Clopton Annual 2015

Issue 1 First Clopton Annual! The previously quarterly Clopton Newsletter has been replaced with an , annual edition. The date of issue will follow the Annual Parish Meeting and, Clopton Midsumer Fete as well as useful local information, you This year’s fete is on Sunday 21st will be able to read all the reports June, from 12 noon to 5pm. We which local groups submit to the look forward to seeing you there! meetings. Hopefully, the weather will be kind We hope you will find this booklet to us and we can have as much fun informative and useful and will want to as last year. keep it by your phone for reference. If you have any donations of gifts, Hopefully, it contains all the things you tombola prizes, good quality books, need to know about Clopton and the bottles (full, of course) or cakes, names of all the people who can help we would be very pleased to you find your way around. receive them. They can be dropped If there are things missing that you off at the village hall on the next think might be useful to other Clopton coffee morning, 17th June, or residents, send in the details for next Saturday 20th. year (you’ve got plenty of time). If any details are incorrect please let us know. Keep an eye on the Clopton website During the year you can keep up to for information about the auction date by checking the Clopton website: items and, for any other queries, www.clopton.onesuffolk.net and you can contact Penny on the fete subscribing to Clopton eNews - just email address: send your details to: [email protected] or [email protected] phone: 01473 737454

Produced by Clopton Parish Council 1 e-mail: [email protected] Reports from Clopton Annual Parish Meeting 21 May 2015

CLOPTON PARISH COUNCIL - CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2014-15

Six meetings of the Parish Council were held during the year, as scheduled.

Changes There were no changes to the members of the Council during the year and I wish to thank all participants for their work and effort. The five councillors standing for re-election on 7 May 2015 were elected for a 4 year period with the election being uncontested. Two vacancies for councillor remain un-filled. On behalf of the Parish Council I should like to thank Peter Bellfield who retired as a District Councillor for the Otley ward at the last election for his support over many years of representing Clopton at SCDC and (no doubt) as a Clopton resident. At the same time I am pleased to welcome Tony Fryatt as our new District Councillor for the ward following the boundary re-organisation. Since Tony is also one of our Parish Councillors, Clopton continues to enjoy a kind of vicarious direct representation at SCDC.

Training The Parish Clerk completed the SALC course for new clerks.

Accounts Total receipts for the year amounted to £5,453.94, of which £3,700 came from the Precept, £168.36 from the Council Tax Support Grant, £1273.22 as fête income, £144.10 VAT refund and the remainder from sundry other sources. Total gross expenditure amounted to £4,319.37, including £1,033.10, fête and charitable disbursements. The precept for 2015/16 remains unchanged for the 3rd successive year. The last tranche of the Council Tax Support Grant amounting to some £60 should be paid in 2015-16, after which it will cease. Since the Parish Council has saved this grant rather than spend it, it is anticipated that the precept can be held at the current level for a number of years yet, barring unforeseen circumstances. The amount of £200 will be spent in the current financial year to repair the parish notice boards which were vandalised during March.

Planning Applications Four new planning applications were received during the year, three of which were approved and one was withdrawn. In addition, there was one removal and variation of conditions to a previous application.

Events, Topics & Issues The incidence of flooding re-occurred in Shop Road. Further drain and pipe clearing work was undertaken by SCC during 2015 including the previously untreated drain running under

2 the B1078 and the pipe under the concrete road, Cllr Yallop having previously cleared out the drainage ditch running alongside the village hall boundary which flows into this pipe. The solid drain cover in Shop Road outside Ancient House was replaced earlier this month by a grid to allow the ponding water to drain into the drain below. Altogether it is hoped that this work will substantially resolve the flooding problem, although further work to the private drain in Shop Road might be necessary.

SCC repainted the badly worn road markings at the staggered junction at Potash Corner.

Traffic Speed: The section of the B1078 which passes through Clopton is subject to the national speed limits for a single carriageway road. At the request of the Parish Council, the Police arranged for a speed recording device to be placed close to the Shop Road junction for one week during June 2014. This recorded a total of 19,203 vehicle movements, 4,420 of which were travelling at 50 mph or more, being one approximately every 2 minutes around the clock on average. There have been 3 traffic accidents in this vicinity since April 2014, all of which have been in some measure speed related. The Parish Council made representation to the SCC Cabinet which reviewed the criteria for imposing speed limits at its December meeting. The Council will take this matter forward via SaViD, the safer village driving forum of which Clopton is a member.

The number of villages participating in Speedwatch has increased to ten. An annual levy of £25 per council per annum commencing with 2015-16 was successfully introduced in order to fund its on-going running and development, though 2 contributions remain outstanding. After due debate, Clopton Parish Council decided that the future development of Speedwatch would be better served by another parish with more resources taking over as the sponsoring council. The interest of the other participating councils was duly solicited and we were informed yesterday that Parish Council, as a very active user of the scheme is keen to undertake this role. Clopton will formally decide on this transfer at the ensuing council meeting.

The Police Safer Neighbourhood Team held its regular priority setting meeting in Clopton for the first time on 8 April 2015. Among other items agreed, parking infringements at the Shop Road/Rouse Hall junction will continue to be monitored, as will the village hall car park following signs of damage from handbrake turns.

The village fête held at the Village Hall on 22 June 2014 was a great success, raising some £1,275 which was shared between Macmillan Cancer Support and the village hall. Following this success, the organisers agreed to hold the fete again this year on 21 June 2015.

The Council remains most appreciative that Della Hughes continues to run the Clopton News email, the village website and produce the Clopton Newsletter, now reduced to one copy a year due to a paucity of contribution, which are highly regarded in the village.

C A Angwin 21 May 2015 3 County Councillor’s report for 2014/15 A personal comment From a personal point of view this is a year which I would rather forget. However I am now making good progress and it will be nice to be able to drive again. I have nothing but praise for the NHS, hospital and all those who work in the three specialist areas that have treated me in the last twelve months, not forgetting my own GP. My gratitude to them all is immense. Unfortunately this has meant that I have not been able to provide the service to you all which I would like, particularly in being unable to attend meetings which help me to appreciate the problems and concerns in the 26 parishes I represent. My apologies , but I hope that from this summer “normal service will resume” Council Tax I am sure that you all know that for the fifth year in a row the County Council has frozen council tax. This means that residents will not pay any more than they did in 2010/11. We have delivered savings of £130m over the last four years. However, if central government polices remain unchanged, we estimate that we will have to make further savings of £120 over the next three years, having started with £38.2 for the forthcoming year. A significant proportion on the savings have been achieved by a reduction in the workforce of 47% across all council services. Two major operational changes As far as what has happened at the County Council, two significant service changed responsibility in order to reduce costs just before or in the early part of the year. The CSD services which were in partnership with BT, were brought back in house after ten years, and the Highways maintenance contract was put out Kier MG. CSD contract The transfer of the CSD contract, which included the financial, IT and HR activities of the council, came back into our direct responsibility seamlessly. Even the few adverse comments which we were getting towards the end of the contract seem to have dried up. It is also saving us money. Highways contract The transfer of all highways maintenance to Kier MG has proved a very different matter. To start with we negotiated the contract with May Gurney with whom we had had a good relationship, but at the last minute they were acquired by Kier. The idea was that the council staff would transfer to Kier MG under the normal arrangements, but some of the more important staff decided to take redundancy where it was offered, thus resulting in a shortage in the workforce. It seems that the council did not insist in adequate corrective action being taken soon enough, although us Councillors were complaining to the highways department and the Cabinet member because of the frustration you and we were having in getting anything done. I am glad to say that it all came to a head in the second half of last year when meetings at the highest level within Kier MG produced action on their part. A list of all outstanding work was drawn up and given priority and most has been undertaken. However we discovered subsequently that a number of tasks which councillors and parishes thought were outstanding had never got on to the outstanding list, that is the reason why we still have work outstanding for more than a year but it is now being scheduled. 4 Highways fault reporting tool A very important new highways fault reporting tool was introduced earlier this year and any member of the public can use this system by going to www.suffolk.gov.uk/report-a- highways-problem. The new highways reporting tool which allows photographs to be up loaded can be accessed by tablets and mobiles. This means that people can access the map on the go and these will be recorded and actioned straight away. The tool also allows anyone to follow up the report to see the progress being made to complete the work. This means that if any member of the public sees a highways maintenance problem they can report it there and then. Energy from waste Towards the end of last year our new energy from waste plant at Great Blackenham was commissioned. This was a major success for the staff responsible because we had relatively little opposition to the development, unlike Norfolk where the cancelation of the contract has cost the council over £30m. On top of that the plant was opened on time and on budget, again quite an achievement for a Government body. High speed broadband During the year we put in a second tranche of £10m towards high speed broad-band for Suffolk which should mean that 95% of the County will have improved speeds by the end of 2017. The latest news is that 75,000 premises are now connected to high-speed fibre broadband thanks to the Better Broadband for Suffolk programme. Young people’s employment centre Last November we, in collaboration with other organisations, opened in Ipswich the very first young people’s employment centre in the country for 16 to 24 year olds. What is notable about this project is that it is not just an employment centre but they are trained how to write CVs and approach interviews. In the first month more than 500 young had made use of the centre. Education Under the councils new School Improvement Strategy we have recently sent out the second risk-rating letter in which each school is rated red, amber or green, based on information the school has provided as well as government data. This is all part of the work we are doing to keep on top of poor performing schools and to be able to pin point where assistance to improve their outturn is required. Meanwhile last year’s exam results showed an improvement at all levels, in some cases reaching national levels, but there is still a long way to go. Locality and minor highways grants During the year I was very pleased to be able to help various people and organisations with financial assistance, the locality grant being over- subscribed. However, due to the problems mentioned earlier, the highways grant was not fully utilised, but I am able to carry the balance forward to this year. As always feel free to telephone me on 01473 735259 or e-mail on peter.bellfield @suffolk.gov.uk for any assistance you may require with the County Council. Peter Bellfield, County Councillor for the Carlford Division

5 WOODBRIDGE AND DISTRICT SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD TEAM Police station, Grundisburgh Road, Woodbridge CLOPTON PARISH COUNCIL POLICE REPORT THURSDAY MAY 21ST 2015 CRIME UPDATE - In the last year there have been 13 reported crimes in Clopton. 3 x CRIMINAL DAMAGE 1 X BURGLARY (DWELLING) 2 X BURGLARY (OTHER BUILDING WITH INTENT) 1 X GOING EQUIPPED FOR STEALING ETC 1 X THEFT FROM MOTOR VEHICLE 1 X THEFT FROM DWELLING 1 X THEFT - OTHER 1 X COMMON ASSAULT (NO INJURY) 1 X INTERFERENCE WITH MOTOR VEHICLE (TAMPERING) 1 X POSSESSION OF CLASS ‘B’ DRUG- CANNABIS

HOW DOES THIS COMPARE WITH OTHER PARISHES IN THE WOODBRIDGE AND DISTRICT SNT AREA DURING THE SAME TIME PERIOD (17/05/15 – 17/05/15)) UFFORD 13 6 93 3 DEBACH 3 1 BURGH 1 OTLEY 13 SNT CURRENT PRIORITIES The last Community Panel Meeting was held on 08/04/2015. The three priorities set by the general public are as follows; Priority 1: To carry out a further programme of speed monitoring and enforcement in the Woodbridge and District SNT area.

Priority 2 To carry out parking monitoring and enforcement in the Woodbridge and District SNT area in locations such as schools and those areas raised as a concern by our community. Priority 3 Through patrols and crime reduction awareness of rural dwelling crime to reduce opportunity of such offences. The next Priority “Setting” Meeting will be held on Wednesday 1st July at 1900hrs at Woodbridge Town Hall. 6 MOBILE POLICE STATION The Mobile Police Station will be in Rouse Hall Estate on Wednesday August 5th between 10.30hrs and 11.15hrs.

OTHER MATTERS The nicer weather tends to see an increase in the following crimes some of these can be prevented simply by being more security conscious regarding your property and belongings.

PCSO 3105 Marie Smith, Woodbridge and District SNT (This report has been reduced for editorial purposes. For the full report see Clopton website.- Ed)

Communications: Annual Report for Clopton APM 2015 Clopton Website: www.clopton.onesuffolk.net The site has been maintained and regularly updated with news of local events, CPC reports and minutes of meetings. There is limited scope for change or individuality on the website as it follows a pre-set design from its parent site, Onesuffolk. The Google analytics account attached to the website shows there have been 2297 "hits" on the site, from 1866 users, over the last year (report attached). This is almost double the amount of hits from last year. Clopton eNews: [email protected] There are 86 email addresses currently receiving the Clopton eNews. We have a few subscribers from outside Clopton, but still within the local area. Clopton-eNews receives notices from Police Connect, Suffolk County Council, SCDC, Horsewatch, Streetlife, the Met Office and other groups, which are then passed on to Clopton residents, along with messages from the Parish Council and notifications of upcoming events in the area. This year two new email addresses have been created for local use; one for village hall bookings, ([email protected]) and one for the Clopton fete, ([email protected]). This is to ensure that enquiries about the village hall and the fete are dealt with in the correct quarters and without delay. Clopton Newsletter The quarterly newsletter is now being discontinued. The reasons for the discontinuation are lack of editorial content and feedback or contributions from Clopton residents. A new annual "information sheet" is proposed, with the first edition being issued shortly after the Annual Parish Meeting. The Clopton Annual will contain a list of local contacts and other information useful to Clopton residents, but no editorial. A copy will be delivered to each household, provided our current volunteers are still willing.

Della Hughes 16 May 2015 7 Parochial Church Council Report for Clopton Annual Parish Meeting 2015 The full PCC met 4 times during the year with an average attendance of 50%. We still hold our Parochial Church Council meetings with three of the other churches in our benefice; Otley, and Ashbocking. This enables us to meet with other PCC members. In February the work on the bells was completed. In March a service was held for the Commissioning of Elders by Bishop John Wayne. In April the final forms, documents, invoices and photos were sent to the Heritage Lottery fund - ending two years of paperwork! The 6th Sunrise Service was held at 6.30 on Easter Day. This was followed by a cooked breakfast in the church and a Holy Communion Service at 8am. In June a peal was rung for both the 493rd Bombardment Group (it was 70 years since they came to Clopton & Debach) and for veteran Jack Rude for his 90th birthday. Long Service Certificates were presented to Arthur and John Barham to mark their 50 years of maintaining the churchyard. The annual strawberry tea was held on a lovely sunny day and over 70 people enjoyed their strawberries and cream followed by delicious cakes. We would like to thank the Schurrs for the loan of their large gazebo each year. The Harvest Service was preceded by breakfast and the collection went to Farm Africa. The service for Remembrance Sunday was held at the memorial to the 493rd Bombardment Group. The short Act of Remembrance was led by James Hall. The Annual Gift Service was well attended and donations of toys, books and other gifts were taken to the Ormiston Trust in Ipswich. Villagers sang carols around the village on 19th december and raised money for the East Anglian Children’s Hospice. The Carol Service on Christmas Eve was very well attended and every pew was full. Again this year we managed to have many more candles and did not have the electric lights on at all. Everyone had a nightlight in a sand-filled dish and the effect was stunning. Mulled wine and mince pies were served after the service. Over 80 people attended. The collection was sent to the Children’s Society. There have been no new volunteers and we are struggling to get help with cleaning and flowers. There are now only three people on the cleaning rota and four on the flower rota. Repeated requests in the magazine have not given us any new people. We now have a volunteer to clean the brass on an occasional basis. The village coffee morning continues to be well attended. Prepared by D Main for the annual vestry meeting held in March 2015 8 Clopton Local History Recorders Report 2014 - 2015 The work on the new bellframe and refurbished bells was finally completed in February. The total cost was £105,000.00 and half the money was from a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Fundraising and grants from other bodies made up the shortfall. Several peals and half-peals have been rung this year by visiting and local ringers. A group of people are learning the art of bell-ringing. A peal was rung on 1st June to celebrate 70 years since the 493rd Bombardment Group were in Clopton/Debach and the 90th birthday of one of the veterans visiting from the USA. The Heritage Centre, which was part of the Grant application is at the west end of the church and contains folders of information about Clopton including census transcripts, Clopton families and the 493rd bombardment Group. Members of the Heritage Group are continuing with research. The church website (www.cloptonchurch.org.uk) has a heritage section which has attracted a lot of interest. Doris Main

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W J Steel & Poor’s Charity no 211366 Report to Clopton Annual Parish Meeting 2015 W J Steel & Poor’s Charity was set up in the 19th century to offer assistance to Clopton residents with financial or disability problems. The capital is invested in Charities Investments Fund Units and, at the end of the last financial year on 31st December 2014, stood at £442.39. This produced an income of £16.89. There was an accumulation income of £165.90. The trustees have not been approached directly by any individuals in Clopton for help for many years, so, in 2013 we met the Director of Student Services at Otley College to offer small grants to local students who might benefit from our support. Last year we made one award of £50 to a student with learning difficulties. This year we have contacted Farlingaye High School offering grants to young people in further education, to help with equipment etc necessary for their courses. Applicants must live in Clopton and need help on financial or disability grounds. An article about the charity has appeared in the last Clopton Newsletter, so all residents should be aware of its existence. Sue Christensen, Trustee 9 Carpet Bowls Report - 2015 Village Annual General Meeting report Last year I reported that we had survived another year - and extended an invitation for "past players, local residents and their friends to join our merry band." This invitation was also extended in the parish magazine and web site. We did attract a couple of new members but this left us still light on numbers to field two full teams on certain occasions, due to outside commitments. To this end it was decided after a short debate to take a break from play until the autumn. There remains a will and hopefully determination to try and re launch Bowls after the summer holiday period and we hope that this sabbatical will give us time to recruit new members to our very social band of players. Anne J. Pryke

Hobby & Social Morning (previously Craft morning)- Report for APM 2015 The Hobby & Social Morning has been held on the first Wednesday of the month from 10:00am to 1:00pm in the village hall. From June 2015 the hours will reduce to 10am to noon. Numbers attending vary between sessions, but have not increased as well as hoped. Costs are usually covered but a decision may have to be taken in the forthcoming year on whether or not to continue. Della Hughes 16 May 2015

Speedwatch Report for Clopton APM 2015 (Extracted from Annual Report by Speedwatch coordinator Malcolm Gooch)

There are two speedwatch cameras, one of which is used by Easton, and , and one used by Clopton and other villages in the Speedwatch scheme. One of the main expenses involved in the Speedwatch scheme is the re- calibration of the cameras. The other is training of new volunteers.

Most villages in the scheme manage to run two teams on a regular basis and the police now provide a monthly update which covers Speedwatch results. This last year has seen a reduction in speed in most villages in the scheme.

The Speedwatch coordinator has been running the scheme for five years and is now seeking a replacement.

10 Local Contacts:

Clopton Parish Council

Chairman: Chris Angwin : 01473 735453 email: [email protected] Councillor: John Pryke : 01473 738287 Councillor: Adrian Yallop : 01473 737144 Councillor: Tony Fryatt : 01473 737218 Councillor: Pete Raffell : 01473 735316 Parish Clerk: Terri Embury: 01473 735941 email: [email protected] District Councillor: Councillor : Peter Bellfield: 01473 735259 email:peter.bellfield @suffolk.gov.uk

Clopton Website, Clopton Annual, eNews Della Hughes : 01473 737805 email: [email protected]

Clopton Church http://www.cloptonchurch.org.uk/ Priest in Charge - Rev.Clare Sanders: 01473 735183 email: [email protected] Warden - Doris Main: 01473 737602

Clopton Bell-ringers Contact: David Sandford : 01394 384017

Clopton Heritage Group: Contact: Doris Main : 01473 737602

W J Steel & Poor’s Charity Contact: Sue Christensen : 01473 737686

11 Clopton Village Hall

The village hall is situated in Manor Road.

The hire charges (from May 2015) are:

Weekdays (up to 5pm) - £12:00 per hour

Weekends and evenings - £15:00 per hour

(Prices are due to rise in January 2016)

Deposit £100 (returned if hall is left as found).

There are special rates for wedding weekends.

There is a discount for local residents.

Charges are subject to change.

To book, or enquire further:

email: [email protected]

phone: Della Hughes 01473 737805

Village Hall Committee

Chairman: Richard Taylor: 01473 737236 Vice chair: Diana Dawson : 01473 737417 Treasurer: David Hayhow : 01473 735739 Secretary: Elaine Gissing : 01473 737358 Bookings : Della Hughes: 01473 737805 email: [email protected] Caretaker: Bob Tye : 01473 737275

12 Regular Events at the village hall

Every Monday - 7pm - Badminton New Members welcome. Contact: Bob Tye: 01473 737275 Every Tuesday (in school term time)-1.30pm to 3.30pm Suffolk Village Spinners and Weavers. Contact: Mrs A Dix-de Hert ! email: [email protected]

Every first Wednesday of the month - - 10am-12noon Bring along a craft, hobby, or just yourself for a relaxing morning doing your thing! Everyone welcome. £2.00 includes tea and biscuits. Contact: Della 01473 737805 Every third Wednesday of the month - Clopton coffee morning - 10am to noon. Come along for a chat, meet your neighbours, catch up on the news. Tea, coffee, biscuits all included, free of charge. Contact: Doris: 01473 737602

Every third Saturday of the month (September to May) – Ceilidh (country dancing)- 7pm til late Hosted by: Ceilidhs On The Move A different band and caller every month. For details of bands and ticket prices see webpage: http://www.suffolkfolk.co.uk/cotm.html

13 How to contact the police… Suffolk Constabulary: http://www.suffolk.police.uk/

Local police Station:

Grundisburgh Road, Woodbridge, IP12 4HG 101 Open daily 9am - 5pm (closed bank holidays)

CONTACTING THE POLICE - YOUR LOCAL OFFICERS ARE: Pc 1328 Clark, PCSO 3105 Marie Smith To report a crime, speak to your local officers or leave a message please dial 101 Any member of the team can be contacted by email at: [email protected] Check the website: www.suffolk.police.uk for our engagements Our website as detailed below also has an email link to contact us. Please also have a look at the Suffolk Constabulary Website, which can offer further help and advice. To find the Woodbridge and District Team website: www.safersuffolk.org.uk In an emergency always dial 999

County & District Council Contacts:

Suffolk County Council: http://www.suffolk.gov.uk/

Suffolk Coastal District Council: http://www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/#

Waste & Recycling Suffolk Coastal's waste and recycling services are operated by Suffolk Coastal Norse (formerly Suffolk Coastal Services), a subsidiary of Norse Commercial Services. If you have any questions about your waste and recycling services contact Suffolk Coastal Norse on 01394 444000 or email [email protected].

14 Bus Timetable

Clopton is served by the No 30/A bus, run by Beestons.

There is a bus stop at Potash Corner (the corner of B1078 with B1079) and one on the B1078 at the corner of Shop Road. Both stops are two-way (in and out stops).

The bus into Ipswich takes about 35 mins, into Woodbridge about 28 mins, depending on required stop.

For timetables visit: http://www.suffolkonboard.com/buses/bus-timetables-by-service-number/ and choose service number 30.

Library Mobile Library

The Mobile library visits Clopton every fourth Thursday from 13.20pm to 13.45pm at the corner of Shop Rd with Rouse Hall Est. Future dates: 2 July 2015 27 Aug 2015 24 Sep 22 Oct 19 Nov 17 Dec 14 January 2016 for more details visit: http://suffolklibraries.co.uk/community- services/mobile-libraries/ipswich-mobile-library-route-3/

15 Year ahead: June 2015 to June 2016

Clopton Midsummer Fete 21 June 2015,12 - 5pm-Clopton Village Hall

Strawberry tea - Saturday, 27 June 2015 - 2.30pm - at: Thamaniya, Shop Road. Contact: Doris Main

September - Harvest Service - Clopton church - check date and times on church website: http://www.cloptonchurch.org.uk/

Sept 27 2015 - Debach Airfield Jeep Run - check website for details: http://www.493bgdebach.co.uk/

November - Remembrance Day Service at Debach War Memorial - Debach Airfield - check website for details.

December 31 - New Year’s Eve Dance - Clopton VH. Contact: Diana Dawson

2016

Easter Day Sunrise Service - bacon butty breakfast and service - Clopton Church

May - Debach Airfield Open Day? - check website: http://www.493bgdebach.co.uk/

June 2016 Clopton Fete - check times/dates nearer the time

Notes:

Produced by Clopton Parish Council Editor: Della Hughes Date of issue:: June 2015 Email:[email protected] 16