Parish Council report to village annual meeting 2019.
This report reviews the year to May 2019 and some of the things with which the Parish Council has been dealing.
Highways Some additional road signs have been put up by the District Council (at Parish Council’s request) in Pond Road and Chapel Road effectively to tell visitors and delivery drivers that whatever their satnavs may tell them they have not yet arrived in Bears Road
“Affordable Housing” The Parish Council’s policy continues to be that we would like more housing, and that it at least some of any new development should be “affordable housing” with restricted rent or co ownership to reduce deposit needed. The two problems remain – the District Council’s policy of only allowing development around towns and larger villages, and the shortage of suitable and accessible sites.
Planning applications have been looked at and commented on. The Holiday Village continues to be a focus, though they have not submitted any new applications during the year. Development towards the cliff top is now limited effectively to movable “lodges” rather than brick built units due anticipated coastal erosion, and development overall is limited.
Coastal protection. The “sandscaping” scheme is now getting under way, by which a stretch of beach alongside the gas terminal and either side is to have 2 million cubic metres of sand deposited up to a height of 7 metres. The sand will stretch from Walcott north west to just short of the holiday village, gradually reducing. When the new outfall from the terminal is completed the sand depositing should start in July. The Parish Council is represented on the sandscaping liaison group.
Footpaths. The Parish Council has given support and provided evidence for an application to the County Council for registration of Sandy Lane and Yarmouth Way on the “definitive map”– these run from Stow Hill west to Knapton Road and east past the Holiday Village to the cliff top. The application is to register the paths as used on foot, horseback and bicycle (- no motor-powered vehicles). This has been with the council for some time due we are told to a surge of applications as the cut off date approaches.
The Sir William Paston Charity, for the benefit of poor people in Paston, runs the alms-houses. Cris Emberson a Parish Councillor is one of the trustees who have brought the charity’s finances under control from the rocky state they were in two to three years ago.
The Church The village steering group’s project to widen use of the church for events, particularly educational is now hopefully about to be implemented. It involves laying on water, installing kitchen and toilet, removing some of the rear pews to create an open space, and removing the breeze block vestry to open up the north door. The sale of the former village hall site has provided much of the funds that will be needed and the application is now with the Diocese for formal permission to proceed. The new garden of remembrance is now in place and ready to take memorial plaques and ashes.
The Playground. As everyone will know the spectacular new equipment is now installed, at a cost of around £40,000 and the playground was opened formally last summer. It has been a great success. Word has been getting round the neighbourhood and families are visiting from other villages as far afield as Southrepps. A great achievement by the playground committee led by Parish Councillors Maggie Brett and Denise McKeough. The next planned improvement addition is a shelter or simple pavilion.
The Pond has been cleared of undergrowth and now looks more like it did in the past as in old photographs – thanks are due to its owner Pip Clabon and his team.
Our website is now required by Law to enable everyone to read our meeting dates, minutes, reports and accounts. As we have to have it anyway it can also give news of and comment on things of concern and interest to Paston residents. Contributions to it and ideas are always welcome
