Friday 24th November 2017
At the AGM the following were re-elected : Kevin Marchand (Chairman), Neil Whiteley (Treasurer), Janet Marchand (Secretary),
Andy Downes, John Frankland and Alison Mercer-Cifola. Kevin Connor was elected onto the committee for the first time.
Following the AGM we had a very interesting talk from the new Rector
of Ss Peter and Paul who is also Rector of the daughter church of St Michaels and All Angels a parish of some 19,000 residents.
He gave us his vision for the future which is for the churches to experience new life and to be spaces for individuals to
find personal renewal. He wants to focus on younger people, work with the elderly and set up social groups to address
loneliness and have more music in the community.
November
More bulbs planted down Headlands in the green space near
the Post Box, in Slade Cresent and on Ostlers Way. Thanks teams.
Sunday 8th October 2017
Our
committee meeting set dates and speakers for next year, discussed the ever ongoing dialogue between NCC and KBC about who
controls parking
Thursday 16th September 2017
Janet attended
Network Rail's "Public Information Event" giving information about their plans to build four siding lines parallel
to the current lines and Headlands. This will start with de-vegetation in October, the main work will start in Spring
2018 (with some sheet piling during normal working hours), and be ready for operation in late 2019. The sidings will
be for the new electric trains which will be stopping at Kettering. These trains are much quieter than the current diesel
ones so we expect little impact. Contact Janet for a bigger report.
Wednesday
13th September 2017
Kevin attended the Department of Transport's consultation on outline proposals
for the railway timetable. He pushed for more services to Leicester.
Wednesday 13th
September 2017
Janet looked in on KBC's Workshops for local businesses and others involved in the Town
Centre - discussing how to attract more people to the centre. HARA is being kept informed of the results of the discussions.
August
2017
Kevin and Janet met KBC Mayor Scott Edwards, Councillor Russell Roberts and KBC officials to try to
resolve the parking issue. Don't think we got anywhere!
Wednesday 20th
July 2017
Janet attended the KBC Council meeting and spoke supporting Cllr Maggie Don's motion to resolve
the impasse between KBC and NCC on who runs the parking / residents parking schemes in the area. Until this is
settled we cannot proceed with working out what we can do that is best for our area. Also, currently only the Police
can "police" parking on double yellow lines - having this decriminalised (as elsewhere in the Borough) would help.
Sunday 16th July 2017
Our barbecue was once again an excellent community affair and thanks go
to Mark Coales for delicious burgers and sausages, to John F for the marquee, to Kevin and Suzanne C for the barbecue
machine, to Pot Belly Brewery, to St Michaels and All Angels Church and their colourful garden, to all who helped with the
set up and the bar and to all who came.
Friday 10th March 2017
52 people attended our
social evening with speaker Inam Khan, Chairman of the Kettering Muslim Association. He gave us an insight into The
Faith and the discussion could have carried on all night.
Kevin Connor, Garfield Street - volunteered to join the
committee.
Sunday 8th January 2017
Committee meeting with two new people - John Frankland
representing Hawthorn Road and Alison Lawrence The Crescent. Heard a report from the Neighbourhood Plan Committee and
updates from round the area. Wish we could do something about parking..!
Friday 25th November
2016
Our 8th AGM and brief upate. Steve Howlett and Bob Wakefield stood down from the committee.
They have been with us since the formation of HARA and will be sadly missed. The rest of the Committee were re-elected.
Robert Kendall, the Chair of the Friends of 78 Derngate, then gave a wonderful talk on Charles Rennie Mackintosh
/ 78 Derngate / the Bassett Lowkes.... in the 100th year of the redesign of 78 Derngate.
Sunday 17th
July 2016
Another brilliant day - both weatherwise and foodwise - as we held our Pork Roast lunch.
Saturday 9th July
Mike & Moirag Clarke hosted a coffee morning and raised some
£600 for Wicksteed Park Charitable Trust. The rain didn't dampen our spirits!
1st July
2016
Visit to our own Potbelly Brewery for a tour and fish and chips.
Thursday
10th March 2016
We had a delightful and inspiring talk from Alsdair Macnee, Managing Director of Wicksteed
Park, in the 100th year of the Charitable Trust. What a treasure we have in our area.
Sunday
9th January 2016
Committee meeting to plan the year ahead, the speakers, brewery trips and projects.
The Neighbourhood Forum has been approved by KBC and is now officially constituted. It will have its own website and
information up and running soon.
Friday 27th November 2015
Our 7th AGM went very
speedily and we then let Adam Simmonds, Police and Crime Commissioner, take the floor and give a very interesting insight
into his work.
Friday 25th September 2015
36 people (27 of them HARA members)
attended an Open Meeting to discuss parking and traffic flow. Cllr Scott Edwards was there and took away various suggestions
from the meeting to put to KBC and NCC. Kevin outlined the "yellow line" proposals which met with approval
and there was then over an hour of discussion on safety (cars parking on corners - the yellow lines should help); the issue
of commuters not wanting to pay the car park charges (KBC has asked East Midlands Trains if anything can be done); just too
many cars on the roads in "the village" and whether residents parking schemes are any help.
Sunday
6th September 2015
The Committee meeting were updated on the progress of the Neighbourhood Forum (soon
to have their own website) and discussed traffic flow and parking issues, the NCC's traffic order ("yellow line")
proposals which will go to consultation soon, recent burglaries, progress on the bridge at the end of Headlands.
Thursday
21st May 2015
Lucrezia Kenny, Karen Allwood and Carol Glave joined Kevin and Janet for a discussion about
HARP - Headlands Area Residents Parking. There are many issues but mostly about the long term parking of commuters who
do not bring business into our area. Various suggestions are being made and feasibility studies done, which will be aired
at an Open Meeting on Friday 25th September.
Friday 27th March 2015
Full HARA meeting
at St Michael's Church. We had an update from Chairman Kevin and then Mrs Annette Armer FCA (Smith Hodge & Baxter)
chaired a discussion on the formation of a Neighbourhood Forum. It was agreed to do this, a committee of 7 came forward
with Harry Frankland (Chairman), Kevin Marchand (Secretary), Neil Whiteley (treasurer), and Gemma Finch, Maureen Castens,
Bob Wakefield, and Gavin Sylvester. Once the Boundary is approved, the bank account set up and the Forum recognised
by KBC, there will be a separate website devoted to this.
Thursday 12th March 2015
We
had a very enjoyable and enlightening visit to the Mayor's Parlour. Thank you Mayor Duncan Bain - and Carol Bain
for the cakes!
Sunday 11th January 2015
The Committee meeting continued the idea
of the formation of a Neighbourhood Forum to formulate a Neighbourhood Plan. We realise this process will take around
2 years but a subcommittee of Kevin, Bob and Neil agreed to go ahead.
Also discussed parking, traffic, and consulting
NCC and KBC on yellow lines. We also expressed pleasure that the kerbs on Headlands have been raised prior to re-surfacing
in March
Friday 10th December 2014
Kevin met the business manager at Bishop Stopford
School to discuss issues
Thursday 9th December 2014
Kevin met residents of Garfield Street
to discuss parking/ traffic issues.
Friday 28th November 2014
At the AGM the committee
were re-elected with no further additions. Neil reported on the finances (healthy - a year's working capital or
a small fund for professional advice if necessary). Kevin reported on the work over the year (see reports of other meetings).
Then Ian Addis gave a most interesting talk on the history of some of our Kettering Parks.
Sunday
28th September
The committee meeting covered traffic, parking, yellow lines, resurfacing roads, the arrival
of 500 daffodils and 500 crocuses
Tuesday 22nd July and Tuesday 19th August
Kevin
and members of the committee met with KBC and NCC reps to walk around the area looking at and discussing where there are traffic
flow issues.
A number of locations were discussed and recommendations for the judicious use of Traffic Orders
- putting down yellow lines - will be made. There is then a full consultation and legal process to go through so it
will take a while.
Sunday 20th July 2014
Another lovely day for our summer event.
Mark Coales Roast Loin of Pork on the Bone was wonderful - and the veggies had an excellent lasagne. The committee
enjoyed being free of cooking duties and it was a great event.
Monday 16th June 2014
Kevin,
Neil, Bob and Janet met officials from KBC Development Department to discuss how to go about setting up a Neighbourhood Plan.
At this stage we think it is worth giving it a go in the hope of forming a "blueprint" for the area so that potential
developers are given guidelines to stick to. It is a lot of work and will take at least 2 years but there are grants
available for use when employing professionals. The first task is to identify an area, provide a statement, and form
a Neighbourhood Forum.
Tuesday 20th May 2014
Kevin and Janet met Cllr Russell Roberts
at the Council offices, along with Cllr Derek Zanger, Cllr Scott Edwards and Cllr Ian Jelley. We discussed traffic
and parking and laid out all the issues we have in the area for the professionals to consider what best to do. They
will come back with some options which we can then consider and ... eventually .. put out to members for approval/
consideration. The trouble is that what is right for one area is probably not suitable for another and we have to consider
"knock on effects" and get it right first time.
We also briefly touched on Neighbourhood Plans.
Sunday
11th May 2014
Committee meeting to discuss traffic, parking, trees, past and future events and the issue
of a Neighbourhood Plan.
Wednesday 19th March 2014
Two groups of ten people descended
on the year old Warner Edwards Distillery to hear about their Harrington Dry Gin. Sion Edwards was very eloquent, the
gin was good and we had a very interesting 90 minutes there. I do hope I can remember all the differences between stills,
brewing techniques etc.
Friday 14th March 2014
50 people gathered at St Michaels Church to
hear from Cllr Duncan Bain - currently KBC's deputy Mayor. We had no idea that he had been in the Falklands,
farming, when war broke out and his talk was very thought provoking.
Monday 10th March 2014
Kevin
and Janet met Cllr Roberts at the Council offices where we talked to Rob Harbour, Head of Development Services (discussed
Neighbourhood Plan, neighbourhod forum), and Brendan Coleman, Head of Environment Services (discussed trees, litter, dog litter,
drain cleaning). We then had another hour with Cllr Derek Zanger, KBC's protfolio holder for traffic/ parking and
talked through all the issues with him. No solution leaps to mind unfortunately but he is now in full possession of
the facts and will have major discussions with all the professionals to see what we / they can do.
Saturday
8th and Saturday 22nd February 2014
Cllr Scott Edwards led a party of 8 residents on each of these Saturday
mornings into the depths of the first floor of the Newlands Centre to see the Kettering CCTV operation. Very interestng
and informative.
Tuesday 4th February 2014
Kevin, Neil and Janet met Cllr
Russell Roberts to discuss the issues in our area. Have come up with a 5 point future action plan - mostly setting up
meetings with KBC officials to talk about roads, parking, drainage...
Monday 27th January 2014
Kevin, Neil and Janet met Danny Moody of NCALC to discuss Parish Councils. Lots of information to think
about.
Sunday 12th January 2014
Committee meeting for an overview of what is hapening
in the area and to plan events in 2014
◊◊◊◊◊
Friday 22nd November 2013 - AGM &
Speaker
50 people gathered for our AGM at which the current committee were re-elected en.bloc. We then
heard from Cllr Scott Edwards about his work in the CCTV centre and ex Cllr Larry Henson about his life in the police.
Various dates in late October - planting
Thanks to the teams who helped Kevin and Janet
plant 2000 daffodil bulbs. We were getting a bit slap happy at the end so do hope some of them come up! We know
where they are..
Thursday 24th October 2013 - Meeting
Kevin and Janet met Cllr Russell Roberts,
Cllr Christopher Lamb, Cllr Derek Sanger at the Railway Bridge at the end of Headlands to discuss with Christopher Sparrow,
Boughton Estates Manager, the rumours about closing the pedestrian bridge. They are only rumours. Boughton
Estates would like to keep the bridge open and will continue to maintain the greenway to the leisure village.
Monday
21st October 2013 - Meeting
Janet, Kevin and Neil met Cllr Maggie Don to discuss traffic, parking and have a
general update.
Friday 19th October 2013 - Meeting
Kevin and Janet met a Bishop Stopford
Governor, the Deputy Head, and had various phone calls with the Business Manager at the School to discuss the gridlock
the previous evening and how to prevent this next October. The school is working on various ideas and will have
a meeting with the Fire Station, Police etc.
Monday 14th October 2013 - Meeting
Kevin and
Janet met Cllr Jenny Henson to discuss traffic and parking and have a general update.
Sunday 13th October
2013 - Committee meeting
Working on the next Newsletter, the parking issue, the gridlock experienced several
times recently and the water flow issue. Suddenly a lot to tackle and just when we have been given 2000 daffodil bulbs
by KBC to brighten up our area. Help with planting will be much appreciated!
Sunday 5th July 2013
- Barbecue
We did it again - chose a lovely sunny day for our social gathering in St Michael's Church garden. Excellent
burgers from Mark Coales, sausages from Cheesy Bob (Kettering Market on Fridays) and local beer from the PotBelly Brewery.
The only flaw was choosing the date of the Wimbledon's Mens finals - everyone went home very promptly to watch Andy Murray!
Friday 15th March 2013 - Meeting
62 members were joined by Cllr Russell Roberts, Leader
of the Borough Council, and three portfolio holders - Finance, Communities & Leisure and the Town Centre including
car parking issues. The main theme of the evening was for the members to inform the KBC representatives of the
issues around parking and traffic flows. A deal of information was passed to the portfolio holders on safety issues
as well parking control. We look forward to further meetings with the Council on these subjects.
Sunday
20th January 2013 - Committee meeting
