Annual Report for 2012/2013

Personnel

2012 saw a change in personnel as we thanked Jinny Gale for her hard work chairing the Parish Council for 3 years. I took over as Chairman with Jane Banks as Vice chair. We are pleased to welcome Andy Beharrell as councillor for Virley. He joins the rest of the current councillors: Peldon: John Walker, Charles Dymond; Wigboroughs :Jinny Gale, Phil Gladwin, Salcott: Netty Knill-Jones and Lynn Simmons.

This year we have added another venue – in addition to the PC meetings being held in Peldon and Salcott Village Halls, we are also using the new meeting rooms at Essex Wildlife Trust, Abbotts Hall, Gt Wigborough to offer more flexibility to our residents.

Thanks

The team have been grateful for the interest and involvement of our residents which helps to focus our work. We are supported by many in the parish who give their time to their community, those who do regular and occasional work, our Borough and County Councillors, our colleagues from Essex Police who have regularly turned up to our meetings and our hardworking Clerk.

This year we have been very well supported by the Community Service Team who have assisted with a lot of heavy clearance in Moss Hay and the Wigboroughs.

Our local Zone wardens have also been welcomed at our recent meetings and have been a very effective quick response team within the community.

Finances

The Council has had the benefit of financial worksheets drawn up monthly by our clerk. We have needed to scrutinise all activities due to the tightening budget as a direct result of CBC withdrawing most of the revenue grant. The accounts to 31st March 2013 are attached. They have been internally audited, thank you to Steve Copeland for his assistance.

Planning

The Council continues to have training in current planning legislation and has been using our Village Design Statement when reviewing local planning applications. This year we have commented on over 30 local applications and would encourage residents to continue making their views known to us.

Play Areas

These continue to be well managed and are inspected regularly. The play area at Salcott has benefited with the addition of rubber chippings which we expect to be more cost effective in it’s maintenance. Peldon has had it’s basketball pad replaced with grants from the ECC Big Society Fund and CBC Locality Budget Grant , than you to Councillor Terry Sutton . John Walker had dog fouling notices made up and these were erected.

Broadband initiative

A huge amount of work has been carried out with particular thanks to John Walker and a contract which includes details of installation and costs etc has been drawn up between Winstred Hundred Parish Council and County Broadband Ltd. A launch event is anticipated in June/July 2013.

Flooding

In Salcott work has been carried out to improve the flooding problems we have there, further inspection during wet weather has been carried out by the CBC land drainage technician and there are noticeable improvements. More work is still to be done with the support of local landowners.

Other Activities

Councillors have continued to attend meetings of the Essex Wildlife Trust; the Abberton Reservoir Liaison Group which includes the Abberton Reservoir community fund – Phil Gladwin continues to put a lot of work into this committee on our behalf.

There has also been a newly formed Abberton Reservoir Footpath Committee. Wigborough Village Hall Committee both Jinny Gale and Phil Gladwin are our representatives and the Colchester Association of Local Councils is regularly attended.

The clerk attends the Clerk’s forum.

The team continually takes information from our residents forward – reporting on potholes, speeding, litter, missing/broken signs/play equipment and problem areas. Grass cutting of public areas continues to be paid for from the precept. The Parish Council is made up of elected representatives who volunteer their time and support for the residents and parish of Winstred Hundred, as a new chair in 2012 year I have been very grateful for their help and encouragement.

Nicky Ellis

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