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www.cornard.info |
The Great Cornard Information Website |
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Community Warden - 2005 to 2010 |
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Page updated - 27 February 2011 |
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Sudbury Town Council. Town Hall, Sudbury, Suffolk. CO10 1TL. Tel: (01787) 372331
Cornard Parish Council. Council Offices, The Stevenson Centre, Stevenson Approach, Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk. CO10 0WD. Tel: (01787) 373212. Fax: (01787) 312191. |
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These reports first appeared in the Cornard News Newsletter |
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November 2010 The thing I like about this time of year is the lovely colours that form on the trees, golden reds and orange some of it is breathtaking and as I was walking through the Country Park these colours were uppermost in my thoughts. THEN I was back in the real world; one of the picnic tables had been stolen! YES stolen.!!!! Cut off with a saw and four stumps left sticking up. Bearing in mind these are very heavy why on earth anybody would want to go to all that trouble beats me! Anyway, the upshot of the ‘exercise’ is that the Parish Council will now have to replace the table with a new one at the taxpayer’s expense, £140 plus fitting. That’s you and me, by the way. I’m sure this will fall on deaf ears but I hope the people responsible [Not the word I would use – Ed.] realise this kind of vandalism affects us all.
Now back to my other gripe the Stevenson Centre field. I have to report the broken glass situation if anything is worse now than ever before. Most mornings the centre shelter looks like there has been a bottle smashing competition taking place. I’m sure the residents must hear the noise and I for one would be very annoyed if I lived there. We have also had reports of older youths buying alcohol for younger kids.
The Dog Watch Scheme is gaining momentum and we now have about 17 volunteers in Cornard and that’s good because there are still some areas that I have noted and they will be patrolling on a daily basis. One of those places is the footpath that runs parallel with the cemetery to Pot Kiln School. The owner of that dog knows who I mean.
We have been fortunate to have been given a donation to buy a high pressure Graffiti washer by a local business woman who I’m glad to say is passionate regarding keeping where we live clean and tidy. We have used it in the town centre and I must say I was impressed with the way it cleaned the brickwork, we can use it in Cornard when problems arise.
Hope I haven’t been too hard on you this time. Hope you enjoyed the various firework displays and stayed safe. I look forward to seeing some of you at the Stevenson Centre Christmas party. You might recognise me - I will be the one in the red suit.
Andy Nunny – Community Warden
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August 2010 So is it that time again for my usual moaning and ranting? Yes, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I feel like the lead role in the grumpy old men saga! It’s the same old story at Recreation Ground (Rec.) with litter, broken bottles, dog ‘poo’, etc. all over the field every morning.
Now when I turn up there and the early morning summer sun is shining, I think what a lovely open space we have here - only to be blighted by morons that tend to think that drinking and generally making a noise is what its all about. I really feel sorry for the residents that live around the Rec. I know of their frustrations because they often speak to me regarding this.
As most of you know, I pick the broken glass and rubbish up, but personally I believe that police patrols should be stepped up in the summer months. Lets see if we can get this on an agenda and really deal with the problem.
Well its not all moaning and ranting. We are still looking for even more volunteers for our Dog Watch Scheme. Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can contact me via Cornard Parish Council or the Town Hall or don’t be scared you can ask me in person if you see me. Dog fouling is still high on my agenda. I have recently put new dog fouling signs up at both entrances of the Country Park. Please abide by them. I am always available to hand out dog bags.
Sadly the car boot season on the Recreation Ground has come to a close. We had some really good Saturdays especially as the weather was kind to us.
Through the summer months there is a lot of partying and drinking in the Country Park and dog walkers have informed me of this especially in ‘the copse’. I had a look last week and there is lots of evidence of this. Be assured it will be cleared up and I have asked the pcso’s to keep a check on the situation.
A couple of weeks ago some ‘little rascals’ had a firework display on the Rec. The fireworks were the display type and not the ones you can buy in the shops. It was horrendous for the residents, but all is not lost as they left a name and address with the abandoned shells. I sent pictures to the authorities at Babergh and, at a meeting on the 10 Aug, gave them a statement.
That’s all for now folks. Hope I wasn’t too hard on you. Ninety-nine percent of you are really great we just have to stick together and educate the others.
See you next time; enjoy the rest of the summer.
Andy Nunny – Community Warden
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May 2010 The light summer evenings are now back with us isn’t it nice - no not really!!!!
We can’t go out for a pleasant walk and enjoy ourselves because there is litter, broken glass and worst of all piles of dog poo on play areas and open spaces. We don’t deserve nice open spaces because most people just seem to think it’s OK and not enough people really seem to care about where we live.
I visited Cornard Middle School in the first week of May 2010 and talked to Year Seven pupils regarding dog fouling and the law, and I must say I was very pleased with the response from the three classes I spoke to.
The way forward I think is to educate the children and the younger the better - they seem to know what’s required and the feedback I get is very encouraging.
We have the Dog Watch Scheme ‘up and running’ now in Great Cornard with some twelve volunteers sponsored by Great Cornard Parish Council and Sudbury Town Council. These people wear Hi-Vis tops and carry a bag with all sponsor’s logos on. Inside they carry dog bags and biscuits and can approach other dog walkers if they are not ‘picking up’ after their dogs. We are trying this for a six month period to see if there is any improvement. If any volunteer has any confrontation with members of the public, the police who are in on the scheme, will be notified so those of you out there who are not acting responsible; be aware.
Another gripe of mine as you must know is litter. [Not a gripe but a valid observation from what I have seen – Ed.] I walk around the Rec (Recreation Ground) every morning and litter pick and check everywhere. That’s OK but the other day a group of Upper School pupils had their lunch near the shelter and must have been scared of the waste bin because all their food packaging was on the grass. I photographed the scene, put all the rubbish in a black bag and took it back to the Upper School where I informed Mr. Foley’s staff. The outcome was that I talk to the School Assembly and, as I write this report, I can’t wait.
Apart from that everything is fine and rosy in Great Cornard, so see you soon.
Andy Nunny - Community Warden
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February 2010 My job as Community Warden enables me to meet lots of people and I enjoy that side of my work. My strengths are communicating with the public on a day-to-day basis, whether it be handing out dog bags or trying to get something done through my contacts at Babergh or Suffolk County Council. Lots of people know me now and that’s a good thing. I am very approachable and I have been trained well. I think most people see me as a helpful figure and that’s the way I like to be known.
Anyway must move on, it’s been one of the coldest winters for many years and we have had problems with the ice. We were able to get grit from the depot at Lavenham at first but after a while County only had stocks for the ‘A’ and ‘B’ roads. I saw a few elderly folks struggle with the conditions and helped when I could. It was nice to see the youngsters sledging downhill in the Country Park. Incidentally, I got stuck on ice at the Allotment Car Park and a couple of lads got me going. Thanks guys! Hopefully now we have seen the worst of the cold weather but you never know.
Valerie Weavers of the Allotment Association invited me to speak on the 25 Jan 2010 regarding my work as Community Warden. The meeting was held at the Stevenson Centre and we had a good response so thanks for that. We have put a new vandal-proof dog bin in at Hartest Way and so far they haven’t been able to take the bags out and throw them all over the road. These bins cost us taxpayers more - but it is the only way at present.
We still have dog fouling issues in Cornard especially the footpaths and the Stevenson Centre Field. Please act responsibly. I know most of you do but the small minority make it bad for the others and I have always got dog bags on board. Litter is still a problem but it seems we are a nation of untidy litterers!!!
Anyway to finish on a lighter note we had a very good Christmas Party at the Stevenson Centre for the Senior Citizens. I think it was probably the most enjoyable one we have had so far. They had the school children from Cornard Middle School. They were great and joined in. The dancing was spectacular!! Thanks to every one who attended especially, Father Christmas.
See you in the spring.
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August 2009 Hi Cornardians. Sorry I missed the summer issue but when you get to my age it’s difficult to remember one week to the next!
My first rant is the Rec (Recreation Ground), or the Stevenson Centre playing field - actually ‘wreck’ is more appropriate because every morning that is just what it looks like - a complete wreck. There is so much litter, bottles, cans and worst of all broken glass near the shelter. I have done my best to clear up but the football season starts soon and somebody is going to get hurt really badly! I cannot stress the importance I put on this matter also a child playing there or even a dog will be badly cut. The youths that drink alcohol, and we all know they are. Mostly are under age, sit in the shelter most evenings binge drinking. I’m sure the residents living around the field must hear the noise. Maybe we can speak to the pcso and have a higher visibility. But first we must stop selling alcohol to youths.
My next rant is Carsons Drive and the road leading round to the Hedgerows. I’m surprised that there hasn’t been a fatality on this stretch of road with the boy racers speeding along there. I have spoken to the residents there and I am trying to get some publicity and a petition. Watch this space! I wish I could do more to help but I know that there are still good responsible people in Cornard and we have to work together on this!
Enjoy the rest of the summer. Has it stopped raining yet?
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February 2009 Well, as I write this it's February. What happened to Christmas? . . . . Doesn't time fly!!
I hope all you Cornardians are fit and well. Spring is on the way and shrubs and trees will be blooming - and it will cover up all the lovely litter on the ground!! We are still a nation of litterbugs and it isn't clever. Please please spread the word - if you can't find a bin then take it home with you. Thank you.
We have had a lot of dog fouling complaints since I last spoke to you. The worst areas are around Pot Kiln School, Chelsworth Avenue, Hawthorne Road, to mention a few. I am patrolling these areas on a daily basis and if anyone is seen letting their dog foul without picking it up - they will be given a fixed penalty fine of up to £100. So please be careful.
My colleague, Bradley Smith and I now have access to a Council Speed Gun that we will use at various times throughout the year. Vehicles are still travelling much too fast, especially in built up areas. We can’t tell you where or when we will be about but do keep an eye out for us. Be warned, if you are exceeding the speed limit we may ‘clock’ you before you ‘clock’ us.
On a brighter note, to finish, we all enjoyed the Christmas party at the Stevenson Centre on December 12th. Thank you to all the organisers, although it seems like a long time ago now.
Just one final plea, Please Keep Cornard Clean !!
See you in the summer!!
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November 2008 This is the time of year when we all feel a little sad. Summer is over - hang on a minute - we didn’t have any summer! Never mind it will soon be Christmas - what joy!!. Anyway I must say that Cornard is looking a whole lot better in these autumn mornings especially the glorious colours.
Still no news on the Hedgerows regarding the speed bumps or flashing sign I shall continue to press the subject as I feel strongly about this play area. The cemetery is looking much better now with the gates being moved back and new walls. It will be nice when its finished, hopefully before Christmas.
The Allotment Car Park contractors have finished and didn’t cause too much mess on the field. We have had a few complaints regarding dog fouling around Pot Kiln Road at the ‘top end’. I have put fouling signs up and I am patrolling the area regularly also the ‘Rec’ at the Stevenson Centre. If you exercise your dog here then ‘Please pick it up!!’
Various footpaths in Cornard are unsightly, lots of litter especially the area around Stannard Way. Please take your rubbish home or put in the waste bins, don’t be scared once you have done it once you will be surprised how easy it is. Keep Cornard clean!!
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August 2008 I think the best thing about the summer months is that the vegetation is thick, lush and green, and you can’t see all the litter that is hidden behind the bushes! Seriously, I am finding it harder than ever to clear litter, especially from the surrounding schools. Every morning the shelter, near The Stevenson Centre, is full of broken glass and the play area is also very bad. I have spoken to the proprietor of the Shop in Broom Street and he assures me he hasn’t been selling any alcohol to under age youths but I am still finding beer cans, bottles and carrier bags, all from the shop.
On a recent visit to Dublin, I noticed there are no free carrier bags given away and as a result less litter. It doesn’t take a lot of getting used to by just taking your own re-usable bags with you every time you go to the shop! In my van I have collected hundreds of carrier bags, so don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like one.
On the Recreation Ground there is still lots of dog fouling. We have now installed CCTV cameras, around the Stevenson Centre and the situation will be monitored from now on. So beware we can prosecute on the evidence that we receive from the cameras.
Blackhouse Lane toilets are now open to the public from 8.00 to 5.00 weekdays; Allotment Holders please note. Also new gates to the allotment car park have been installed which is an improvement. The allotments are looking nice, and I am there every day to check it out.
Highbury Barn footpath is a problem area. Suffolk County Council only cut it once a year. I myself clean up regularly, dog fouling, litter etc. Parents have to walk their small children to school along that lane, so we should take more pride in the area. Perhaps I could have a word with Cornard Parish Council, to provide more regular cleaning, as I seem to be the only person who takes any interest.
Hedgerows Play Area. I am monitoring this area every day. We had a problem a few weeks ago when someone padlocked the children’s swings together so I had to put that right. The residents and children were not amused.
At The Drift, there is often a lot of litter around the Co-op area. I have spoken to the manager and he assures me that he and his staff are doing their best to keep the area clean. I shall monitor this.
Also I have spoken with Suffolk County Council Highways, regarding the overhanging branches on the footpath at The Drift. They have put it on their agenda, and hopefully this will be done soon. I will check this out.
I know I’ve been moaning a lot, but that’s the way it is, there is a lot to be achieved. We all need to take more responsibility to keep Cornard clean and tidy.
But on a brighter note, we had a wonderful ‘eco’ day at Pot Kiln School on 17 June 2008. Bradley Smith and myself spent the whole day at the school with the children, teaching them the importance of recycling and looking after our environment. We had a poster competition, and book tokens were given out on Thursday 17 July 2008 at Assembly, gratefully funded by Great Cornard Parish Council & Sudbury Town Council. A big ‘Thank You’ to Marion who organised the day for us. Pictures were in the Suffolk Free Press.
Hope you had a good summer break, see you in the autumn.
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February 2008 I trust you
all had a good Christmas! It seems like yesterday, although
now we are nearer Easter, where does the time go! Anyway that is enough
frivolity for now. As many of you may know, we are now two, in the guise of
Bradley Smith, who joined on Jan 1st; he is a lot younger than me so
treat him gently!! We now have two vehicles fully adorned with the
community warden logos, so we are very visible. Bradley was chosen from
eight candidates, because of his enthusiasm towards the community, and as I
was one of the people that interviewed him he was always my choice. We can
now cover a lot more area.
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November 2007 Where did summer go! Not that we had much of one but suddenly it’s that time of year again with dark late afternoons and Christmas music in all the shops. Still we Cornardians are a hardy bunch and we thrive on it. So down to the nitty-gritty.
I must sound like an old record but things don’t seem to change - lots of litter etc - especially on Shawlands Avenue but mostly near the Stevenson Centre. The new shelter is a magnet for litter. Those of you that see me every morning ask me do I get fed up with picking it up and the answer is ‘Yes’, but I don’t let it get me down. Perhaps if the shop didn’t give the pupils a carrier bag every time, it would help - we will have to see. Babergh District Council have new contractors, English Landscape, in place now so hopefully things will improve.
A new Community Warden will soon be in place to assist me. So in the New Year so Watch out! ; there will be TWO of us. I think we are unique in Cornard and Sudbury to have this facility, even if I wasn’t doing this job I would feel the same. It’s a matter of taking an interest in where you live. I have visited many countries and the feeling I get is they are proud of where they live, and I agree we should all try a bit harder. Anyway that’s how I feel.
I was glad to see how many of you came to the firework display on Nov 3 well done to the Scouts and all who helped. Merry Christmas to you all and see you in the springtime!
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August 2007
Its the time of year when
schools are on holiday, the sun is shining and the nights are light for
longer, this usually equals more litter, graffiti and vandalism!! So
please try and clear up after you, especially when you leave the rec.
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May 2007 I’ve had a lot of residents complain to me about the dog fouling around the Stevenson Centre, on areas where young children are playing and I have seen it myself. I know the majority of you are responsible because I hand out the dog bags. So please, those people that don’t care whether a child falls into dog excrement and becomes ill, please think again. I would like to catch somebody. It’s not the dog’s fault; it’s the irresponsible owners.
It’s nice to see the new shelter on ‘The Rec’ (Recreation Ground) being used. I see it as a magnet for more litter and bottles. There is a bin attached, please use it, and take extra care with bottles as there is a football pitch next to it. I will empty the bin on my weekly round.
Will Cornard School pupils please use the waste bins at lunchtime. The Rec is a lovely place to sit and have your lunch especially during the nice weather. Please be responsible and help the planet. We have two full time Community Police Officers patrolling the area on a shift basis, so hopefully we together can sort out some of the problems that I know we have here in Cornard.
I am going out weekly with Daniel Whymark from Babergh DC checking on the area. We are picking up on various litter hot spots, one being Abbas Walk. We need at least two more waste bins and one more dog bin in that area. I have put this forward to the Great Cornard Parish Council to see whether we can budget for them as everything is all about money.
I have managed to get the Co-op in The Drift to purchase a Waste Bin outside the store and they are now litter picking the front and side of shop daily. They will also be removing the graffiti from the walls and I shall monitor this. I caught the person who was putting bags of cat litter in the public waste bins and hopefully that has now stopped. Cat litter should be wrapped up and put in your black bins.
Please don’t put your vehicles for sale on the grass. It is an offence to sell your car on Babergh land and they will be removed within 24 hours. We have had problems at the Shawlands Retail Park with ‘boy-racers’ and associated noises. The owners and Babergh DC are discussing the problem and hopefully will soon be able to tackle the problem.
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February 2007 I hope
everyone had a nice Xmas and I wish you all a happy New Year. Since the last
time I wrote, disappointingly, things seem to have deteriorated regarding
litter, dog fouling and small amounts of fly tipping. The footpath alongside
the Highbury Barn is a disgrace with graffiti, dog fouling, litter and food
packaging. I know parents walk through there every day with their children,
and it would depress me if I had to walk along there. The answer is not
litter picking every week! It is not to drop the litter and not allow dogs
to foul the footpath.
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November 2006 Recently, I have been on a course on behalf of the Parish Council, to get more powers to deal with people for dropping litter, graffiti, dog-fouling etc. Hopefully this will deter people from doing this.
Over the last few months there have been concerns with pupils from the Upper and Middle schools having their lunch on the Recreation Ground at the Stevenson Centre and dropping litter. This is a lovely place to sit and have lunch but please use the bins provided as I shall be patrolling at lunch times to keep an eye out for offenders.
I have also been on a visit to the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) at Great Blakenham. This was a very interesting visit and in light of global warming we should all take extra special care and recycle all our waste. I have seen, first hand, what will happen if we do not take responsible action and within the next five years this landfill site will be full. There will be no room for any more waste. For any more information, contact me at the Town Hall and I will be able to help advise on what & how to recycle. There are leaflets available on this subject and small tours of the site are possible.
Remember this is for our future and our children's future. So please try and get involved!
Have a Happy Christmas and don't forget to
recycle your cards and wrapping paper. To compost your real Christmas tree,
take it to the Poplar Road Bring Site by 9pm on Sunday 7 January 2007.
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May
2006
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February
2006
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November 2005 Andy Nunny – Community Warden
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August 2005 The situation with the litter at Blackhouse Lane seems to be a lot better. The Allotment also seems to be a lot clearer. I am constantly monitoring the clearing up of litter. I have regular meetings with Cleanaway, at various locations and there seems generally a great improvement and we work together in keeping Cornard tidy. The Council recently had a major clear up operation at Rede Way, spending thousands of pounds on skips and labour but I am disappointed to see that the area is still very untidy and people are still dumping rubbish onto the streets.
Due to public demand, there will be a new ‘dog poo’ bin installed at Abbas Walk very soon. I carry with me in my van a supply of ‘poo bags’, which I regularly hand out to people with dogs. Please ask me if you need some. This must be cleared up in the interest of children’s safety, especially around the schools and playing fields. Please clear up after your dog at all times. There is still a problem with cars being parked on the grass verges at Shawlands Avenue. They are parked illegally on Council land, they should not be parked there and I am monitoring the situation daily. The steps at Maldon Court, leading to Newton Road are regularly being cleared up. People are constantly dumping rubbish around there and also at the children’s play area. People should take more pride in the area and use the litterbin provided and think of the children’s safety. Very often I am called to the area around Joes Road, where I am regularly clearing up after fly tippers. If anyone sees fly tippers, they should be reported immediately. For local Community Warden information other useful contacts visit the Community Warden page on www.cornard.info or if you wish to contact me then phone me on (01787) 372331 or email me .
And finally, I would like to say thank you to the person who threw out a load of old cassette tapes into the road at Shawlands Avenue. This was very irresponsible and took ages to clear up!!
Andy Nunny – Community Warden
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May 2005 The Blackhouse Lane area, mainly the car park, is being used at night by boy racers. I have spoken to local residents who have expressed their fears, of accidents, damage to trees, and noise. Every day, I clear lots of fast food packaging, bottles and cans, from the ditches and the car park. You can see the tyre marks from the night before. It seems a shame with all the wildlife, i.e. ducks roaming around, that this should be allowed to happen. It seems the society we live in is scared to say anything in fear of retribution and this is very worrying. Things must change.
I am also ‘keeping an eye’ on dog walkers on the sports fields and the school fields. I am handing out dog ‘poo-bags’ with the BDC logos on. If any one needs one I always carry plenty on-board the Community Warden van. I always have a polite word about the importance of clearing up after their pets, and warn that soon I will be handing out fines!
I have cleared the allotment car park sign, and I am there every day checking when cars are dumped.
Shawlands Avenue, constantly patrolling, checking on cars for sale on the grass verges. I put a sticker on and they usually move. If not I report them to BDC and they deal with them.
Litter Picking - I have noticed Cleanaway has been more prominent. I have seen them litter picking in various areas of Cornard. This is a vast improvement as they now have a new supervisor who I am in constant contact with. I am also in contact with all the Cornard Schools. I have also been invited to be a Governor at Pot Kiln Primary, which I have accepted with pleasure.
Summing up, I am patrolling Cornard every day, and I’m sure people have seen me around. For local Community Warden information and useful contacts visit the Community Warden page on www.cornard.info or if you wish to contact me then phone me on (01787) 372331 or email me using the hyperlink.
Andy Nunny - Community Warden
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