Barfordbugle 03 Chair's Report
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barfordthe bugle The Magazine of Great Barford Parish Council Summer 2018 Great Barford Parish Council Office Opening Times: 01234 870245 The Parish Council Office Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday [email protected] 09.15am to 12.30pm College Farm www.greatbarford.org.uk 59 High Street (subject to change due to training, Great Barford, Bedfordshire MK44 3JJ Council commitments and holiday) an answerphone is available if calling outside of the office hours. (by appointment only) Tree specific 1_2 page ARTWORK OVL ad_Layout 1 07/11/2012 11:45 Page 1 A comprehensive range of tree services from a local dedicated tree surgeon with twenty years experience within the tree industry + All aspects of Tree Maintenance + Tree Felling and Tree Care + Sectional Dismantling + Crown Reduction/Thinning + Dead Wood Removed + Hedges Reduced and Trimmed + Tree Planting + Fruit Tree Pruning + Member of the Royal + Fully insured and Skilled Arborist Forestry Society Contact us today for a free quote Telephone: 01234 828895 Mobile: 07949 368374 Email: [email protected] www.treespecific.co.uk Councillor Contact Details James Rudgley 37 Brook Lane 01234 870003 Chris Hutton 01234 870245 Noreen Byrne 14 Fishers Close 01234 871919 Derrick Folbigg 25 Maltings Way 01234 870032 Ann Lovesey 43 Green End Rd 01234 870693 Di Ames 123 Chapel Field 01234 870251 Siobhan Vincent 33 Brook Lane 01234 870292 Stuart Southall Home Farm, Bedford Rd 01234 870333 Graham Pendrey 44 Brook Lane 01234 870139 Tim Wood 07703 569919 Stuart Howard 01234 870245 With thanks to J Rudgley for the front cover photo Submit Your Photo! The Bugle Committee is always looking for seasonal photographs from around the village to place on the cover of the Bugle. If you would like to submit a photograph, please contact the Clerk at: [email protected] Contributions for the next Issue of The Bugle should be sent to the Parish Clerk before 7th September Summer 2018 thebarfordbugle 03 Chair's Report Parish Council highlights this year; Planting of 2 small Community Orchards. Daffodil Bulb planting in certain public spaces around the village assisted by young and adult parishioners, the success of the bulbs planted confirms they be added to around the village each year now till all the green space are done. Replacement hedge whips in the Jubilee Play area and extra items of exercise equipment installed on the playing field. Not quite so much of a highlight; several meetings with the BBC Highways department took place throughout the year, trying to resolve problems relating to parking, speeding, road & footpath surface maintenance etc, often with slow response from them. Matters relating to these will be carried forward into our coming year. We have dealt with queries on planning, on-going and future building works, including a central village planning application which did not meet villager’s approval, and has now, for the time being anyway, been resolved. Another larger housing site, however, has now been approved, and as the PC monitored this application over several years, we await to see now what housing scheme is put forward. I would like therefore to take this opportunity to thank, on behalf of the Village and myself, my fellow Councillors on their sterling work during meetings, and site visits around the village, and for individual undertakings, making arrangements and overseeing some of the projects. And of course, for her services to the Great Barford community and schools Councillor Ann Lovesey has been awarded an MBE. Congratulations Ann. We lost one Councillor during the year, Robin Smith, she gave up the position for personal reasons and I wish her well, and extend my thank for her input and presence during her time as a Councillor. Then the PC welcomed Stuart Howard who filled the vacancy with us in November. As ever, especial thanks must go to The Clerk, I am sure Councillors will join in with me in congratulating Anne by the way she calmly keeps us informed, in order and the way she more than ably deals with Parishioners queries on Village matters. Anne also has undertaken a few more asks this year to ensure our, and your data, will be kept safe. This is a good opportunity to remind Parishioners that the PC business agendas are 04 thebarfordbugle Summer 2018 Borough Councillors Report posted in all of the Village notice boards, & web site, at least a week in advance of each meeting Anyone is freely able to attend any PC meeting, to observe the business being conducted, with some time made available at the discretion of the Chair to direct questions to the Councillors. This is a good opportunity to see at first hand the way the PC deals with day-to-day issues and matters arising in the village. The minutes of each meeting are available on the PC web site or by contacting the Clerk for a copy. Jim Rudgley Chair – Great Barford Parish Council and farewell After 76 Full Council meetings, 3 chairs, 228(ish) Committee meetings and 11 Annual Parish meetings, I am laying down my pen and notebook and moving on from the role as Parish Clerk in Great Barford. It has been a fun and rewarding 7 years as The Clerk. I am proud to have been part of all that the Parish Council does in the village from the installation of new play and fitness equipment and the planting of Community Orchards to the day to day tasks of looking after the graveyard, trees, allotments, open spaces and the parish magazine. I would like to say a big thank you to all the residents that I have met with and spoken to about different issues around the village over the years and to all the volunteers who have supported the Parish Council magazine and the many Parish Council events. Thanks also to Russell Harley and Ed Burnett for all they do in keeping the village looking good and the play areas up and running and to the Borough Councillors Stephen and Sheryl for all of their support. I will be passing the baton to Joanne Lee who will be taking over as the Clerk during the summer. I wish Joanne well in the role. Finally, I would like to thank the Parish Councillors, both past and present. Great Barford is fortunate to have a group of people who are passionate and willing to volunteer their time and expertise in looking after the village. I wish you well with all the ideas and projects that you are looking into for the village as it continues to grow and develop. Good Luck and Thank you! Anne Summer 2018 thebarfordbugle 05 Borough Councillor Report Update from Cllrs Stephen Moon and Sheryl Corp NHS Updates Urgent Treatment Centre and 'Walk-In' Services You may be aware of plans to develop an ‘Urgent Treatment Centre’ (UTC) from October 2018. The UTC will be situated on the Bedford Hospital site. It will provide same-day appointments for minor illnesses over a 12 hour period, 7 days a week, via referrals from A & E and 111 phone service, thus reducing pressure on the Hospital’s A & E function. The Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BCCG), which organises NHS services, says the formation of the UTC is a national requirement. Given that the UTC will provide same-day appointments, the BCCG announced plans earlier in the year to close the Putnoe Walk-In Centre (the surgery itself will remain open) from October 2018. The BCCG is now exploring options, however, for a temporary extension of walk- in services north of the river in Bedford until the end of May 2019. It is unclear at the time of writing whether the temporary extension will see the service continue at Putnoe or another location (Gilbert Hitchcock House on Kimbolton Road has been noted by the BCCG as an potential alternative). GP Extended Access In accordance with NHS England’s requirements, the BCCG has awarded a contract to BEDOC (‘Bedford on Call’) to provide GP extended GP services from 8am – 8pm, 7 days a week from the beginning of September. We are told this will lead initially to an extra 550 appointments a week with GPs and practice nurses at 2 as yet undisclosed locations in Bedford. The appointments will be open to anyone in the Borough. East Midlands Trains The Department of Transport has released a document on the future of the East Midlands Rail franchise. Bedford has been served by the East Midlands Trains ‘Intercity’ service providing fast trains from London to Derby, Sheffield and Leicester amongst other destinations. This service has, however, been suspended for Bedford passengers in peak hours until 2020 to accommodate the implementation of the Thameslink Programme, which has thus far caused widespread disruption arising from the introduction of new timetables. A consultation was held last year on the specification for the East Midland Rail franchise contract for when it is renewed in August 2019. The Department for Transport has now confirmed that Bedford will no longer be served in peak hours by the Intercity service, with the rationale being to reduce overcrowding and improve journey times. Bedford will instead be served by ‘two dedicated commuter trains per hour’ to and from Corby ‘providing capacity to prevent passengers from having to travel on busy Intercity trains’. As details of timetables have yet to be produced, it is unclear as to how journey times will compare between the current and future service. 06 thebarfordbugle Summer 2018 Borough Councillor Report In addition, there will be a requirement that ‘at least one Intercity service per hour will call at Kettering to retain connections with stations served by the Corby services, and we are also requiring peak time calls at stations between Leicester and Bedford in the counter-peak direction’.