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Chairmans Report to Annual Parish Meeting 4th May 2023

Minutes Uploaded on May 23, 2023

CASTOR PARISH COUNCIL

Chairman’s Report

May 2023

 

Once again we are all in difficult times with the cost of living crisis and the financial pressure this puts on the Parish Council and residents alike, but it is heartening to see how our amazing residents all pull together in supporting each other and the wider communities.

The Parish Council is once again pleased to be affiliated with the Good Neighbours – Rural Peterborough Charity which provides short term practical support, befriending and lunch clubs for many of the elderly and vulnerable residents across the rural areas of Peterborough and is currently supporting some 400 residents.

Throughout the past year the parish council has continued its work on behalf of the residents which have included the following:

Planning Consultations

The parish council was consulted on 21 new planning applications over the past year.

The parish council continues to consult with Country Court Care and the Nene Park Trust regarding the future of the Woodlands Complex, including the hosting of village meetings aimed at discussing with residents their concerns.

Land and Amenities.

The parish council continues its work on enhancing our parish through the creation of new nature and wildlife areas and improvement of existing areas which has included the planting of new trees and hedgerows in partnership with PECT and the Langdyke Trust.

Also work has now commenced on the new wildlife restoration area located on Parish Council owned land on Splash Lane with a number of trees already planted, this venture is being spearheaded by the parish councils vice-chair Councillor Fiona Rowlands.

The Parish Council also commissioned further works on Ferryfield which included the installation of new fencing.

Within the children’s playground a new copper beech was planted to commemorate the late Queens Platinum Jubilee.

We have also continued with our Land Management plan with contracts being awarded to our contractors to maintain the hedgerows and trees on parish land.

The parish council has continued to oversee the use of the bus shelter book exchange with the assistance of Councillor William Baxter and his wife Annie  who regularly cleans the area and sorts through the books which have been left.

The previously installed community allotments along with the main allotments continue to be well used by our residents, schools and community groups.

The parish council also proposes to hold open days at Castor Copse a wildlife area completed last year.

Over the past year the Parish Council granted a licence to a group of registered detectorists to detect on parish owned land, the result of which has been a large number of finds, it is hoped that these finds will be displayed for residents to look at later in the year.

 

 

 

Community.

The parish council continues to work with local community groups and where possible provide funding to those groups.

Over the past year the parish council has provided funding to the following groups:

Castor and Ailsworth Local Magazine.

Castor and Ailsworth Climate Action Group.

The Village Hall Committee.

The Celebrations Committee.

The parish council once again procured the Christmas tree for the village hall.

Castor Schools

As part of the Kings Charles III Coronation celebrations Castor Parish Council has also commissioned a number of coronation mugs, with a mug presented to all the children attending both the pre-school and primary school.

Castor and Ailsworth Community Action Plan.

Castor Parish Council along with Ailsworth Parish Council continue to work together on items which affect both parishes as whilst we have two parishes we are one community.

The Parish Council would like to thank Mr John Hodder for his work within the group.

 Celebration Committee.

The parish council would like to thank the past members and new members of the celebration committee for the excellent work they carry out often behind the scenes in making such events possible.

 

 

 

 

 

Bus Service

As chair of Castor Parish Council I am currently working with a number of partners such as Wansford PC, Wittering PC, Ward Councillors, The Mayor of Peterborough, The Combined Authority, Peterborough City Council and a Bus Company to look into the possibilities of having the bus service reinstated through Castor and Ailsworth.

I would also like to thank Sue Magill (Ailsworth Resident) for her continued and most welcome assistance with this endeavour.

Mayors Charity

This year I have also been honoured to be a member of the Mayors Charity Committee.

Over the year the Mayors Charity has provided funding to a large number of local causes many of which have been in the rural areas.

The Mayor has also hosted a number of afternoon teas at the Mayors Parlour for rural residents to attend, which have all been a great success.

Objectives

Further manage and enhance the parish assets, including further projects through the Nature Recovery Plan

Preserve, support and promote local amenities and community groups.

Consult and comment on local planning applications.

Support local community based initiatives.

Provide an unbiased and balanced approach to all interests and concerns of the community.

Provide support to all age groups within the parish.

Continue to provide a voice within the City Council via the Scrutiny Committee and Parish Liaison Working Group.

 

 

 

I would also like to thank my fellow councillors and clerk for their continued support and the work they carry out on behalf of the parish council and our community.

 

Councillor Neil Boyce

Chairman (Castor Parish Council) May 2023