Barley Parish Council
Parking, Double Yellow Lines, Village Green, BKV...
I trust everyone enjoyed the great weather we had in May and June, and we were all wondering how long it would last, I never thought I would be watering my plants in early May. The good weather enabled the PC to plant the summer bedding plants around the village and get a lot of weeding done, the village does look quite tidy. Help us keep on top of the weeds, litter and general tidiness when you can!
Last week Jack Hartley posted the image below on Facebook showing the difficulty of moving farm equipment when visitors park on both sides of Cross Lane above the Village Hall. If the driver was in the car, their faces would have been a better picture. We sent this image on to LCC to add to the portfolio of images we have sent to LCC as we lobby for parking enforcement in this area which would limit parking to one side of the road.
It seems to have pushed matters along and the County Council has now commenced a limited informal consultation on parking restrictions with residents living nearby. LCC propose installing double yellow lines from the village hall up to the bend just above the entrance to Heys Lane on the village hall side. They have chosen this side for safety reasons including the blind bend on the approach into Barley and because there is a footpath on the other side providing a degree of safety for those getting into or out of vehicles. Parking on the village hall side, where there is only a grass verge, is not as safe. This is only the beginning of the process, and if this hurdle is overcome, a wider more formal consultation involving press notices etc will commence. If LCC eventually agree to install road lines, the process will probably take up to six months.
The Council are progressing the project to improve the grass quality on the village green; this has been ongoing for the last two years. The programme this summer is to aerate, scarify and apply a sand / soil mix to most of the green. The aeration took place in early June, and you might have spotted the tractor and spiker at work. On the parking theme, you might have noticed that three additional resident parking signs have been erected to inform visitors of the resident zone. Those involved in the scheme thought there were insufficient signs and so the PC has funded the additions.
Just five years ago in July we were all still in the grip of Covid, but relaxation was just beginning. We could meet outside in groups of 6, though we still had 2m social distancing, schools and public toilets were closed and pubs were being allowed to open as a takeaway.
One of the big issues was the number of people visiting Barley, at the time the open countryside was one of the few places you could go. To me it seems like it was a long time ago, but it was not. I say all this as a memory jogger to remind us how things move on; hopefully, we will not be concerned about Ukraine, Russia, Iran, Palestine and Israel in the years to come.
The Best Kept Village Competition and judging is underway. Please do your bit and adopt the public areas near to your home, whether it’s just weeding and sweeping the roadside, litter picking, sweeping paths, putting up hanging baskets or by planting flowers etc. The village cannot win without your support. I will finish by welcoming Toby, Lydia and baby Fergie, who is just 4months old, to Barley Green. They are both well known in Barley with working associations with the Barley Mow and Lydia has lived in Barley for many years at the foot of Pendle Hill. They have been renovating Barley Green Cottage for two years and have recently moved into the property. We also welcome Liam and Danielle who have also moved into Pendle View, on Barley Green, just over 3 months ago. They have been regular visitors to Barley and decided to up sticks from Prestwich and join us. We all wish both couples much happiness in their new homes.