For those of you who are here for the first time my name is BobBellamy and I am one of the CLLRs whorepresent our community on the BOLNHURST AND KEYSOE PC.
I am also Chairman.
Tonight before we get under way may I ask you all to show your appreciation to …Penny& Jan & Jan for providing the refreshments, as well as thanking the residents who helped to set out the furniture tonight and for those who will help to put it all away again when we finish later this evening.
This evening has two distinct elements –the first is the ANNUAL PARISH MEETING — followed by the March Parish Council Meeting.
Gill Wiggs who is the Parish Clerk will be taking the minutes for both meetings.
With regard to the APM –we have a number of reports to listen too , may I ask that any questions unless the speaker says otherwise, wait until the speaker has finished their presentation. They can field questions then or if they are staying on answer any questions in the Open Session.
The reports session will be followed by the OPEN SESSION –this is an opportunity to raise issues or discuss topics relevant to this community. Good news and success stories are particularly welcome.
There will then be a short break to stretch legs and then it’s the March Parish Meeting
Moving back to the APM –the running order will be changed to allow Time for Insp Nick Masters of Beds Police to travel here from another meeting
I would like to introduce you to all our speakers
Parish Council report myself .
Police Report -Inspector Nick Masters
Kymbrook Primary School Report —Sarah Moore –Head Teacher
Village Hall Report – Chair Laura Smith
Tree Warden –Penny Heming
Borough Councillor Tom Wootton
B & K PC ANNUAL CHAIRMANS REPORT
The Council has not been able to function at its full potential for some time and especially so these past 12 months. You will recall that Cllr Smyth resigned in September.There has also been a noticeable slowing down in the reaction time when dealing with other agencies and stake holders which whilst perhaps reflecting their own staff reductions and restructuring has meant that issue resolving takes a lot longer and requires more Cllr input.
That said there has been a lot going on in the Parish and your council has been very busy ; I am going to talk to you briefly about the past year as well as reflect on some of the matters of interest.
My presentation is structured into 5 elements –starting with Engagement before moving onto Parish Business Specifics, ( which includes Highways, the Playing Field , Planning) then a list of some Points of Interest before considering Community Safety and then finishing with a few Thank yous
- Firstly –Engagement
These are the moments when Cllrs meet residents or attend meetings representing the Parish –they can be local issue meetings as well as formally organised affairs . OR even completing Consultations and feedback requests on matters specific to this parish or just reminding residents of their opportunity to comment on important issues.
Our Parish council meetings have been well attended . The maximum attendance was 28 , and the average 11 ( 8 last year )
Other meetings have been associated with The Police, The PCC, Ward Forums , various business specific meetings, Borough Depts and BATPC ( Bedfordshire ASSOCIATION of Town and Parish Councils) meetings.The range of Topics have included Broad Band and Infrastructure, ( local and county issues)Planning and Policing.
Events Attended representing the Parish have included the Holocaust Memorial Service, Hate Crime Conference and the Police Control Room Engagement day. AND most recently the Community Weapons Search that took place in Bedford
A number of letters written have includedA request to Rt Hon Nick Hurd & RT Hon Philip Hammond to increase the funding of Beds Police to enable increased officer recruitment
We have referred toConsultations especially those which have the potential to impact on this community. Responded when a collective view is needed and highlighted all those where individual comment carries weight.
Thediverse range of consultations and feedback requests have included :
- Parish Policing Priorities
- Community Safety Partnership
- Funding a PCSO
- BBC budget
- Libraries
- mobile libraries
- BBC Empty Homes Strategy
- ROW
- NPPF
- Planning
- Local Plan 2035
- Local Plan 2030
- Secondly -PARISH BUSINESS SPECIFICS
Now I want to move onto more specific areas of Parish Business
- Highways –
The issues raised included : Pot Holes, verge damage , overgrown verges , obscured road signs, slippery road surfaces and traffic volumes.So nothing new. A report is currently in preparation to highlight the overall conditions of the Parish Infrastructure
The Borough response has improved forreported Pot Holes that meet the repair criteria and Residents have responded quickly to trim hedges back when problems identified.
The risk associated with the exit from School Lane onto the B660 were highlighted and so it was agreed that this junction be put forward for consideration by Highways under their capital expenditure programme.
And after many months of Cllr Perrys perseverance BT repaired the Broken storm drain
- Playing Field –
The Play equipment painting project was completed and a number of repairs carried out. The entrance gate post was replaced –not the simple task envisaged –a well as work undertaken to repair the cracked areas. The problem brambles were cut back. And The moles returned again.
The Playing field was used for a number of events,both private and Village Focussed — including the Church Fete and the Village Show.
- PLANNING
- LOCAL PLAN 2035 now Local Plan 2030
Local Plan 2035 consultation process consumed a lot of Cllr hours. That Plan then became the Local Plan 2030 and more Cllr Hours were consumed not only identifying the potential impacts but preparing a Written response.
The process is now theoretically in its last phase; The dates for the Planning Inspector to review the Plan have been identified , and the intention is to have the Plan active before the end of 2019. Work is already underway within the Borough in preparation for the next Local Plan.
- Planning Applications
This year (period 04/18—03/19)we were consulted on 24 (17) individual planning applications all within the Parish , an uplift of 41% In addition we have one from outside the area at Thurleigh making 25 in total .
At one meeting we were not quorate and unable to discuss an application.
The breakdown is as follows : 33% (30%) Rows / & 38% (35 %) Bolnhurst / &29% (35%) Brook end /Church End
Of the past applications there are currently 3 following the APPEALS process –that’s Wytchtree farm, briar barn , and the land at Mill Hill. And One application the Winnats has been called in so will be considered by the Planning Committee.
- Thirdly-Other points of Interest
- BT removed the defunct telephone boxes
- BBC –dealt with the long term intermittent flooding issue around the Post Box on the corner of B660 and Row East –by creating a new raised standing area.
- Stand Pipes –a restoration project brought through to completion by the efforts of and considerable personal input by Cllr Heming.
- The Defibrillator was used –the device then had to be collected by Carol Howes and returned to the Village Hall
- The post was replaced on the Riseley Road Notice board
- The Community Payback Team carried out one session collecting litter
- There were Two reports of dogs chasing deer in Row West . In the first report the deer died from the injuries suffered under attack from two Labradors.
And on finances
- The Precept was maintained at £39.18 . This is now fixed until next year.
- The first CIL payment received of £2910
- Grant support to the Old School at Bolnhurst to purchase an Urn and other kitchen equipment.
Discussion topics included
- SID Machine –the purchase of, the benefits of, and installation issues
- The Community Opportunity to participate in the ORCHARDS EAST PROJECT
- We still wait to hear more detail of the Robinson and Hall proposal to build houses on the land behind the Playing Field
- And of course the Local Plan.
- Fourthly -Community Safety
Recorded crime is a total of 22 reported crimes sanitised figures . period 22/3/2018 until 12th march) the majority of the incidents (16) have been in Keysoe . The parish crime mix Burglary, residential (5)and non residential (4) drugs (2) theft(4) , public order -harassment (2) , violence -common assault (3) fear of violence (1) and finally one criminal damage.
- We have kept the community fully aware of the information obtained from the various meetings , highlighted the issues regarding the Policing model and engaged directly with UK Gov to support the Polices’ identified need for more officers.
- We have discussed in meetings, written articles for the newsletter, and posted information on the Parish Website to keep the community informed of issues relating to crime prevention, crime trends and specific alerts. In addition display material has been placed on the noticeboards.
- Have ensured that the community is familiar with the contact options and current phone numbers to contact the Police
- Helped to publicise various police Initiatives , eg Herbert Protocol -Safe and sound and Hate Crime
- Supported Operation Beneke which took place in February; it was a well attended event.
- Attended 1/4rly meetings to set Neighbourhood Policing Priorities . These are set based on the information provided by the community, the feedback forms, the online tool , crime trends and intelligence
speed enforcement activity has continued through out the year .
A Total of some 70 drivers have been ticketed for speeding on the B660
- AND FINALLY
I would on behalf of the Parish Council like to recognise the contributions made by residents during the year , be it helping with the Council business or supporting its meetings , or fixing things or doing things that benefit us all , not forgetting those residents those in my view unsung heroes who without being asked spread the additional salt on the roads during the winter time. AND those residents who volunteered to support Cllr Hemings Project by taking the responsibility for painting their stand pipes
In particular I would like to highlight the following residents :
Penny Heming for her work as the Tree Warden and for ensuring that the War Memorial looks its best at all times.
Ruth Gill, Peggy Robins and Christine Cinnamondwho have produced a parish newsletter
Shaun Woodward , as Parish Handyman is tasked primarily with keeping our bus shelters and notice boards in good order, but does so much more , this past year his list of extras, has included the finishing of the project to paint and repair the Play equipment , and the replacement of posts for notice board and Parish Gate , the Painting of a number of Stand Pipes and Collecting Litter in Bolnhurst whilst carrying out the painting work
Carol Howes, who aided by Christine Cinnamondran a training session for residents which provided a unique and vital learning opportunity on the use of the defibrillator . Carol has volunteered to manage the device and ensure that it is in the best of working order.
I would like to express my personal thanks to The Parish Clerk –Gill Wiggs , for keeping us compliant advised and informed as well as producing the only official and accurate minutes of the meetings.
IT would be remiss at this moment not to recognise the contribution that Tom Wootton has made , not only for taking an interest in our Parish Affairs , but also for regularly supporting our meetings providing invaluable support and advice—Thank you Tom.