Chairman’s Blog – Aug 21
The PC last met on 15 Jul and won’t meet again until 30 Sep, but that doesn’t mean for a moment that nothing is going on! Despite taking some leave, Councillors and Clerk continue to progress various aspects of work.
One of those pieces of work is the Garden Centre roundabout, about which many of you have inquired regarding its unkempt state, and for which the PC has had sponsors lined up to cultivate it for some time. Having been adopted from the developer by County Council Highways, it now sits between them and the County Council ‘Green Team’, to determine the best outcome for its future use. Meanwhile, the roundabout is overgrown, not being maintained by County Council Highways or the County Council ‘Green Team’. The PC could step in and cut it (under consent from WCC), but to do so creates commitment for which we currently have no future funding without increasing the precept (the element of the Council Tax that funds PC activity). We will prevail, and we will have a roundabout to be proud of, but as usual it seems to take forever!
On a related theme, if you are a landowner/renter, be that a house, a farm, any other dwelling, or even an allotment, please ensure that you manage any summer growth that might be encroaching on public footpaths or public rights of way (PRoW). And when you consider maintenance, don’t forget the other side of the hedge which may be out of sight from your property, but encroaching on a pavement on the other side.
Hopefully you will already be aware of the South Worcester Development Plan Review (SWDP Review) https://www.swdevelopmentplan.org/swdp-review. This will deliver 10,000 new houses between 2030 and 2041 in two phases on land either side of the B4084 adjacent to Worcestershire Parkway station, bounded by the M5 and Stoulton. It was hoped that the public consultation would commence in October 2021, but this has now been delayed pending further studies until February 2022. What is proposed will be adjacent to residents in Woodbury Lane and High Park, and the Parish Council is tracking it closely, the intent being to hold a Parish public briefing prior to the commencement of the public consultation next year.
The Parish Neighbourhood Plan https://nortonjuxtakempseyparishcouncil.gov.uk/norton-juxta-kempsey-parish-council-neigbourhood-plan/ has now been independently examined with some minor modifications recommended prior to it being put to a referendum within the Parish. The Parish Neighbourhood Plan Group will determine the best way to inform you of these changes and then it is hoped it will proceed to referendum shortly thereafter. The result of several year’s work, and based upon several consultations with parishioners, once adopted it will have a material effect on how planning permission is granted within the Parish going forward.
The Community Apiary continues to progress, with volunteer training about to commence, and hives hopefully being introduced shortly afterwards. Griffiths, the civil engineers delivering Temeside Way, have helped with the apiary ground preparation at zero cost and we are now talking to them regarding the possibility of re-surfacing the bridleway to Stonehall common. With a number of stakeholders involved (Kempsey Parish Council, NJK Parish Council, County Council Public Rights of Way, and Griffiths), the details may take some time to tie down, but hopefully the end result will be worth it, providing a usable bridleway connecting Kempsey Parish and Stonehall to NJK Parish and the facilities at the Parish Hall. There is also an aspiration to create a community orchard and wildflower meadow just off the bridleway once accesses have been re-established.
The Worcester Norton Community Interest Company (WNCIC) continues to seek a lease from Worcester Norton Sports Club Ltd (WNSC Ltd) to enable it to proceed with the new sports hall and changing rooms on the WNSC Ltd site, and in the meantime several investigations (power, drainage, etc…) continue to more accurately tie down the costs involved. WNCIC’s first fundraising event, supported by the resident clubs (shooting, cricket, and croquet), will take place on Bank Holiday Monday 30 August, and support from the community is vital in order to demonstrate to grant giving organisations that this has community support and can generate some of its own funds. Fingers crossed for good weather and a full turnout!
The Sentry https://nortonjuxtakempseyparishcouncil.gov.uk/the-sentry/ is almost ready and it is hoped that very shortly groundworks will commence on the site for which it is destined. Let’s hope we have also been able to sort out the Garden Centre roundabout by then so that the ‘entrance’ to the Parish is as good as it can be!
Don’t forget that the Norton Connector is now running a full timetable and I’m pleaded to say that numbers are increasing as people become more confident following more widespread vaccination. Details of how to use it and the timetable can be found here https://nortonjuxtakempseyparishcouncil.gov.uk/norton-connector/timetable-and-how-to-book/
The Parish now has volunteers volunteering to run the Parish Hall Coffee Shop, the community apiary, deliver The Sentry, run community events, and act as Trustees, Councillors and CIC Directors, but we can always do with more! If anything in this makes you think that you would like to become involved, please contact us; it’s your parish and you can help make a difference.
Other Parish information can be found on the Parish noticeboards or the following sites:
www.nortonjuxtakempseyparishcouncil.org
www.facebook.com/NJKParishcouncil PC.
https://www.facebook.com/nortonparishhall
http://www.nortonparishhall.co.uk/
If you have any comments regarding what you would like to see in our subsequent monthly updates, please do not hesitate to let us know.
Kevin Fincher