BISHAMPTON AND THROCKMORTON PARISH COUNCIL

PARISH COUNCIL NEWS: MARCH 2007

Mobile Phone Base Station

Junior Play Area

Sewer/Roadworks

Affordable Housing

Mass Housing Development

Throckmorton Development Plan

Parish Plan

Memorial for Canadian Airmen

Elections

Post Offices

 

Mobile Phone Base Station
The council discussed the plans for the mobile phone base station at Nightingale Farm and released a statement clearly outlining its position on the matter, which has been pinned on the notice board. It is also available for viewing on the council’s web site where the draft minutes of this month’s meeting will soon be available for anyone who wants to learn more about the discussions.

Junior Play Area 
The Junior Play Area committee is still hard at work trying to gather grants to fund the exciting new plans for the play area. The planning application has been submitted and villagers’ views gathered on the plans and design, for which there was unanimous support. Anyone who can offer any funding, or donations of any kind, can contact the clerk as below. 

Sewer/Roadworks 
It appears the sewer workers are approximately four weeks behind schedule, due to the snow, torrential rain and more difficult digging conditions than anticipated. The council will be keeping watch on the state the village is left in. There is a site office at the northern (Abberton Road) end of the works, if anyone needs to talk to the people in charge. 

Affordable Housing
The wheels are being put in motion for a survey of the need for affordable housing in the parish. Wychavon District Council will be supplying the survey and analysing the results. Please fill it in and return it if you can when it drops through your door, probably after Easter.

Mass Housing Development
There are plans to build up to 20,000 new homes in Wychavon as part of what is called the Regional Spatial Strategy – a new blueprint being drawn up on where to place new development. The parish council has sent its strong objections to any large scale 'new town' development to the West Midlands Regional Assembly.

Throckmorton Development Plan
Wychavon District Council has now removed the extra clause it had added to the document which sets out policy for the development of Throckmorton airfield. Several routes to the airfield from the main road at Wyre Piddle are being considered but the council was against any option which would allow the northern entrance of the airfield to remain open. Thanks to lobbying by Wychavon councillors Liz Tucker and Malcolm Argyle, along with parish council input, that option has now been removed, at least until proper consultation takes place. Developments will be reported to the parish council.

Parish Plan 
The Parish Plan has now been formally adopted by Wychavon District Council which means that parishioners’ views, collected within it, must be taken into consideration when it makes decisions affecting this area.

Memorial for Canadian Airmen
There are plans to build some sort of memorial for the Canadian airmen who lost their lives while fighting in the war from their base at Throckmorton airfield. Councillor Toni Gilligan is arranging a meeting to try to develop the idea. Anyone who would like to be involved can contact the clerk, as below, to be put in touch.

Elections
Parish and district elections take place on May 3^rd this year. Anyone who would like to join the parish council can contact Wychavon District Council (01386 565000) or the clerk, as below, for more details and nomination forms.

Post Offices 
There is a nationwide campaign under way against plans by the Post Office to close some of its smaller branches. The council will be discussing this at its next meeting in readiness to act in the event of Bishampton finding itself targeted. Anyone with any views can send them in to the clerk for the councillors to consider at the meeting. 

The next parish council meeting is scheduled for April 2nd at 7.30pm at the Parish Room in Throckmorton. It will begin with an open forum session when people are welcome to raise issues for consideration by the council. Alternatively, contact the Parish Clerk Carolyn Morris on 01386 554058 (fimor@aol.com).