Your Parish Council = The closest tier of government to you. The voice of local people.

Welcome to your new bi-annual Parish Council newsletter where you will find information and updates on our projects and actions.

Your Parish Councillors

Councillor Responsibility

Nathan Cope Chairman and Trees and Footpaths Warden

Dave Grout Vice Chairman

Martin Jeffery Police Liaison

Yvonne Blood Highways, footpaths representative, Internal Accounts Controller & Speed Watch Coordinator

Roy Wilkinson

Tony Halsey

Nikki Mackay

David Clark

Richard Davies

Parish Council Clerk – Nikki Daft on [email protected]

Communication

We are always reviewing how we communicate our work with the Parish.

For current agendas, minutes and general information, please look at the notice boards situated at Belgrove Park, Village Hall and Furnace Lane.

For previous minutes or other information, please visit our website which can be found at: https://www.hugofox.com/community/little-harrowden-parish-council

If you have a specific question or need information on a particular subject pertaining to the Parish Council and its remit, please initially contact the Parish Clerk for advice and guidance as to resolving any issues or questions you may have.

Useful Contacts

Problem area Who Phone Webpage or email number

Fly tipping, 01933 www.wellingboroughnorse.co.uk refuse collection Norse 234520

Dog fouling, dog Borough Council of 01933 http://www.wellingborough.gov.uk/downloads/download/1 behaviour Wellingborough 231960 642/dog_control_orders

Highways, https://www.fixmystreet.com/ alleyways, County Council footpaths, trees, grass verges

Streetlights Clerk Nikki Daft or a [email protected] Parish Councillor

Planning, building Borough Council of 01933 http://www.wellingborough.gov.uk/info/200133/planning_ and local land Wellingborough 231908 building_and_local_land_charges charges

Local Government Update

Over the past year, Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) has had many challenges and part of the solution is to restructure the town and borough councils.

From 2021, there will be two unitary councils – North and West. Little Harrowden will be part of the North Unity Council. The focus until April 2020 is the transformation of NCC, the districts and borough councils and as a result, there will be Unitary shadow boards elected in May 2020. The elected will sit for a term of five years and prepare for when the Unitary Councils will take over services in April 2021.

Little Harrowden Parish Council will be having elections in May 2020 so if you would like to help your local parish through this period of change and stand for election then please read the questions and criteria below and or contact Nikki Daft (Parish Clerk) for more information.

Would you like to:

Represent the views of residents within the parish? Give something back to your community? Share your concerns about something in your area? Be involved in decision making that affects all residents?

Eligibility

To be able to stand as a candidate at a parish council election in : • be at least 18 years old • be a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any member state of the European Union, and • meet at least one of the following four qualifications: a. You are, and will continue to be, registered as a local government elector for the parish/community in which you wish to stand from the day of your nomination onwards. b. You have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the parish/community area during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election. c. Your main or only place of work during the 12 months prior to the day of your nomination and the day of election has been in the parish/community area. d. You have lived in the parish/community area or within three miles of it during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election

Community Speed Watch

Speed Watch is a project that works in conjunction with Parish Councils and Northants Police. It acts as a deterrent to reduce incidents of speeding.

During 2019 the Volunteers have carried out Speed Watch in four different locations around the village, each being identified as having a problem with excessive speeding. As a result of this work, the Police now carry out their own enforcement which has led to prosecution.

If you are 16 or over and wish to take part, please contact Councillor Blood by email on [email protected] for more details.

Defibrillator

As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing health and safety within the village, the Parish Council have installed a Defibrillator on the wall outside the Village Hall.

It is registered with the emergency services, so in the event of a cardiac emergency, just ring 999 and the ambulance service will give you a code to access the defibillator and will remain on hand to give instructions on how to use it.

Memorial

In 2018 the Parish Council commissioned a memorial as a tribute to the lives of those lost from Little Harrowden during WW1. This was installed and incorporated into a Rememberence Sunday Service 2018 and which will continue in the years to come.

This represented phase 1 of a long-term plan for the memorial which will be widened to incorporate the names of those from the village who also lost their lives through conflict in war on to the memorial.

The long term intention is to create a memorial garden where people can visit and reflect.

Dog fouling in the Parish

Whilst we acknowledge that many dog owners are responsible, the situation seems to continue to deteriorate.

It is a legal responsibility to clean up after your dog in all public open spaces such as footpaths, highways, parks, alleyways, bridleways and in the Lower Meadow. If you are caught leaving your dog’s mess, you may be subject to a fine.

To help with this problem, dog bag dispensers are situated at both entrances to Belgrove Park. Please use them to clean up after your dog.

The council have installed dog waste bins located throughout the Parish for you to dispose of your dog’s waste, or you can also use a general bin if there is no bin readily available, or take it home and put into your own dustbin.

Please respect our village and clean up after your dog.

THE FUTURE

The reorganization of local government, whilst uncertain how in detail, will undoubtably have major implications on many aspects of community life. Parish Councils will certainly have a major role when it comes to the implementing of many of these changes. Your councillors as always, will remain vigilant and active in trying to ensure that any changes are of a positive benefit to the Parish. As stated, at present many of these changes are sketchy in detail, but if you feel that you can offer a positive voice in the implementation of these changes, why not seriously consider standing for election as a Parish Councillor.