PCllr L Frangiamore
In the last 12 months Parish Council numbers have fluctuated, with the PC currently one short of a perfect 10. This is an election year and a few existing councillors, including myself, have decided they will not be standing again. Having an active Parish Council is a real benefit to the Village, and it’s my hope that new volunteers will come forward and get involved.
We have seen a lot of house building this past year, with more to be completed. This has resulted in the inevitable increase in car movements, as new residents discover the local transport system isn’t great. Hopefully all residents are aware the centre of the village is a 20mph zone, because they read the road signs, and it’s the ignorant car auction drivers who are speeding through our streets. Maybe some new speedwatch volunteers can help to reinforce the limits or provide enough evidence to support further traffic calming measures.
On a more positive note, this year has seen the installation of a Village sign and Notice Boards, which were funded through a S106 grant for Art. We had a Silent Soldier to mark the 100th Anniversary of Armistice Day. In the lead up to Remembrance Sunday the Soldier was moved gradually through the village to the Church. He has now been installed next to the Old Village Well – a sheltered position which is being planted with wild flower seeds by Houghton Pioneers.
Some street lights are the responsibility of the PC and these have been upgraded to LED’s in line with the CBC light columns. The ditches surrounding the sports field have been flayed, & the pitches are available for hire. Grants have been given to the Village Hall to resurface the car park, and to the Church for the Christmas tree and a donation towards the roof repair.
Shortly there will be new Play Equipment installed in the Chapel End Play area. This is an exciting project and children from the Parish have had an input into the design. The park will need to be closed during the installation, and although we realise it will be inconvenient for a short period, we are sure it will be worth the wait. As part of this project we were able to secure funding for an open sided youth shelter to be located on the Sports Field between the existing skate park and the proposed location for the new MUGA. The MUGA is a S106 obligation for the Keir development and we had hoped it would be installed this year, but they are not obliged to install it until 80% of homes are occupied, so it may be up to 2 years away.With the improved play equipment in mind we have increased the frequency of grass cutting in the play area and arranged for the cuttings to be removed to make the area more accessible.
A chat with a resident when I was out delivering the Newsletter led to me asking on the Village Facebook group if anyone would like to see Christmas Lights in the village. It remains the most commented on post in the group, and it was a definite yes. The proposal to set aside funds for Christmas lights was approved at the budget setting PC meeting, and the type and location of lights is to be discussed, ready for Christmas 2019 switch on.
On behalf of the Parish Council I would like to thank to our litter picker George Maxted, who has also taken on the role of updating the new Notice Boards. George takes great pride in keeping the village litter free and we are very grateful. I’d also like to thank our Clerk Gill Wiggs, on behalf of the Parish Council, but also personally from me as Chairman for always being there with procedural advice when required.
Finally, I would like to thank the Parish Councillors and our Unitary Councillor Angela for all the hard work they have put in behind the scenes over the past 12 months.