Nocton Parish Council News Winter 2011

There has been a considerable change in the Parish Council's membership over the past twelve months following a death and a number of councillors moving from the village or finding that their work commitments were preventing them from being able to devote sufficient time to PC business. The Council would like to record its thanks to these former members, including two chairs (Elaine Storr and Debbie Wilson) for their efforts on behalf of the village over many years. Under the chairmanship of Kate Tyler, the Parish Council now has the benefit of the enthusiasm of new members and the valuable experience of the longer serving councillors. There remains one vacancy and a bye-election will be held on 8 December.

Now that the "super dairy" issue has - at least for the time being - been resolved, the Parish Council and the community has been looking to devote its energies to ways of improving life in this beautiful village of ours.

A number of residents have formed a group to develop for the Council's approval a "Parish Plan" setting out the community's ideas and vision for the future of the village. CLAN (Community Led Action for Nocton) is currently carrying out a consultation exercise with all residents to help shape its thinking. The Parish Council has welcomed the work of this Group and has supported it by way of a small grant.

Similarly, a number of residents representing groups and organisations within the village have formed The Nocton Festival Committee to plan a year-long programme of activities in 2012 to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Already much work has been done and, again, the Parish Council has made a small grant towards its work.

For its part, Nocton Parish Council is embarking on an ambitious programme of village improvement, having identified and recorded a wide range of problems and issues which need to be addressed.

These include dealing with overhanging hedges and other vegetation, poor road and footway surfaces, improving road and other signage, clearing the beck and a wide range of cleaning and general renovation. The Council is working with Lincolnshire CC and NKDC who are responsible for dealing with many of the issues involved. So far, both councils have been extremely supportive of this venture. Details of the programme are published on the "Nocton Blog" - run by a local resident - and the community is invited to suggest items to be included and also to help in dealing with some of the more straightforward things. For example, a group of residents recently gave our two bus shelters a thorough "spring clean"!

The Parish Council is becoming increasingly concerned at traffic problems through the village. It has, therefore, asked Lincolnshire CC to carry out a detailed survey to measure the number and type, etc of vehicles using the B1202 and the results will help to inform future action. It is hoped that the survey will be carried out before the end of the year.

Working with E-on (our electricity supplier), the Parish Council has recently agreed to fund the replacement of all of the village's street lights with more energy efficient bulbs and to turn off nearly half of the street lamps between midnight and about 5.00 a.m. where this will not compromise residents' safety and security. The work will pay for itself within a few years as a result of significantly reduced electricity bills and will, of course, help to reduce the village's carbon footprint.

Finally, the Council has recently appointed Michael Cummins as its dog warden and already it is becoming apparent that his presence and work with local dog owners is beginning to have a noticeable effect in reducing the incidents of dog fouling.

Ian Goldsworthy (Vice-chair Nocton PC)