North Heaton Neighbourhood News

The work to complete the new Cochrane Park Sainsburys store is nearing its conclusion and we very much hope for a speedy end to the inconvenience experienced by people in the Etherstone Avenue area as a result of construction traffic, parking problems and disturbance. GREG took up concerns with the directors of the development and construction companies, resulting in greater consideration.

The new store is very welcome and we are sure it will be well-used by local people. However, we have received a number of grumbles about the car park layout, with concerns being expressed that it is not at all pedestrian-friendly. We are writing to Sainsburys and to council planners about this to see if the situation can be addressed.

GREG has taken up requests by Heaton Road residents for a bus shelter at the stop opposite St Gabriels Church - we understand this is the only one on the 18/32 route between High Heaton and Shields Road without a shelter! We've submitted a bid for funds to get a new one installed.

GREG and DOREEN were pleased to support local residents in Bosworth Gardens who held a "summer fete" in their garden to raise funds for a local teenage cancer charity. The weather was good, lots of local people donated prizes and took part, and hundreds of pounds were raised. Well done to the organisers John and Dorothy Jenkinson - we look forward to the next one!

DOREEN and GREG's "councillor walkabouts" over recent weeks have been well-received by local residents - we've been out and about calling on people who have raised local concerns, and have been taking action where we can, following up progress with the council, police, and other services, and reporting back via a special "local edition" of FOCUS. We've covered the Bungalows area, the streets around Alexandria Road and Cartington Terrace, Cochrane Park, and St Gabriels. We'll be on the High Heaton estate next, and will be tackling remaining areas oover the next few months.

The new Lottery-funded improvements to Armstrong Park are most welcome, with impressive new entrance area and heritage features. However, we've asked the council neighbourhood team to keep an eye on the area behind the railings on Heaton Road as it's something of a litter trap. Similarly, we've asked for a clean-up of the Benton Bank footpaths.

Permission has now been refused for the "terrace area" outside the pizza shop on Benfield Road, following GREG's objections