Issue 3            May 2004

 

 

 

YOUR PARISH COUNCIL COSTS YOU JUST £9 63p A YEAR

The work of Stanton on the Wolds Parish Council in the last 12 months was outlined to parishioners attending the Annual Parish meeting held at Willowbrook School. A total of 18 people were present at the meeting chaired by Councillor Bryan Baines.

Past chairman of the Rushcliffe Primary Care Trust, Mr John Tarrant was guest speaker and told of the work of his organisation and the way he felt they had improved medical services in the Borough. Parish Council finance spokesman, Councillor Dennis Hackett, presented a report on which he said the council had started the 2003/2004 financial year with £3789 in hand and had finished it with £5272. He said the parish council would cost a Stanton council tax payer on Band-D, a total of £ 63p in the coming year.

The Clerk, Mike Elliott, presented a report on behalf of the Trustees of the Rev Thomas Ousley Trust in which he said the income from Treasury Stock remained steady at around £30 per year. The money was available to the parish from the will of the Rev Ousley who died in 1718.

The meeting decided not to ask the Parish Council to proceed with a project for a ‘Parish Plan’, feeling it would not serve any useful purpose.

OPEN MEETING FOR NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH

The Keyworth and District Neighbourhood Watch Association are staging an open meeting at Keyworth Village Hall on Monday 10^th May at 7:30pm and are appealing for anyone interested to attend. There will be a display of crime fighting literature.

Mr Paul Roebuck of Stanton and Chairman of the ‘Runway’ organisation organised by Rushcliffe Neighbourhood Watch, says there will be some of the current co-ordinators present at the meeting. He says that NW works well in some isolated parts of the area but not in others. He is asking anyone interested in attending to take a neighbour with them in an attempt to create new interest in the group.      

SUMMER SOCIAL IS ON THE WAY

Plans are going well for the proposed Stanton Summer Fayre being held on Saturday 12^th June. Tickets are available and details of sources for them are available from the secretary on 914 8654

Bits and Bobs

The Parish Council have been given details of a new summer bus service to operate from May 30^th until September 5^th taking in such places as Belton House, Belvoir Castle, Newark and Grantham.

The statutory annual meeting of the parish council will be held on Tuesday 11^th May. Business of the evening will include election of the chairman for 2004/5.

Keyworth Library has extended its opening hours. It no longer closes for lunch and is to open throughout the day and until 4pm on Saturdays. It is closed on Wednesdays. Telephone number for information is 937 3509.

The public are invited to take part in meetings of the parish council during a special item on the agenda when the meeting is opened to anyone in attendance who may have a matter to raise.

Two crimes were reported in Stanton in March. A purse was stolen from an unattended office area at the industrial estate and intruders stole car keys and the vehicle concerned after insecure changing rooms at the Golf Club House.

Going to Church……?

Services at All Saints Parish Church are at 10am on the first Sunday of the month, 6pm on the second and fourth and 9:30am on the third. A new direction sign pointing to the church is to be erected on Browns Lane being funded partly by the Parish Council and the Church itself.

STANTON ON THE WOLDS ANNUAL PARISH MEETING

AND ANNUAL REPORT 2003/2004

Six meetings of the Parish Council were held during the year, continuing the pattern of meeting every two months previously established. This pattern of meetings continues to be appropriate to the needs of the Parish and it is intended that it should continue. Attendance by the public was again very infrequent which was disappointing, but our new venture to issue a newsletter after each meeting will give details of actions which may lead to members of the public attending our meetings.

In May last year the new Council was appointed without the need for an election as only the required number of Councillors were nominated. New Councillors Alan Jackson, Margaret Healy and Jim Goodman joined.

Sadly, the Council was not able to restore and retain the Edwardian Post Box on Stanton lane. The box was vandalised with the door ripped off and the mail inside was burned. The Post Office were not able to supply a new door and although a photograph in the ‘Evening Post’ resulted in a number of offers from local foundries to recast a door, the Post Office immediately demolished the remains, stating that in any case the use of the box was minimal and it could not justify maintaining a collection.

You should be aware that road safety matters continue to be a primary concern of your Council. Improving safety on our roads is an issue regularly brought to the attention of the authorities responsible. This action will continue although it appears that little progress has been made, particularly on the A606 Melton Road. In recent weeks the matter of speed and the safety of pedestrians crossing the road has been taken up with Kenneth Clarke MP who has in turn taken the points raised to Mr Eamonn Harrison of the County’s Highways Department.

I would like to take this opportunity to offer congratulations and thanks to Councillor Roy Butler who has been given a ‘Long Service Award’ to mark 25 years of service on the Parish Council.

I am sure that those parishioners using the public footpaths will have welcomed the repair or rebuilding of stiles around the village after many years of pressing the local authority. In some cases, with the agreement of local farmers. Stiles have been removed altogether. Councillor Alan Jackson has taken the  responsibility for footpaths and should be informed of any problems relating to them. He also continues to liaise with bus companies regarding any alterations to the services provided.

You will all be aware of the proposals to redevelop the Keyworth Health Centre. Your Council has been involved in discussions regarding this development, particularly relating to car parking facilities for users unable to reach the Centre by public transport. Further information will be published in the Parish newsletter, a recent addition to the notice boards as a means of communication to all parishioners. This Newsletter will be issues as on a by-monthly basis and circulated with the Keyworth News. A list of Parish Council members is listed in the Newsletter, together with  their telephone numbers, allowing access to members as required.

Your Council has taken the decision to seek ‘Quality Council Status’. This ‘Status’ will equip Parish Councils to take on a stronger role in their communities and demonstrate their status as the local representatives of their communities. It will add to the standing of the Council in its dealings with other authorities and assure an improved service to parishioners. To achieve ‘Quality Council Status’ certain minimum standards are expected from an effective, representative and active Parish Council. In addition, the Clerk to the Council must hold a certificate in local council administration awarded by the Assessment Qualification Alliance and our clerk Mike Elliott is undergoing the necessary training to take the AQA test.

Following the success of the village events to celebrate the Millennium and the 50^th year of the Queen’s reign, a group of residents are arranging a ‘Summer Fayre’ to be held on Saturday 12^th June from 3pm in the Church Field adjoining All Saints Church on Browns Lane. I hope you will all support this event and enjoy another happy Stanton get together.

There are changes in the way finances of the Parish Council are managed and this is the last year when a report is given by the Chairman of the Finance Committee. In future this will be given by the Clerk. I must thank Councillor Dennis Hackett for the professional way in which he has chaired the Finance Committee.

Finally I would like to thank the many people with whom I have worked over the year for their help and support.

Councillor Bryan Baines