Mylander - Issue 85

5 Chairman’s Report Update on Community Green I have been asked to provide an updated briefing onwhere we are in respect of the Community (or Village) Green at Mill Road Sports Field. Some of you will have noticed areas on the south side barriered off with HERAS fencing and excavations ongoing. The current work involves installing the Swale Pond on the south east side near the farm gate. This will provide a necessary outlet for storm drainage which will empty into the main drainage which lies beneath the roundabout at Mill Road/Maximus junction. Although itmay look to be a large excavation it will be reduced in size due to future landscaping. The other works ongoing are the laying of infrastructure drainage along the entire length of the south side and will carry on up past the Rugby Club building, on what will become ‘The Walk’, to join with the northern area works. ‘The Walk’ itself will run from the Via Urbis Romanae down to Mill Road and will be a pedestrian only route. Once the drainage work on the south side is completed, the area will be seeded with wildflowers and protected by the fencing, until such times as the flowers are established. That is the extent of the planned works on the south side until such time as the Community Green is landscaped prior to handover to Myland Council. This is scheduled for summer 2024 at the earliest. The next stage will be the construction of two service roads onto the site from Axial Way. One by the Toyota Garage (Western Road) and the other coming in opposite Flaktwoods premises (Eastern Road). Once completed, construction on the new homes should commence. It is unfortunate that lorries will, initially, be using the entrance fromMill Road for deliveries. Myland Council is not happy with this arrangement, especially as Mill Road is subject to traffic calming measures. It is something we have raised at the highest levels, but we have been assured it is temporary and all site traffic will eventually use Via Urbis Romanae or Axial Way entrances. In respect of the handover of the new Community Green to us, we are still awaiting sight of the proposed design plan, incorporating our comments and proposals, from Colchester Borough Council. We have also been actively pursuing the Agreement to Lease from their legal team. This is an important document which commits Colchester Borough Council to lease the land to our Council subject to planning permission being granted. Not to be confused with the formal lease for the land. It is our view that there is no reason to delay this document being signed off. Cllr John Stewart Chairman of Myland Council & Council Lead on the Northern Gateway Project