CHINNOR

PARISH COUNCIL

                                                

NEWSLETTER

 

Issue 13                                                                                                                                                                                                  August 2007

 

 

Youth Club

The Youth Club is now becoming ever more popular and is need of more volunteers. As well as helpers for the club nights they desperately need accounts and secretarial support. The club has to keep very basic accounts and need a person with knowledge of simple accounts to act as treasurer, (you do not need to be an accountant!), and a secretarial person to deal with correspondence and particularly to deal with grant applications etc.

If you can offer these skills, please contact Liz Folley at the parish office (tel. 353267) who will pass your information to the Youth Leader.

Building regulation plans are currently being prepared to modify a part of the Whites Field pavilion to improve and extend the facilities for the Youth Club. The work is internal alterations to provide a games room, secure storage, and toilets separated from the changing rooms.

The hall will still be available for private hire through the PC office, and the new facilities will improve conditions for all users.

 

Cement Works

The Parish Council (PC) has at last received a copy of Taylor Wimpey’s planning application for the Cement Works site, only to be informed one week later that it has been withdrawn.

We have been told unofficially that the reason for this is that there is insufficient detail for the renovation of the quarry area, and the plan for the main building development area should remain substantially the same. Anyone wishing to see the (withdrawn) application should make an appointment with the Parish Clerk on tel. no. 353267. The (withdrawn) application is also available on the Chinnor Parish web site,www.chinnorparishcouncil.org.uk ,with a direct link to the District Council web site.

We will keep you informed of any further developments.

 

Sports Facilities.

The PC has been in contact with Taylor Wimpey (TW) to try and obtain a small part of the quarry site for an additional sports field. Once the requisite conservation work has been carried out there should be safe areas where a sports field could be sited without disturbing any endangered species.

Due to the amalgamation of Taylor Woodrow and Wimpey, the discussions have been stalled, but the PC has now reopened communication with the new TW and will pursue the matter further.

 

The PC is also bidding, in conjunction with The Youth Football Club, for a grant for an all weather training pitch to be sited on the Mill Lane sports field. This should provide better facilities for other sports as well.

 

Flooding

Although not situated on a flood plain, the recent bad weather did cause some incidents in Chinnor, only one of which was reported directly to the PC.

The PC is not responsible for the drainage system, but if this recent weather is to become more regular it would be sensible to have a contingency plan for any areas seriously affected, and to try and pressurise the County Council to improve the system we have.

So, if you were affected by the storms, we would like to know the details.

 

 

 

Policing

There have been numerous complaints of parked vehicles blocking footpaths. This is illegal, and dangerous to pedestrians, particularly people with child buggies and people in wheel chairs who have to go into the road to get by.

Our Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) will be taking a much firmer line with these vehicles, which may result in a fixed penalty fine.

You have been warned!!

 

Finance

With several large projects in progress in the village such as the Village Hall refurbishment and the Playing Field Pavilion re-build, over the last few years the PC has built up a substantial amount of money in anticipation of these projects. This money has been kept in a relatively low interest account at the bank.

 The PC feels that this money should be earning far better interest and has set up a small sub committee to investigate investment possibilities.

The PC is bound by very strict investment rules and cannot place money in speculative accounts, but it is still possible to obtain better interest rates than we currently get. Any investment suggestions must be approved by the whole Parish Council.

The PC is also trying to rationalise the way grants are distributed from the Parish funds. To date this has been done by the Finance and General Purposes Committee who consider each application when it arrives, which is not always ideal, and makes it difficult to include a calculated amount in the annual budget. The PC, conscious that we are distributing public money, is preparing guidelines to which applications should conform. These can then be used when considering future requests.

These guidelines will be approved by the full council before adoption.

 

 

 

Dates for the next two Parish Council meetings:-

10th September, and 8th October

 

 

 

 

Published by: Chinnor Parish Council:  August 2007.