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Serving the Community of Burton Joyce |
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Burton Joyce Parish Council |
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BJ Parish Council Latest News |
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Wind turbine worries or comments contact us on windturbines@ burtonjoyceparish council.org.uk |
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March 2011- Roberts Recreation Ground funding applications begin. Has appointed Groundworks to design and manage the new £200k playground scheme . A not for profit organisation with large experience in playground design. The BJPC hope to access £150k of funds itself and is assisting a local group made up of residents and parent called Friends of the Roberts Recreation Group apply for a Community Grant for £50k to put towards the venture. If you wish to join the group and help change the Playground and assist in its concept and design then please contact Nicola at friendsofrrg@hotmail.co.uk. Part of the work will hopefully be started later on in 2011. |
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March 2011 Wind Turbine application hits stormy weather. The BJPC wind turbine working group is still continuing to work on further details for the turbine application. Latest indications confirm that The Environment Agency has agreed with BJPC that the risk of groundwater contamination of the aquifer using concrete piles is too great and have issue a notice preventing their use. Problems with the sound measurement to ETSU R97 have also been raised and new evidence of none compliance has been submitted. Sport England have also voiced concerns over the impact and potential closure of the Poplars Sports ground. Daily Mail article questioning on onshore efficiency here . |
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Station Road Flood Embankment Improvement Scheme. Following on from the construction of the Crock Dumble pumping station, work will begin in March to construct a new flood embankment adjacent to the railway in Burton Joyce. This is the 2nd and final phase of the flood alleviation scheme for the village. It is anticipated that the work will take approximately 4 months to complete. During that time, there will be increased construction traffic during normal working hours (7.30am to 3.30pm) through the village and particularly on Station Road. Any enquiries regarding the woks should be directed to Barbara Rumble at the Environment Agency on 07802 330222 or by e-mail on barbara.rumble@environment-agency.gov.uk As part of the scheme, Notts County Council will be closing the footpath from St Helens Crescent toward the river for 6 months from the 10th March.
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June 2011 BJPC to meet with Notts Library Services to assist in reducing impact of reduced hours . NCC Library Services have already eased fears by adding additional hours and bringing in a self serve book checking system. Further work with volunteers is needed. Councillors are to meet at County hall to discuss further options |
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Library JULY 2011 The Parish Council is considering relocating its Parish Office to the Library. Discussions with the Library Services are in the early stages and both parties are looking into the financial and practical implications before a decision is made. The Council is keen to ensure that the move will have a positive impact for Library services in Burton Joyce and it is hoped that the planned re-location will mean that the Library can be opened for an additional 3.5 hours per week.
Train Services The Parish Council has written to East Midlands Trains once again in an attempt to increase the number of trains that stop in Burton Joyce. Following their suggestion that the Council “encourage and develop measures which might get the average number of passengers per train” we have pointed out that unless there are trains which stop at Burton Joyce for our residents to get on it is impossible to do this. Many of our residents travel – at some inconvenience – to Lowdham or other local stations to join the train and therefore we believe that this skews East Midlands Trains data somewhat. Since publicizing our request the Parish Council has received a significant level of support from people who say they would be happy to use the train more if there were more opportunities for them to do so. They believe it unreasonable that more frequent stops are made at stations which support less populated areas. The Parish Council has asked East Midlands Trains that, as a minimum, they should introduce the following stops at Burton Joyce: The 9.23am and 15.27pm trains from Nottingham The 12.37pm and the 17.03pm from Newark Vernon Coaker MP has been copied in on the correspondence and we now await a response.
Roberts Recreation Ground The Friends of Roberts Recreation Ground has completed the initial consultation into what children and parents want at the playground. This will now go to the designers for them to draw up a draft plan which will be considered by the Council in September before it goes out for a second consultation period. Funding applications are going well and so far approx £100k has been secured.
Highways The Highways Department at Notts County Council has advised that work is underway to resolve the issue of flooding along Meadow Lane. Specialist camera equipment is being used to determine the problem with the blocked gully before remedial work is undertaken. As a result of public feedback, Notts County Council has announced that it will be adding one additional grass cut this year. Guidelines have also been issued for residents who may wish to cut the grass verges outside their homes. The guidelines highlight what needs to be considered when cutting grass near the roadside. Copies of the guidelines are available from the Parish Office or they can be found online at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/roadverges
Wind Turbines The latest situation at the 5th July is that Severn Trent Water (STW) has acknowledged to Gedling Borough Council that there is a potential problem with the sound measurements they submitted as part of their application. STW will now redo the measurements during this winter and re-submit the information for consideration. The reason they have given for the delay is that building work is in progress currently to reduce the noise generated by the STW plant at Stoke Bardolph and this will impact on the level of background noise. The Parish Council is exploring what means may be available to bring about a resolution to this protracted planning issue.
Bus Plug The 6 month period of consultation with regard to the future of the bus plug ended on Monday 11th July. Early indications suggest that almost 600 people gave their views to Notts County Council. It is expected that the results of the consultation will be announced during August.
Christmas Lights We know it’s only July but the Parish Council has resolved to install the festive lighting using its own staff this year.
Councillor Training The majority of Councillors attended a National association of Local Council’s training course in June, which looked at the respective roles of the Clerk and Councillors, Standing Orders, Finance and Law and Procedures.
Allotments Councillors approved a revised allotment tenancy agreement at its meeting in June which will be rolled out in the Autumn. A number of thefts have been reported by allotment holders over the last few weeks and PC Simon Wells and PCSO Lievesley have increased their patrols down there and will also be advising allotment holders on security improvements.
Donations The Parish Council approved a donation of £500 towards the cost of repairing the roof at St Helen’s Old Church Hall. |
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Festive Lighting NOVEMBER 2011 The Christmas lights are to be switched on in the village centre at 4pm on Saturday 3rd December. Join the children of Burton Joyce Primary School as they lead the procession from the School and sing carols around the tree.
Roberts Recreation Ground The Parish Council, at its meeting on the 1st November, approved for further consultation an exciting plan for the refurbishment of the playground. The Friends of the Roberts Recreation Ground will once again be undertaking a further period of consultation before the plans are finally approved. It is anticipated that work will start early in the New Year. The Friends Group are doing an excellent job of raising awareness and funds for the project and, in order to make sure that as much of the money raised as possible goes towards the new play equipment, they are asking for individuals or companies to sponsor individual items such as the benches. A donation of £450 would buy a quality bench with an engraved plaque showing the name of the donor. The money saved by these donations will be used on more play equipment for our children. If you or your company is interested in helping the development of this well used facility please contact clerk@burtonjoyceparishcouncil.org.uk
Library Agreement has been reached with Notts County Council Library Services for the Parish Office to move into their premises on Meadow Lane. Councillors were keen to ensure that the move was dependent on the core library opening hours being protected for residents, securing an additional half day opening per week. It is hoped that the move will happen early in the New Year
Wind Turbines The Parish Council is still waiting for a full reply to the letters of complaint to Gedling Borough Council and Severn Trent Water re the delay in providing information to allow the planning application to be decided.
Budget 2012-13 Gedling Borough Council has arranged a meeting on the 30th November at which it is likely that they will confirm their funding to Parish Councils will stop at the end of this financial year. Should this happen, it will mean a loss of approximately 20% of the Parish Council’s income for the year 2012-13, some readers will remembers that a similar amount was withdrawn by Gedling Borough Council last year. The impact of this, combined with the effect of the withdrawal or reduction of some services previously carried out by the County and Borough Councils – such as the reduction of grass verge cutting and the closure of the public toilets – and the expectation that the Parish Council will take these services on will have a significant impact on the way the budget for next year is determined. Each of the 1500 household in the village currently pays an annual ‘precept’ of approximately £42.57 to BJPC in addition to their council tax which is the money used to provide direct local services to Burton Joyce such as the cemetery, playground, Poplars sports centre, the Grove, war memorial, village floral and Christmas displays etc. The Parish Council has also until now, received a subsidy from Gedling Borough Council in the form of a revenue grant to the value of £25,000 per annum which helps to meet the shortfall from the precept and any other income received. In response to a letter from GBC announcing these proposals BJPC has written back complaining strongly about this grossly unfair treatment of Parish Finances. Included is the observation that ”We (BJPC) consider that your proposal, if implemented without due thought and consultation, would be fundamentally unfair to the residents of Burton Joyce and in addition would put BJPC in an intolerable position of having to increase the precept in order to protect the higher level and standards of services provided to the village.” The Parish Council has requested that the level of Council Tax charged by the GBC to Burton Joyce residents is reduced as they will no longer provide any financial support for these services, there is legislation which allows this to happen should they choose to adopt it – a response is awaited.
White Lines The newly installed white lines around roads adjacent to the Primary School are already having a positive effect on school-time parking.
Pedestrian Crossing The installation of a signal controlled ‘Puffin’ pedestrian crossing near the junction of Nottingham Road and Station Road has been proposed by Notts County Council. The crossing will have a controlled area, indicated by zig-zag markings, along the carriageway where parking and loading will be prohibited. Any comments in respect of this proposal would be appreciated by Wednesday 7th December.
Village Centre Refurbishment It is anticipated that we will know in March whether the recent bid for funding to refurbish the village centre has been successful or not. If the bid is successful then consultation with residents, shop keepers and land owners will begin in earnest.
Environmental Smells The Communities Committee has started to look at the reported increase in the frequency of unpleasant smells which may be coming from the Chettles site at Stoke Bardolph over the last year. Suggested causes may be the new Thermal Oxidiser they have installed and also weather conditions. The Committee would appreciate some specialist help with this so if any resident has technical or specific experience in air pollution management or meat rendering systems and would like to help then please contact Cllr Steve Cluff via the Parish Office or by e-mail steve.cluff@burtonjoyceparishcouncil.org.uk
Poplars Sports Ground Calling all diet and fitness groups – the floor of the pavilion lounge at the Poplars Sports Ground has recently been re-fitted and is now suitable for all forms of exercise, including martial arts, aerobics, zumba, line dancing etc. This is an excellent facility which benefits from ample on-site parking. If you are interested in having a look around then please contact the Parish Office. |
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DECEMBER 2011 Funding Cuts Gedling Borough Council has announced that it will be cutting revenue grant aid to all Parish Councils by 50% in the next financial year, with the remaining grant funding being withdrawn completely the following year. In Burton Joyce this means that residents lose out on approx £12,000 funding in 2012/13 and a further £12,000 in 2013/14. The Parish Council has drawn the attention of the Borough Council to the fact that people who live in Parishes, such as Burton Joyce, are effectively paying twice for the services they receive—once through the payment of Council Tax and secondly through the precept charge. In areas not served by a Parish Council, services such as sports facilities, children’s playgrounds, allotments, cemeteries, parks, floral displays, Christmas lighting etc are all paid for with Council Tax money. In Burton Joyce residents pay an additional £42.57 per household (2011/12 figures) , per annum to cover the cost of these services. The Parish Council has asked Gedling Borough Council to proportionately educe the amount of Council Tax paid by its residents to allow for the cost of services being delivered locally (this is allowable by law and is at the discretion of the Borough Council to adopt) or to take back some of the services currently provided by the Parish Council—both requests were refused. As services formerly provided by the County and Borough Councils continue to be reduced or completely withdrawn, there is pressure on Parish Councils to address the shortfall and provide more services without the funding necessary to deliver them. The Parish Council understands that all groups and organisations will be able to apply for grants from a central ‘pot of money’ which will be available for community projects but successful application is not guaranteed. The Borough Council has suggested that Parish Councils should raise the annual precept paid by residents to cover the loss of funding but Burton Joyce Parish Council has decided to mitigate part of the loss during the first year with money taken from reserves, effectively cushioning residents from the full impact of this reduction. At its January meeting the Parish Council resolved to set the annual precept for 2012/13 at £49.05 per household.
Festive Lighting The first Christmas Trees light switch on event went very well, with over 200 people attending. The procession down from BJ Primary School was followed by the counting down to a grand switch on by one of the characters from BJ Players forthcoming production of the Wizard of Oz. The children sang a selection of carols accompanied by Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus—there was even a live donkey! The Parish Council hopes that this Christmas Light switch on will become an annual event. Yet again BJ Co-Op made a significant contribution to the Christmas lighting costs. Special thanks to BJ School, PTA, BCTV staff, and the various shopkeepers and residents, who help house the displays and our own Ground & Amenities staff for installing the lights this year.
Roberts Recreation Playground Improvements Update. The second funding bid of £49,000 from WREN has been secured bringing the current total to £109k . The Friends of the Robert Recreation Group should hear by the end of January if their bid for £50K has been successful. The first phase of the build will begin end of February 2012 and be followed by the second phase when the final £40k Veolia/ Biffa bid is finalized. Some adjustments to time scales and equipment plan has been made to suit the different deadlines imposed by each grant supplier. Over all the plan remains the same but some items have been moved from one phase to another to balance funds. The BJPC has requested that the current closed public toilets be demolished by their owners Gedling Borough Council at their expense and the possibility of providing a smaller more modern toilet unit is to be discussed in January. The Friends Group continue to do an excellent job of raising awareness and funds for the project and, in order to make sure that as much of the money raised as possible goes towards the new play equipment, they are asking for individuals or companies to sponsor individual items such as the benches. A donation of £450 would buy a quality bench with an engraved plaque showing the name of the donor. The money saved by these donations will be used on more play equipment for our children. If you or your company is interested in helping the development of this well used facility please contact clerk@burtonjoyceparishcouncil.org.uk
Library Movement of the Parish Office to the BJ library has been agreed and the Library Services is now preparing to make some internal adjustments to the building before the move can take place.
Wind Turbines Application Update Residents should have received a second consultation letter from GBC Planning about the proposed Wind Turbine development at Stoke Bardolph. The proposal by Severn Trent Water had to be revised due to errors in the original application which were highlighted by BJPC’s Wind Turbine Working Group. Whilst technically this is a new application because it contains extra data ( e.g new sound and soil data), the principles are exactly as before. You can object again but GBC has confirmed that original objections are still valid. The BJPC is still fundamentally opposed to the scheme and has agreed to submit a revised objection to meet the new data. A newsletter will be sent out to every household as previously to assist you in your deliberations. The Parish Council is still waiting for a full reply to the letters of complaint to Gedling Borough Council and Severn Trent Water re the delay in providing information to allow the planning application to be decided. The application is likely to be heard in Spring 2012 and members of the public can attend when the date is set.
Village Centre Refurbishment BJPC councillors met recently with a designer from Nott’s County Council Highways Dept to start to produce a draft design plan for costing, public consultation and discussion purposes. There will be a lengthy consultation with shop keepers, public etc once the initial draft design has been prepared. Early indication from NCC suggests the scheme could cost up to £0.6million. During the morning “walk around” the issues surrounding severe congestion, lack of road crossing, bus intrusion, parking issues and uneven pavement surfaces were evident and will be used to inform any future plans.
Environmental Smells BJPC Cllrs have been working with the Environmental Health Officer at GBC to identify the reasons for an increase in noted odour pollution at Burton Joyce from Chettles Meat Rendering at Stoke Bardolph. It has been noted that Colwick and Shelford have also detected changes. Statutory compliance inspections have been arranged as well as chemical analysis on chimney output. Many incidents of “grounding” of the chimney exhaust causing a foul smelling mist across the village have been witnessed and photographed.
Poplars Sports Ground Calling all diet and fitness groups – the floor of the pavilion lounge at the Poplars Sports Ground has recently been re-fitted and is now suitable for all forms of exercise, including martial arts, aerobics, zumba, line dancing etc. This is an excellent facility which benefits from ample on-site parking. If you are interested in having a look around then please contact the Parish Office. |