Chairman’s report November 2011
I note I opened my last report with a comment about the lovely dry spring weather – well enough of that now we really do need rain and, of course, the weather is a concern for all of us going into the winter. During the winter months please think of your neighbours whether elderly or infirm, or indeed anybody that lives on their own. I strongly believe that living in a village such as ours contributes to a real sense of community and with that consideration for all the vulnerable amongst us.
Following the uncontested elections in May for the P.C. your council is much as before. However we do have one change. I would like to place on record my thanks to Karen McLester for all her help during her time on the PC and for her helpful insight into the running of the borough council and work on the planning sub-committee.
Following our appeal for anybody wishing to serve on the Parish Council we received a number of excellent applications for co-option. I am pleased to welcome Alison Smith onto the Council and I am sure that she will make a valuable contribution.
We look forward to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee next year and we intend to celebrate this with a street party in the middle of the village. Obviously everyone is welcome. The celebrations on the day are being organised by a Jubilee Committee led by David Smith of Grove Farm House. If you have any great ideas or alternatively if you would be prepared to lend a hand then please contact him.
PC matters have been quite quiet over the summer, although meetings are always busy with speeding and traffic issues, planning applications and so forth. Regrettably we have found that pot hole repairs, tree maintenance, road sweeping and marking, and other jobs normally undertaken by the Councils are bearing their fair share of cuts and so are taking much longer to happen, if at all (vis a vis the trees along Earls Barton Road).
Please find below a short list of some of the matters we are dealing with.
We have been assured that the bus timetable will be altered to reflect our concerns regarding the lack of buses into Wellingborough before 9am. However it seems it will take them longer to change the timetable back than it did to make the alterations in the first place!
We are looking for someone to mow the churchyard and cemetery, and empty the dog bins. This is a paid job. If you are interested please get in touch or see the notice board for details of the position.
The planters around the village sign are to be repaired this winter and will hopefully do the gardening team justice next spring. Many thanks to Anne’s Crew for all their hard work keeping the hanging baskets looking fabulous as ever in a very dry summer.
I am pleased to say that our request for alterations to the mobile library reduction in service have been partially successful and that hopefully the new arrangements are suitable but please use this facility as much as possible as I strongly believe this is a ‘use it or lose it’ service under the present economic climate.
The housing needs survey was completed and identified a need for both rental and shared ownership homes for local residents and the local authority together with the PC have identified a number of potential sites. Northampton Rural Housing Association is keen to progress this initiative and so are we.
As I sat at my desk on Sunday morning beginning to put this report together, I was happy that everything to do with the pigs had gone like clockwork. Pigs born, pigs fed and looked after, pigs sold. I should have known better as Sunday afternoon brought a knock on the door and a message to say our Gloucester Old Spot boar (“Stan the Man”) was at the bottom of the spinney eyeing up a garden in Wilby Lane – needless to say he came home with a bit of coaxing from a bucket of nuts
To finish.....
A Forage Trader got arrested yesterday for stealing hay from a farmer. He's been refused bale.
A new Middle East crisis erupted last night as Dubai Television was refused permission to broadcast 'The Flintstones'. A spokesman for the channel said. “A claim was made that people in Dubai would not understand the humour, but we know for a fact that people in Abu Dhabi Do.”
My daughter asked me for a pet spider for her birthday, so I went to our local pet shop and they were £70!!! I thought, I can get one cheaper off the web.
And I have just finished reading a book on the anatomy of a pig. It was pretty standard stuff, but I got to the end and found there was a twist in the tale.
....................................................................Chairman leaves the room quietly
Please see links below.
Archives of Previous Chairman's Reports will appear here as they arise after May 2009
Chairmans Report November 2009
Chairmans Report November 2010