In January, the Parish Council met with the Parish Plan Steering Group and Supporters’ Group to discuss progress made with implementing the Parish Plan. On a cold winter’s evening, 28 people met in the warm Village Hall to learn about the work done so far on the Plan’s 30 Action Points and decide priorities for the future.

Mike Penny, Parish Council chairman, explained that the Council wholeheartedly endorsed the Parish Plan and needed the support of residents to implement it effectively. He explained that the Council had set up an Implementation Working Group to assist with the process and introduced its three members: Councillors Cliff Archer, Steve Clark and Debbie Hoskins.

The Working Group distributed an Action Point Progress Summary Sheet and gave a brief description of what had been achieved for each Action Point. The importance of improving communication within the parish is highlighted in the Parish Plan, so two particular Parish Council ventures were given special attention at the meeting: the Parish Website and the Parish Directory. Stephen Johnson gave an informative presentation on the Parish Website and emphasised its goal of becoming a ‘one-stop’ site where almost all the local information needed by residents would be available at the click of a mouse. Andy Collins, Residents’ Association chairman, described the work being done on the new Play Area in Broad Road.

The structure of the meeting ensured that adequate time was available for effective and productive discussion of issues raised. The meeting recommended that the Parish Council hold regular Review Meetings, certainly more frequently than once a year. (It has since been decided that the Second Review Meeting will be held in September 2006 – date to be advised). The format of the meeting met with general approval and will be used for future meetings

Detailed information on Action Point progress is made available as appropriate on this Website and summaries appear in each edition of the Parish Council Newsletter.

Cliff Archer
Parish Plan Co-ordinator

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