Bohemia Village Voice

Report on March Open Meeting by chairperson Peter Holland

At the special Open Meeting the decision was finally taken to drop the proposed gyratory traffic system from the BAA’s programme. Despite the system’s virtues of increased parking space – to the benefit of residents and retailers in particular – and improved safety, approval of the system had not spread beyond the Committee. The retail community has been leafletted twice about the proposal, but the BAA only received  responses from a small number of businesses. It was decided that market forces be allowed to follow their course in Bohemia. The BAA Committee alone did not have the resources to pursue the establishment of a gyratory system. Chairperson Peter Holland, the originator of the scheme, proposed withdrawing the scheme from the Committee’s programme, which was agreed by acclamation.
 Earlier, the Chairperson had mentioned the closure of two businesses on Bohemia Road, Bohemian Scrapsody and Furniture Corner. Indeed, one committee member had counted the number of shop sites no longer  trading along Bohemia Road between the Wheatsheaf and North Road at an alarming twenty-seven. The influence of the proposed ASDA store on Bohemia retailing was also considered.
 Several months ago the BAA newsletter ran the ‘Don’t be a moaner, be a phoner’ campaign. Our PCSO, Andy Hubbard, and street wardens Robert Sear and Mamoj Babu outlined the way statistics are used by their services and the need for the public to keep them informed of all untoward occur-ences. The telephone is the easiest way to relay this information. We will develop ‘Don’t be a moaner, be a phoner’ in the next BAA newsletter.
 County Councillor Trevor Webb is following up issues regarding litter in Clarence Road and the nearby streets, as well as the Upper Park Road loading bay, alleyway maintenance and the Knight Frank report on retailing.
 The Bohemia Bygones project is progressing. The AGM will be on 12 April 2007 at the YMCA in St Paul’s Road.