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www.cornard.info |
The Great Cornard Information Website |
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Parish Council Updates - 2011 |
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Page updated - 22 August 2011 |
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Parish Council Offices. The Stevenson Centre, Stevenson Approach, Great Cornard, Sudbury, Suffolk. CO10 0WD. Tel: (01787) 373212. |
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These reports first appeared in the Cornard News Newsletter |
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August 2011 GREAT CORNARD PARISH COUNCIL
2011 Great Cornard Parish Council appointments: Chairman - Cllr Mick Cornish. Vice-Chair - Cllr Pamela White
Art, Sport & Leisure: Chairman - Cllr Mark Newman, Vice-Chairman - Stewart Sheridan. Development & Planning: Chairman - Cllr Neil MacMaster, Vice-Chairman - Cllr Frances Jackson. Policy & Resources: Chairman - Cllr Tony Bavington, Vice-Chairman - Cllr Neil MacMaster.
16 May 2011. Full Council. The election result for the South Ward failed to declare Mr Nicholas May as successful. The Returning Officer apologised & taken full responsibility for the error. Mr May now has the option to submit an Electoral Petition to the High Court. The wrongly-declared candidate did not take up his seat. Councillors were dismayed that Mr L. Clark had not signed his Declaration of Acceptance of Office. This vacancy would be advertised as soon as possible.
Members of the Council’s committees & representatives on outside bodies were appointed. Cllr White reported the Car Boot sales had started and requested some assistance.
After discussion, it was resolved to revoke the resolution made by the Council on 24 May 2010 and the County Councillor would now be allowed to take a seat at the table, give a report and take questions from members & the public. Also, a copy of the Council’s agenda & minutes would be sent to the County Councillor each month.
A Police report stated figures were up from the previous year because of an incident at the Sports Ground in Blackhouse Lane and confirmed the Police & Babergh District Council (BDC) were in discussions to ensure the licensed premises at Cornard United were being run responsibly. The Police had launched ‘Street Watch’, a new scheme to give residents an opportunity to work with their neighbours, identify problem areas & feed information to the Police.
13 June 2011. Full Council. The Chairman announced Mr May had lodged an Electoral Petition and was waiting for the hearing date. A by-election for the vacancy on the Council would take place on 28 July 2011. Cornard United Football Club has recently had a three months suspension on their alcohol licence. It was resolved to grant-aid £900, to the First Great Cornard Scouts, towards the cost of the November fireworks display.
District Councillor reports: Cllr Newman he would be attending his first Overview & Scrutiny meeting where car parking charges were due to be discussed. Cllr MacMaster, a member of the Housing Panel, would be looking into raising the standard of the Council’s housing stock.
Cllr Bavington said voters in South & Central Suffolk disagreed on the proposal for a merger between Babergh & Mid Suffolk District Councils. Across the districts, 49.7% voted ‘yes’ to the merger and 50.3% voted ‘no’. In Babergh, 39.1% voted ‘yes’ and 60.9% voted ‘no’. The integration of the two councils’ staffing & services would go ahead and the newly appointed Chief Executive was expected to start implementing changes at a rapid speed.
11 July 2011. Full Council. Members heard that BDC were conducting a review of Polling districts & places. Several members felt that as the village had grown considerably in the last few years, more polling places are needed. This matter will be referred to the next Policy & Resources meeting. It was agreed to form a working party for the over 60’s Christmas Party. Grant Applications were received and discussed by Councillors before amounts were agreed.
At the end of July, Tracy Welsh (Labour) gained the vacant seat at the by-election. The High Court ruled that Mr. Nicholas May (Independent) should take his seat on the Council. Of the 14 seats, the Labour Party have 8, the Conservative Party 2 & Independent have 4. The Labour Party has taken control of the Parish Council.
Councillor Frances Jackson – Great Cornard Parish Council
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April 2011 GREAT CORNARD PARISH COUNCIL
14 February 2011. Full Council. Concerns were raised regarding the sustained objections to the planning application of the proposed development east of Carsons Drive. As Persimmon Homes would not be seeking to retain ownership of the proposed woodland & nature conservation area on the site it was resolved the Council would discuss acquiring the ownership of this area, without obligation as well as being involved in proposals for the future resourcing and planting of the site.
In response to the National Grid press release concerning the ‘undergrounding’ of cables it was resolved to reply stating the Council would prefer underground cabling wherever practicable and beneficial.
28 February 2011. Development & Planning. After the recent icy weather the council had received requests for more grit/salt bins to be sited in the parish. Residents of Chelsworth Avenue had clubbed together and purchased their own bin. It was agreed to carry out a survey of grit bin provision with a view to installing new bins where appropriate.
Recreation & Leisure. Sudbury Town Council had sent a letter explaining as the skateboard park would now be relocated within Belle Vue Park the joint project to move it to the Shawlands area would not be required. It was proposed that Babergh District Council be approached with a view to acquiring ownership of the land previously earmarked for this project that could be added to the Shawlands Wood & the £6,000 earmarked funds should be retained for work that may be required at the site.
Councillor Sayers proposed that equipment suitable for young adults should be installed on the Recreation Ground; Section 106 money may be available from Babergh or the locality budget money from the Great Cornard County Councillor. Councillors were reminded that equipment suitable for teenagers was about to be installed in the Country Park. It was resolved that Council Officers obtain an estimate of the cost for installing two permanent sets of goalposts on the Recreation Ground and marking out a 5-a-side football pitch.
14 March 2011. Full Council. A report was received from the newly formed ‘Rapid Response’ Working Party set up to discuss the New Strategic Direction measures from Suffolk County Council. It was recommended that if the Great Cornard County Councillor was prepared to fund the School Crossing Patrol for two terms in the coming year, then the Parish Council should fund the third term, provided that the management infrastructure remains in place or can be provided by an appropriate body.
Regarding Great Cornard Library, in order to maintain public access on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, it was resolved that the Parish Council express an interest to the County Council in providing some funding to the library & to request a copy of the Business Plan for the library. Also two Councillors be appointed to meet, together with the Council Manager and the Headmaster of the Upper School, in order to explore the options more fully.
It was resolved to recommend the Parish Council should express an interest to the County Council in Youth Services operating out of Wells Hall Old School, with a view to further discussions concerning youth & young adult provision in Great Cornard.
Councillor Frances Jackson – Great Cornard Parish Council
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February 2011 GREAT CORNARD PARISH COUNCIL
22 November 2010. Development & Planning. Councillors confirmed the Broom Street / Stevenson Approach junction remained a problem & asked that monitoring of the area be continued. Members were asked to consider further amendments to plans for the proposed development at Carson’s Drive. Cllr Platt updated members on the recent site visit made by Babergh District Council’s Planning Ctte. Members recommended refusal of further amendments to the plans before them, as many concerns had not been addressed within these amendments. Council had previously raised many points concerning environmental issues particularly referring to the proposed treatment of surface water & flooding and, replying to this amendment, referred to a recent meeting involving County, District & Parish Councillors where flooding issues in Gt. Cornard were discussed. It was hoped that qualified engineers would examine the Revised Flood Risk Assessment in detail. The Committee approved the erection of the proposed Sainsburys Food Store in Cornard Road, Sudbury.
Recreation & Leisure. Members were very pleased to hear that the mains-water leak at the Blackhouse Lane Sports Ground had been located and fixed. It was agreed that the committee should monitor the next water bill and look into the usage in six months time.
13 December 2010. Full Council. The Council Manager said the Parish Council had received an award. [See Gold Award for Facility - Ed.] PC Pearson presented the police report & informed members there had been 17 domestic burglaries in the last month. Police were working on crime prevention that had included leaflet drops, advice to residents to ‘fully lock’ their glazing and the increase of visible police patrols in the area. Members were pleased to note work to refurbish the Village Hall kitchen & toilets is complete and the Scouts group could now carry out their activities in a safe, pleasant environment.
24 January 2011. Full Council. The Chairman advised Councillors to regularly check the Suffolk County Council (SCC) website for details of possible County Council cuts to public services affecting Great Cornard. Some councillors were concerned about the way the consultations were being conducted as not all members of the public had access to a computer. Also there did not appear to be any public meetings arranged where SCC Officers & Councillors could listen to the views of the public. There were concerns expressed regarding a possible loss of ‘community hours’ at the library in Gt. Cornard Upper School and the possible loss of the School Crossing Patrol on the Head Lane / Canhams Road junction. It was agreed that a letter should be sent to SCC as soon as possible to express the Parish Council’s concerns and interest in keeping these services. A flyer would be distributed to parents using the crossing so that they could also petition SCC. Also, all Parish Councillors should keep a watching brief on future Gt. Cornard cutbacks, so appropriate action could be taken within the various consultation deadlines.
PC Pearson gave the police report and was pleased to inform Councillors that a person had been apprehended regarding the recent burglaries. [See 13 Dec 2010 above - Ed.] The officer raised concerns regarding growing number of young people meeting at the shelter on the Recreation Ground at the Stevenson Centre. Young people, congregating there at night, were making a noise, causing distress to people living nearby. Police felt it might help if lighting was installed in the shelter. Litterbins were being emptied around the area and Councillors were shocked to learn that bottles had been broken and deliberately 'planted' in the grass - an action that could cause great harm to any person or animal treading on the shards. PC Pearson also raised concerns regarding parking at the Broom Street / Stevenson Centre junction. Councillors agreed with her comments and assured her that they were trying to resolve the matter. So far SCC had not responded favourably to the Parish Council's recommendation for yellow lines to be placed at this site. Instead they had placed a railing outside the shop and Councillors did not feel this measure was working. All concerns raised by PC Pearson would be brought before the appropriate committees.
Councillor Frances Jackson – Great Cornard Parish Council
GOLD AWARD FOR FACILITY The new ‘Adult Exercise Area’ or ‘Outdoor Gym’ installed by Great Cornard Parish Council, which represents a new concept in health and fitness for all, being designed for all ages from teenagers through to the elderly, has been recognised by a Gold Award from Healthy Ambitions Suffolk. The award was made for the most ‘Exciting and Innovative Achievement of the Year’.
Supplied by fresh-air Fitness, a not for profit company from Woking, the equipment has been professionally designed and developed to be permanently installed outdoors, making it free to use and accessible to all. Its clever design makes it safe to use with the resistance being provided by the user’s own body weight.
For many people those first initial steps to becoming more physically active can be the hardest. Being free, convenient and accessible to all, the equipment removes many of the barriers that might otherwise prevent people from taking those first steps. Well-documented research has shown that even small amounts of regular exercise have measurable benefits towards physical and mental health and wellbeing.
The Council Manager had seen similar facilities installed on the continent, but was prompted to look into the possibility of installing such a gym in Great Cornard by a letter from a local resident. He was then successful in securing funding for the project from ‘Section 106’ money through Babergh District Council. That is money paid to the planning authority, by developers, for the provision of recreational and other facilities.
This installation adds to the excellent health and fitness facilities available in Great Cornard which include the Country Park, the Parish Council’s Blackhouse Lane Sports Ground (home to Cornard United, Cornard Dynamos and the Cricket Club), Sudbury Rugby Club’s new facilities, the newly upgraded Upper School sports centre, including the swimming pool, part funded by the Parish Council, and of course, the existing children’s play areas.
OVER 60’s CHRISTMAS PARTY On 8 December 2010 Great Cornard Parish Council, once again, held its FREE Christmas Party for the over 60’s of the Parish.
Over 80 folk from Great Cornard were served a tea by a team of ‘elves’ from Great Cornard Middle School. Councillor Anne Harper-Clark, her husband Leon, prepared the food with assistance from Mrs Sylvie Thomas and Cllr. Carol Todd. The Chairman, Humphrey Todd assisted by Councillors Mrs. Marion Press, Tony Harman, David Thomas, and Colin Wright, was on hand to welcome the guests.
Music for the event was provided by the professional entertainer, ‘Just Clarky’. Father Christmas was in attendance and took a very active part in ‘dancing’. [I bet slept well – Ed.] The afternoon was orchestrated by ‘Master of Ceremonies’ Council Manager Michael Fitt with the Deputy Clerk Nadine Tamlyn.
As with previous years the funding for the party has been provided by the Car Boot Sales run during June and July on the Recreation Ground by Cllrs. Humphrey Todd, Anne Harper-Clark, and Carol Todd, together with Anne’s husband Leon. Bearing in mind that this team has to be in attendance every Saturday during the summer, and whether the weather is hot, cold, or extremely wet, then this really is dedication.
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