SPIXWORTH PARISH COUNCIL – ANNUAL PARISH MEETING 29 APRIL 2008

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT OF THE COUNCIL‘S
WORK DURING THE YEAR 2007/08

Councillors’ attendances at Council meetings were as follows:

Mr Barrell 12/12
Ms Cullum 12/12
Mrs Doy 11/12
Mr Fitt 9/12
Mrs Holdroyd 10/12
Mr Manning 9/9
Mr Mills 11/12
Mr Potter 12/12
Mr Sadler 12/12
Mr Thompson 10/12
Mr Ward 9/12
Mr Watson 9/12

The Parish Council is at full strength again, having co-opted Bob Manning in August to fill the vacancy caused by the shortfall in candidates at last May’s election.

The unitary debate continues to concern all town & parish councils in Norfolk, especially in the proposed Greater Norwich area. Spixworth Parish Council has already been included in some consultations through its Quality Council status. The Council maintains its objection to inclusion within any Norwich unitary council, as it feels that Spixworth residents would wish it to remain essentially a rural parish.

Highways matters always figure highly in Parish Council meetings, and recently there has been an unusually high number of accidents along Church Lane and at its junction with Buxton Road. Both the Highways department and the Police have conducted separate investigations into the possible causes, and what remedial or preventative action can be taken. It appears that in several of the cases the fault can be attributed to driver behaviour or error, but as a precautionary measure a section of Church Lane will be resurfaced in this financial year. The Parish Council has continued to call for safety measures at both these locations, but the County Council is the responsible authority that holds the purse strings.

The Northern Distributor Road is still on course for construction – 2012 is still the target date. Closer to home, the resurfacing of Lilian Road footway is planned for July/August this year.

Traffic problems – and especially speeding – continue to be the cause of complaint. The Parish Council paid £2,750 in the last financial year for a further speed-activated flashing sign on Buxton Road indicating to south-bound traffic that a bend and junction are upcoming. The Speed Awareness Messaging system (SAM) has also been operating, helping to reduce speeds.

The Safer Neighbourhood Team initiative has made a noticeable difference to the crime and anti-social behaviour rate in the village. PC Keith Lambert and PCSO Bunting now patrol the village on a regular basis, and the amount of calls to the Control Room about the parish has dropped significantly. The Team liaises regularly with the Parish Council, and PC Lambert attends most Council meetings. The recent Safer Neighbourhood Action Panel (SNAP) meeting, which was held in Spixworth, identified the HGV traffic using Crostwick Lane as a through route as a priority for the next quarter. The 7.5 tonne weight limit zone has not been observed as stringently as hoped, and the Traffic Police should now target the area during the next three months.
There have been some successes this year. The Clerk is a member of the Broadland District Council Play Strategy Working Group which was successful in its bid to the Big Lottery, achieving £200,000 for projects in four parishes, one of which is Spixworth. A youth shelter and some recreational equipment are planned for the Village Hall site, and it is hoped to have this installed by the autumn. The Parish Council also contributed to the fund for the new play equipment for younger children, some of which has already been installed.

As you are aware, the Parish Council and Village Hall Management Committee have been holding joint meetings over the past few months to discuss the way forward for the Village Hall, and how the Parish Council can support it. The Parish Council is keen to ensure the continuance of this valuable village asset.

The Parish Council has responded to 31 planning applications in the last year, as well as responding to consultation on the Development Plan Document, which will ultimately replace the Local Plan. The Parish Council believes that it should respond to consultation when given the opportunity.

Again, I thank our District Councillors, Bali Kular and Chris Thompson for their support. Chris is a glutton for punishment, being a Spixworth Parish Councillor too. Our County Councillor Tony Williams has had a busy year, being a cabinet member for Commercial Services & Efficiency. He still manages to attend Parish Council meetings to hear the views of the Council and parish, and takes forward problems, especially on highways, to the appropriate people.

I would, as always, like to thank my fellow Councillors, Vice Chairman and the Clerk for their support.

Ian Fitt
Chairman, Spixworth Parish Council
29 April 2008