NEWS IN BRIEF
Too Many Learners on Ashford Way
Residents of Ashford Way and Ashford Road in St Helens are pressing the town’s driving instructors to take their pupils elsewhere when they’re practising reverse parking, three-point turns and other manoeuvres. Ward councillor Andy Batsford has claimed that many cars and garden walls of local residents have been damaged with no responsibility taken, while on dark evenings intrusive headlights beam constantly into front rooms.
“All residents understand that these roads are part of the driving test route,” Cllr Batsford said, “but just driving [students] around these roads not only causes the local residents distress and worry, but also teaches the students nothing about real-life driving situations and safety.”
Terry Cummins, chairman of the local branch of the Motor Schools Association which represents many Hastings instructors, says that there are several alternative test drive routes, only one of which involves the roads in question. He confirms that they are regarded as suitable for practice, but at a recent branch meeting both he and the Chief Test Examiner requested that members avoid excessive instruction on or around them.
Cllr Batsford has also posted a leaflet at the Ivyhouse Lane test centre asking instructors to think of alternative routes.
Clean-up for Oaktree Mews
Social housing provider Southern Housing (SH) has undertaken a comprehensive improvement programme in the neighbourhood of Oaktree Mews off Linley Drive.
Alley at Oaktree Mews
Hastings Borough Council’s Community Safety Manager and Baird ward local councillors Mike Turner and Yunis Smith had identified problems of fly-tipping in the communal bin area, regular anti-social behaviour and criminal damage. They met with SH management earlier this summer to urge some action.
Following that meeting, SH have cut the hedge at the entrance to the alley to the Mews, removed flytips, had a street light repaired and further security lighting installed, and were getting an abandoned van removed.
Cllr Glenn Haffenden, who holds the council’s Community Wellbeing portfolio, said: “We want Oaktree Mews residents to feel proud of their neighbourhood and safe in their homes, that’s why it is important that we attend areas where issues have been raised to help identify appropriate improvements.” He thanked Southern Housing for their quick response.
Swinging in the Rain
The Adventure Golf park at Pelham Place on Hastings seafront is offering free rounds on all three of its courses for the next two weeks (up to 25 October) on any day when there’s more than 3ml of rain. The seafront office has fitted a ‘rain-o-meter’: when the gauge accumulates more than this aggregate rainfall for any day, and will send you an alert if you sign up to a computer app in advance so you can get down there to take advantage.
Simon Tompkins, the park’s director said: “As an attraction that is open 364 days of the year, we know that no matter how bad the weather gets, people will always come out to play on our courses. That’s why we want to reward the hardiest of crazy golf fans for the month of October with this unique offer.”
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