This report details some of the many issues Wymeswold Parish Council has been concerned with in the last year:

Olympic Torch Relay

Perhaps the biggest event of last year was the visit of the Olympic Flame to the village on 3rd July. The Parish Council was in discussions with partners such as the Borough Council, County Council, Police and LOCOG over arrangements for the day especially with regards to safety. We were aware that several neighbouring schools were planning to come to Wymeswold to witness the event, so arrangements were put in place to ensure a safe viewing area on the Stockwell for all the children. The day passed off superbly with huge crowds coming to Wymeswold and there were no reported problems.

The Wymeswold Village Sign

Tied in with the visit of the Olympic Flame and the Diamond Jubilee, the Parish Council commissioned a decorative village sign to reflect Wymeswold’s history as well as life in 2012. A small sub-committee consulted with parishioners over what aspects of Wymeswold – past and present – should be incorporated into the final design and the sign was unveiled on Queen’s Park at a short ceremony following the passing of the Olympic Torch Relay. The Parish Council wishes to thank Susan Crinage for her many hours work on the artwork and also to the Wymeswold Village Project Fund for its financial support.

Traffic and Speeding

Again one of the most important issues has been traffic volumes and speeding, especially along the A6006. A Community Speedwatch initiative took place in September 2012 when around 35 volunteers took part in a four-week monitoring exercise.

A total of 1145 vehicle details were forwarded to the Police following the project. Results identified an average speed of 38.6mph on East Road and 38.3mph on Rempstone Road. Eight vehicles were recorded in excess of 50mph. As a direct outcome from the CSW project, Wymeswold has been registered as a site of ‘community concern’ and we now received regular visits from the Mobile Camera Enforcement unit.

Wymeswold Parish Council continues to tackle the issue of road safety and in particular safety of the younger members of our community getting to and from school. The Parish Council worked with the village school during ‘Road Safety Week’ in November, and was delighted to be asked to host the East Midlands launch of the annual campaign. The Council is currently looking into the possibility of installing 20mph advisory signs on East Road and Far Street in order to raise awareness of the potential dangers faced by pedestrians crossing the A6006, particularly at peak times.

In addition, the Council is now working with the neighbouring councils of Burton, Hoton and Walton to buy a Speed Indicator Device to be shared between the Wolds villages.

Wymeswold Playing Field

The Parish Council is aiming to upgrade the sports pavilion on the Burton Lane field and has applied for funding from Sport England, where such grants are available as part of the Olympic legacy. If successful this would cover the costs of refurbishing the pavilion and bringing it into line with current welfare regulations. The council feels this upgrade is essential in view of the increased usage by children for cricket and football, as well as new users of the facility such as the Boot Camp and the East Midlands Stargazers.

Washdyke & Community Orchard

The Parish Council continues to support the development of this superb recreation area for the village and wishes to thank the Washdyke Association for all its success in securing grants for the play equipment, as well as maintaining the orchard.  The Parish Council covers the cost of mowing, insurance, safety inspections and hedge trimming.

Churchyard Arch

The Parish Council was able to make a financial contribution to the project to restore an arch over the Church Street entrance to the churchyard. This arch is now completed and our thanks go to Jon Charley who was the mastermind behind the project.

Mowing

The Parish Council is responsible for mowing areas of the village such as the churchyard, cemetery, playing field, Washdyke, and around the Memorial Hall. Following meetings with both Leicestershire County Council and Charnwood Borough Council a revised programme for mowing and maintenance around the River Mantle on Brook Street has been agreed, which should enhance the appearance of this area.

Cemetery

A new hedge alongside the existing post-and-wire mesh fence has been planted this year and other general maintenance work has also been completed.

Planning and development

The Parish Council is consulted by Charnwood Borough Council over all new planning applications within the parish and the evolving Borough Local Development Framework.

Police contact

Our new beat Police Officer PC Miranda Gent attends most Parish Council meetings to consult with us over local crime issues. The Parish Council is currently looking at implementing a new Neighbourhood Watch scheme for the village.

Representation on other bodies

The Parish Council is represented on the Wymeswold Airfield Liaison Group which meets with Everyman Racing, Charnwood Borough Council and Prestwold Hall to address the issues of noise disturbance. The Parish Council is also represented on the Wolds Area Community Forum which meets four times a year and also on the Joint Wolds Parish Councils’ Group which covers the parish councils in the local area.

Parish Council communication

Apart from regular updates in the ‘Link’ and the Loughborough Echo and on the notice board, news from the Parish Council is updated on the village website www.wymeswold.com and also on the Parish Council website http://www.leicestershireparishcouncils.org/wymeswold/.

I hope this summary gives you an outline of some of the many issues we cover as a Parish Council. There are also many other matters regularly dealt with every year including street cleaning, highway maintenance, potholes and rubbish removal.

Parishioners are welcome to attend the regular monthly meetings, usually held on the first Monday of the month at 7.15pm in the Memorial Hall. All contact details are advertised on the Parish Council notice board in the Stockwell, as are the agenda and minutes of the most recent meeting, together with any other relevant information.

I would like to thank my fellow members of the Parish Council – Ken Barratt, Shaun Bokor, Adrian Cooke, Joan Hubbard, Jo Ling and Sarah Sturmey – for all their support and hard work over the past year. The Parish Council would also like to convey its best wishes to Cllr Ken Barratt for a full recovery from his recent illness.

I would also like to record our thanks to our County Councillor, Cllr Richard Shepherd, for his help and advice over a numerous matters with the County Council, and similarly to our Borough Councillor, Cllr Jenny Bokor, who also liaises with us over issues with Charnwood BC.

Finally I wish to thank the Parish Clerk, Alice Gardam, for all her excellent work in support of the Council.

Nick Shaw
Chairman, Wymeswold Parish Council
13th May 2013

This report details some of the many issues Wymeswold Parish Council has been concerned with in the last year:

Wymeswold Playing Field and Sports Pavilion

The project to upgrade, modernise and extend the sports pavilion on the Burton Lane playing field was given a huge boost when the Parish Council was awarded a £50,000 grant from Sport England’s ‘Inspired Facilities’ fund as part of the Olympic legacy. In addition, grants have been obtained from the Area Forum, Rempstone Steam Show and also the Wymeswold Running Club, for which the Council expresses its thanks. Full planning permission has been granted and it is hoped that the work will commence in September.

Church Street Splitter Island

For some years there have been problems with HGVs using Church Street despite it being in the weight-restricted zone, leading to the vehicles being unable to negotiate the tight corners. After consultation with the local community and Leics CC Highways, the Council is pleased to report that a ‘splitter island’ is to be installed at the top of Church Street to prevent HGVs accessing the narrow street. This work should commence in June.

Washdyke

The Parish Council continues to support the development of this superb recreation area for the village and wishes to thank the Washdyke Association for all its success in securing grants for the play equipment, as well as maintaining the orchard.  The Parish Council covers the cost of mowing, insurance, safety inspections and hedge trimming.

Mowing and paths

Mowing and maintaining areas of the village such as the churchyard, cemetery, playing field, Washdyke and around the Memorial Hall falls with the Parish Council and a new contractor was appointed at the start of the year. Some additional areas have been added to the mowing schedules as well as the paths within the village where the existing responsibility could not be identified. A new railing has been installed on the path between Clay Street and London Lane, with the Parish Council paying the balance to ensure that the style of railing was in keeping with the conservation area of the village.

Wysall Lane / East Road junction

The Parish Council recognises that there are safety issues for both pedestrians and motorists at this busy junction and continues lobby the County Council over proposed improvements.

Speeding and Speedwatch

The Parish Council pressed successfully for the implementation of the 20mph advisory speed limit on Far Street and also supports the ongoing Community Speedwatch campaign.

Cemetery

Further maintenance work has been carried out at the cemetery on Rempstone Road. Most of the gravestones which were either leaning or had fallen over have now been tidied and made safe. Graves have also been cleaned and cleared of any foliage.

Planning and development

The Parish Council is consulted by Charnwood Borough Council over all new planning applications within the parish and the Borough Core Strategy. Wymeswold PC made representations at the two-day appeal hearing over the application to develop properties on land each side of Storkit Lane.

Memorial Hall

The Parish Council continues to support this important community facility and thanks the members of the Memorial Hall Committee for all their hard work. The Council was able to lend financial support for the repair of equipment in the play area and also for the purchase of roller shutters for the bar area.

Parish Council communication

Apart from regular updates in the ‘Christian Link’, the Loughborough Echo and on the notice board, news from the Parish Council is updated on the village website www.wymeswold.com   and also on the Parish Council website http://www.leicestershireparishcouncils.org/wymeswold/.

I hope this summary gives you an outline of some of the many issues we cover as a Parish Council. There are also many other matters regularly dealt with every year including street cleaning, highway maintenance, potholes and rubbish removal.

Parishioners are welcome to attend the regular monthly meetings, usually held on the first Monday of the month at 7.15pm in the Memorial Hall. All contact details are advertised on the Parish Council notice board in the Stockwell, as are the agenda and minutes of the most recent meeting, together with any other relevant information.

I would like to thank my fellow members of the Parish Council – Ken Barratt, Shaun Bokor, Adrian Cooke, Joan Hubbard, Jo Ling and Sarah Sturmey – for all their support and hard work over the past year. Councillor Joan Hubbard has stood down from her role and we thank her for all her many years of service with the Parish Council.

I would also like to record our thanks to our County Councillor, Cllr Richard Shepherd, for his help and advice over a numerous matters with the County Council, and similarly to our Borough Councillor, Cllr Jenny Bokor, who also liaises with us over issues with Charnwood BC.

Finally I wish to thank the Parish Clerk, Alice Gardam, for all her excellent work in support of the Council.

Nick Shaw
Chairman, Wymeswold Parish Council
12th May 2014

This report details some of the many issues Wymeswold Parish Council has been concerned with in the last year:

Wymeswold Playing Field and Sports Pavilion

The building work to upgrade, modernise and extend the sports pavilion on the Burton Lane playing field is nearing completion. With funding from Sport England, Biffa Award, Leicestershire County Council, Charnwood Borough Council, the Rempstone Steam and Country Show, Wymeswold Running Club, Wymeswold CC and Wymeswold FC the £80,000 project has been virtually fully-funded, with the Parish Council having covered the costs of the architect’s fees and planning permission. The completed facility will be available for a variety of both sporting and non-sporting uses, so we hope it will be a great asset to the community.

Church Street Splitter Island

For some years there have been problems with HGVs using Church Street despite it being in the weight-restricted zone, leading to the vehicles being unable to negotiate the tight corners. To help combat the problem, the Parish Council lobbied County Council Highways and a ‘splitter island’ has been installed at the top of the street. It is recognised that it has solved some of these problems but not all, so improved signage will be installed at the bottom of Church Street.

Washdyke

The Parish Council wishes to thank the Washdyke Association for its success in developing this superb civic amenity area. The Association will now be winding down its activities and the continued management of the Washdyke will be passed to the Parish Council, which already covers the cost of mowing, insurance, safety inspections and hedge trimming.

Mowing and paths

The Parish Council has now taken on full responsibility for mowing and maintaining areas of the village such as highways, paths, churchyard, cemetery, playing field, Washdyke and around the Memorial Hall. Much of this work was previously done by Leicestershire County Council, but the service levels were due to be reduced and the Parish Council was offered the chance to take over maintaining these areas with a level of subsidy from the County Council. We feel that the new arrangements will provide a better standard of care in the village as areas should be mown more regularly than previously. There is, unfortunately, a financial implication for this which is why the Parish Council had to increase its annual precept slightly – the first increase since 2009.

Wysall Lane / East Road junction

The Parish Council recognises that there are safety issues for both pedestrians and motorists at this busy junction and continues to lobby the County Council over proposed improvements. A traffic survey was commissioned by Leics CC in September of last year, which has given us valuable evidence of the number of vehicles and HGVs using this busy stretch of road.

Wymeswold Pharmacy

There was a question over the future viability of Wymeswold Pharmacy but after some active campaigning and representations we are delighted to report that the Pharmacy has been awarded a new support contract by NHS England. The Parish Council made submissions to both the County Council and NHS over this issue and was able to provide valuable evidence of its usage following last year’s village survey. Thank you to everyone who took time to submit the consultation document and help to secure the future of this important village service.

Churchyard lighting

The Parish Council was able to make a grant to the Parochial Church Council to help with improved lighting along the path through the churchyard.

Planning and development

The Parish Council is consulted by Charnwood Borough Council over all new planning applications within the parish. Obviously there is currently much concern over the large-scale developments being proposed on the edge of the village, but the Parish Council will continue to represent the views of our residents to the Borough Council.

Memorial Hall

The Parish Council was delighted to fund the provision of the bronze plaque at the entrance to the Hall, remembering those of the parish who fell during both World Wars. The plaque was unveiled at a special ceremony on Remembrance Sunday. The Parish Council was also able to provide a grant towards the replacement of the windows in the Hall. We thank the trustees of the Memorial Hall for their time and help in providing such a wonderful facility for the village.

Village Survey

In June of last year the Parish Council conducted a survey of the use of facilities and services in the village. This provided invaluable evidence regarding car usage, which helped us in submissions regarding Wymeswold Pharmacy and also the recent large-scale planning developments. We thank everyone who took time to complete the survey and also the Leicestershire Rural Community Council who analysed the results and produced the report.

Parish Council communication

Apart from regular updates in the ‘Christian Link’, the Loughborough Echo and on the notice board, news from the Parish Council is updated on the village website www.wymeswold.com  and also on the Parish Council website http://www.leicestershireparishcouncils.org/wymeswold/.

Parish Elections

This report marks the end of the four-year term of office of the current Parish Council. When nominations for the election of a new council closed in April only five candidates had stood for the seven positions available. We will therefore seek to co-opt two new Parish Councillors in the coming weeks.

In the meantime we welcome Lesley Blount to the Parish Council, as well as offering our thanks and best wishes to Councillors Shaun Bokor, Ken Barratt and John Davies, who have stood down.

Ken Barratt has served sixteen years as a councillor and it was with great pleasure that we were able to present Ken with some garden centre vouchers to say ‘thank you’ from the village for all his service over the years.

I hope this summary gives you an outline of some of the many issues we cover as a Parish Council. There are also many other matters regularly dealt with every year including street cleaning, highway maintenance, potholes and rubbish removal.

Parishioners are welcome to attend the regular monthly meetings, usually held on the first Monday of the month at 7.15pm in the Memorial Hall. All contact details are advertised on the Parish Council notice board in the Stockwell, as are the agenda and minutes of the most recent meeting, together with any other relevant information.

As we reach the end of this four-year term I would like to thank my fellow members of the Parish Council – Ken Barratt, Shaun Bokor, Adrian Cooke, John Davies, Jo Ling and Sarah Sturmey – for all their support and hard work over the past year. It has been an honour to chair Wymeswold Parish Council for the last eight years and I look forward to serving the village again for a further four years.

I would also like to record our thanks to our County Councillor, Cllr Richard Shepherd, for his help and advice over numerous matters with the County Council, and similarly to our Borough Councillor, Cllr Jenny Bokor, who also liaises with us over issues with Charnwood BC.

Finally I wish to thank the Parish Clerk, Alice Gardam, for all her excellent work in support of the Council.

Nick Shaw
Chairman, Wymeswold Parish Council
11th May 2015