Hoton Parish Council has seen a few changes over the last few months.

We have said goodbye to our Parish Clerk, Brian Griggs and welcomed a new one, Clare Blain from Burton on the Wolds.
Many thanks are owed to Brian, as he carefully restored clarity to the Parish’s budget and financial affairs.
Clare has settled into her new role well and has already started the long and thankless task of knocking the Council into shape.

We have also said farewell to a key village figure. Harry Heaney has stood down from the council after many years of valued service. In recent years he capably fulfilled the role of Chairman of the council and may be credited with creating the modern, proactive council that exists today. For this and many other things, we will miss him and thank him for his hard work and dedication. More »

On Sunday 17th May we were joined by musicians from the Minden Band to play at our Songs of Praise service in St Andrew’s church. The service conducted by Revd Tony Edmonds was excellent and enjoyed by the whole congregation. Following the service over 90 people enjoyed a glass of Pimms and hog roast lunch at Prestwold Hall. I would like to thank Edward and Juliet Packe-Drury-Lowe for hosting this event and providing the staff to mix and serve the drinks and deal with clearing up at the end of the afternoon. It was a pity the weather was not as good as the following weekend when thousands of members of the caravan club met in the grounds of Prestwold hall for their annual rally. The church was opened and refreshments served by members of the social committeee and the congregation. Once again I would like to thank everyone who helped at both events enabling us to raise in the region of £1,200 towards the cost of the repairs to the stonework of the tower
Dates for your Diary
Forthcoming events
Sunday 26th July- Sunday Cuppa from 3.30pm at the home of Elaine and Brian Griggs 32 Loughborough Road, Hoton
Sunday 23rd August - Sunday Cuppa from 3.30pm at 8 Clay St, Wymeswold The home of Ian and Pam Watt
Sunday 4th October - Harvest festival Lunch at Hoton Village Hall
Saturday 31st October to Sunday 1st November- Anniversary weekend in Prestwold church More »

Report from the Annual General Meeting held on Monday 18th May 2009

Election of Officers. Cllr Bill Cassell was re-elected as Chairman for the coming year with Cllr Beth Storrs as vice Chairman. A resident had expressed an interest in the vacant councillor’s position and this would be discussed in more detail at the next meeting.
Annual Report: In his annual report the Chairman said it had been a year of consolidation with the support of his fellow councillors and the elected Borough and County Councillors combining to improve the quality of life in the village. The transformation of the playing fields had been due to the determination of Cheika Kennedy and the improved facilities could be enjoyed by young and old alike.
Financial Report: in the annual financial statement a refund of VAT amounting to £8000 had improved the financial position substantially. A sum of £1500 had been set aside to assist the Village Hall committee and also for other ongoing costs such as the grass cuuting of the playing field. More »

It is a genuinely interesting and varied role, which provides an opportunity to contribute to the life of the village and to support the work of the Parish Council. It is also a paid post, with a salary of £8.66 per hour. It will normally require about 15 hours each month, and these hours are mainly very flexible, except for attendance at Council meetings.

If you think you may be interested and would like to know more, please contact Bill Cassell or Beth Storrs, or any parish councillor at the numbers given under Your Councillors on this web site. More »

During autumn 2008, 19 of the 27 community forums completed a consultation exercise under the topic of ‘Influencing the Big Budget’. This exercise involved using the voting handsets to gain people’s view on what they thought was most important and most worthy of investment.

The choices were based on Leicestershire’s Sustainable Community Strategy, the overarching strategy for all public sector organisations in the County.

The consultation was also conducted with the Citizens Panel and Leicestershire Together Forum. In total approximately 850 people have been directly engaged in this exercise. More »

The 99 Bus Service from Nottingham to Coalville
Hoton Parish Council became aware that the Arriva Bus Company proposed to discontinue, at a date
in July this year, the return bus service from Coalville to Nottingham. We obtained this information
as a result of a message from a Mountsorrel Parish Councillor, who informed a number of parish
councils of a statement made by an Arriva Bus Company manager, at their annual parish meeting.
The analysis of the usage of the Arriva 99 bus service by residents of Hoton, made by officials at
Leicestershire County Council, suggested to them that the use of the service from Hoton to
Nottingham was so small that residents should use the Grantham to Loughborough service and then
the alternative service to Nottingham via East Leake and Gotham. Hoton Parish Council took view
that we should not be parochial. In this connection I am reminded of the aphorism of the moral
philosophers, John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham, “the greatest happiness of the greatest number”.
A little research showed that the service is used by a significant number of residents from all along
the route and convinced Hoton Parish Council that we should support an effort to find an alternative.
Recent journeys confirmed that view. On April 14th the bus to Nottingham at 9.45 am had 15
passengers when I got on with another resident and when I went for the return bus at 11.15 am 25
passengers got off the bus. Similarly on Thursday April 23rd the 11.45 am bus had over a dozen
passengers when it arrived in Hoton and on the return journey from Trent Bridge to Hoton at 5.35 pm
I had difficulty in obtaining a seat.
We are fortunate that Chris Ward, the logistics manager, Nottinghamshire transport services, has
found a partial solution to the problem. I received a message on April 22nd saying that Premiere
Travel has registered to operate a commercial service along the current 99 route. They will operate an
hourly service during the day. Nottinghamshire transport services will be discussing the possibility of
an evening service and Chris Ward will keep me informed. Details about Premiere Travel can be
found at http://www.premiere-travel.co.uk/
Harry Heaney, April 25th 2009

Hoton Parish Council ushered in the New Year by appointing Brian Griggs as Parish Clerk, following the resignation of Mary Hobbs.
The Council would like to thank Mary for her work and wish her well for the future.
Brian brings a wealth of experience to the role and detailed knowledge of village issues.
2009 promises to be a busy year.
The Hoton Playing Field Project is now complete and the Council has been impressed with the increased use of the new facilities.
Hoton residents put in an excellent effort to plant up the 3 raised beds on a gloomy November day. The beds should begin to look delightful in the spring.
Whilst no dedicated Gardening Club has been formed, it was clear that many local residents were keen to assist in vital weeding and re-planting when required.
The effects of Global warming haven’t made Tennis a winter sport quite yet. But it won’t be many weeks before the weather is warm enough and the evenings sufficiently light, that villagers can begin to play once more.
Feedback received in 2008 suggests that there are plenty of villagers who are keen to play in a Hoton league. The Playing Field Committee will contact those people who showed an interest in a Tennis League and gather ideas on the best way to organise it.
The Tennis Club appealed to many people with a wide range of abilities, so it’ll be important that the new Club offers something for everyone who wants to play.
If you want to be involved in the Tennis Club, please contact David or Cheika Kennedy on 881697.
There’s also a Tree Planting day to the 7th of March. We’re looking to plant a number of fruit trees at the far end of the playing field and would like to get as many local children involved. There has already been significant interest shown within the Village and it promises to be a rewarding day. For more information, contact David or Cheika on the same number.
The Parish Council meets at 8pm every first Monday of the month and continues to discuss a range of issues that effect Hoton residents. There are a number of planning issues currently under scrutiny that impact on the entire village. The Council encourages residents to attend the monthly meetings, as it’s an excellent way to keep up to date with these important developments.
If the rain and cold weather precludes you from attending in person, why not visit our website at hoton.leicestershireparishcouncils.org. The website contains details of recent Council meetings and forthcoming local events.
Finally, the Council would like to take the opportunity to promote the use of the Village Hall. Many people attended functions at the Village Hall over the Christmas period, reinforcing its importance to the community.
The Village Hall is likely to get assistance from public funds during 2009, so this may be the best time to get involved and enjoy the benefits of this facility.
Details of forthcoming events are displayed on Village Notice Boards and in the Link magazine. More »

Would anyone who can suggest a date these photograph might have been taken please supply information using the guest book page on this site.

Thank you

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. More »

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 More »

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