Chairman's Report 2010

Highwood 

 

Chairman’s report for the Annual Parish meeting 2010

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I am pleased to present what is now my third annual report on the activities of Highwood Parish Council - during the year ending 31st March 2010.

 

The parish council has continued in its present form since my last report in April 2009 - with no changes in councillors; Alyce Harvey continues in her role as Parish Clerk although it is with much regret that I must report that she has indicated her desire to resign from this post.

She will be sorely missed.

 

The council has met in the school hall on the second Tuesday of every other month. At each meeting, planning applications are considered to which the PC offers its opinion.

 

In addition, the following (in alphabetical order) subjects have been discussed:-

 

  • Accounts

Up to date accounts were produced for 31st March showing a balance of £219,694.83. This includes the loan taken out for the village hall.

More on this anon.

 

  • Affordable Housing

A questionnaire was circulated to households within the parish to try and gauge what demand there is for the provision of affordable housing within Highwood.

 

  • Bulb Planting

A community initiative was held in October along some of the verges in the parish. The result of the volunteers’ effort who turned up for this can now be seen and they are enjoyed by all.

 

  • Bus Stop

The council’s request to reposition the stop in Blackmore Road (opposite Ingatestone Road) has caused long running repercussions. It has apparently generated much angst among the powers that be in Chelmsford. It appears that for ‘Health & Safety’ reasons, it may not be relocated – but instead the council saw fit to begin to dismantle the perfectly serviceable shelter in the mistaken belief that we wanted a new one – albeit still in the wrong place.

 

 

This would have been a terrible waste of ratepayers’ money and so they were informed that this was not the case. Through the comedy of errors which this is, they have removed the roof because it had asbestos in it – although being in good condition was not presenting a hazard – but this was before they had another one with which to replace it. Thus, for the post couple of months, all bus passengers are forced to wait in the elements!

 

  • Children’s Playground, Edney Common

The PC has ensured that maintenance has continued to ensure that the play equipment is safe for children to use.  

 

  • Christmas Tree

The PC supplied a Christmas tree and lights which were erected in the grounds of the village hall and now the hall site has an electrical supply, the tree had lights and we did not have to rely on the goodwill of a resident in Sparrows Close.

 

  • Council Tax

The PC element has risen for the reasons stated later in this report.

 

  • Essex Police  

The PC was pleased to meet Gina Bennett who is the new PCSO with responsibility for Highwood. She seems very proactive and keen to assist parishioners with their concerns.

 

  • Footpaths

David Taylor continues to perform an excellent job as our footpaths officer. Thanks are due to David for his sterling work and it is only correct that he should receive an award for his efforts.

 

  • Highways

The state of the roads - particularly after the recent sever winter – has been of concern, as well as the degree of gritting (or lack of it!). Partial resurfacing of Highwood Road in Edney Common has been done on the eastbound carriageway to remove the worst of the potholes.

  • The vehicle activated speed sign in Loves Green seems works only spasmodically. Checks have been made and no defects found but, given that it is solar powered, its lack of activity may be attributed to poor weather – or even, it is hoped, a reduction is vehicle speed through the village?
  • The PC continues to express parishioners’ concerns about the speed of traffic passing through the parish, especially along Highwood Road through Loves Green & Edney Common and attention is promised by PCSO Bennett.
  • Litter Pick


The PC supports the parish litter pick which was held most recently on 3rd May, the previous clean up was on 13th September 2009. Close on thirty volunteers turned out to make Highwood parish considerably cleaner than it had been. Alyce Harvey must be thanked for organising this, and to the parishioners who helped.

 

  • The Nest

The PC was addressed by a Mr Thompson, owner of the site known as ‘The Nest’, in Edney Common; this was followed up by a visit by the PC to Chelmsford Council’s planning department. The PC and Chelmsford council are keen to see this derelict site developed, but until concrete plans are seen (no pun intended), there is not a lot for the PC on which to comment. The PC was pleased to see that proposed development seemed to protect the area of woodland within the site; concerns of residents of Nathans Lane are to be borne in mind whenever any plans are seen. 

 

  • Parish Magazine

The Parish Magazine has continued to appear a monthly basis and the parish council is very grateful to Anne Gooch for regularly producing a high quality publication worthy of Highwood.

 

  • Parish signs

A prototype sign for the boundary of the parish has been produced and was shown to the council; the notion of marking the edges of the parish is causing only marginally less grief from the powers that be than the question of changing a bus stop location! Originally quoted £5,000 per sign by ECC, the PC has found that these could be made for around £85 each in a material unattractive to metal thieves. All sorts of reasons as to why the parish cannot be marked have been trotted out ranging from ‘causing confusion’, ‘unnecessary cluttering’, ‘pointless’ and most bizarrely, ‘cause motorists to break the speed limit?’…

ECC Cllr Aldridge is continuing to pursue the matter.

 

  • Remembrance Day

As in previous years, the PC supplied a wreath which was laid at the Highwood memorial.

 

  • School  

Bunnies Pre-School Group

Highwood PC continues to fund the insurance requirements of the ‘Bunnies’ pre-school group; this parent/toddler group meets at Highwood school twice a week and has been very successful in increasing the roll of pupils at Highwood school.  Thanks must go to Mrs Janet Young for her dedication and hard work with the pre-school group.

 

Head teacher

The school itself now has a new head teacher, Mrs Helen Hutchings who took up her post in September 2009. The school has expanded to four classes from the previous three and current expansion works can be seen today.

Swimming pool

Following a request from the parents’ association, the PC made a grant of £600 to the school to assist in the rebuilding of the swimming pool. This pool was built with money raised by Highwood parents in the 1960’s and is now in need of urgent repair. The grant should ensure that Highwood pupils can enjoy swimming lessons for many years to come.

 

  • Thank yous

I would like to extend a thank you on behalf of the Parish Council to both our Borough Councillor Nicolette Chambers and to our County Councillor John Aldridge for their unstinting support and assistance throughout the year; and especial thanks to Alyce Harvey, the parish clerk for her quiet efficiency. She will be missed.

 

  • Trees/Forestry

The attention of the PC was again drawn to various dead trees in the area of woodland adjacent to Highwood Road, Loves Green with the fear expressed that should they fall in a storm, encroachment of the highway and/or damage to overhead power lines might result - as well as a possibility of death or injury to anyone caught beneath one! There seemed to have been no action following the last complaint about these – so Cllr Chambers kindly agreed to raise this with the relevant department at Chelmsford BC.   

 

  • Village Agent

The PC was addressed by Brenda Smith who is the village agent with responsibility for Highwood. Details of the village agent scheme and how to access their services was included in an issue of the parish magazine.

 

  • Village Hall

Finally some good news! The parish council has grasped the nettle and secured a loan of £200k which should mean that construction of the new hall should commence later this year. While the initial build will be a more modest structure than had been hoped for, parishioners should at last start to see some action on the site.

Cllr Anthony Pipkin and his daughter Petra have continued to work tirelessly towards getting a new village hall for the parish and the parish council would like to express its thanks to them for their unstinting efforts.

Thanks must also go to Cllr Chambers through whose good offices, the Village Hall will have use of the plot of land at the north end of the site at a peppercorn rent. 


In conclusion, I should like to thank my fellow councillors for their help throughout the past year. 2010 promises to be a year in which real and tangible progress will be made in Highwood - and I am looking forward to seeing the village hall site develop.

 

I should also like to offer the congratulations of the parish council to Cllr Trevor Horsnell (and his new wife Lynda) on the occasion of their marriage in Highwood church in March.

 

David Cameron

Chairman – Highwood PC