2014 has been a quiet year. At the end of April and following an extended cycle, the old Parish Council stood down. A number of our former members decided not to seek re-election these being Cllr Julian Davies who had been the immediate past Chairman, Cllrs Chris Dash, Bob Penny, Brian Ford, Ann Woolford and last but by no means least, Ralph Miles. May I on behalf of the village extend a vote of thanks to them all and record that as a council we will miss their individual and collective knowledge.
Sadly as you will all know, Chris Dash sadly died during the year. Chris had been a driving force in the village for many years and the notable achievements during his tenure as Chairman well recorded. He was a role model, mentor and friend to many in the village and we owe a huge debt of gratitude for all he did to make the village what it is today. As a permanent mark of our affection for him, and with the agreement of Wendy and his family, we are planning to plant a tree in the market cross to honour his memory.
Our new Parish Council is still a little understrength. Five candidates were put forward, myself Cllrs Mary Crookall, James Skinner, Samantha Hayward and Caroline Grainger. No election was therefore required and subsequently we co-opted Cllrs Fiona Plowman and Kevin Jones to fill two of the vacancies.
We were also delighted to appoint Becci Plowman as the Parish Clerk to fill the vacancy. She keeps us all on our toes and produces the minutes and Honeycomb report in a very efficient and timely manner. Thank you Becci.
Business for the Council has been fairly quiet with fewer than average planning applications being submitted and with one exception mostly of a non-contentious nature. We have seen the new extension to the school built and hopefully it will soon blend in as it and its surroundings mature.
On a personal note, can I offer my sincere thanks for all the support I have received from my fellow Councillors in what has not always been easy year for me.
Alistair Parker
Chairman