Newsletter April 2017

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The SPRCA is for those who live in 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th Avenues, Sir Johns and those properties on Pershore Road between 1st and Sir John’s. The Association and the committee is to encourage a sense of community and share information. The AGM is a great way to listen to others’ views and express your own opinion and will be taking place in the Selly Park Tavern Skittle Alley on Tuesday 6^th June at 7pm

Neighbourhood Watch Update: Although we live in a generally safe area, please continue to be vigilant, close windows, lock cars and please, please let your neighbours know if you’re going to be away and let them know how to shut off burglar alarms if they go off. And report any crime to the police immediately and post any criminal activity on our Facebook page.

Flooding: work has begun on flood prevention work to ensure that the flooding that happened in parts of 3^rd, 4^th , Sir Johns and Pershore Road won’t happen again.

Facebook page: In order to streamline communication between residents and the committee we have launched a Facebook group page in conjunction with our long standing website. The security on the page will be set so that only members can see the content. Within the page we have the ability to store and display useful documents and to create events which we will be able to invite you to. There is also the ability to comment and make people aware of upcoming events on the page timeline. The page will be monitored and moderated. It should not be used for complaints about neighbours or property issues, but it can be used for raising concerns about issues that affect the neighbourhood. If you are unable to access Facebook or the website, please let Jon Jones know at:…………….

To become a member all you need to do is search for Selly Park Residents Community Association on Facebook and click the join buttonhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/178102646040069/

Parking: parking is becoming more congested. We’ll be asking people for an update of the situation in their roads.

Committee: we need new committee members. Meetings are in the pub, about 4 times a year for about an hour. Currently we have no-one from 1^st, Sir John’s or Pershore Road which means a large number of residents are unrepresented. If you’re interested in finding out more, talk to current committee members on the evening or contact us via the website.

Conservation Area Status: You can find more information on the Avenues conservation area on the following website, www.birmingham.gov.uk/sellyparkavenuesca You’ll need consent for most of the following: external doors and windows; porches and small extensions; alterations to roofs; satellite dishes; gates, fences, walls and boundaries; means of access; and painting the exterior of a house / painting brickwork or pebbledash. You’ll also need to notify the council to lop or fell a tree unless it is dead, dying or dangerous. Many of us have been through successful planning applications already so if you want to talk through anything informally, the Committee will gladly put you in touch with a willing resident.

Flood Newsletter

Flood Newsletter - 9 September 2016

What with all the flooding and related issues, the SPRCA committee thought it might be useful to try and keep people informed of flood-related issues. We hope we’ve captured the key things, but as most of the committee were flooded and have had to move out, it’s been tricky to keep up. However, if there’s anything we’ve missed, do let us know via contact form on website.

Now we have a regularly updated website, we’ll be using that as the main way of communication as it keeps down costs and time distributing fliers like this one. It’s also easier to put up instant news whereas lead-in time for a newsletter like this is a couple of weeks. We’ll still put posters up on trees for specific events such as Halloween and the AGM. However, not everyone has access to the internet, so if you’d like to continue to get paper copies, could you let us know by either calling Sean Russell on 07776215873 or putting a note through his door: 25 Third Avenue.

Website: is now not only up and running and beautified as reported at AGM in May, but is actually being kept up to date with content courtesy of Jon Jones. Just so people know, it’s: www.sprca.net.

Council Tax rebate for those being temporarily re housed due to flooding: there is a sort of precedent as people in some other parts of the country seem to have had rebates. Our investigations have met with contradictory responses. However, it might be that once your insurance company has agreed on a final settlement, then a case can be made to the council. We have written to our local councillors to sort this out.

Enhanced drainage 3rd Avenue and Sir Johns: the council moved very quickly to demolish the wall at the end of 3rd, level the curb and put in two extra drains. We expect the same to happen in Sir Johns – if it hasn’t soon, we’ll contact council. The work on 3rd and the clearing of undergrowth by the bank has revealed another, original outflow into the Rea which is completely blocked. We’re asking for that to be looked at.

Flood proofing: Lorna is organising a visit to a company in Droitwich that makes flood proof doors and airbricks etc. This might takes a few weeks, but once done, we’ll report back.

Flood prevention scheme: all of you should have had a letter from our MP, Steve McCabe , informing us that the discussion of the flood prevention scheme proposed by the Environment Agency at the Council’s Planning Meeting has been postponed to mid-September and that a further information meeting is scheduled for 8th September. Once the Committee has met and announced its decision about the scheme, we’ll let you know.

Burglary: not flood related. Burglars entered a house in 3rd Avenue via open back window at night (residents were sleeping, unharmed) and made off with laptop, credit cards etc. This is a very rare crime in our area, but suggest keep windows closed at night, even though it’s still summer and muggy