Annual Parish Meeting

What is the Annual Parish Meeting?

All parishes, whether or not they have a parish council, hold a meeting once a year to discuss the affairs of the parish. It is an opportunity for the parish council to report on what it's been doing during the year, for other village organisations to make presentations, and for villagers to raise their concerns.

The next Annual Meeting will be held in April 2009.
In the mean time if you have a question or comment on the work of the Parish Council then please do contact billglasper@hotmail.com with the details.

Annual Parish Meeting

Minutes of Parish Meeting held on 29th April 2008 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall, Main Street, Great Glen.
Present, Cllr B Glasper – Council Chairman, Councillors, Clerk and 12 members of the public.

Apologies were sent from Parish Councillors: Duerden, Palmer & Wylie
Apologies were also sent from: Graham Spendlove-Mason, Chris King & Edward Garnier

Welcome
Parish Councillor Chairman Bill Glasper, opened the meeting and welcomed everyone to the meeting, minutes of the meeting held on the 24 April 2007 were signed as a true record.

Work of the Council
An overview of the council’s work their achievements over the past year and their plans for the coming year. The powers and functions of the Parish Council were outlined explaining the limited powers that the Council has and the areas of responsibility within the Village namely: The Post Office Green, Memorial Green, Recreation Ground (including park and skate park) and the parish cemetery, Great Glen is the burial authority for the area.

Achievements this year:
• Employment of two new members of staff, Liz Hawkes – Clerk to the Council and David Robins – Litter Warden, members of the public commented on the appreciation of having David in post.
• Opening of the Changing Rooms – September 2007
• Two new noticeboards on Stackley Road and Stonehill Drive
• Re-painting of the play equipment on the play park
• Two new signs in the play parks designed by local school children
• new picnic table in the play park
• new piece of play equipment in the play park – Circus Top
• A tree survey of all trees on parish land and a programme for maintaining them
• New bench at the top of Oaks Road
• New gates at the cemetery
• Funding of the ‘What’s going on Leaflet’ produced by the Glen Scence
• Sponsoring Glen Villa Junior Football – new football kit
• Councillor Surgeries
• New Parking Post at the Village Hall
• Parish Council Website – maintained by Bill Glasper which increases in the amount of use it has monthly.
The Council has also been heavily involved in the proposed Co-op Eco-Town

The Councils plans for the coming year
• Providing of three new dog waste bins – Stretton Road/land of Spinney View/Corner of Bindley Lane and Church Road
• New Skateboard Park
• Two new pieces of play equipment in the park – A scrambler bike & ‘Sam’ the Snail
• Re-working the Peace Garden – work has already started
• New festive lights at the Post office Green
• Welcome pack for new Great Glen Residents
• Supporting Alex Chan to complete his Duke of Edinburgh Bronze award
• Two new noticeboards – outside the Library and The Post Office Green
The Council is also keen to know the projects residents would like to see the council working on and questionnaires are available in the Parish Office to gather residents views.

Unaudited Accounts 2006/07
Cllr. Bill Glasper presented the annual unaudited accounts.
The total budget spend £139,112
Total income £132,250
Shortfall (6,862)
The figures for this financial year have been skewed for this year due to the ‘New Changing Rooms’

How the income is of the Parish Council was made up:

How the expenditure is made up:

The Precept increase for 2008 for a Band D property in Glen is 0.6% - 31p per household per annum.

Update of the Leicester Grammar School
Headmaster Chris King was unable to attend the meeting but sent the following report:
Work on the junction of the Grammar School and Glen Rise will take place over the next six weeks commencing the 6th May. The school will be putting in the necessary street lights that Highway’s specify for this junction.

Schedule: The contractors will be finished at the end of July, snagging will take place during August. The School is due to open on the 1st September the first two weeks will be setting up for the start of term on Thursday 11th of September. A total of 1100 students will be attending the school initially, with a capacity of 1200 pupils.

Landscaping: There have been a lot of quick growing conifers planted along the back of the sports hall. These will probably take a few years before forming a screen.

Sports Facilites: An offer has been made to the Tennis Club to move up to the school. The School Cricket Team will play Glen as a fixture. The Cricket Club will be able to use the facilities for one off events. A Cricket coaching youth programme will be available, publicity for this will follow.
St Cuthberts will be able to use the swimming pool. The Schools needs will be paramount however, further opportunities will become available.

Events: A concert in the spring is being planned with St Cuthberts and a musical event is being planned for March.
The School will continue consultation with the Parish Council on their future intentions.

Update on the Proposed Eco-Town – County Councillor Dr Kevin Feltham, Chairman of CASCET
Since July 2007 when the Government opened up the opportunity for local developers to submit their plans to for Eco-Town’s, south Leicestershire has been concerned about the impact a town the size of Hinckley would have, being between Great Glen and Thurnby.

Kevin Feltham along with Simon Galton have set up a campaign to oppose this proposal, after a series of public meeting the parish council have been involved in driving forward the campaign (Campaign Against Stoughton Eco Town). The shortlisting which took place on the 3rd April puts the local authority in a consultation period where an opportunity to comment to CLG is offered until the 30th June. They have been offered no plans or blueprint for this town so consultation is difficult. CASCET are opposed to the process by which the site has been selected and concerned on two very clear points the increase of traffic and the risk of flooding from this proposal.

CASCET are presently organising their ‘fighting fund’ and 20,000 leaflets are being printed and distributed in the local area to raise awareness and funds.

Events are being held over the coming weeks and months are being held by CASCET all are available to view on the website www.save-england.net The main event being a Mass Heritage and Ecology walk to be held on the 24th May. A public meeting is also be held at the Catholic Church Hall in Market Harborough on the 23rd May.

Questions
The following questions were put to Kevin Feltham:
• Will the airport lease have influence of the Co-op
• How many jobs would need to be created to support the town
• A definition of affordable housing with the town
• Is a legal challenge a serious intention at this time
• How will the town affect Leicester’s regeneration.
• The impact on the tax payer

Questions for the Parish Council
• What is being done about the parking in Great Glen
• What assurances on light pollution were being given by the Grammar School
• Can larger trees be planted for screening the Grammar School

The meeting closed at 8.30

Liz Hawkes
Clerk to the Council

Great Glen Parish Council Directory 2008
The Parish Councillors
Cllr L J Andrews The Paddocks, 28 High Street, Great Glen LE8 9FJ
Cllr A Duerden 9 Stretton Road, Great Glen LE8 9GN
Cllr B Glasper 45 Bridgewater Drive, Great Glen. LE8 9DX
Cllr G F Hallam Stretton Farm, Oadby. LE2 4RN
Cllr V Hawes 49a Oaks Road, Great Glen. LE8 9EG
Cllr H Humphrey 18 Oaks Road, Great Glen. LE8 9EF
Cllr R Mahal Kingsley Hall, Stretton Road, Great Glen
Cllr M Osborne 14 Kingfisher Close, Great Glen. LE8 9DG
Cllr A Palmer Flat 3, Stonehill Court, Great Glen. LE8 9EN
Cllr C Roberts Oaks Ridge House, 53a Oaks Road, Great Glen LE8 9EG
Cllr K Wylie 14 Garfield Park, Great Glen. LE8 9GN

The Council’s Meeting Dates 2008

8 January 12 February 11 March 8 April
29 April Annual Parish Meeting
13 May 10 June 8 July August no meeting unless necessary
9 September 14 October 11 November 9 December

Copies of this document will be sent to every household in Glen, and available in the Parish Office, the Library, and at HDC offices.

Clerk to the Council
Liz Hawkes
Glendale House, 1 Church Road
Great Glen, Leicestershire LE8 9FE
Telephone: (0116) 259 3004
Email: clerk@greatglenpc.org.uk
http://greatglen.leicestershireparishcouncils.org/