given, are all well documented on our website, www.iremongerspond.org.uk. Our open group on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/groups/190862250971362/281887821868804/?notif_t=group_activity is now a rolling log of the work we do down there.
We have been awarded The Green Pennant twice already, and wish to submit an application again in 2012. We are a particularly high-scoring site (80+), and on that measure alone, we believe we are arguably one of the finest Green Spaces that Nottingham City has to offer. It is very important for us to retain this status.
In recent years, the Iremongers Pond Site has become regularly used by local schools, cub & scout groups, groups of young anglers on recognised coaching schemes, TV broadcasts by East Midlands Today (twice), public events lead by Nottingham City’s Park Rangers, and even as a film set for a Zombie movie! (currently in production).
Access during Tram Construction 1a – Our Bailiffs visit the site on an almost daily basis to pick up litter and sell day-tickets to visiting anglers. 1b – The pond is now used every day by locals and visitors alike, for exercising dogs, taking a stroll around the pond’s circumference, relaxation and occasional picnics. Customers of the Ferry Inn, opposite, often go for a walk around, before or after a meal. 1c – Our maintenance teams will need to visit the site to keep undergrowth and tree growth under control (before the nesting season). Plus, from March onwards, we need to keep up our regular grass-cutting work, otherwise, the site returns back to jungle. We would expect that there will be opportunities for us to continue this work. 1d – It is worth noting, that there is a drug users’ “den” within the site (in the area due to be cleared?), and there are a number of discarded syringes and needles there right now. There is also a small group of East Europeans camping out just to the East of our site, and they pass through the area daily to access shops in The Meadows. We will be happy to point out these locations to your Liaison Officer.
Site Access after the Tram’s completion 2a – at present, we have constructed a hard-packed gravel footpath, which continues all the way around the pond. This circular walk is an important feature of the site, and must be maintained. 2b – although not officially DDA compliant, the existing main access pathway down to the pond, at its SW corner, by the Ferry Inn, is sufficiently shallow to allow wheelchair access. Many of our visitors are wheelchair users, and seem to have very little difficulty in approaching the pond and its fishing platforms. 2c – several hundred school pupils enter & exit the area daily, using the old Toll Bridge from The Meadows. Consideration must be given as to the routes they will be offered, or short-cuts they decide to take. 2d – there is an opportunity for improvements to be made here. There are currently 3 main access and exit points, plus free access to most areas without using an official path or desire line. School pupils currently cut across our site on their way back home from Emmanuel School to The Meadows. Unfortunately this leaves a trail of litter along both East & West banks of the pond. If, due to newly defined, or more direct pedestrian & cycle routes alongside the tram lines, the pupils no longer traverse the pond site, this may in fact, be beneficial to us. A smaller number of defined entry and exit points may restrict access to dedicated leisure users, thus reducing numbers of those who simply pass through and drop their litter on the way. 2e – we welcome the opportunity to discussed planned pedestrian access points. 2f – it must also be noted that our angling members often arrive by car. They currently park on Main Road, in the stretch approaching the Toll Bridge. We understand this will no longer be possible. Please advise where alternative parking will be available.
Removal of waste 3a – sadly it has become a necessary weekly duty of the IPA committee members to pick up littler, empty the two litter bins on site, and carry the bin bags to the Council street-side bins located on either Coronation Avenue or Main Road. We would need to continue to be able to do this. Bear in mind, discarded items can sometimes be bulky & heavy; shopping trolleys, cycles, motorbikes and slot machines are all items that have been recovered from the pond. 3b - we would like to request assistance with this. Ideally, there would be some recycling bins located at the new tram stop – and we could be allowed to deposit waste there.
Stop name & sponsorship 4a - We would be very happy if the tram stop could be named “Iremongers Pond - Wilford”. We would like to share some responsibility in helping to maintain the attractiveness of the area. 4b - it may even be possible that Tramlink could sponsor the Iremongers Pond association in some way. We give our labour for free; but we always need tools, plants, seeds & bulbs and building materials to maintain the site. In return, we would strive to ensure that tram passengers enjoy a pleasant view as they pass through Wilford, or use the tram stop here.
Loss of Amenity 5a – we are very concerned that we are about to lose a substantial area of land to the Southern bank of the pond, between the water’s edge and Coronation Avenue, as detailed on drawing 504. This area measures approximately 15m by 110m and currently contains two benches and a viewing platform. This is a “social” area; an area for relaxation, where visitors often sit peacefully to enjoy the view out across the water. It is also the location we use as a meeting point, and where our work parties congregate to discuss plans and take refreshments. It is the spot most used by visiting groups and even the TV crews. Tram passengers will also look out across the pond and towards the City, from this Southerly point. 5b – the tramlines are to run right across this section, removing the above uses entirely. Even if a narrow strip of land remains, between the water and the new retaining wall, It will no longer be a peaceful place to sit, due to the noise and visual distraction of trams passing by every 8 minutes or so. 5c – we understand a section of the existing ex-railway embankment (SE corner of pond) is to be cut away to restore the area of removed floodplain. We would love to work with Tramlink to ensure that this new accessible Green Space area is attractive to site users. 5d – however, whatever may become of this reclaimed, flattened embankment, we feel it still will not be a preferred place to sit and relax due to the constant passing of trams, and the fact that you would constantly be overlooked by passengers. We suggest that the area to the North East corner of the pond (behind pegs 7 & 8), as far away from the passing trams as possible, should be developed & cleared as the new relaxation area. We would like to request some assistance from Tramlink in sponsoring this work. Some seating will be required and maybe a levelled gravel or planted area similar to the area we will be losing. This would then be a pleasant place to sit; an area warmed by the afternoon sun, with a view across the water – and the trams passing by quietly in the distance. 5e – we feel that the angling, from the Southern end of the pond, will no longer be as pleasant as it used to be due to the regular passage of trams. I guess our members, and indeed the fish themselves, will just have to get used to this L We suspect that we will lose some Angling members if the site is no longer perceived as a pleasant rural setting. 5f – we believe an area of small trees and shrubs to the West of the pond, is to be cleared in the next few days. Although this is outside the area we manage directly, it is a shame to lose this attractive open space. There is a bank of Sloe bushes (Blackthorn) which bloom with white flowers every Spring time. If these could be removed undamaged, we could replant these closer to the pond. Otherwise we would request that these could be replaced. 5g – “living in a cage”. At present, we are located in a large open space, with an attractive wild meadow to our West, and wooded embankment to the East. We fear there will be a sense of claustrophobia when we become confined to a smaller area, hemmed in by a tall retaining wall.
Financial losses 6a – we presently have 77 paid up members of the IPA. The Annual adult membership, which runs April to April, costs £15. This generates £1155 annually to our association funds, as well as around £400 annually in day tickets sales (£3 per day per angler). Financial statements are available from our Treasurer on request, but we estimate we receive around £1500* annually from angling members. If access to the pond is restricted, or the fishing becomes unpleasant during tram construction, we stand to lose £4500 worth of income over the 3 year construction period. (*our Treasurer has just informed me that our income is more like £2300 per annum) 6b – cost of path replacement. Hopefully it will not be required, but the Southern edge path, viewpoint and extension halfway along the East Bank cost £24,000, the phase two path extension to the NE corner cost £7500, and the bill for phase 3, extending the path all around the pond to complete the circuit just last year, cost £21,000. 6c - our revenue is quite small – just around £1500 annually from anglers. Major capital expenditure has to be funded from grant applications to bodies such as the Big Lotteries Fund. The success of our grant applications often hinges on how we have been rated by judging bodies (eg. Nottingham in Bloom, The Green Pennant Scheme, NANM awards –where we gained a first prize), as well as open access to a diverse range of users. If the site becomes less accessible or less attractive to a full range of users, our success rate in raising funds will be diminished.
New Retaining Wall, South Bank 7a - this is one of our biggest areas for concern. The last thing we would wish to see is a vertical stone or brick wall. A sloping grass bank, just like we have at the moment is what we would prefer; it looks better, can used for picnics and is great for kids’ sledging in Winter J. However the biggest problem of a vertical wall, is its immediate attraction for Graffiti “artists” to deface it. See the wall to the North East corner of the pond (we will show you), or the flood defence wall towards West Bridgford, or the river side of the Wilford “Beebank” if evidence were needed to predict what will happen. 7b –another vertical wall, covered in ugly and often offensive graffiti, is the last thing our members, the Wilford general public and the tram users wish to see. 7c – your communications state that, “Structure Ref ST C4: New Coronation Avenue retaining wall to replace existing flood protection bund. To be designed to reflect rural setting” Please could you advise us as to what this design will be, and what measures will be taken to prevent vandalism & Graffiti. 7d – Responsibility maintenance of flood retaining wall. At present, between ourselves, the EA and the Council, we cut the grass on the existing grassed flood embankments. Please assure us that the new retaining wall will be adequately maintained and cleaned as necessary, by Tramlink or a nominated contractor. 7e – we would be happy to work with Tramlink in taking any measures to reduce the risk of wall defacement. Erecting trellises and the planting of prickly but decorative plants (Pyracanthia) and shrubs (Blackthorn), may be a partial solution to the problem. 7f – the information board at the top of the embankment, by the Ferry Inn will need re-siting & replacing.
Surface water outfall into South end of Iremongers Pond 8a – it has come to our attention, only in the last few days, that there is a planned surface water outfall pipe to be installed, which would drain into the pond. There are no such pipes already feeding into our pond, and we object to this. We fear that during times of heavy rainfall, there will be an unsightly brown jet of water cascading into the pond. This may well be contaminated with fuel residues and other pollutants, which will be harmful to fish stocks. Unlike the river, there is little or no water movement on the pond, so the dispersal and dilution of any harmful additions would be negligible. 8b – feedback to us regarding similar outlet pipes on Awsworth Canal suggests this is detrimental to angling. We would urge you to consider alternative arrangements. 8c – We would like to see an "environmental impact" report which addresses this issue, plus potential pollution of the pond water during tramline construction, as well as noise from wheel squeal which is likely to occur on the tram line bends.
Communications 9a - We welcome the opportunity to meet regularly with our Tramlink Liaison Officer, and I would be more than happy to coordinate meetings between ourselves, the Iremongers Pond Association, and to include, where helpful, other local stake holders such as the Landlord of the Ferry Inn, and a representative of the Wilford Community Group. 9b – we issue a regular newsletter to our IPA members. A copy was due to go out before Christmas, but we withheld it until we know more about how the tram works would affect the pond. We would appreciate a flyer (similar ones that local residents received), that we could include with next mail shot. 9c – before the end of January, we need to re-apply for our Green Pennant Award. Again, further facts, updates and timelines from Tramlink would be helpful in assisting with this application.
I’m sure that the next few years will have their challenges. But I’d like to think, that 3 years further down the line, we will can still retain that little bit of urban parkland that we can all be proud of." |
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