News Bytes: 1/1/03 - 30/6/03

Here are past news stories about Duston. The headings show the date the item first appeared on this website.

30/6/03

Petition launched to save Duston Post Office

The Post Office has announced the closure of the Main Road branch in September. This is due to 'falling customer numbers, increasing running costs and increased customer choice about how benefits are paid.' Also, 'there are several branches nearby and each one is competing to serve fewer and fewer customers.'

The closure is being opposed by the Save Duston Post Office Campaign, supported by Duston Pensioners Voice, Northampton & District Trades Council and local MP Tony Clarke. Their campaign poster states: 'Not all people can travel to other areas (Port Road or Limehurst Square) to get the services provided and closure will deprive the area of a valuable and essential service. We are asking the Post Office, who have taken their decision on economic grounds alone, to reconsider their decision.'

Northampton Public Sector Alliance is collecting names for a petition against the closure. The closing date for comment is 16 July 2003. Email Northampton Public Sector Alliance at info@publicsectoralliance.org.uk, or comments can be sent to the Post Office in writing to National Consultation Team, PO Box 641, St Albans, AL1 5XN.

Ever wondered what the parish council does?

The new Duston Parish Council page gives a list of your local parish councillors, details of meetings and a link to information about its role.

20/6/03

Duston school land earmarked for sell-off

A report released by Northampton County Council describes the land it wants to sell after the new two-tier school system starts in September 2003. Three Duston schools are affected by the proposal. The report states that the sites are 'surplus to school requirements and therefore potentially available for part or complete disposal'. However, this cannot take place until the public has been consulted and the Government has given permission.

The affected Duston schools are:

Millway Middle School - Top field to be sold.
Ryelands Middle School - Site to be sold. Playing fields to be used by Duston Secondary School.
St Luke's CE Lower - School buildings and playing field to be sold.

The money raised is likely to be used in Northampton education, including some for the rebuilding that is necessary to introduce the new two-tier system. The report says that the future use of the sites may be for 'recreational or residential purposes', but with the schools being in the middle of a residential area, it seems probable that the council will decide to maximise its profits and sell the land to developers for new homes.

16/06/03

Duston may lose evening bus service

Stagecoach has given formal notice that it intends changing bus services across Northampton, which would result in the loss of the evening service through Duston after July. The Borough Council is now negotiating with Stagecoach on the proposed changes with the aim of minimising the impact on local residents.

Conservative leaders at Northampton Borough Council have reacted angrily to the proposals. Cllr Colin Lill, who is the Cabinet member with responsibility for transport says, "I am deeply concerned that Stagecoach could even consider making further cuts to their service. This is a major blow to local bus users and hits groups such as students and pensioners particularly hard. They will effectively be stranded after 6.30 in the evening and on Sundays."

Another of the proposals would result in services 1 and 51 being combined into a 10 minute service from Duston to Blackthorn via the bus station, and the new service being numbered 1. The new bus arrangements are planned to come into operation from Sunday 27 July 2003.

2/5/03

Tories celebrate council gains in Duston

Conservative gains in council elections across Northamptonshire were echoed in the wards of Old Duston and New Duston, where the Tories captured all four seats. Formerly Old Duston had two labour councillors and New Duston had one Labour and one Conservative representative. The newly elected Conservative councillors are:

Old Duston: Donald Edwards and Liz Tavener.
New Duston: John Caswell and Stephen Stewart.

The Duston wins helped the Conservatives to take the majority of seats (but without overall control) in Northampton Borough Council, a former Labour stronghold. The Tories also took control of the councils in Wellingborough and Kettering.

17/4/03

Let your fingers do the walking, in Duston!

The 2003 edition of the Duston Directory booklet is currently being distributed free to homes and businesses across Duston and Upton. Produced by the same team that brings you this website, it is crammed with community information and is a useful guide to local shops and traders in the area. Distribution should be complete by the end of April. Keep it next to your telephone and you'll be able to let your fingers do the walking in Duston!

1/4/03

Local Churches Respond to Iraq Suffering

Churches in Duston are making special arrangements in response to the suffering being caused by the war in Iraq. The Anglican churches are opening at additional times for private prayer: St Francis is open every day 9am - 12 noon. St Luke's is open on Monday, Tuesday and Friday 11am - 12 noon.

Members of Duston United Reformed Church have decided to pray for peace on a regular basis, wherever they are, at 8.30am and 8.30pm daily. They ask people who would like to participate to include anyone affected in their thoughts and prayers, whoever and wherever they are.

28/3/03

GP Shortages Affect Newcomers to Duston

Because of GP shortages, Duston residents who seek registration with a doctor may be allocated to a practice anywhere in Northampton. To cope with the shortfall, Southfield Road and Harlestone Road medical practices have been given permission to expand to two more GPs to provide cover for approximately 2,000 people.

Another possibility will be the new Health Care Centre on the Kings Heath estate. Temporary accommodation has already been erected on the site next to Kings Heath Community Centre. This is being fitted out so that the new service can start operating by the end of May. Work on the permanent accommodation is due to start in May to be ready by the end of the summer.

Newcomers to the area are advised to phone the Northampton Primary Care Trust on 01604 615000 and ask for registration.

21/3/03

Our lads in the Gulf

With a large number of our service men and women now in the Gulf region, it's likely that many local people will have family or friends out there. Here are some useful links:

Northants 96 Gulf Requests. Send messages directly to the British Forces Broadcast service and view messages that others have sent.
British Forces Post Office e-Bluey. Send an electronic version of the blue aerogram to forces personnel.
Families in the Forces. Use the message board hosted by iVillage for talking to other people who have family members in the forces.

New Country Park for Upton

Work is beginning on the Upper Nene Valley Country Park, and is due to be complete in early 2004. The new park, to the south of the new development at Upton, will cover an area equivalent to Abington Park, and will be bounded to the east by Upton Way and to the west by Upton Lane. It will have footpaths, bridleways and cycleways, improving access to the River Nene, and will link up with the existing footpath and bridleway network in the area. It will also provide new areas of woodland tree planting in keeping with the river valley landscape.

Councillor Terry Wire, who has responsibility for planning and regeneration said, "The aim in creating the Country Park is to continue the close link between Northampton town and the river valley countryside. It is going to create recreational, educational and wildlife resources for the enjoyment of the local community and visitors to the town."

Phase one of the Country Park will install a sustainable urban drainage scheme, which provides an ecologically friendly means of draining water away from the new housing developments to the north. It will include swales and reed beds, which will add to the existing flora and fauna in the area. Importantly, the land’s function as an existing floodplain will not be compromised.

An Interpretation Centre will be built to form a central feature in both the park and the Upton development. The Centre will be an educational and community facility, as well as providing changing facilities for new football pitches at Upton. The Centre will provide information on the natural and historic environment, and the new development at Upton.

Landscape Design Associates and English Landscapes are the consultants and contractors for the project, working in partnership with Northampton Borough Council and English Partnerships to deliver the scheme. The funding for the scheme is from a planning agreement with developers in the area.

(Reproduced by kind permission of Northampton Borough Council)

10/3/03

Alley Gates for Residents of Ashwood & Beechwood Road

On Saturday March 8 an alleyway behind 24 houses in Ashwood and Beechwood Roads, Duston was gated to help make the residents more secure. Gating the alley is aimed at preventing criminals using them as rat runs or being able to easily get into people’s gardens.

The scheme was set up by the Ashwood and Beechwood Road residents, working with Northamptonshire Police Community Safety Officer Sharon Henley. “This alleyway has been the focus of a lot of nuisance for local residents, who have had to put up with young people gathering there, rubbish being discarded and dogs being allowed to foul there,” said Sharon.

“The rear of a house is also the most common point of entry for burglars, so it makes sense to see that alleys running behind houses are made secure if possible,” she added.

Local resident Mr Vernon Nicholls was the moving force behind the gating scheme. He said that he and his neighbours had experienced a lot of nuisance from the alley, including people sleeping rough there and thefts from gardens. “The alley behind our houses had attracted a lot of nuisance but fortunately very few burglaries over the years that I have lived here. I read about the alley-gater scheme and when I discovered that the alley was not a right-of-way but was jointly owned by the occupiers of all the houses, I had a feeling that gating the alley would give us all greater security and a better environment and so decided to approach the police about it,” Mr Nicholls said.

The scheme has cost residents of each of the 24 houses around £68 each. “It will be worth every penny,” said Mr Nicholls. Local residents whose gardens abut the alley have all been given keys so that only the people who need to use the alleyways can gain access, while others who are less welcome are kept out.

Anyone interested in organising similar action where they live can contact the Northampton area Community Safety Department on 01604 700700.

10/2/03

Police to Target Troublemakers at Sixfields

Police will be targeting drunken youths who create a nuisance in the Sixfields area on Friday and Saturday nights, many of whom are believed to come from Duston. As part of Operation Armour, high-visibility patrols will cover the McDonalds and Megabowl area of the Sixfields leisure zone during weekend evenings, where most of the anti-social behaviour takes place.

During the last three months, the control room at Campbell Square police station has recorded more than 90 calls from premises at Sixfields, reporting incidents of juvenile nuisance, disturbances, thefts and vehicle crime. A third of these have taken place on Friday evenings between 6pm and 2am - the next busiest days are Saturday and Sunday

Inspector David Spencer, of Northampton’s southwest sector, said police were determined to ensure that visitors to Sixfields experienced a safe and enjoyable evening free of hassle. “We are stepping up patrols in the Sixfields area at weekend. We want to reassure the public who come to this popular leisure area that it is a safe place to visit.

“Young people believed to be causing juvenile nuisance or behaving in an anti-social manner will be asked for name and address details so that follow-up letters can be sent to their home addresses. Those who don’t comply will be arrested and in the fullness of time will be dealt with by the courts where they could receive a hefty fine.”

He added: “We believe the youngsters causing the problems are all local to Sixfields, mostly from Duston. We don’t want to see drunken youths on the streets and it is important that the parents of these youths know exactly where their children are and the nuisance they are causing.”

10/1/03

New Harlestone Road speed camera to be working by end of March

The new speed camera on Hopping Hill, Harlestone Road, Duston is likely to be in operation before the end of March. The Northampton Safety Camera Partnership applied for Government permission to install the camera due to the number of accidents in the area in the last three years: an 11-year-old was knocked down and killed there in 1998 and three other people have been seriously injured during that period. Altogether 14 people were injured in crashes in the area in the three years up to March 2001.

The camera, which currently has a bin bag over the lens, will be covered by a fluorescent yellow jacket before it comes into use, and warning signs will be put up on either side.