Meeting with Andrew Burrows
Andrew Burrows – former Parish Councillor for Berkswell and Balsall Common, former Chair of Berkswell Parish Council, now Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council Councillor.
The meeting focused on learning from the successful Berkswell traffic calming project and understanding how similar progress might be achieved in Shottery.
Key strategic lessons
- A strong working relationship with the Highways Authority is critical. Highways officers understand both technical requirements and where funding can realistically be sourced.
- In Solihull MBC, the key officer was Paul Tovey, Head of Highways Management.
- Warwickshire County Council’s organisational structure is publicly available and will assist in identifying relevant officers and responsibilities.
Relevant elected representatives
- Warwickshire County Council
- Portfolio Holder for Transport & Planning: Cllr Jan Matecki
- Shottery’s County Councillor: Cllr Jenny Fradgley (Stratford West)
- Town Transport Group members include Cllr Fradgley, Cllr Matecki, Cllr Tim Sinclair (Stratford North) and Cllr Rolfe (Stratford South).
- Stratford-on-Avon District Council
- Shottery’s District Councillor: Cllr David Curtis
- Stratford has nine District Councillors, including Cllrs Fradgley and Rolfe, who also sit on the Town Council.
- Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council
- Shottery Ward Town Councillors: Cllr Gill Cleeve and Cllr Steve Albon (newly elected).
- Town Council budget and precept information is publicly available on the Town Council website.
How Berkswell achieved change
- Initial feasibility study
- Commissioned from Hamilton Bailey at a cost of approximately £1,000.
- Funded by Berkswell Parish Council, which secured early Parish Council support.
- Community engagement
- Establishment of a cross‑community steering group (school, church and other key stakeholders).
- Workshops held to build consensus and refine proposals.
- Phase 2 – Detailed design
- ARUP report commissioned at a cost of approximately £10,000.
- Funding split 50/50 between Berkswell Parish Council and Berkswell Charities.
- Implementation funding
- Grant funding secured from the West Midlands Mayor.
- Scheme aligned with the Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP).
- While highways schemes cannot be formally included in an NDP, they can be listed as aspirations supporting the plan.
- Comparable examples
- A similar scheme in Dorridge was funded by a supermarket as part of a village store development.
Relevance to Shottery
- The closest equivalent to Berkswell Parish Council is Stratford‑upon‑Avon Town Council, which has an annual precept of approximately £500,000–£600,000.
- Stratford‑upon‑Avon Town Council has a made Neighbourhood Development Plan, entitling it to 25% of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) receipts.
- CIL contributions from developments such as Bloor Homes’ Shottery development must, by law, be spent within Stratford‑upon‑Avon. It is currently unclear whether CIL can be tied to a specific ward.
- Stratford Town Council is due to receive approximately £95,000 in CIL funds. At the most recent Annual Council Meeting, it was indicated that allocation would be considered via a Task and Finish Group (not required to meet in public).
- Town Councils do not pay VAT, making them a cost‑effective body to commission professional reports.
- Stratford‑on‑Avon District Council retains the remaining 75% of CIL. Further details are available in the District’s CIL Infrastructure Funding Statement, including Section 106 allocations and current project lists.
Other potential funding sources
- Lions Clubs
- National Lottery funding
- Local charities
- Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner grants
- Road Safety Trust
- Stratford Town Trust (eligibility for road safety unclear)
- Heart of England Community Energy Fund and similar schemes, where projects can demonstrate carbon reduction benefits
- The Good Councillor’s Guide to Transport Planning is publicly available and may assist NRSA in understanding councillor roles and processes.
Key design features from Berkswell
- Raised zebra crossing (critical feature):
- Required because traffic surveys showed average speeds above 30mph.
- 20mph limits should only be introduced where surveys show speeds are already close to 20mph.
- Crossing served a village school with approximately 230 pupils, of whom only eight lived locally.
- Other measures used:
- Road narrowing
- Speed bumps
- Reconfigured parking areas (parallel parking replacing right‑angle parking to allow pavements)
- Kerbside posts to prevent vehicles mounting verges
- Use of planters (preferably concrete), including kerbside placement
Traffic survey costs (indicative)
- Junction traffic survey (video analysis of movements and counts): ~£750
- Speed survey (road tubes, 7‑day analysis): ~£300 (2019/20 prices)
The firm providing these services is now based in Banbury.
Potential contacts
- Peter Richards – former Stratford‑on‑Avon District Councillor, former Chair of the Planning Committee, and member of the Stratford Transport Strategy and Relief Road planning work.
Heritage and environmental considerations
- Increased traffic has implications for heritage assets, listed buildings, and the setting of Shottery’s Conservation Area.
- Relevant guidance includes Historic England advice and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
Notes prepared for the North Shottery Residents Association