An update from Spofforth Park Management Company

Dear residents,

May has arrived, the estate is looking beautiful, and at long last we are beginning to see the wildflowers return. This is always a hopeful time of year: new growth, lighter evenings, family, friendship and, for some of us, the first brave attempt to sit outside with a cup of tea before the weather changes its mind.

Spofforth Park has, I think, rarely looked better. That is not by accident. It is because so many residents care about where they live, take pride in the estate, and quietly do their bit. So, thank you.

Gardening Club and tree planting

A huge thank you must go to Lorraine and the Gardening Club volunteers for the work they have been doing around the Pentagon. What began with a small group of neighbours weeding and pruning in the rain has grown into a much bigger community effort, with up to 20 volunteers involved at times, including some very enthusiastic children. The Pentagon is one of the most used green spaces on the estate, and the difference already made is clear to see.

The work has included tidying, pruning, weeding, replacing damaged or dead plants, adding wood chip, and helping the planting settle in. The arrival of the wood chip seems to have become a community event in itself, with wheelbarrows, tools, toy diggers and plenty of energy. That is exactly the kind of happy chaos that makes a place feel like a community.

Thanks also to Barry and the tree planting volunteers. Over the winter, residents helped plant 420 saplings along the cycle path and around the balancing pond, with hazel, elder, dog rose, crab apple, rowan and blackthorn all included. There has also been work on the Ezart Avenue community orchard, with fruit trees planted to provide blossom, shade, biodiversity and, in time, fruit for residents to enjoy.

Further hedging work has also taken place, including filling gaps and creating new hedges using hornbeam and beech. This will help wildlife, improve the appearance of the estate and provide better screening in key areas.

You can read more about these projects on the website at:
https://spofforthpark.co.uk/our-community

Dog poo bins and responsible dog ownership

A very big thank you to Wetherby Councillor Penny Stables for her help in getting the dog poo bins installed at the Harland Way entrances to the estate. They were much needed and have already helped reduce the number of discarded dog poo bags left around the estate.

That said, we still have a small number of people who are letting everyone else down. Leaving dog mess on pavements, play areas, green spaces or residents’ gardens is unpleasant, unfair and antisocial. So is picking it up and then leaving the bag in someone else’s garden. That is not really “job done”. It is more “job moved”, and nobody wants that particular parcel.

Most dog owners on Spofforth Park are responsible and considerate. Thank you. For the few who are not, please do the right thing: bag it, bin it, and keep the estate pleasant for everyone.

Residents can report dog fouling, full bins or waste in public places through Leeds City Council’s environmental health service. Leeds City Council also lists 0113 222 4406 and environmental.action@leeds.gov.uk for its Dog Warden Service. (Leeds)

Please also report issues to Laura at Pure Block Management so we can monitor what is happening across the estate:
laura@purebm.co.uk

Visitor parking bays

Thank you again to Councillor Penny Stables for her involvement in representing residents over the misuse of visitor parking bays. Thanks also to Councillor Alan Lamb for raising the matter.

The visitor bays are there for visitors. They are not intended as extra permanent parking for residents, work vehicles, or long-term storage. We know this remains a source of frustration and we are continuing to monitor the position. We are also looking at practical ways to manage the bays more effectively.

Please be considerate. Parking disputes have a remarkable ability to turn otherwise calm people into amateur traffic wardens. None of us wants that.

Adoption of the main roads

Leeds City Council has now formally adopted the main through roads on the estate. This is good news and helps clarify responsibility for the main routes.

However, residents should be aware that this does not include shared driveways. Shared driveways remain private. In some cases, they are the responsibility of the residents who use them. In other cases, where they sit on common land, they may remain the responsibility of the management company.

There are also strict rules governing shared driveways, and other residents may be able to enforce those rules. This is one of those areas where neighbour disputes can quickly arise, often from simple misunderstandings.

If you are selling your property, please be careful before assuming that a shared driveway can be described or used as additional parking. It is much better to check the position early than to discover a problem during a sale, or worse, after a dispute with a neighbour. Good neighbours are worth more than an extra parking space on a sales listing.

Proposed 210 houses on Harrogate Road

The proposal to build 210 houses on Harrogate Road has not yet been approved by North Yorkshire Council. There is still time to raise objections, and the more residents who do so, the stronger the local voice will be.

SPMC has been working with Wetherby Town Council, Better Wetherby, Wetherby Civic Society and the three Wetherby councillors to object to the proposal. We have recently submitted several further objections to the planning portal.

We believe a decision may be imminent. If the application goes to a planning hearing, we would like as many residents as possible to attend and make sure our objections are clearly heard.

If permission is granted, we are likely to consider whether there are grounds for a judicial review. That is not a step taken lightly, but the impact on Spofforth Park and the wider area is too important to ignore.

Bellway update

We continue to make progress with Bellway, although it has not always been easy. There has been some belligerence along the way, but we remain focused on getting the right outcome for the estate.

At the end of the day, we should all want the same thing: a well-managed, properly documented, attractive and sustainable estate. Hopefully, common sense will win through soon. It has been known to happen.

Pure Block Management and outstanding RMG issues

Pure Block Management are doing a sterling job for us. We are grateful for their support, professionalism and practical help as we continue to work through a number of estate matters.

There are still outstanding issues with RMG. Their lack of record keeping and lack of cooperation has been staggering. This has created challenges not only for SPMC, but also for Bellway. We will continue pressing for the information and records needed to manage the estate properly.

Residents should be reassured that we are not letting these matters drift. Some of this work is slow, frustrating and rather like trying to complete a jigsaw when someone has hidden half the pieces, but we are continuing to push forward.

PB Contact details: Call: 01482 326677 hello@purebm.co.uk or Email Laura

Website update

We have updated the Spofforth Park website and I would encourage everyone to have a look:
https://spofforthpark.co.uk

The website already contains useful information about the estate, including some of the small but important facts about parking, buying, selling and living on a Section 106 estate.

We would also love residents to help make the website more of a community space. You might like to submit a short blog, introduce yourselves, share something you enjoy about living on the estate or in Wetherby, or suggest local activities and services.

We are also looking at adding:

a classifieds section for local service suppliers;
a “where to find help” and emergency contacts section;
possibly a residents’ recipe page, ideally with a short story behind the recipe;
and perhaps even a book club page, if there is interest.

Good recipes and good books are both welcome. Recipes involving courgettes grown on the estate may receive special admiration, especially if they also explain what to do with the other 17 courgettes that appear overnight.

Happy May

I hope you all have a happy May and are looking forward to your summer holidays, lighter evenings and more time outdoors.

Thank you again to everyone who helps make Spofforth Park such a special place to live. The estate is looking wonderful, and that is down to residents who care.