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