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Parish
Council News.
Highways
At recent
meetings the Parish
Council have been
discussing the issue
of speeding traffic
entering the top
end of the
village. The
straight stretch of
road from Mallowry
corner encourages drivers
to exceed the
speed limit as
they enter the
30 mph zone.
Various proposals have
been discussed,
including rumble strips,
red or green
panels on the
road brackets similar
to other North
Beds villages brackets
and a white
painted mock gate sector
on a verge,
to give the
effect of a
narrowing road.
It has been
decided to go
for the mock
gate, which
will be erected
on the verge
just before the
Sharnbrook road junction
on the approach
to the village.
It will be
sited on the
right hand side,
as on the
left it would
obstruct visibility for
traffic coming out
of Sharnbrook Road.
The cost of
this traffic calming
measure will come
from the money
allocated to Riseley
parish by the
County Council Highways
a partnership scheme.
Parish Council Election
2002 is election
year for the
Parish Council,
having been four
years since the
last Notice of
Elections. Formal
notices will be
posted by the
Borough Council nearer
the date. The
date of election
is Thursday 2nd
May, at the
time this newsletter
is published.
The next four
years promise to
be very challenging
for parish councils,
with increasing moves
by central government
to enforce parish
councils in wider
issues involving the
parish. One
of these is
for parish councils
to apply for
the status of
quality parish council,
which involves passing
various tests of
administration and conduct
of business to
qualify for this
status and being
retested every four
years.
It will undoubtedly
mean more work
for parish councillors
but will hopefully
bring benefits of
local involvement in
decisions made at
Borough and County
levels, that
affect the parish
if any villagers
wish to consider
standing for election
they are most
welcome to attend
the parish council
meetings to see
what is involved.
Riseley District Turnpike
Research done
by Michael Knight
has revealed that
our High Street
became the Riseley
District of the
Turnpike Trust Road
between Great Staughton and
Lavendon but Act
of Parliament on
24th May 1802.
Around plaque
is to be
erected on a
suitable building in
the High Street to
commemorate this event.
Further details and
historical information will
appear in the
next newsletter.
Flood line leaflets
We have received
a small supply
of leaflets from
the Environment Agency
for households that
are at risk
from flooding.
If your house
is at risk
from flooding by
Riseley brook and
you want copies
of the leaflet,
please drop a
note into Andrew
Gell at 170,
High Street, Riseley
and they will
be delivered to
you.
There are
three leaflets:
- Flood
directory. This
gives a list
of useful telephone
numbers for use
in a flood
emergency.
- Damage
limitation. Details
of how to
make your home
flood resistant.
- After
a flood.
How to restore
your home if
you have had
flood damage.
Village
Sign
Work on finalising
the design and
choosing the
wood carver to
produce it,
is nearing completion.
Waiting lists for
those hand-carved and
hand-painted signs are
in the order
of four to
six months.
It will therefore
be the autumn
before we will
be in a
position to complete
the project.
Festival of Britain
Sign
Many of you
will know that
the parish council
had agreed to
renovate the original
wooden and concrete
post sign,
on the green
opposite the
Five Bells, when
due to an
error on the part
of the county
council contractors the
original sign
was taken away and
replaced with the
aluminium and plastic
one that is there
now. We
do intend to
restore the sign
to its original
condition but efforts
by the County
Council to find
two of the
original pebble-dash posts
have not been
successful and therefore
they have agreed
to produce two
new ones.
Hopefully the sign will
be restored this
year.
Parish Precept
At the January
meeting, the
parish precept brackets
I E the
amount required by
the parish council
to meet anticipated
expenditure full financial
year. 1st
April 2002 to 31st March 2003
brackets was decided.
The figure
is required by
the Borough Council
Before 31st January,
to enable it
to be included
in the borough's
community tax calculations.
The precept
for 2001-
2002 was £14,300
and whilst anticipated
expenditure by the
parish council for
2002-2003 is in
the region of
£16,250, it was
felt that this
was to substantial
an increase and
the figure agreed
was £15,000 with
any overspend coming
from reserves.
Next Meeting
The February
meeting will be
on Thursday 21st
and the March
meeting on Thursday
the 21st.
The March meeting
is usually preceded
by the Annual
Parish Meeting,
details of which
will be posted
nearer the date.
Report by
Andrew Gell,
Chairman.
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