More and more people are making use of their Community Forum to try and improve local services and raise issues of local concern.
- Residents in Birstall were unhappy that the swimming pool in Longslade Community College was no longer going to be open to the public outside school hours. Discussion at the local Area Forum meeting resulted in the College working directly with local users to find ways the pool can remain open.
- Following the Government’s shortlisting of ‘Pennbury’ as a potential Eco-town, the ‘Have your Say’ meetings in Kibworth and Tugby were the first opportunity for residents in the surrounding area to find out how the District and County Council were planning to respond to this challenge.
- At the Blaby South Community Forum residents and Parish Councillors from Sapcote, Sharnford, Stoney Stanton and surrounding villages expressed their concerns about the volume and speed of Heavy Goods Vehicles travelling through their villages. In response officers promised to look into a range of measures to reduce the impact of traffic and improve road safety in the short term, while explaining how they were looking to provide longer-term solutions.

Community Forums give you the opportunity to discuss local issues with your local Parish, District and County Councillors and representatives from the Police and the Health Service. There are 27 Community Forums across they county. To find out more about forum meetings in your local area, please visit www.leicestershireforums.org

Contact: Derk van der Wardt, 0116 3057581

The summer months have been busy for Hoton Parish Council.

We’ve been pleasantly surprised at the level of interest displayed by the community, regarding recently developing issues, in and around the village.
Information has flowed in regarding the Builders’ Yard development on Old Parsonage Lane, storage issues on the Old Airfield, the increase in heavy traffic on Wymeswold Road and a host of other topics.
It’s heartening to be reminded that the community does care about its local environment. Community information, (regularly referred to as ‘gossip’ but far more valuable I’m sure) is often an initial, firm basis for action.
Parish Councils have few legal powers. It’s Borough and County Councils that have responsibility for most relevant, local issues. But a Parish Council can place topics on the Local Authority’s agenda and through persistence, ensure that local community issues are properly addressed.
Hoton Parish Council, initially under the direction of Councillor Harry Heaney and now Councillor Bill Cassell, is keen to maintain a proactive approach to village life, addressing issues at the earliest possible opportunity.
As ever, we request your support in our work. Contacting us has never been easier. Addresses and phone numbers are listed on village notice boards as well as our website. Our email address is…
hotonparishcouncil@googlemail.com

Our Parish Council meetings are still held on the first Monday of each month and we welcome local community attendance.
Local Borough and County Councillors, Jenny Bokor and Richard Shepherd regularly attend our meetings. Having direct access to Jenny and Richard has been invaluable. They have regularly taken up important local issues on our behalf and continue to supply us with vital information about major issues such as the Regional Housing Plan.
Our local Police Beat Manager also attends our meetings, providing useful, direct access to a range of Policing Services. If you have non-emergency issues that require Police attention, the Parish Council meeting is useful opportunity to speak directly to an experienced and knowledgeable officer.

With the Playing Field Project entering the building phase, (completion expected in early autumn) Hoton Parish Council is considering new development projects. Our Village Hall, an established and valuable resource, needs some repair work and could benefit from modernisation.
The Village Hall committee is working hard to maintain this excellent resource for us all but as ever, needs help and ideas to keep it relevant and at the heart of our community. They can be contacted by email at…
hotonvillagehall@hotmail.co.uk
The Council has also put much effort into brightening the appearance of the village. We are determined to capitalise on the benefits that ‘Conservation Area’ status bestows. Conservation Area status is often unfairly regarded as placing negative and restrictive burdens on the local community. However, the Parish Council is now using this legislation to demand that repairs and developments in public areas conform to the higher standards defined by Conservation Area status.
The benefits of this policy will hopefully enhance the image of the village and make our environment all the more enjoyable.

I am told that it is tradition for Parish Councils, like Parliament, to take a summer break. The Parish Council isn’t intending to have a break, possibly because we have yet to enjoy a proper summer. So we look forward to seeing members of the community at our September meeting.

David Kennedy.
(On behalf of Hoton Parish Council).

Be warned speed checking will take place in September.
Click on the link for details

Margaret Heaney at the village hall greeting participants

This annual event took place this year on Saturday July 5th. As always it was a great success.

Meeting at the Village Hall before and after seems to be a popular venue and as our Village Hall lends itself to these
occasions we are very grateful for the support and help of the Village Hall committee.

We had quite a number of "regulars" who were unable to join us this year but were fortunate to be able to welcome over ten newcomers.

The weather was not perfect but no one grumbled and I hope and believe that all participants enjoyed their evening.

My thanks to all who came and as everyone prepares or shares preparation of a course we all enjoyed other people's hospitality. My especially grateful thanks to the many people who so cheerfully and uncomplainingly had changes to their numbers and courses.

Profit was £414 of which £200 went to the Village Hall renovation fund and £214 to Goats for Uganda.

Next year the date will be Saturday July 4th, 2009 so if you live in Hoton put it in your diaries - it is a date to remember. I was so touched by all the offers of help for next year so it is bound to be an even greater social occasion. It is so nice to see so many of the villagers enjoying themselves and walking round Hoton.

Margaret Heaney

Thank you for organising it Margaret

It’s been a busy year for Hoton Parish Council.

With only a few hundred residents, we often feel like a small fish in a big pond, particularly when dealing with complex regional development issues.

However, we’ve been very lucky to have the help of Councillors Jenny Bokor and Richard Shepherd, whose detailed knowledge of these issues has ensured that we keep abreast of all developments.

However, the regional development issues rumble on. If you are concerned about this vital topic, we would welcome your input at Parish Council meetings. We do our best to reflect the views of the community but opinions evolve rapidly throughout the progression of such complex issues. Put simply; help us to help you.

Less taxing but just as important, has been the work to revitalise the ‘image’ of the village. We are designated a ‘Conservation Area’ by the local authority. This often conjures up images of oppressed villagers denied the right to prune trees or re-varnish their fences without written permission. I’m sure some people find elements of truth in that. However, that same ‘Conservation Area’ status allows us to influence work conducted by government agencies. The impact of street lighting, road markings, street signage and highways borders, on the ‘image’ of the village, can be immense. The Parish Council wants the community to enjoy the benefits of ‘Conservation Status’, rather that simply suffer the limitations it places upon us.

The residents of Vine Tree Terrace have worked hard with Councillor Beth Storrs to resolve their concerns about parking and access. It’s been a good example of how local residents can raise concerns and influence outcomes with a little bit of motivation. The local authority is still addressing the issues but it’s clear that there will be benefits to the residents when a solution is finally identified.

We’re all pleased to see that the Playing Field Project is moving along at speed. Almost all our grant requests were successful. This success is almost entirely due to the hard work of Cheika Kennedy who has managed almost every aspect of this project. This includes the superb, ‘An evening with Aggers’ event. Hoton Village Hall was transformed that night, proving yet again, that it is a perfect venue for big social events.

That brings me on finally to the issue of the costly repairs required at the Village Hall. Community support will be vital over the next few months, if we are to help the Village Hall Committee raise the required finance. It would be a real blow to the community if we lost the use of this facility. There will be more information about fundraising issues in the near future.

We owe a big thank you to Harry Heaney for his leadership throughout the past 12 months as Chairman. We have made great progress and much of that is due to his patient and reasoned approach to the challenges we faced.
Bill Cassell takes the chair for the next 12 months and looks forward to building on his good work.

The past year has been busy. Next year looks like it’ll be the same. Help us to work effectively, by letting us know about community issues and concerns at the earliest possible opportunity. Hoton Parish Councillors don’t claim to know it all. Your support is always welcome.

A new sign and gate for the burial ground have been erected by the PCC with part funding from the parish rate.

Also new streets lights have been have been fitted on Wymeswold Lane and HollyTree Close.

Barrow up on Soar Surgery 0844 number

In response to complaints from various residents the parish council have written to the doctors expressing concern about this change.
Standard rate numbers for the surgery
01509 410920/410926

Click on the link to read correspondence

This time last year, a very good number of people turned out to join in maintaining the conservation area. We are doing it again on 1st December at 10.00 and hope to see you.

Firstly, we would like to extend huge thanks to all those who turned out at short notice on October 13th to help clear the entrance to the playing field. This has permitted the delivery of the free soil that Beth Storrs sourced and will go to create the wildflower meadow and fill the raised beds Such enthusiasm from villagers is heartening.
Funding success continues and we wish to thank our sponsors so far:
AstraZeneca have pledged £800 for the notice board; East Midlands Airport have donated £500 towards the cost of the raised beds; Mars have sent a cheque for £2,500 for the community garden.
Our first grant application - to the Local Network Fund - was successful and we have been promised £5345 specifically for the 'trim trail' and traversing/climbing wall.
Further applications to the Shires grants and lottery 'Awards for All' have been submitted and we eagerly await the outcome. Applications to Charnwood Borough Council, Biffa and the Federation of Sports and Arts are imminent.
Just with the amount we have already raised, we can make a positive difference to the field.
Further funds are obviously still required and any ideas, support and pledges would be welcomed. To this end we are planning a fund-raising dinner in the spring and Jonathan 'Aggers' Agnew has agreed to provide the after dinner speech. A black tie event with live music and an 'auction of dreams' is planned - and we would like you to pledge a unique gift that can be auctioned on the night.
Contact Cheika (Tel 881697) or cheika@doctors.org.uk, or any member of the parish council to get involved.

You will probably have noticed the reinstated and improved stretch of footpath leading out of the village.
Although it doesn’t quite go all the way to Wymeswold, it represents an improvement, and was a constructive response from the County Council to our representations. We hope it may be the start of something bigger….

If you put your name forward for the Community Speed Watch, you may be wondering what the situation is. The start of the initiative has been delayed by the change in local beat officer. However, it is hoped that we will be able to have it running in February. We have also had a useful discussion with the new beat officer about linking it with other speed reduction measures.
The Council has been working with residents of Vine Tree Terrace to gain a picture of the problems associated with motorists using it as a “rat run.” We now have evidence of the extent of the problem, and have raised it with both our county councillor and our beat officer. We will shortly be having a site meeting to consider possible solutions.

Time for change at the helm as local beat officer bows out.
After almost 2 years of being in the post as local beat officer for the Barrow upon Soar & Wolds villages I have decided to pass the reins over to a new officer in order to further develop my career within Leicestershire Constabulary.
I wish to take this opportunity to firstly thank all of those people who I have worked with and supported me in the past as well as introduce you to my replacement. It is a disappointment for me to have to move on as I have really enjoyed being the ‘local bobby’ and hope that I have improved relations between the local community and the Police through promoting Neighbourhood Policing. I would have gladly stayed in post for the remainder of my police service, but with high future aspirations and the opportunities available in the Police today I feel it is the right time for a new challenge. The experience I have gained has been very valuable and I have been very fortunate to work in an area in which the local people are so willing to work with the Police.
You will be glad to hear that it is only me moving and that PCSO Nigel Ritchie will be remaining in post with the new beat officer – PC 4206 Lynne Gilbertson. Lynne is a more than suitable replacement for me as I have known her since I worked at Loughborough. Lynne has a wealth of knowledge having been in the job for seven years, three of which were spent as a beat officer on the Shelthorpe Estate. During this time Lynne worked with other officers and local council on securing a number of what was then new anti-social behaviour orders (ASBO’s) and significantly reduced problems on what used to be considered one of the more challenging areas of the town. I expect that she will utilise these skills and obviously bring them with her to her new beat. Lynne moved to the old Quorn area (now Charnwood) two years ago and is keen to helping reduce the fear of crime and to get stuck into community issues. She is also married to another police officer who works as a dog handler for the Constabulary.
Lynne will be working alongside me between the 23rd September and 7th October 2007 before formally taking up the post as of Monday 8th October 2007 when I start my new position as an Intelligence Officer. Initially she will be working towards the previously-set policing priorities for the beat before asking local people what they would like to see the Police tackling. Hopefully this transition period will go smoothly and I know that all of the villages will welcome her as they have done with me. If you should need to contact Lynne during this period she will be able to be reached via e-mail: Lynne.gilbertson@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk.
Thanks again to all who have helped me during my time as your local beat officer and I wish you and the newly appointed beat officer all the best for the future.
Andy Houghton
Police Constable 718