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

Wymeswold Airfield activities

Last year there was a big increase in the number of noise-related complaints about motor sport activities on the former airfield. The Parish Council convened a meeting of the liaison group and met with Everyman Racing, Charnwood Borough Council and Prestwold Hall to address these issues. Assurances have been given that the number of customers, particularly on Saturdays, has been reduced and that work has been completed on the exhausts of vehicles to minimise noise pollution. This will be monitored and the group will meet again in June.

HGVs in the village 

Meeting were held with County Highways to discuss the use of minor roads in the village by HGVs. As a result, Clay Street now has “Unsuitable for HGVs” signs at both ends.

Willow Trees on Brook Street 

After meetings with the County Council the willows on Brook Street (standing on Highways’ land) have now been trimmed back. It was also established that the remaining trees, not under County Highways’ responsibility, are on private land.

Wimpey development on Wysall Lane 

The Parish Council lobbied Charnwood BC to press Wimpey Homes over the completion of landscaping, the play area and safety railing around ponds stipulated as part of their planning permission. This work has now been completed.

Wymeswold Churchyard 

The Parish Council arranged for the removal of suckers which had grown up around the old tree stumps and planted two new trees on the Church Street boundary.

Post Box and Telephone Box 

The post box by the old Post Office was removed and a new box installed on the Stockwell with a larger opening for bigger parcels. British Telecom was looking to dispose of the telephone box, but after discussion with the Parish Council this is to be retained for telephony and it is hoped that it will soon be repainted.

Housing Needs Survey 

The Parish Council worked with the Leicestershire’s Rural Housing Enabler and last November a Housing Needs Survey was completed with over 170 responses. A small need for affordable housing was identified, but the Council felt that the particular scheme proposed was not suitable for Wymeswold at this time. The project has been left in abeyance for the time being.

Memorial Hall 

The Parish Council recognises the valuable function that our hall serves in the community and has supported the hall through covering mowing costs and paying the majority of the boiler repair costs in the winter. Now that the lift has been successfully installed, Parish Council meetings have moved to the ‘Jubilee Room’ on the first Monday of each month.

Washdyke & Community Orchard 

The Parish Council continues to support the development of this fantastic amenity for the village and wishes to thank the Washdyke Association for all its hard work in securing grants for the play equipment as well as maintaining the orchard. Apart from paying for mowing and insurance, this year the Parish Council has provided the kissing gate at the bottom of the field and arranged to have the bottom hedge cut back to improve visibility on Hoton Road .

Salt Bins 

The severe winter weather highlighted the safety issues on both Burton Lane and Wysall Lane , both of which are used by school buses. The Parish Council arranged for the installation of salt bins at each location and also worked closely with County Highways during the icy weather to grit these problem areas, as well as other untreated areas in the village.

Road Safety and Street Lighting 

Safety is always a key priority and following the accidents at the Burton Lane / Hoton Road junction the Parish Council has again asked County Highways to look at the area’s lighting, signage and speed restrictions. The County Council has now indicated that the 30mph zone could be moved back beyond the Scout Hut, although there are a number of legal issues to address before this can happen. The safety of youngsters walking up to the Scout Hut on dark evenings has also concerned the Parish Council and a quote has been obtained to provide street lighting on Burton Lane. Without the necessary budget for this financial year, this project will be looked at again next year.

Wymeswold Playing Field 

The field is managed by the Parish Council and monies have been spent this year on mowing, and maintenance of the pavilion.

Police Contact 

Representatives from the local police attend every Parish Council meeting and there is constant dialogue over issues such as petty crime, speeding and anti-social behaviour.

Church Yard and Cemetery 

There has been ongoing maintenance of these areas including cutting back trees and path clearing. A budget has been set for improvements in the cemetery, including maintenance of the wall.

Representation on Other Bodies 

The Parish Council is 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 , news from the Parish Council is updated on the village website www.wymeswold.com and also on the Parish Council websitehttp://www.leicestershireparishcouncils.org/wymeswold/ .

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

Parishioners are welcome to attend the regular monthly meetings, normally 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 info rmation.

I would like to thank the six other members of the Parish Council: Joan Hubbard, Ken Barratt, Shaun Bokor, Derrick Rumsby, Ken Holloway and Ron Jenkins for their support, advice and commitment this year.

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

Finally, I would like to thank the Parish Clerk, Miranda Noble, for her tireless work (much of it often unseen) to ensure the smooth running of the Parish Council.

Nick Shaw
Chairman, Wymeswold Parish Council
10th May 2010