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Left to Right: Cllr Andrew Grant, Cllr Peter Burns, Liz Hart and PCSO Scott Cochrane. |
The Annual Parish Meeting for Helmdon was held on Wednesday 27 April
2011 at 7:30 p.m. in the Reading Room.
Twenty two members of the public and six guests attended the meeting, which followed the recent successful format of a key speaker and then presentations from the village.
Cllr. Peter Burns, chairman of Helmdon Parish Council, delivered the annual report of parish council activities. Peter thanked the councillors that have served the last four year term and said that there was much work still ahead. The proposed wind farm at Spring Ridge and the HS2 railway were issues that the village had to face. There was also the issue of the weak railway bridge that sprouted traffic lights a few months ago. Peter said it was the first ever traffic lights he could remember in Helmdon and said that they might be on the bridge for some time to come. Peter said that the flooding issues of recent years seem to have been resolved thanks to the efforts of councillors and concerned members of the public. The affordable housing development at the bottom of Grange Lane is now underway and occupation is expected early next year. Peter stressed the need for the parish council to work more closely with the district council and hoped for a better relationship on planning matters in the coming term.
Liz Hart, the Clerk to Helmdon Parish Council, reported on the Council's finances for the year ending 31 March 2011. The Council spent £9,178 in the year and finished with £19,995 in the bank. The precept for 11/12 is £10,688, down 1.1% from 10/11.
Three officers from the Brackley East Safer Community Team then gave an outline of police activity over the year. The crime figures for Helmdon for the year to 31 March 2011 are:
| Category |
Year to 31 March 2011 |
| Violent offences |
2 |
| Sexual offences |
0 |
| Burglary - dwelling |
2 |
| Burglary - other |
4 |
| Theft from cars |
1 |
| Theft of cars |
1 |
| Criminal damage |
2 |
| Drug related offences |
0 |
| Theft & handling |
3 |
| Deception & fraud |
0 |
| Total Crimes |
15 |
Crime figures in the future will only be available at ward level. In the Astwell Ward (Helmdon, Syresham and Whitfield) there were 75 crimes altogether (down from 83 the previous year). Members of the public asked the police to look at speeding on Station Road coming up from the school towards the 30mph signs. Cars have been observed doing up to 60mph in the 30mph zone, which is totally unacceptable. The police said that they would try to look in to it.
Helmdon's representative on Northamptonshire County Council (NCC), Cllr Andrew Grant, outlined the severe financial pressure on NCC and said that up to 800 jobs were at risk. Cllr Grant said that he was delighted to be able to support the village via his Councillor's Empowerment Fund, which he had used to buy new chairs for the Reading Room, to support the new Acorns venture and, this year, to purchase two new cookers for the Reading Room kitchen. Cllr Grant said he would follow up the speeding issues on Station Road and also enquire about the traffic lights and how long it might take to repair the bridge.
Next on the agenda was Cllr Robin Digby, Helmdon's representative on South Northants Council (SNC). Cllr Digby said that SNC too were facing hard times financially and were having to restructure, including sharing a Chief Executive with Cherwell District Council in Oxfordshire. Cllr Digby said that the planning application for the proposed wind farm had been received but would likely not come before the Development Control Committee until June. Cllr Digby said "I am currently strongly persuaded by the arguments against the application being approved and am minded to vote against the application assuming I am on the Committee when it is considered. However, i will determine my final stance when I have heard all the relevant arguments for and against the application". Cllr Digby then went on to say that there was no local benefit to HS2 and that the business case for the whole project was flawed.
The audience then heard a presentation from Mark McVitty, Cycling Development Officer at SNC. Mark's project is ACE - Active Cycling for Everyone. ACE aims to bring cycling back in to people's lives in villages in South Northamptonshire. Mark outlined the benefits of cycling, which is cheap, green, healthy, enjoyable and, Mark claims, can even make you more attractive! Full details of the scheme, upcoming events and how to get involved are available at www.southnorthants.gov.uk/ACE.
Next Danny Moody, chair of the Helmdon Parish Plan Group (HPPG), reported on the Parish Plan Refresh project that had been launched at the Annual Parish Meeting in 2010. The work has been finished and Danny gave a brief outline of the conclusions and recommendations. Nine action points have been proposed, including developing an off-road cycle way to Brackley, obtaining better broadband speeds for the village, and reinvigorating HAFWEG, the local environment group. The report will now go to the parish council for consideration in May and, if approved, work can begin on the actions straight away. The HPPG report is available here.
Many of the Village Organisations gave short updates on their activities for the year. There is so much going on in Helmdon and there is literally something for everyone. From the brand new purpose-built Acorns pre-school building (round of applause to Liz Hart and the Acorns committee), to the new Village Cafe set up by Caroline King, Lynn Walmsley and helpers in the newly refurbished Reading Room there is literally never a dull day in Helmdon!
The Annual Parish Meeting celebrates village life in Helmdon and is an annual reminder that we are very lucky to live somewhere with such community spirit.
Peter Burns wrapped up the meeting by thanking Bill England and the Reading Room committee for all the hard work and fundraising (over £20,000) that has been done to refurbish the Reading Room and have it looking so splendid and to thank once again everyone that has contributed, in whatever way, to making Helmdon the place it is.
The next Annual Parish Meeting will be held on 25 April 2012, so put the date
in your diary now!
Danny Moody
Links in this section >>
Report on the Annual Parish Meeting in 2010
Report on the Annual Parish Meeting in 2009
Report on the Annual Parish Meeting in 2008
Report on the Annual Parish Meeting in 2007
Report on the Annual Parish Meeting
in 2006
Report on the Annual Parish Meeting
in 2005
Report on the Annual Parish Meeting
in 2004
Report on the Annual Parish Meeting in 2003
Report on the Annual Parish Meeting
in 2002
Report on the Annual Parish Meeting
in 2001
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