Blaby Topic

Blaby Parish Council

Newsletter Issue 06: April 2004

Parish Council Precept 2004/05

The PRECEPT is the Parish Council's demand placed on Blaby District Council for monies with which to operate during the financial year. For 2004/05, Blaby Parish Council will receive £122,068.00. This amount represents an increase of 4.4% on the precept for the previous year.
Budgets have been agreed as follows;

Wages/Salaries 74,020
Meeting Room Hire/Stationery etc. 2,860
Allotments Committee 2,125
Cemeteries Committee 2,840
General Purposes Committee 4,800
Parks Committee 17,910
Planning Committee 300
Staff & Finance Committee 24,615
Contingency 5,000
Savings Accounts 11,100 *
£145,570
Less Estimated Income 23,502
£122,068

* The Parish Council has savings accounts for projects and anticipated expenditure. Monies will be added to these accounts from the precept funding:-
Cemetery Extension 2,000
Christmas Lighting 1,000
Workshop Improvements (Cemetery) 1,000
Safety Surfacing (Parks) 1,000
Vehicle 1,000
Grasscutting Equipment 2,500
Office Machinery 600
Rest Garden (Leicester Road) 1,000
(NEW) Equipment 1,000
£11,100

Grant Applications
For the 2004/05 financial year, the Council has set aside the sum of £600 for Grants to Other Bodies. If your organisation is in need of a small grant, please put your request in writing, with a copy of the group most recent audited accounts, and send it to 13 Western Drive, Blaby. Closing date: 26th May 2004.

Audit of Accounts (2002/2003)
The audit was completed and the accounts signed off by Hacker Young (Auditor) on 18th December 2003.

Carol Singing
John's Court Shopping Precinct, Christmas Eve
The carol singing event last Christmas was one of the best ever. The weather was kind, the crowd was huge, the band was on form and the smaller children sang "Away in a Manger" so beautifully that they were asked to do an encore. The Parish Council wishes to thank everyone concerned for making the event go so well, particularly Jean Smart who led the singing.
A collection was made by the Turner Educational Foundation Charity. The closing date for applications for charities wishing to take a collection
next Christmas Eve is
22nd September 2004.
(Please address your application
to 13 Western Drive, Blaby.)

Annual Village Meeting
This is the meeting at which Blaby Parish Council holds itself accountable to Blaby Village ratepayers for its actions and spending during 2003/2004. The meeting will be held at Blaby Social Centre, Leicester Road on Tuesday 4th May 2004 at 7.30 p.m. The theme of the evening will be "DEALING WITH ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR". A speaker has been invited to make a presentation. This is an open meeting. All Blaby electors will be able to speak and vote.

Daffodils By the time this daffodil-gold newsletter falls through your letterbox, the real thing should
be out in the village in its full glory. Most years, the Parish Council plants daffodil bulbs on the
grass verges in Blaby. If you know of a verge that we have missed, that would benefit from a few
bulbs, do let the Council know.

Diary
April
13th Parish Council Meeting,
Social Centre 7.30 p.m.
May
4th Annual Village Meeting,
Social Centre 7.30 p.m.
11th Annual Parish Council Meeting,
Social Centre 7.30 p.m.
Other Parish Council Meetings
8th June Social Centre 7.30 p.m.
13th July Social Centre 7.30 p.m.
10th August Social Centre 7.30 p.m.
14th September Social Centre 7.30 p.m.

Blaby Parish Council Activities since
Newsletter Issue 5 (October 2003)

Memorial Services;
Blaby Parish Council was represented and laid wreaths at the Battle of Britain Memorial Service on 21.9.03 and the Royal British Legion Remembrance Day Parade on 9.11.03
Removal of Cemetery Hedge.
After much deliberation, the Council agreed to remove the hedge at the top of the existing cemetery. The decision was not taken lightly. It was felt that the security of people who would tend graves on the cemetery extension was the most important consideration. The new hedges that the Council planted some while ago are maturing well.

Allotment Rents;
Allotment rents were increased by £0.50 per plot with effect from 1.1.04. Plots are all shapes and sizes. The largest, 400 sq. yards, now has a rent of £14.50 per annum.

Changing Facilities, Northfield Park;
The Council learnt with regret that Glenhills Football Club had folded, but was pleased that Blaby Village Cricket Club would be taking over the hut on Northfield Park. The Council agreed that the same terms should apply to the Cricket Club as had applied to the Football Club.
Snow Warden Scheme.
The scheme, whereby Parish Council groundstaff would salt designated footpaths in the village (outside schools, doctors, shops, etc.) as a top-up service, was accepted by Leicestershire County Council. The managers of Johns' Court Shopping Precinct also accepted the offer.

Equal Opportunities Policy;
Rolled forward, unchanged, for a further twelve months, except for the following addition (underlined words) to page 5, Examples of Harassment/Discrimination;
Item No. (j) to read; "bullying either physically, verbally or psychologically (mental anguish)".

Grants;
The Council made the following grants;
1) To the Turner Educational Foundation, £50; to be spent on grants during the next twelve months.
2) To Blaby Methodist Church, £50; towards the cost of a loop system and/or audit system. (This amount has been pledged and will be paid once the scheme has been completed.)
3) To the Blaby Millennium Forum, £1000; for the installation of the 4th Heritage Trail Seat, for the production of 5000 Heritage Trail leaflets and to design and produce footpath marker stencils.
Improvements to Chapel Workshop, Blaby Cemetery
An indoor toilet was installed last year. Plans have since been drawn up to enable the completion of all the necessary work (including a mezzanine floor) and fittings for an area to become a canteen/rest room for the groundstaff.

Burial Fees and Payments;
Fees, as follows, were increased from 2.12.03 (all other fees were unchanged);
C) Monuments/Memorials : From £18 to £20
E) Other Fees : From £12 per hour to £15 per hour
Footpaths: James St./New St. and James St./West St.
It was agreed to seek funding for a scheme to erect two lights at the James Street end of each footpath.
13 Western Drive
The exterior was in need of redecoration, especially after vandals had attacked the Christmas trees, causing damage to the woodwork, and it was agreed to spend £630 + VAT for the work. A further £45 was paid to reinstate the BLABY PARISH COUNCIL sign following the painting.

Street Orderly;
The Council has agreed to buy in the services of a Blaby District Council Street Orderly again for 2004/05. With the exception of the Blaby Central Area (cleaned by Blaby District Council), the Street Orderly litter-picks the whole of Blaby on a 2-week cycle.

Blaby Allotments;
The central path received remedial work following the installation of an upgraded water supply, at a cost of £599 + VAT.
New Member;
Blaby Parish Council welcomes Mrs. Marlene Robinson, who joined the Council on 10th February 2004.

Vacancy;
There is still one vacancy for a Parish Councillor. Anyone wishing to be considered for the position should contact the Clerk on Leicester 2784728 for further information.

Policing Matters;
The main causes of concern at the moment are the groups of young people who wander around the
village, congregate in large groups, and/or drink alcohol. Most of these groups are just our own
youngsters “hanging out with their mates causing little or no problem. There is a loud minority, however, that seems to delight in being a nuisance.Blaby Parish Council is working with the Police, Blaby District Council (Crime & Disorder), youth workers and the Community Support Officer to
find solutions to the problem.

Proposed Community/Teen Shelter,
Northfield Park
A proposal has been put forward by a group formed by representatives of the Police, Blaby District Council and youth workers, to find a solution to the problem of groups of youths hanging around the Precinct. Most of the young people concerned cause few problems, but there is a hardcore minority of troublemakers who make things difficult and unpleasant for shoppers and shopkeepers.
The young people have been questioned. They say they simply want somewhere to meet their friends. The Police believe that if most of the youngsters can be persuaded to move their meeting place elsewhere, the troublemakers in the Precinct can be more easily dealt with.
The group is therefore discussing with the Parish Council, proposals to erect a shelter on Northfield Park, away from residential properties, but within sight of passers-by (for the security of users of the shelter). To show their commitment, the Police have already donated £1000 towards the scheme. The group itself will have to raise the remainder, as the Parish Council has no money in its budget (2004/05) for such a scheme.

Printed March 2004 by Blaby Parish Council
13 Western Drive, Blaby, Leics., LE8 4FR.
Tel. 0116-2784728
Email blaby@parish-council.fsbusiness.co.uk