Wigmore Group Parish Council wishes to acknowledge the hard work and effort that was made by the many volunteers to try and preserve the church of St James, Wigmore as a working community centre. The Parish Council applauds the Community Interest Company (CIC)’s hope that this mediaeval church could once more become a hub for the community,but the Parish Council also had to recognise,and had a duty to consider and address the concerns, of all the residents of Wigmoreabout theeffect the project could have on their immediate environment.
For many years both the Parish Council and the County Councillor have been contacted by Wigmore residents concerned about the lack of a safe crossing place on Broad Street (A4110). The Parish Council has suggested several possible solutions to Herefordshire Council, all of which were rejected either because of cost or infringement of current highways legislation.
In a similar vein, residents of Ford Street have raised concerns about traffic congestion and inconsiderate parking on this street particularly in the afternoon during school terms. WigmoreVillage Hall alsohas had issues with drivers, who do not use the village hall facilities and are not visitors to the village, filling up the limited car parking space.Even the councillors of the county Planning Committee had great difficulty parking when they came to do a site inspection. The Traffic Report commissioned by Wigmore CIC, though acknowledging these issues, was not realistic in its proposed solutions. The report was over optimistic about possible solutions, and not realistic enough concerningthe practicality of these solutions for solving the problems raised.
It has been commented that many famous venues do not have adjacent parking. Theatres and concert halls in London are cited as examples. The Royal Albert Hall is not perched on a rocky outcrop and London is well equipped with public transport and has a plethora of designated pedestrian crossings.
Yes, St James has been the venue for large events, but these were single, unique occasions and most residents were happy to put up with some inconvenience because it was a one-off occurrence. However, the project stated that to be viable financially the church would be open 7 days a week and aim to have an evening event several times a month,these attracting up to 120 customers. Some near neighbours of the church may have been content to put up with increasing numbers of visitors. Other neighbours were not so sanguine and told the Parish Council of their concerns that the quiet enjoyment of their properties was under threat.
It was for the above reasons that Wigmore Group Parish Council took the unanimous decision to recommend rejection of the application. We all live in a beautiful, small rural village that was started in mediaeval times, with an ancient road system to match. The reality of this situation requiresthe residents of this unique place to come to terms with the constraints that this puts on modern life-styles.