Blaby Topic

Blaby Parish council

Newsletter Issue 04: April 2003

Parish Council Elections;

Please note that Parish Council elections will be held on Thursday 1st May 2003 at the same time and the same place as elections to the District Council.
For the vitality of local democracy, it is important that you do not waste the opportunity to vote for YOUR Parish Council, as it is THIS Council that proposes to spend in the region of £100,000 to £125,000 of YOUR money during the financial year 2003/04. This money will be spent on the management, upkeep and improvement of facilities in Blaby Village.
You have a say in local affairs. Do not waste the opportunity. It does matter!

Parish Council Expenditure, 2003/2004
Blaby Parish Council obtains its money in two ways;
Fees charged for the use of its facilities,
Its Precept (i.e. its demand) on Blaby District Council.

For the financial year, 2003/2004, Blaby Parish Council precepted £116,888 from the District Council. The Parish Council meeting on 4th February 2003 at which the Precept was set, was a difficult one, with the Council cutting many of its budgets to keep the amount required to a reasonable level. The figure of £116,888 was set only with extreme reluctance and with the knowledge that it could be set no lower.
For 2002/2003, the Parish Council precepted £106,692. The 2003/2004 Precept, therefore, was an increase of £10,196.
The increase is due mainly to the following factors;
. Parish Council elections (£1,750 estimated);
. A loss of £7,000 due to the illegal traveller
encampments on Blaby Parks in 2002;
. Costs involved in training staff under new Health and
Safety regulations.

Annual Village Meeting ? 2003
This is the meeting at which Blaby Parish Council holds itself accountable to Blaby Village ratepayers for its actions and spending during 2002/2003.
The meeting will be held at Blaby Social Centre, Leicester Road, on Tuesday 6th May 2003, with the official business starting at 7.30 p.m.
The theme of the evening will be YOUTH. A speaker has been invited to make a presentation on Youth Councils, and youth groups will have the opportunity to set up stands to exhibit their organisations.
Police File
Well, here we are again. Winter is over and Spring is knocking on the door. This obviously brings its own problems. The main one for the Police being an increase in crime in relation to break-ins to sheds and garages. Sheds are a vulnerable target as they usually have very
poor security, but quite often house valuable items such as pedal cycles, lawn mowers and
other expensive gardening equipment.

Please take time to inspect your garden shed and make sure that it has adequate, good quality locks
and bolts fitted. We have recently had a spate of garages broken into within the Blaby area. These offences appear to have occurred during the hours of darkness and force has often been used to open front or side garage doors.

Never leave a garage or garden shed unlocked, especially if it has a connecting door to the house. Lock tools and ladders away so that a thief cannot use them to break in.
With my colleague, PC 1716 Nick Ward, I have also completed a burglary campaign involving the households on Park Road, Blaby. I identified that there had been a small series of burglaries in the road. As a result of this, crime prevention information was delivered to every household with the offer of a free domestic security survey. Rest assured, as a Local Policing Unit, we are continually monitoring any crime patterns that may develop so that we can pro-actively resolve issues in their early stages.
This time of year also brings a substantial increase of horses onto the roads. There are responsibilities on both sides. Firstly, motorists need to respect the fact that horses can be unpredictable. Always drive with care and consideration when you overtake or drive near to a horse and rider. Secondly, horse riders need to respect the environment and cause as little damage as possible. I was aware last year that some of the local verges were damaged as a result of horses. Whilst on this subject, it's worth mentioning to anyone who is connected with the stabling of horses that we have suffered a few local thefts from tack rooms. Please report any suspicious activity that you might see to Blaby Local Policing Unit.

On a brighter note, PC Ward and myself have again had the opportunity to visit the local primary schools and nurseries in Blaby. This is always a pleasure that we both look forward to. We are welcomed into all of these establishments and we both feel that we get as much out of the exercise as we try to give to the children. The children have had input on "Stranger Danger", Road Safety and River and Railway Safety. I have received dozens of pictures of myself that have been drawn by the children, which often cause amusement at the Police Station as I seem to gain and lose weight at a considerable pace!

The opening hours at the Local Policing Unit have now been extended in an attempt to offer a better service to the public. They are:- Monday & Friday ? 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday ? Thursday ? 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Lastly, it is all our responsibilities to look after our local community. If anybody has any information relating to crimes they can contact the Police by either contacting the Local Policing Unit or confidentially by ringing Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111.
PC 1163 Richard Neal
Blaby Parish Council's Activities since Newsletter Issue 3 (October 2002)

. Christmas
Because of the cost to the Village of illegal traveller encampments on the Parks, the Council cut back its spending on Christmas activities. Nevertheless, three lights (swinging bells) were purchased and erected on the wall of HSBC to brighten up the Enderby Road entrance to the Village. The Council wishes to thank HSBC for its co-operation with the scheme.

. Unstable Memorials, Blaby Cemetery
During an inspection it was discovered that several memorials were unstable and in danger of falling over. These memorials were laid flat, face up, and attempts were made to contact the families. It was agreed that in the future, memorials would only be permitted if they met the National Association of Memorial Masons' approved method of fixing.

. New Play Scheme ? Northfield Park
The scheme was held up because of wet weather conditions, but has now been completed. Three brightly coloured seats and three litterbins are to be installed within the fenced area. Access paths into the area will be tarmacked as soon as possible.

. New Roundabout ? Northfield Park
The Council is discussing the purchase of a roundabout for the fenced-off area of the Park.

. Jubilee Seat
A seat is to be erected on the grass verge outside No. 81 Welford Road. The seat will "Commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee, 2002".

.Parish Council Website
The Council's news can now be found online at
www.leicestershireparishcouncils.org

. Poplar Trees ? Northfield Park
Two trees blew down on Northfield Park. Following an inspection by the County Council Forestry Department it was decided that trees near the railway had to be felled, and that others, along Leicester Road, should be pollarded. A self-set sycamore tree in the Rest Garden has been removed to make way for the Guides' Human Sun Dial, which is to be installed soon.

. Allotment Rents
Rents were increased by £0.50 per year for a full plot (300/400 square yards) from 1.1.03.

.Burial Fees
Burial fees were increased from 3.12.02. The cost to buy burial rights for an interment plot is £75 (£30 for a cremation plot). Fees will continue to be doubled for those who do not live in Blaby Village.
.Freedom of Information Act
The Council has adopted a Publication Scheme. This sets out what information the Council will publish and where that information can be found.

Tree Sponsorship Scheme;
Cemetery Extension
The planting of Memorial Trees at Blaby Cemetery has been so popular that Blaby Parish Council has introduced a new scheme.
45 trees have been planted on the boundary of the Cemetery extension. Varieties are:-

Field Maple (2) Silver Birch (6)
Hornbeam (5) English Yew (5)
Giant Redwood (11) Holly (3)
Walnut (3) Beech (1)
Western Red Cedar (8) Maidenhair Tree (1)

The cost to the sponsor will be a one-off payment of £25. This will provide the tree, stake, guard and a replacement should the original tree fail. Sponsors will be able to choose the variety of tree they wish to sponsor, but it will be on a first-come-first-served basis.
Sponsors will be allowed to erect a plaque with the tree, at their own expense. The maximum size of plaques is 20cm. x 21 cm. Wording and materials must be agreed with the Clerk.
To sponsor a tree, contact the Parish Council.

News of Members
Mrs. Heather Mawbey resigned from the Council in February due to "a change in circumstances". Mrs. Mawbey was thanked for her time on the Council.

Young Persons' Council
The Council was delighted. Its suggestion that a Young Persons' Council be set up, was met with a very enthusiastic response. A group of young people have formed themselves into a Steering Group to take the matter forward.

Enhancement Scheme ?
Welford Road Grass Verges
At last! The problem of muddy grass verges outside the terraced houses has been solved. The scheme to provide shrub beds and grass-grid hard-standing for vehicles cost £14,625. Most of the funding came from County and District Council grants.

Printed March 2003 by Blaby Parish Council
13 Western Drive, Blaby, Leics., LE8 4FR
Tel. 0116-2784728
Email blaby@parish-council.fsbusiness.co.uk