Chaddesley Corbett Parish Council

FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER

Chaddesley Corbett is a safer place to live

By working with the Police, it has been possible to introduce Smartwater to every household in the parish, which should significantly reduce burglaries. If you did not receive your free Smartwater there are still some left at the Butchers in the Village or from the Clerk. By marking all your property and signage around the parish, this acts as a deterrent to would be burglars.

Inspector Jacob Wright Traffic Improvement Schemes Wyre Forest Safer Neighbourhoods

White gates have been introduced at the entrances to Newsletter Spotlight the main settlements Together with signage and Councillor Marcus Hart has daffodil planting, this should make drivers more aware recently been appointed as that they are entering a residential area. our Parish Council Double yellow lines at the entrance to Holly Lodge off representative at County the A450 in Harvington and at the turning point at the Council and has been working end of Hemmingway in the village, should assist closely with the Parish Council residents with parking issues. to help improve traffic flow and safety. Cllrs M Hart, Ian The bridge over Hockley Brook has now been re- Hardiman and Steve Williams surfaced but the white lining to visually reduce the width are our District Councillors. of the road is not quite right yet. Mobile speed cameras on Briar Hill are helping to reduce traffic speeds entering the village.

Currently under consideration is a 30 mph speed limit sign on the road at the village gateway from the A448. Highways are also investigating the possibility of extending the double white lines on A448 at Redcross to include access to Harvington Hall Lane.

To help reduce the flow of traffic through residential areas, improvements need to be made to Mustow Green Island, and we are pleased that this has been included in the Worcestershire County Council Transport Plan.

The Government is rolling out smart meters into all homes and businesses before 2020. However, research shows that a huge percentage of the population are still not aware of the options available. Visit the website below for further information: Domestic - https://selectra.co.uk/guides/smart- meters None Domestic: https://www.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236488/ Volunteers Daffodil planting on The Green, Chaddesley Non_Domestic_Leaflet_v_02.pdf Corbett in November 2017 as part of the traffic improvement scheme. Celebrations to mark the 100th Anniversary of the end of World War 1 during November 2018

The Parish Council is co-ordinating a number of events to celebrate this important anniversary. Detailed programmes will be sent to every household later in the year, but please note these dates for your diary:-

October onward Boys on Board Trail

3 November Alcester Victoria Silver Band St Cassian’s

3-4 November Re-enactments at Harvington Hall Chaddesley Corbett War Memorial St Cassians Churchyard 9 November Film show at Village Hall

9 November Parade at Chaddesley Corbett First School BOYS ON BOARD 11 November Service at St Cassian’s

Re-dedication of the war memorial Did you know that the Historical Refreshments at the Village Hall after the service Society have published a book to include further entertainments. featuring all the boy’s who died in the Great War and are If you have any Memorabilia about men from the Parish featured on the Board in the who took part in this war which could be used in an exhibition, both porch of St Cassian’s Church? at Harvington Hall and at the Village Hall, we would like to hear from Copies will be on sale on 11 you. Suitable items might be letters, photographs, medals, or November 2018 at the village stories which you would like to share with others. Please contact hall. Steve or Kathy Cashmore on 01562 777878.

Chaddesley Corbett Parish Council have purchased an area of land to the side of their existing burial ground. This will extend the capacity for burials for the next 50- 100 years.

Plans are being made to landscape this new area during the course of the next year to provide a quiet area for relatives to sit, and to prepare the land for new burials.

Relatives are invited to donate a bench in remembrance of their loved ones. If you are interested, please contact the Clerk.

The burial ground is maintained by the Parish Council.

It’s time to say goodbye to an old friend!

The Chestnut tree at the entrance to the village from the A448 is dead. It has been a landmark for Chaddesley Corbett village for as long as most of us can remember, but it will now have to be felled in the interests of safety.

The County Council will replace it with an English Oak, just in time to commemorate the end of World War 1. Community Facilities and Services

Allotments

Currently there are 35 allotment plots at the rear of the village, accessed via Fishers Lane. Most are currently let at a very modest rent of £27.00 per annum. Over the last year, some of our regular tenants have had to give up their plots due to ill health, which means that we have several vacant at the moment. This is an excellent way to keep fit and provide your family with fresh home grown vegetables and flowers. Please contact the Clerk if you would like further information.

Community Orchard and play area

The community orchard provides a peaceful green area in the heart of the village and incorporates a small play area for children.

The Community Orchard is a great place to walk, picnic, or meet friends and family, and the Parish Council encourages all residents to make best use of this open space in the heart of the village.

Parish Council Precept

Each year, the Parish Council receives income in order to provide services for the residents of the Parish. This is called a Precept, and is generated by including a small amount with each Council Tax Rates bill.

The Parish Council has prepared a budget which indicates that a Precept of £28,048 is required for 2018/19. This represents am annual charge of £36.66 for each Band D Council Tax payer, an increase of £1.06 or 2.99% over last year. This increase is necessary to enable the Parish Council to continue with traffic improvements, landscaping the new area of the burial ground and the celebrations for the Centenary of World War 1 in November 2018.

Neighbourhood Plan Review

Our Neighbourhood Plan is effective until 2026, but it is necessary to keep it up to date. Council are currently carrying out a review of their Local Plan which will necessitate an update to the Chaddesley Corbett Plan. The Parish Council are currently investigating what changes might be required, which is likely to include a review of possible sites for affordable housing and updating policies in line with current legislation. The new Neighbourhood Plan should be ready by 2020.

As the Parish is washed over by the Green Belt, development can only take place if it meets strict criteria. Full consultation will take place on any possible sites which may be identified.

Dementia Friendly Parish

1 in 14 people are living with dementia. In a dementia friendly community people will be aware of and understand dementia, and people living with dementia will feel included and involved and have choice and control over their day-to-day lives.

If you are interested in helping form a Dementia Action Alliance to work with and support local organisations and implement specific actions, please contact the Clerk for more information. Community Services

Superfast Broadband

The Superfast Worcestershire project continues to work on enabling fibre-based broadband for remote rural areas and businesses across the County. Phase 3 will run hrough 2018/19, with many of the connections being fibre to the Premises (FTTP). It has taken 4 years, but fibre-enabled broadband is now available across the Parish. Not everyone will be able to get ‘Superfast’ (24 Mbps or better) speeds, but even up to 2 miles away from your green cabinet, you may be able to get better speeds than before.

Where the street cabinet is too far away for decent download speeds, new funding has been provided to support businesses and communities with FTTP installations. The Business Broadband Voucher Scheme can provide up to £1,500 towards the cost of a business installation, and households can benefit by contributing to a ‘Community Fibre Partnership (CFP) scheme. Households will still need to make a contribution, but the majority of the cost will be met by WCC. (This may be of interest to residents of Hillpool, for example). For more information on both schemes, visit: http://www.superfastworcestershire.com/complementary-schemes#local

Not sure which cabinet you’re connected to? Visit http://dslchecker.bt.com/

Village Shops—Use it or lose it

The shops in Chaddesley Corbett village provide an essential service to the local community. Unfortunately they do not receive patronage from a large number of residents and are finding it difficult to maintain a service. The latest shop to feel the pressure is the butchers/general store which not only provides high quality meat, but important everyday products such as newspapers, vegetables, general food items etc. In addition we are lucky in having a hairdressers, boutique and florist. The services they provide are very important to the senior members of our Parish, so by using our shops you are helping the community as a whole. A friendly service and much more awaits you.

Thanks to our volunteers

Several residents responded to our appeal for help with litter picking, and we are extremely grateful to them for helping to keep our parish clean and tidy. But we still need more helpers. If you think would like to join our small team we will allocate you an area to cover and you can fit it in anytime to suit and enjoy a walk around the Parish. We can provide you with the tools you need and collect rubbish bags from strategic points. Please contact the Clerk for more information.

In the meantime you can all help by taking pride in the pavement and grass verge outside your home and keeping it tidy.

Parish Council Contact Details

Parish Clerk Yvonne Scriven E:Mail [email protected]

Telephone: 01299 851654 Web Site: Chaddesleyparishcouncil.org.uk

NP Website: Chaddesleyplan.org.uk