BELMONT RURAL PARISH COUNCIL INFO
August 2005 - November 2005 newsletter
BELMONT RURAL
Decisions taken and money spent
by your local Parish Council
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BRIEFS

VACANCIES FILLED Following the resignations of Pauline Stallard and Yvonne Patterson from the Parish Council, Joyce Clare and David Cook have been co-opted.

WEED SPRAYING Now complete. Contractor asked to sweep clear remaining weeds.

ALCOHOL PURCHASE Tesco have installed signs re. age of customers following approaches by the PC.

LIGHTLESS An offer to enter a draw for a grant of £2500 to pay for communal Christmas lights was rejected. The PC has no land for such a display.

PARTY/DOOR The PC agreed to make £300 available to the South Wye Community Association (who run the Eastholme Community Centre) towards the cost of the Christmas party for local children and OAPs. This is back-up funding for use in the unlikely event that insufficient funds are not available elsewhere. A further sum of £900 has been allocated to cover the cost of a new emergency door at the Centre.

FREIGHTER Dates for the Parish Freighter rubbish removal service have been booked for 2006 and 2007 although the previous pattern (first and third Saturdays) cannot be maintained for every month.

BOARD. New noticeboard for Abbotsmead Rd to be supplied shortly.

MANHOLES Repairs to manhole covers at the junction of Oulton Avenue and Stanbrook Road (the responsibility of Welsh Water) have been completed.

LOCKS Locks on the Landfill no-entry bollards (off Dorchester Way) have been damaged and are to be repaired by Herefordshire Council.

Northolme Centre: two decisions

1. New group may apply for funds
The newly formed Northolme Community Centre Association provided a written report for the PC giving a proposed timetable for refurbishing the shell building. In a verbal update, Dist. Coun. Glenda Powell indicated that Herefordshire Council has agreed in principle to offer the lease to the group.

The timetable suggests that the group may request financial assistance this financial year and this will be an agenda item at the next PC meeting.

It was clarified that NCCA could apply for funding even though the funds had been originally precepted in support of the South Wye Foundation proposals. The Clerk confirmed there was no restriction on members agreeing to fund requests from any organisation for this or any other project, subject to procedures agreed earlier in the November 1 meeting.

2. Legal expenses shortfall accepted
A loan of £1000 was advanced by the PC some time ago to the South Wye Foundation to assist in the development of the Northolme Community Centre, and on the understanding that it would be repaid in full if the project did not go ahead. As reported earlier, the SWF has withdrawn from this work and proposed to pay back £823.75, the shortfall having gone on legal expenses.

The PC voted to accept this situation (six for, one abstention) although Coun. Joyce Clare asked if any interest had accrued on the loan which might defray these legal expenses. Andy Myatt will look into this on behalf of the SWF.

Play/kickabout for Dorchester site
A decision on the future use of land to the rear of Dorchester Way (the subject of a CPO) was delayed so that members of Herefordshire Planning Committee could visit the site. Afterwards members accepted the original proposal that the land be adapted for use as an adventure playground and a kickabout area.

However, the proposal was debated by the Parish Council especially at the November 1 meeting.

• It was pointed out that Hereford Council officer, Peter Yates, had incorrectly reported the PC’s formal observations on the planning application and was asked to correct this inaccuracy at the planning committee meeting.

• It was suggested that the PC’s formal observations did not reflect the views of a public meeting held on September 5. The chairman explained that the September 5 meeting was not part of the PC process which is to consider the interests of the parish as a whole.

• A member of the public amplified the chairman’s response saying that the PC should represent all the parish and not just the residents of Dorchester Way.

Funding request procedure drafted
In recent months the PC has been the target of a number of funding requests - some for substantial sums relative to the assets the PC derives from its annual precept.

To make things easier for applicants and to ensure that the PC has sufficient information about possible calls on its funds when establishing its precept, the clerk has created a draft procedure which has now been adopted.
A copy of the procedure, application form and guidance notes can be seen on the website (see address below).

PC supports local youth project
Herefordshire’s Youth Services has asked the PC for financial help in running activities for young people in the parish at the Eastholme Centre. Two sums are mentioned: £500 to cover the cost of room hire and some materials for the rest of the financial year, together with consideration of a further £1400 to be made in financial year 2006/7.

The PC regards this as a valuable service for young people and is granting the £500 immediately.
Crime and non-crime on the estate

“A relatively quiet period of criminal and anti-social behaviour (on the estate)” was reported by PC Paul Greenwood on November 1. The area near the Eastholme Community Centre had quietened since the opening of a ball park in Waterside Road. Halloween saw only one call-out. Other points:

• Police were asked to patrol an area of the Landfill close to the Wye where children have created a cycle track by digging into the soil and exposing the membrane at one point.

• Residents of Chichester Close, who wrote alleging anti-social behaviour near the Northolme Road bench, were asked to attend the next PC meeting to voice their concerns.

• A letter expressed concern at vehicle speeds on Northolme Road near the Dorchester Way roundabout. Coun. Phil Edwards said in the absence of accidents there a resource allocation is unlikely. It is hoped that the “Children at Play” signs, soon to be installed, will help.

Belmont now has a new website
Use the address below to find out about:

• Parish Affairs.Up-to-date coverage of Parish Council activities plus significant local background material (eg, a complete version of the Parish Plan, photographs of all the councillors, copies of the last two newsletters, etc)

• What’s on - regular and one-off events. Belmont People - a man who is building a plane in his garage, and more. What’s new - random news stories. OAP Sleepers - singing the unsung. Oddities - just that.

• Online forum - two-way emails

www.belmontrural.co.uk

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