Points which couldn't be raised at the August meeting of SPC
As many will be aware I tendered my resignation from Sambourne Parish Council on August 4th
The emails which were made public on August 2nd are, in the main, exaggerated expressions by me of disappointment or exasperation – either with the way people behave or how fairness seems to be abused. This includes both local matters and wider issues.
My opinions and questions are private – expressed only to friends and those whom I know. This included Mr Bond which is how he came to be in receipt of these.
160/200 “unacceptable” emails from me.
- Were stored away by him; some for nearly 3 years. With what purpose in mind?
- No request from him to desist. No reproach/rebuttal to me, SPC clerk or anyone else. He didn’t express objection to the emails, else I would have stopped at that point.
- What did he do? He simply continued the conversation.
- Indeed Mr Bond must have been a willing and contributing correspondent in these 160/200 exchanges. And yet the disclosure is one side of what was in fact a dialogue over nearly three years.
- None was sent to the public by me ….yet some were deliberately distributed by Bond. Why? What good has come of it?
I have never had any complaints – directly or indirectly – about my communications over my lengthy period of service on SPC; not one. During this time I have emailed and telephoned residents, councillors, MPs and numerous representatives of public bodies and local authorities.
In private emails I do pose questions and make observations which may offend some – I respect this and do not make this communication with them. This is not hypocrisy it is politeness, respect and above all appropriate inter-personal behaviour.
Chris Clews August 2021
Statement by former Chairman Chris Clews
Warwick Police interviewed me regarding accusations made against me relating to a selection of "the emails" presented to them.
The police have told me that there is no case to answer and no further action will be taken; it will not be referred to the CPS. Matter closed.
The police will be issuing a detailed press statement in the near future.
Another failed attempt at trouble-making in Sambourne. I won't name the person who made the complaint...
The blackmail letter sent to me is in the hands of the police.
Legalities against me concluded, I will be detailing the truth about what led to this sorry mess in Sambourne. Things are not what you have been led to believe.
[Chris Clews 20th October 2021]
Public Rights of Way in Sambourne
Please note: the response from the site may be sluggish at times but worth the wait.
- On the website Village is selected
- In the box above where it says Search type Sambourne and then click Search.
- It shows a 2 entry list . Click Sambourne Warwickshire.
- The Sambourne map will be displayed. The pathways are shown in blue.
- Clicking on a path shows the Parish, the Designation e.g. AL122 and the length in metres.
An interesting list of alternative walks in the area is available on Walking in England website.
The History of Speeding Traffic in Sambourne
Until the mid 1990s most of Sambourne was derestricted – i.e. 60 mph; except in the centre where it was 40 mph.
Subsequently, parts of the 60 mph zones were reduced to 40 mph.
The Speed Limit review for Sambourne which was completed in 2010 produced the scheme in place today: the location of speed limits was changed and signing installed.
Community Speed Watch started in December 2010. Sambourne was the first village in Warwickshire to be allowed to operate the scheme.
The gateway scheme was installed in 2020/2021.
Community Speed Watch is due to be resumed – the first volunteers are to be trained in early July.
Automatic Traffic Count (ATC)
This is the system that uses twin black pipes across the road connected to a processing/recording box. It not only counts individual vehicles but also determines their speed and the detection date and time. When the data is retrieved it is used to present various analyses.
Over time SPC has acquired copies of much of the recorded data held by WCC.
The majority of the historic measurements were made in Middletown Lane by the noticeboard.
Extracts from the data are shown below
| Year | Mean Speed mph | Total Vehicles | Peak Vehicles (8:00-9:00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ***September 2020 | 32.5 | 2166 | 261 |
| July 2013 | 32.8 | 2043 | 164 |
| October 2011 | 38.0 | 1980 | 169 |
| November 2010 | 36.0 | 1430 | 183 |
| May 2010 | 36.9 | 1878 | 211 |
| June 2009 | 39.6 | 1850 | 194 |
| November 2008 | 40.3 | 1810 | 216 |
| June 2007 | 40.5 | 2033 | 233 |
| November 2006 | 35.7 | 1893 | 234 |
| February 2005 | 39.5 | 2188 | 256 |
***The 2020 figures for Middletown are from the ATC data recorded at site 6 prior to the gateway installation.
See the ATC site location plan
. At a later date, ATC data would again be recorded to enable comparisons to be made and to get an idea of the effectiveness of the calming measures. Like many other proposals this was impacted by Covid19.
WCC Traffic Group it was stated that :
Traffic Group were informed during lock-down that no surveys (that includes speed surveys) would be undertaken in Warwickshire until traffic started to return to some semblance of normality expected around the end of May beginning of June 2021. Further works are being planned in Sambourne as detailed on this website. These consist of roundels on the road surface and 30 repeater signs at identified points - as agreed between Traffic Group, Sambourne PC and Charles Farran who made the initial suggestions and comments. It is sensible to carry out this further calming work before undertaking taking the second phase of measurements.
The 2020 pre-gateway data was gathered at 6 sites – locations as shown on the ATCsite location plan .
The data has been analysed for each site into categories of vehicles’ speed:
- 30 mph or less
- Between 30 mph and 40 mph
- Between 40 mph and 50 mph
- In excess of 50 mph
- averaged over all ranges.
Finally an analysis of the totals at each of the sites is shown .
The range of possibilities for traffic calming was described in the March 2020 meeting of SPC under item 6 Speed Awareness Update. It shows that currently there are no further measures that can be deployed in Sambourne.Warwick County Mobile Library Service 2022 Schedule
- 10 January 2022
- January 2022
- 21 February 2022
- 14 March 2022
- 4 April 2022
- 25 April 2022
- 16 May 2022
- 6 June 2022
- 27 June 2022
- 18 July 2022
- 8 August 2022
- 19 September 2022
- 10 October 2022
- 31 October 2022
- 21 November 2022
- 12 December 2022
Layby, Middletown 9:45-10:00
Green Dragon, Sambourne 10:05-10:20
Roundels and Repeaters
Suggestions to improve aspects of signing in Sambourne were made by Mr Farran under Public Participation in the January 2021 meeting of SPC . These have subsequently been discussed with SPC and an agreed list of suggestions and proposals produced.
A virtual meeting was held involving Traffic Group (WCC), Sambourne PC and Charles Farran to discuss this list.
The discussion produced an agreed scheme of works mainly involving roundels on the road surface and 30 repeater signs at identified points. Details of the items can be seen on the site location plan and the general arrangements layout . Additional details are shown in the sign designs PS01 and PS02-PS03 .
Sambourne Trust Thursday Bus
This service resumed on Thursday 3rd June 2021.
Starting point is as usual: Sambourne Park (St Josephs) at 10:00 - please note this is a slightly different time.
The route is the same: Green Dragon and along Middletown Lane.
The service uses a white 16-seater minibus Mr Taxi.
Sambourne Parish Council Budget 2021-2022
The Draft Budget was discussed at the Parish Council meeting on 2nd December 2020.
At this point, the Draft Budget was confidential and was, therefore, not made public.
As the financial year 2020-2021 will end on 31st March 2021, the Budget can now be put on the Sambourne Parish Council website.
The Parish Council has not incurred any debt during the financial year. However, to guard against any unseen expenditure in the months from December 2020 to March 2021, it was considered prudent to move money from reserves to the current account. Parish Councils are strongly advised to hold a reasonable amount as a reserve against contingencies.
A meeting is held every November/December to set the Precept for the following financial year. The Precept has not been increased for many years,
which has resulted in a fall in our reserves.
The Parish Council Risk Assessment concerning Financial Management and Asset Management must show that we have sufficient funds to meet any unforeseen expenditure.
This document can be viewed on the
Parish Council website.
The increases in the budget for 2021-2022 are shown in the budget document.
Following requests from residents, additional funds have been allocated to street furniture and tree maintenance. Employment, maintenance and training costs have all risen. In addition, we have been strongly advised by SDC to budget for election and legal/professional fees.
Once we are able to build on our reserves it is unlikely that the Precept will need to rise again in the near future.
Supporting your wellbeing during the pandemic
Useful link to services offered by County Council WCC website.
Warwickshire Local Welfare Scheme
The Warwickshire Local Welfare Scheme helps the most vulnerable residents at times of unavoidable crisis when they have no other means of help.
The COVID Winter Grant Scheme provides one-off financial support for people in need over the winter months.
It can help families with children, other vulnerable households and individuals who have been particularly affected by the pandemic
to ensure that they have the support they need to afford food, energy, water bills and associated costs. To enquire or apply call the Local Welfare Scheme..
Full details are available here and elsewhere
Technology Advice during COVID-19
AbilityNet helps disabled and older people get the most from their computer, smartphone or tablet.
CALL FREE 0800 048 7642.
More details are available elsewhere
Update on availability of UBUS bus service (including Sambourne)
Full details of the service appear on WCC website. search for Sambourne
Final Drawings for Warwickshire County Council Gateway Scheme for Sambourne Parish
[041020 11:50] The final drawings are linked as below:
Site location plan - seven sites
Site location plan - two sites
HGV sign locations
Sign design PS01 (Middletown Lane)
Sign design PS02 (Sambourne Lane)
Sambourne Parish Council - the perception in Middletown
There appears to be developing a lot of misunderstanding regarding the way Sambourne Parish Council (SPC) regards and treats Middletown.
- The Parish Council is locally responsible for the entire parish of Sambourne - the map showing the boundary is on the website.
- This website, funded and administered by SPC, is denoted sambourne.org.uk expressing that it related to Sambourne (Parish); the .org domain name reinforces its purpose.
- SPC has been accused of neglecting Middletown and that the residents feel "unloved". Items for Middletown either funded by or resolved by SPC include
- Middletown has one of two notice boards in the parish. SPC funded a replacement and maintain the board; re-varnishing and recently, a substantial renovation.
- SPC funded the features on the Middletown "Green" - including funding for stocking with plants . Funding from SPC when requested in subsequent years.
- SPC devoted effort to negotiating with WCC to alleviate flooding. Meeting with director from WCC and produced full list of points discussed.
- SPC completed the forms to seek grant to fund phase 1 of the agreed plan - clearance of the ditch.
- Negotiating superfast broadband provision. The last 18 months of the scheme were devoted to Middletown - the rest of the parish had already been upgraded.
The pending gateway traffic calming scheme also seems to have caused misdirected and ill-founded criticism and comments .
The scheme, first raised as a candidate for funding from delegated budget at SPC meeting in September 2019, was designed by the consultants at Traffic Group at Warwick County Council.
There are numerous rules and regulation which apply to, for example, the location of the gateway signs which must be at least 500mm from the edge of the road plus 900mm for the sign - a total of 1.4m This condition means that at two sites where it would be appropriate to position gateway signs, the verge is too narrow to satisfy the 1.4m ruling. There are two locations in the scheme where this is the case: site 3 (Sambourne Lane) and site 7 (Middletown Lane).
The latter site has been the cause of much controversy and misunderstanding. After a requested visit to site to assess the verge, WCC have clearly demonstrated that this verge is too narrow to accommodate a gateway sign. This fact has sparked off comments regarding the treatment of Middletown and the clandestine administration of the delegated budget.
The delegated budget operates as follows. Each year every WCC county councillor is allocated a sum - the same for each person. No money changes hands. It is loosely earmarked for road safety improvements and a proposal from a PC or (with PC backing) from an individual is evaluated as to its merits and may (or may not) be funded from the councillor's delegated budget.
Essentially when the proposal is made reality the required sum is taken from the councillor's delegated budget. No more and no less. The monies are never in the parish council's account and never appear in the accounts; all funding is exclusively within WCC.
This misunderstanding has produced a series of vexatious comments especially on social media.
This has resulted in extra work for the council clerk at a busy time producing documents to comply with good practice of the accounts and aggravated by the consequence of COVID-19.
If anyone has any serious comments or questions please email with details.
Sambourne Traffic-calming Gateways
Traffic Group have issued today - 28th July 2020 - drawings of the proposed scheme. To examine the proposals please follow the link. Sambourne Parish Council requested the addition of signing to help deter HGVs using the lanes.These signs were added to the gateway scheme.To view the locations click the link.
Help available during the "Stay at Home" period
Flag flying on the Green, Sambourne
The Sambourne and Middletown Matters FaceBook page are organising The Sambourne Good Neighbour Scheme.
Those who are unable to access this closed group and who need help (or want to volunteer or comment), please read on...
Anyone in the parish who cannot arrange with family, friends or neighbours to help them is welcome to get in touch with the scheme. If you can offer your help or need help, please email with details. Your contact will be passed to the organisation.
If you already help a neighbour out and have to self isolate, this could be a good place to find someone to replace you.
There is plenty of advice available on the internet.
One example is
Royal College of Occupational Therapists
With restrictions on movement, the usual distribution of The Link could not take place.
Instead, it had been made available as a download from The Link June 2020
Logging street problems requiring attention
To report issues like flooding, potholes, crumbling road edges or blocked drains use the website
FixMyStreet .
Sambourne War Memorial
The accompanying image shows the dedication of the memorial, which is now a listed monument.
This took place 100 years ago on Christmas Day 1919.
Power interruptions
These are caused by high voltage supplies tripping and being automatically re-routed from elsewhere - hence the short outage.
The problems are almost certainly caused by tree branches being blown into power lines by the blustery winds.
Western Power would be grateful if anyone seeing a possible issue reports it.
If you are concerned that a branch may be close to a power line, please call 0800 096 3080
If there are definite signs of a problem - sparking, burning or smoking please use the emergency number 0800 6783 105 .
Studley Bulk Waste Facility
The Parish Council has now signed up to this scheme so it is officially open to Sambourne residents.The facility is at the rear of the Pool car park. It is there on 1st Saturday each month from 10am to 12 noon.
No collection takes place in January.
They accept just household waste - not paint, oil, car batteries, concrete blocks, or building material such as bricks.
YOU MUST PRODUCE A VALID PERMIT TO USE THIS SERVICE
As from December 2018 anyone wishing to use this service will be required to show a permit. This will be the only proof of entitlement that will be accepted.
The permit will be in the December edition of The Link in an enclosure titled Studley Voice. This will be distributed in late November.
The permit is printed on the inside back page of The Studley Voice. It has an embossed foil symbol - to prevent photocopying.
Please keep this safe as the issue is a one-off and no spares will be available.
Bus service in Sambourne
Details of UBUS and all other public transport schemes are listed here.
Sambourne Trust Public meeting July 29th 2015
The public meeting was called to present outlines of the proposed development of two semi-detached houses on the Trust land in Sambourne Lane.
Notes of the discussion at the meeting can be viewed by following link.
Social Events in Sambourne
If you would like to receive regular emails with details please contact Village Association
Wildlife in Sambourne
There is month by month log of wildlife seen in Sambourne.Neighbourhood Watch
Neighbourhood Watch updates are on a separate page.If you are interested in making a contribution please with your suggestion.