Looking back over last year I saw that in January 2008 we started our meeting with a very professional Powerpoint presentation from Parish Councillor Angela Trend which showed the results of the Lyndhurst Area Plan’s Love It, Hate It, Want It survey.
Many of you will be aware that this group have moved forward tremendously over the last year and will be holding an ambitious Alice Festival later this year.
In February we were told that if we wanted to maintain the CCTV facility in the car park a charge of £700 would be levied by the District Council.
This was just the beginning of a series of “extra” charges that seem to be coming our way in the current economic climate, the latest being that if we want new “Welcome to Lyndhurst” signs we will have to make a contribution towards their cost.
The present signs are becoming somewhat the worse for wear so this subject will be discussed at the January Parish Council meeting.
March saw a very well attended Annual Parish meeting at the Community Centre and in April the Parish Council moved to the Community Centre for their monthly meetings as well as Planning Committee meetings.
At our June meeting we heard that a bus priority lane was to be introduced along Shrubbs Hill Road.
This was initially for a trial period of three months with the same arrangements for next summer.
Free bus transport for rail travellers was introduced at weekends linking the village with the train stations at Ashurst and Brockenhurst.
The Parish Council has since engaged in Transport Strategy meetings aimed at trying to alleviate the contentious issues of traffic/pollution problems in the village.
The land known as Great Mead has now come into the ownership of the Parish Council.
I have heard various rumours about the future use of this land. Please rest assured that it will remain largely unchanged and must, in any case, be kept as an open space.
During last year Councillor Mark Bockle undertook a great deal of work in order to provide the parish with a village walk.
Plans are now reaching fruition. We were lucky enough to obtain a grant from joint funding from HCC and NF NPA of 75% of costs incurred and the walk will commence at Boltons Bench and take in the villages and hamlets of Lyndhurst, Emery Down, Bank, Allum Green and Gritnam.
More information will be given in the coming months as a launch event is planned.
You might like to know that NFDC are organising recycling points for “redundant” Christmas trees this year. There will be one such point in the coach park of the main car park from 3rd to 11th January.
Lastly, I would personally like to offer congratulations to John Charlesworth and the team at the Community Centre on obtaining their lottery grant.
This sees the culmination of an enormous amount of work and is very well deserved.
The Community Centre already has a lovely friendly atmosphere when you walk through the front door but by the time the improvements are made in 2010 it will be a tremendous focus for the village and one which the residents can look to with pride.
Well done to those involved in getting the grant.
If you would like to draw my attention to any matter concerning the Parish Council my contact details are as follows:
Margaret Weston,
Clerk to the Council,
Woodlands,
Fritham,
Lyndhurst,
Hampshire
SO43 7HJ
Tel: 023 8081 3218
Email: lyndhurstpc@woodlands.mail1.co.uk.
If the matter is not urgent please try to ring between 8.30 am and 6.30 pm Monday to Friday. Thank you. |
