Parish Council Notes
The following matters were amongst those discussed at the
Parish Council Meeting in the
Matters Arising
PC Day is keeping a check on the amount of dog dirt in the village.
A grant of £5000 from SWAG has been given for the construction of a skateboard park.
Environment
Following residents complaints about the copse in Highlands Way, SDC have cleared away old bikes, a chest of drawers, old tyres and a lot of other rubbish. They have also cut down the brambles, leaving the area in a much tidier condition. It was agreed to write and thank them, and request it is maintained on a regular basis.
It was agreed to enter the 'Best Kept Village' competition again in the hope of improving our position. Last year, the village lost points because of litter/untidiness. Would residents please keep public areas free from litter.
Flower tubs will again be requested for the centre of the village. They will be delivered in June.
School Governor
The subject of safety of children and traffic control along Common Road was discussed again. It was thought that installing 'pinch points' would facilitate a footpath; WCC will be contacted and it is hoped an expert will visit the area with Councillors and Governors to provide practical advice.
Mobile Library
From April 5th, the mobile library will be at the surgery car park on alternate Thursdays from 12.20 to 12.50pm and at Ashmore Close from 12.55-1.10pm.
Planning
The PC rejected the plans by 5 votes to 4 for a new Village Hall on the memorial ground, citing their reason as not in keeping with the immediate surroundings.
Correct procedures were not followed when permission for a swimming pool cover was applied for. A councillor will talk to the pool owner and neighbours to establish what sort of screening would be an acceptable compromise.
WCC approved plans for a new road to Moor Farm from Brickworth. At a subsequent meeting with planning officers, villagers posed a number of questions which the officers failed to answer.
The all pervading stench from the Biffa site has not been cured by installing a new flare. An expert is to be called in to find a solution to the disgusting smell affecting all road users and many residents. A preliminary finding is that extraction of gas is not taking place properly and steps are being taken to remedy this.
Correspondence
A letter from Eric Legat thanking the PC for the contribution towards churchyard maintenance has been received.
Finance
A letter requesting R2 funds, amounting to about £3400 to be used for the skateboard park has been sent to SDC
Computer Awareness Day
Following successful days at West Dean, Internet ready computers will be set up in the Village Hall in a few weeks time for visitors to gain practical experience with an expert on hand to give guidance and advice. All who are interested should contact the Richard Parsons or pgreenesq@aol.com. The date will be published next month.
Police Presence
Our new Police Officer, Alan Day, has been extremely busy in and around the village in the few weeks since he arrived.
Two Range Rovers have been recovered and the same person (from the Bristol area) has been charged with both thefts.
An attempted deception using a stolen credit card at Brickworth Service Station was thwarted.
A good rapport between local youths and Alan has been established; as a result, the usual noise, litter and nuisance around the fish and chip van have stopped. A number of street and house signs have been recovered and restored to their rightful positions.
Vandalism in and theft from the church has also been curtailed. PC Day has had meetings with the parents of several children involved and received their full backing.
Frequent foot patrols around the village are taking place during the day and evenings.
The missing 'fingers' for the signpost in the centre of the village will be replaced shortly.
At a recent Police Consultative Committee meeting attended by a Councillor, it was stated that there has been a reduction in house burglaries - people are taking better care of their possessions.
Car owners are reminded not to leave anything of value on view in their vehicles and to keep it locked.
Rights of Way/Transport
The grit bin in Highlands Way has now been filled.
WCC have advised the PC that flooding outside Richmond Farm is due to blocked ditches and adverse weather. The underlying problem is that the surface water is unable to drain to a watercourse. They acknowledge the work needs doing, but have set no date for it to be carried out. They have, however, given target dates of 'Jan 2001' for repairing the railings round the pond on the A27 and 'Feb 2001' for dealing with the flooding near Dairyhouse Farm.
Annual Parish Meeting
Villagers are very welcome to attend the APM on March 1st at 7.30pm in the Village Hall, where they will be able to speak on any matter that concerns them. This will be followed by the PC meeting. If you can't attend but wish to raise any village matter, please contact any Parish Councillor whose details are here.