Chairman’s Report 2009/2010

The Chairman’s Report was presented at the Annual Parish Meeting of the Council on Monday, 10th May, 2010. Edited extracts follow:

‘I would like to open my Annual Report for 2009-10 by offering my thanks to all those who have contributed to a very successful year for Billing Parish Council. Councillors continue to show their support and enthusiasm by giving freely of their time, in many cases increasingly more time, as unpaid volunteers attempting to improve the quality of life for all those who live and/or work within Billing Parish.

Our Clerk, Sue Harris, continues her high quality contribution to Parish business by supporting all Councillors, and improving our administrative systems, thereby ensuring we operate to the best of our abilities. Sue is well respected both within the Parish, and also within the wider framework of the Parish Council set-up in Northamptonshire.

Chris Campling, our Green Space Manager, continues to work hard to both maintain and improve our Parish Council owned land, and to develop his role and responsibilities by venturing into other areas, including some agreed access to areas within the Parish owned by Northampton Borough Council. Chris also provides an excellent day to day link with both parishioners and other users of Council facilities.

The Celebration Avenue of trees that the Council is promoting on The Leys is proving increasingly popular and will hopefully leave a fantastic legacy for generations to come.

Events organized by Parish Councillors continue to receive support from volunteers; including regular ‘Litter Picks’ and the Billing Annual Fayre. Once again the Fayre held in June 2009 was a huge success, and we look forward to 2010’s event, which will take place on Saturday 19th June 2010.

The Green in Little Billing has finally been designated a Village Green and the Parish Council will now assist with the maintenance of this area. Similarly we have high hopes for the Pocket Park, on the site of the old playground in Little Billing and northwards to the alleyway into Codlin Close. Despite some initial set-backs due to mindless vandalism, particularly the removal of newly planted trees, we strive to make this an area of benefit to all and look forward to at least achieving Green Pennant status as we have continued to do at the Pocket Park in Great Billing.

In respect of Great Billing Pocket Park, Jim Snedker’s continued drive and enthusiasm has again resulted in the award of a Green Pennant in 2009 and this year we have submitted an application and hope to be rewarded with a Green Flag Award. The inspectors will visit us a week after the Parish’s Annual Meeting. These awards are testament to the hard work put in by the volunteers. Unfortunately numbers are still very small and the Council would be delighted to recruit additional volunteers to assist with both Little and Great Billing Pocket Parks. The volunteers are not expected to carry out heavy work and the results can be very rewarding. In the past twelve months we have seen the completion of the Ha-Ha wall in Great Billing and we have held events such as a Lichen identification course, and two days of instruction in the art of Hedge Laying. The courses were well attended and very much enjoyed by those who took part.

The use of the Pavilion and the sports facilities in Great Billing continues to thrive. Various different user groups make use of the Pavilion; boys, girls and adult football teams regularly play and train throughout the year, and competition for the use of the cricketing facilities continues.

The Parish Bulletin, under the guise of Michael Clasper, is very well received and provides an ideal medium for the Council to keep residents informed of both Council and others activities within the Parish. In addition this year has seen a revamp of the Council’s Website. The Council welcomes contributions and ideas for either the Bulletin or the Website and we would like to hear from anyone who would like to contribute.

The provision of benches has continued throughout the last twelve months; the vandalized benches in High Street, Great Billing, have been replaced and a new bench has been placed in Little Billing giving views across the new Village Green. Working with both Borough and County Councillors has again proved rewarding and effective. We are looking at a project to re-vamp the ‘Helicopter Park’ play area in Ecton Book and hope to have news on this soon.

The problems I referred to last year regarding lack of burial spaces continue, but the Parish Council has now acquired a small piece of land adjacent to St Andrew’s Church and whilst it may not be feasible to allow burials there, we aim to be able to provide a quiet and peaceful area for use as a memorial garden. Both War Memorials have been cleaned and repaired and the street lights in the Conservation Area of Great Billing have all been repainted.

The Parish Council continues to work with other parties and is developing a good working relationship with the new management at Billing Aquadrome, and our commitment to work with Northamptonshire Police will see part of the Pavilion being used by both local officers, and PCSO’s, in the near future. The provision of a new store and working area on the western side of the Pavilion will allow for many improvements, including freeing up space within the Pavilion itself.

In conclusion I would like to reiterate my thanks to all those people who play any sort of part in the running and operation of Billing Parish Council and look forward to another interesting and successful twelve months.’

 

Steve Rockall

May 2010