Annual Report 2011-12.indd - Bidford-on-Avon Parish Council
Village Hall, Broom
Project
Welford Road, Barton
WELCOME
TO BIG MEADOW
BIDFORD-ON-AVON
The Big Meadow
Community
T: 01789 778653 E: info@bidfordonavon-pc.gov.uk W: www.bidfordonavon-pc.gov.uk
Design by Footprint
T: 01453 753123 E: steverob.illus@virgin.net
Artwork by
March 2012
ANNUAL REPORT
Message from Cllr. Gerrard, Chairman of
On behalf of
hope that you find the information provided by
this fifth edition of the
to understand the work carried out by the Parish
Council in its continuous efforts to improve the
quality of life of the residents of
Barton, Broom and Marlcliff, regardless of age,
and to implement the Parish Plan.
The purpose of this report is to highlight the
Council’s activities during the past year: how
it has used the money raised by the
Precept, which is the tax charged on each
property in the parish and is used to fund all the
activities undertaken by the Parish Council for the
benefit of the local community. The precept for
was £182,981.
the year the Parish Council has worked together
with:
• Local authorities, voluntary sector and the
local community to ensure the viability of
• Warwickshire and West Mercia Police to
minimise anti-social behaviour throughout the
parish, and specifically on the Big Meadow.
•
Station remains an essential community
asset
• Local businesses to raise the profile of
be given to the Buy in
which took place in July and December at
the Crawford Memorial Hall. These have
been very successful and are becoming a
permanent fixture in the events diary.
•
successful artwork that has been used on
the Big Meadow and by
Library Ltd.
At the end of my first year as Chairman of the
Council I should like to take this opportunity
to thank my fellow councillors who have given
me their unstinted support throughout the year.
Regrettably, we lost one of our hardest working
councillors, Hedley Langston, on 13th December
representative: born and bred in the parish he
was a tireless worker for the local community
and is still sorely missed.
On behalf of the Parish Council, I should also
like to thank the Clerk and Responsible Financial
Officer for their work for the Council, as well
as the many local contractors who ensure the
village always looks its best.
Cllr. Mike Gerrard
Chairman
1. THE PARISH COUNCIL
• Parish Councillors
• Michael Atkins, 16 Waterloo Road, B50 4DL
Tel. No. 772402
• Bill Fleming, 3 Queensway, B50 4BA
Tel. No. 772590
• Michael Gerrard, 10 Holland Close B50 4BE
Tel. No. 778493
• Chris Hill, 9 Old School Mead, B50 4AW
Tel. No. 491091
• Fred Hiscocks, 38 Victoria Rd., B50 4AR
Tel No. 778 464
• Joy Keeley, 30 Icknield Close B50 4BZ
Tel. No. 773011
• Hedley Langston, 31 Steppes Piece, B50 4AT (until 13.12.11)
Tel. No. 772778
• John Sandle, 13 Holland Close B50 4BE
Tel. No. 490499
• Frank Spiers, 2 Bryan Mews B50 4BF
Tel. No. 772740
• Rob Williams, 7 Grafton Lane B50 4DX
Tel. No. 778226
• Parish Council Office
The Parish Council has an office, which is situated in Bramley Way, B50 4QG (next to the
library). The office is open to members of the public 10.00 am - 1.00 pm Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday and Friday, and from 1.30 to 4.30 pm on Thursday, subject to meetings and site
visits. If these times are inconvenient, the Clerk can be contacted and a suitable day and time
can be arranged. The Parish Council Meeting Room, where the Council holds its meetings,
surgeries etc. is also situated in Bramley Way.
• Clerk to the Parish Council: Mrs. Elisabeth Uggerløse
Postal address only:
c/o Post Office
30 High Street
B50 4AA
Tel. No 778653/07718 628925
email: info@bidfordonavon-pc.gov.uk
• Meetings
The Council meets regularly twice a month:
• Planning Committee Meeting, which has its own Chairman and Vice Chairman, is held the
second Monday of each month
• Parish Council Meeting, is held the fourth Monday of each month – except Bank Holidays.
Public Notices of meetings held by the Parish Council are posted on the various notice
boards 4 clear days prior to the meeting. These are situated as follows:
-
the churchyard)
- Barton (opposite the Cottage of Content)
- Broom – by the Village Hall, High Street
- Marlcliff – Cleeve Road
The Agenda, giving full details of the business to be transacted, is available on the notice board by
the Parish Council Office on Bramley Way, the website www.bidfordonavon-pc.gov.uk/meetings.htm
and by contacting the Clerk.
Members of the public are invited, and welcomed, to attend these meetings: the Agenda always
has a Public Forum and Youth forum item when those attending can address the Council and raise
issues. It is important to note that the Council cannot make a decision unless the item is included
on the Agenda. Copy of the Guidance Notes on Public Participation at Parish Council Meetings is
available on www.bidfordonavon-pc.gov.uk/procedures.htm or by contacting the Clerk.
For those who prefer a less public forum, the Parish Council arranges regular surgeries every two
months, two of which take place in Broom Village Hall. These are well publicised on the notice
boards and on the website, as well as the press.
2 |
Attendance by Councillors to the monthly Planning Committee and Parish Council Meetings was
very good – there was no Planning Committee Meeting in November
Name Planning Parish Council
Cllr. Atkins 10 10
Cllr. Fleming 9 11
Cllr. Gerrard 8 12
Cllr. Hiscocks 5 11
Cllr. Hill 8 11
Cllr. Mrs. Keeley 10 11
Cllr. Langston (8 months) 8 8
Cllr. Sandle 11 12
Cllr. Spiers 11 12
Cllr. Williams 11 12
Forums which take place quarterly. The Clerk attends agenda preparation meetings and, together
with the Clerk to Alcester Town Council, shares the note taking responsibility at the meetings.
You can find details of outcomes of these meetings on the Parish Council’s website:
http://www.bidfordonavon-pc.gov.uk/news.htm
The Council is represented at the WALC County Committee by the Clerk, who attends the quarterly
meetings in Leamington Spa. As a WALC County Committee member she represents this body in
the Stratford-on-Avon Local Strategic Partnership, and regularly attends these meetings which are
held in Elizabeth House, Stratford-upon-Avon
The Parish Council is also very conscientious in attending Planning Committee Meetings at Elizabeth
House when it has either opposed or supported a Planning Application which comes before the
Committee for a decision. During
and March.
It also attended a Public Hearing in January 2012 regarding the planning appeal for a gypsy and
traveller site in Temple Grafton that could have an impact on the Friday Furlong site.
During the year, the Parish Council continued to consider the Local Development Framework: Core
Strategy
the wishes expressed by the local community. Information on this issue can be found on
http://www.bidfordonavon-pc.gov.uk/planning
meetings.
• Information
The Council’s award winning website was redesigned in August
navigation easier. The address remains unchanged: www.bidfordonavon-pc.gov.uk
Apart from Parish Council notices and information, you will also find details of:
• Notices
• Upcoming events
• Newsletters (Police, Alcester/
• Groups and People (with links where available)
• Minerals Plan – with updates regarding the current consultation
• Planning
• Campaigns (Save our Fire Station; library)
•
• Parish Village Halls
• Parish Churches (with links to their websites)
• Young
•
•
• Links to County and District Council websites, as well as other useful sites.
• Other Parish Council information such as minutes, procedures etc.
Information regarding updates, forthcoming events, weather etc. is sent regularly by email to
those residents that wish to receive it. Email addresses are NOT disclosed: so if you want up-to-date
information and to be notified of village events, why not email the Clerk: info@bidfordonavon-pc.gov.uk
and ask to be added to the email list.
The Parish Council also publishes a monthly Newsletter in The Connection magazine, which is
free and distributed to all households in the Parish. Please do read it as it gives details of any
forthcoming meetings as well as important notices.
It also prepares and edits the quarterly BIG Paper, which stands for
publication for the local community, is an opportunity to:
• Let others read some of your thoughts or ideas,
• Tell them of your successes,
• Encourage membership of an association, group or society
• Advertise future events
•
4 |
2. Village Improvements
• Big Meadow
• Trees 3 lime trees were planted along the central avenue, in partnership with
Warwickshire County Council, protected by locally made tree guards.
• Interpretation Panels –
Large “Welcome to the Big Meadow” Panel has been installed at the entrance –
Artwork by
3 interpretation panels were installed along the river bank:
- Into the village (attractions)
- Crossing the River (history)
- Wildlife around
1 by the play area
- Along the River and Roundabout (walks)
• Street/Road improvements
Continuing with its programme of replacing old and/or damaged streetlights, 5 new
columns, which cost a total of £5,512.26 were installed in:
• Holder Close x 3
• Cox Close x 2
• Other
These have now been transferred to County Council
Replacement of Streetlight No. 4 on The Meadows, following damage by a vehicle at a cost
of £912.59
Grass and verge maintenance contract in place to ensure the village always looks its best
3 new benches have been installed
5 litter or dog bins installed
• Save our Library – following the public consultation, it became clear to the Parish
Council that Warwickshire County Council would be closing the library unless it could
be run by a community group.
The Parish Council attended all the workshops arranged by County Council to ensure it
was well prepared and, in view of the local community support, it agreed to financially
assist a community run library by donating £5,000.
The Parish Council prepared a Business Plan that was approved by Warwickshire
County Council at its meeting of 13th October and on 15th February 2012
Community Library was registered at Companies House as a Social Enterprise, ready to
open its doors on 2nd April 2012.
• Broom Flood Alleviation Scheme was started in the summer of
Cutting event on 19th July, and was officially completed on 17th April 2012.
• New Open Space Area in March 2012 a small area of open space at The Paddocks
was transferred from Persimmon Homes to the Parish Council, who will now be
responsible for its maintenance.
• Maintenance The Parish Council maintains the following areas:
• St. Laurence Churchyard;
• Grange Road and Salford Road Cemeteries
• Grass cutting of:
- The Big Meadow
- Fields to the rear of Dugdale Avenue
- Hill View Road
- Millers Bank, Broom
• All the play areas :
- Jubilee Close
- Kings Lane, Broom
- Marleigh Park
- The Leys
- Youth Shelter site to the rear of the fire station
• Flower boxes
• Weekly visual inspection of all the play equipment
• Monthly inspection and maintenance of 176 street lights
• Amenities
• Fields in Trust - as part of the Diamond Jubilee Year Events Dugdale Avenue Sports
Fields have been nominated a Queen Elizabeth II Field and “has been protected forever
for your community, to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee by
in partnership with Fields in Trust and ASDA”
•
award from Sport England for the refurbishment of the
Big Meadow as a sporting legacy to the local community in this Olympic Year.
•
the Parish Council and its aim is to offer entertainment to the local community at an
affordable price. Tickets remain at £2.50
Films are screened at 7.00 pm on the first and fourth Fridays of the month, except
August. The aim is to cater for all ages and tastes!
Films are well advertised in advance and posters are placed on:
• Parish Council’s notice boards
• Crawford Memorial Hall
• Local shops, Post Office and St. Laurence Church rooms
• Library
• Parish Council website under Events and its own site
• Evesham Journal
Refreshments, which are available before the film and during the interval, are sponsored
by Warner’s Budgens and are very reasonably priced
6 |
3. Accounts
The Precept – funds raised from parishioners through the Council Tax and paid to the Parish Council
to cover its expenditure. The
its meeting held on 24th January
The Parish Council spent the precept as follows:
Financial Year
Park and Play Areas
(including Lease of
Big Meadow)
21%
Other expenditure
10%
General
Administration
(inc. Salaries)
32%
Street lighting
8%
Agency services
(mowing, maintenance etc.)
16%
Burial
Grounds
7%
Allotments
0%
Grants and
Donations
6%
Financial Year 2010/11 - Total expenditure £329,765
Other expenditure
10%
General
Administration
(inc. Salaries)
17%
Agency services
(mowing, maintenance etc.)
6%
Grants and
Donations
4%
Allotments
0%
Burial Grounds
3%
Parks and play areas
(inc. Lease of Big Meadow)
55%
Street lighting
5%
• General Administration is one of the main expenditures. It includes the salary of a full time
Clerk (37 hours a week) and a part time Responsible Financial Officer, as well as insurance,
rents, telephone, internet, maintenance of the website, and other administrative expenses as
well as training courses attended by Councillors and the Clerk.
• Agency Services – this includes mowing and maintenance of the 6 play areas/Open Space
Areas, namely:
• Big Meadow/Monie Meadow
• Dugdale Avenue Sports Fields
• The Paddocks
• Jubilee Close
• Kings Lane, Broom
• Marleigh Park
• Millers Bank, Broom
• The Leys
And
• Flower boxes
• Grass/Verge cutting and maintenance in
• Donations and Section 137 – these are the donations and grants given by the Parish Council
to charities and social groups working for the benefit of the local community and this year it
included the following local associations:
• Regular annual donations £685.00
•
•
• Citizen’s Advice Bureau £404.00
•
•
• Vintage Gathering £250.00
• St. Laurence PCC £2,850.00
•
•
• Stop, Listen Play £300.00
• TOTAL £11,159.00
• Allotments and Burial Ground – maintenance costs
• Street lighting
Replacement of 5 columns £5,512.26
Extra replacement due to damage £912.59
Unmetered electricity supply £6,141.76
Christmas lights £106.39
TOTAL £13,883.00
8 |
• Parks and Play areas – includes :
• Lease of the Big Meadow £10,000.00
• Running costs of the Big Meadow £19,000.00
• Grass/verge maintenance £7,850.00
TOTAL £36,850.00
• Miscellaneous – includes new street furniture, general maintenance and repairs etc
A copy of the Financial Statement for the year ending 31st March 2012 is available upon request.
June 2012
10 |
Printed by Bloomfi eld Ltd.,
Change language