Parish Council – Annual Report 2010
View the 2010 Account Summary
Firstly may I give you the apologies from our current Chairman Alan Wilkinson. Alan has taken over from myself following my decision to stand down at the last AGM last week. However given that I have been Chairman over the past 12 months it was agreed that I would provide you with the Annual Report for 2009/2010.
I am pleased to report that in 2009/2010 the Parish Council has continued to make good progress. The team of Parish Councillors has dealt well with the routine tasks and has also continued with the development of community activities.
In the year 2009/2010 we dealt with 36 planning applications. The number of planning applications dealt with is similar to last year and but some 20% lower compared to two to three years ago. Of the 36 applications dealt with the Parish Council objected to 10. Of these 10 applications, Newcastle Borough Council also refused 4 applications, whilst six were approved. There was one occasion where the Parish Council did not object to the application but Newcastle Borough Council refused the application on technical grounds.
As a Parish Council we were disappointed to see planning permission granted for 1 Appleton Drive. This planning permission was granted following appeal despite objections from Newcastle Borough Council and ourselves.
Looking forward we should not forget the proposal for the Wind Turbines at Maer Hills. There continues to be a test mast in operation and I am sure that we can expect further proposals in the future.
At the last Assembly meeting I outlined the areas that were of priority for the Parish Council. These priorities were:-
- Progression of the Parish Plan.
- Development of the Information Centre.
- Enhance the information on the website.
- Implement community speedwatch.
- Promote the appearance of the Parish.
- Improve the playing field facility.
- Improve the local footpaths.
All of the priorities have been progressed by the Parish Council and I expect that they will continue for the coming year, which incidentally will be our final year before the Parish Council stands for re-election. It should be noted however that Alan will take the lead and may well want to redefine some of these priorities. I will now give a brief overview of the work we have undertaken.
The Parish Plan has been the basis for the development of the community. One of the ideas that emerged from the plan was the promotion of a Festival. The first festival actually came to fruition in September 2008. Building on the success of the last festival we are planning a repeat in September 2010.
The format will be similar to 2008 but not the same. The Parish Council will not actually run any events but will be the facilitators that help to make each event happen. The programme is already filling up and we expect 2010 to be at least as good if not better than 2008. I am sure that the festival will be well received by the community
The Parish Plan continues to be a valuable reference especially when discussing our community with third parties. For example it continues to be used to facilitate improvements in areas such as public transport and adult education.
The Information Centre is a focal point for informal meetings on a Thursday afternoon. Manning of the information centre is voluntary and we the Parish Council are grateful for the assistance of the volunteers. The continued opening of the Information Centre will be very much dependent on, how much you ,the community makes use of this facility.
The village website has been regularly updated and for example the Parish Council minutes are available every month. Any person who has access to the Internet can access the site at www.whitmore.village.uk.net. The content is expanding and all being well will contain details about the 2010 Festival and the forth coming Whitmore Horticultural Show in the near future.
Road safety is considered a major priority for the Parish Council and we have continued to object to any potential increase in the traffic density on the A53.
The state of and maintenance of our roads is a frustration that concerns us deeply as Parish Council. We continue to have a lack of confidence in the Staffordshire County Council reporting system called Clarence despite the reassurance from our County Councillor. Having said that we are hopeful that following a recent meeting with Staffordshire Highways we might see some of the issues addressed when the area is the focus of their attention later in May.
The appearance of the Parish is always a priority and with the support of our contractors we have been able to achieve a good standard. The flower tubs throughout the year have looked extremely good. The playing field and playground enjoyed by many is inspected regularly and any issues addressed. We have also tried to improve the Footpaths in the parish. Only marginal progress has been made and I am sure that it will be an area for improvement moving forward.
I would like to highlight two successes that the Parish Council has achieved in the last few months. Firstly we have been re accredited as Quality Parish Council for a second 4-year term. We are in fact only one of a handful of Quality Parish Councils in Staffordshire. Secondly we had an excellent support for the Open Day, which offered the opportunity for the community to meet local interest groups. The event was very well attended.
To conclude I would to thank the people who have contributed to the activities of the Parish Council and to the community as a whole, the volunteers who have manned the Information Centre, support from MC Landscapes and Nigel Aldritt for their efforts associated with enhancing the appearance of the village. Mandy Dawson for the continued maintenance of a very professional-looking website. My wife Helen for putting together the Newsletters and the support she has provided to me in my role as past Chairman.
And last, but not least, I would like to thank the Parish Councillors for their efforts and voluntary time as well as the Clerk to the Parish Council, Bob Haysom, who has provided the excellent professional support needed. Over the year Ken Allman and more recently Peter Ford have retired from the Parish Council. I would like to thank them both and in particular Peter Ford who has been a member of the council for 13 years. We are fortunate that we appear to have a number of interested members of the community who are willing to step in and fill the Parish Council vacancies.
Having made a review of our activities we now need to consider the current financial situation. Our Responsible Financial Officer Bob Haysom provides the following resume of the past years accounts and the current status of the Parish Council's finances.
Nick D K Hopper
June 2010
Top of Page | View the 2010 Account Summary
| 