28-10-24 Notes from The Farthings Community Meeting #4

28 October 2024 at 7.30pm in the Margaret Preston Room, Wreningham Village Hall

Aim: To take the work from meeting #3 and further develop the projects / features of The Farthings

Objectives:

  • Pick up on items not addressed in last meeting Southern boundary hedge Paths – nature, route, anticipated usage
  • Further refine project(s) location and extent Consider specifications S106 specific impacts / adjustments
  • Consider RossiLong surface water management plan, if available

Input Documents:

  1. Updated enlarged site plan
  2. Updated (from mtg #3) project spreadsheet

Meeting Notes

General discussion:

  • Site drainage.
    • No RossiLong plan for discussion – FWP to provide when received
    • Handover plan for Drain at West end of Church Road residents-owned ditch
      • documentation
      • fully serviced before handover (S106 impact)
  • Hardened area in S-W corner not now required. (S106 impact)
  • Gate at SW corner potentially not required (S106 impact)
    • if its sole use is to maintain concessionary access status then a notice will do that!
    • Unsure whether necessary to have a gate to regulate bicycles, etc.
  • Signage – add as a separate project and discuss approach with FWP (offered to take design/artwork and create signage) (S106 impact)
  • Bridges – 2m wide; handrail both sides; lip at edge; contrast colouring to aid sight disabled (Government guidelines apply GD353)
  • Benches (S106 impact)
    • 3 with backs/arm rest; 3 no back
    • placement needs to be optimal for line of sight into the Farthings
    • ensure equally spaced around site – no bunching
  • Pond (nearest to Hethel Road) – acknowledged “pond-dipping” request by school – need for gentle slope to pond (S106 impact)
  • FWP question – the redline on the plan seems to stop short of Church Road – is there an ownership gap?
  • FWP question – the boundary on the west side of the public footpath. (S106 impact)
    • A fence be installed to properly mark the legal boundary.
    • Improves long term maintenance of the footpath area and the plants there
    • type of fence – not post and wire; more substantial – overlap wooden panels / Log fence?

Tree Planting

  • Consider creating a wooded area in the North West corner
  • Modified project to support area planting of tress around the site. Some locations were considered
  • Planting of native trees with selection to consider longer term climate change – moderate density (cf Long’s Wood)
  • Noted differing experiences of tree growth in the field
  • Other tree planting initiatives to be considered
  • planting of specimen trees about the site – noted placement of trees in FWP proposal
  • S106 impact

Orchard

  • Locate in corner by East boundary of proposed buildings site
  • Footpath from buildings site to turn south and connect to inner footpath
  • Two locations identified
  • No decision on fencing and access control
  • S106 impact

Sensory Garden

  • A potential project for school children involvement
  • No S106 impact

Topological features

  • Opportunity to introduce some limited topographical variation – not decided, contouring difficult to perceive without plan
  • Question amount of topsoil required, if at all
  • S106 impact

Log piles

  • placed at boundary in 3 locations (to be determined)
  • small S106 impact – use the felled tree and some brushwood from Hethel Road hedge clearance

Willow Tunnel(s)

  • Consider location in relation to other plantings/projects
  • perhaps other species can be used?
  • No decisions required until much later (2-3years?)
  • No S106 impact – Community design, location and planting

Paths

  • Increase to 1.5m width generally – allow for easier access for wheelchair/buggy users and for passing
  • revised routes considered and agreed
  • benches to be placed near to path
  • provide wider path at bench sites?
  • Provide wider area where paths meet
  • new path into North west corner (wooded area)
  • move path route closer to pond (hug the pond for ¼ or 1/3 of perimeter)
  • S106 impact

Southern boundary hedge – nearest to the gardens of the Church Road houses. A meeting was held last Friday. Karen Nunn reported back on the results.

  • Retain a 1.5m gap from current residents fence/boundary – to allow access for cutting of both The Farthings’ hedge and the residents’ hedges
  • Centreline of 3m deep hedge to be 3m from boundary
  • Review the species mix of hedging – explore > 5 native species; explore slow growing and/or long lasting green foliage [not laural!]
  • Proposed interspersed trees
    • site north of this hedge
    • FWP to advise on species
  • Access points (gaps in hedge) to aid hedge maintenance
    • FWP plot 4 access point remain
    • Access point at Easternmost end
    • Access point at Westernmost end (not a definite requirement)
  • S106 impact

Results

  • Paths are taking shape – route; style; physical charateristics
  • Projects filling the Farthings – recognise several years of work
  • Revised “contents” plan for The Farthings

Next meeting: 7.30pm, Monday 4th November 2024 at the Village Hall