An Opinion
| Aug 2010 Comments on the goings-on at the Parish Council... CLOSURE OF MAIN STREET MAIN STREET in Burton will be closed for re-surfacing. Work is due to begin on 2 August and to be completed by 12 Aug, announced the parish council Chairman. A shuttle service will be provided to replace the 555 bus. The Electoral Register The Chairman also announced an up-to-date copy of the Electoral Register is to be sent to all PCllrs. An Opinion understands this will be an ongoing register, with names added, or presumably deleted, as residents move into, or away from the area. Fire Station Manager’s Report: Safety Day at Burton Services... F.S.M Callum Graham informed the PC that there will be a Safety Day at Burton Services on 23 July. The objective is to make drivers more aware of road safety, and the date has been chosen because holiday traffic increases at the start of the school holidays. Sadly Burton News won’t arrive on readers’ doorsteps till after this date. Information will have been posted on Cumbria Fire Service’s website. In reply to PCllr’s questions, he agreed that the Fire Service had been called to a number of grass fires during the recent drought, and that Land Rovers had proved very useful in playing a part in tackling them, as they had also done in the earlier floods. Police Report None. But the PC had been informed that CPSO Rachel Thomas is at present seconded to Sedburgh, and her place in Burton is being taken by CPSO Bullock. It was left to PCllrs to inform us of recent car crime in the area that they knew of. Two vehicles had been driven off when left “for a moment” with their keys in the ignition. And a car with covered number plates had been reported to the police having been seen hanging around a local business park. Once again PCllrs emphasised how important it is for the Police to put in an appearance at PC meetings, as this is a good opportunity to alert local people, and to make them aware of incidents etc. Quality Status (it’s back again!) Did it appear this chimera had gone away? A.O. isn’t quite sure what exactly a chimera is, but then neither is she sure what Quality status is. Anyway it was back again. It ISN’T free to register, after all. It will cost the PC £58.75 to belong to this elite body. It’s elite because very few other PCs have bothered to re-register. It did seem to A.O. that the one plus in continuing membership was that it COST NOTHING - in fact that was certainly given as an argument put forward at the previous two (or was it three?) meetings. but it’s done now. Burton has Quality status and that’s that for another year. What benefits the status will bring have yet to be seen.. But we’ve still got the impressive “Q” - maybe that’s worth paying for. PC Meetings in the School? Should the PC hold its meetings in Morewood School? asked a PCllr. Even though there is no cost for the use of school premises for such meetings, it was agreed that it was good to support the Memorial Hall by hiring the room from them. And anyway the seats were too little at the school. Footnote: No-one said anything about the squeaky rude chair that threatened to reduce A.O. to giggles. Fortunately the chair didn’t collapse. That would have reduced her to helplessness, though no doubt it would have been a good opportunity to try out a small part of the Contingency Plan. Which brings me to:- The Contingency Plan (i.e what measures to take in various possible emergency situations) The plan is on-going, it was reported, and is on the Agenda for next month’s meeting. A Village Notice Board A PCllr suggtested one should be provided for residents to advertise local events. This suggestion is to be added to the Parish Plan. Reports 1. A leak on the Station Lane aqueduct has been reported. 2. A wall on Caterpillar Walk has been repaired. 3. Two new weight restriction notices have been erected on the A6070. Parking A PCllr reported that a resident had expressed concern to her that parking was becoming further restricted due to changes in the new ownership of the Royal Hotel - if that’s still its name. It seemed that somehow this turned into a discussion with him about the Council Newsletter and its undoubted merit - with a possible side-swipe at Burton News. Par for the course from time to time. And time to bring this month’s A.O. to a close. A.S. |
