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Report on the ANNUAL PARISH MEETING 2007:

The Annual Parish Meeting was held on April 17th. The meeting was attended by 87 parishioners to hear the two speakers from County Hall Mrs. Lynn Gaskin and Mr. David Weston.

Mrs. Lynn Gaskin from Wiltshire County Council who is Head of Crime Reduction and Community Protection gave a presentation on the bid by the County Council to become a Unitary Authority.  We were advised that the initial submission had been accepted and that the Consultation period would start immediately and finish in July this year.

 

Mr. David Weston of the WCC Highways Improvement team introduced the topic of the closure of the B4042 to allow the replacement of Cowbridge Bridge.  Mr Brendan Pell of Mouchel Parkman, the WCC’s design contractor, made a presentation outlining all the steps and reviews which had taken place to ensure the minimum disruption to the villages bounded by the various B class roads which it was hoped would carry most of the diverted traffic.  The area within these roads would have a 7.5 tonne weight limits imposed to prevent, other than for access, the passage of HGV’s.  PSV’s and School Coaches would of necessity still be able to pass through the villages in order to collect and return school children.  A plan detailing the various limits and diversions was displayed. Various questions were put to Brendan Pell who advised that the work would commence in June and continue until the end of the year.  The work in the water needed to be carried out in July/August/September due to the fish spawning season.  The cost would be £1.3m and it had been decided that the best way forward was to close the road entirely for the 6 months rather than spread the work over two years with partial closures which would add a further £300,000 to costs.  There would also be a much longer period of disruption and there would be additional health and safety risks for the contractors.  Parishioners made many useful comments and suggestions which were noted by David Weston for inclusion in subsequent discussions.

The Chairman of the Parish Council, Paul Fuller requested that any parishioners who wished to make comments should do so through the Parish Clerk so that there would be a clearly defined line of communication with the highway authority and thus preclude the duplication of calls. Regular reviews of the traffic flows would be carried out by the highway authority in conjunction with the parish council in order that signage may be altered to clarify the routes and closures.

 

BEST Kept Village Competition – Laurence Kitching Award:

The Parish Council has decided that we should enter the Village in the competition for the Laurence Kitching award this year. This Competition is restricted to villages who have been County Winners over the past two years. We will not be advised when judging will take place but it is usually around the month of July. Residents are requested to keep their gardens and frontages neat, colourful and tidy.

 

Jubilee Playing Field:

The new item of play equipment, Little Hamlets, recently purchased with a grant from Area 1 Committee and funds raised by the Jubilee Playing Field Social committee is now installed and is for the use of children aged between 6 months to 5 years of age.  Hopefully it will prove to be a popular item and enjoyed by the children using it.