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Parish business and news Much
of the Councils business is taken up by reflecting the needs of the
community to Melton Borough Council and Leicestershire County Council.
Where present day economics have driven the hard pressed investor away
from the vagaries of the stock markets into property, the knock on
effect of planning considerations to meet both the residents needs and
to maintain the character of the parish, form both challenging and
essential surveillance requirements of the parish council.
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The parish council meets every four to six
weeks at either Grimston Village Hall
or Saxelbye Old School House. The Clerk to the
parish council or any councillor will be pleased to confirm the date of
the next meeting. The hardcopy minutes of meetings can be viewed by contacting Mary
Fenton, Clerk to the Council.
NEWS ITEMS EMA Night Flights (NEW PM PETITION) Annual Parish Meeting 30th April 07 30 years on the Parish Council Melton Local Development Framework New parish notice board for Saxilbye Village envelope consultation scheme
The 101 phone lines will close at noon on
December 7 2007. Anti-social behavior
previously handled by 101, should then be reported as follows: RAGWORT is so Poisonous
that it is one of the weeds named and controlled under Every year, Ragwort colonises more pastures and kills more stock
Ragwort has had 13 years to establish its fierce grip on our countryside. Recovering from this uncontrolled invasion will not happen overnight, and during the next 2 - 3 years, while its natural predator, the Cinnabar moth, is being re-established many people will be affected in some way by Ragwort toxins. Cinnabar Moth
The Moth lays eggs on ragwort leaves which
are rich in alkaloid poisons. The caterpillars store the poison as they
eat the leaves, which is passed on through to chrysalis and finally to
butterfly. Predators such as birds soon learn not to eat them!
Annual Parish Meeting 7:30pm Monday 30th April
Mr. John Frogatt, a Director of East Midlands Airport was the guest speaker at the Annual Parish Meeting on the 30th April 07. Mr Froggat gave a presentation of the history of the airport and its development over the years. The expansion of the airport was discussed and the ongoing increase in flights. Mt Froggat was unable to say that flights would decline in number, especially at night but held the belief that new generation aircraft would be quieter. Questions were asked regarding noise levels, approach routes, military aircraft, night cargo flights and possible second runway. Mr. Davies asked for an explanation on regulation and de-regulation of the airport.
PC 1235 Martin Taylor is the beat officer for our parish. For non-urgent matters contact him by calling 0116 222 2222 and leaving him a message on his voicemail or by Email to martin.taylor@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk. Visit the Leicester police website on Leicestershire Police Remember to stay vigilant. Do record suspicious vehicle movements. The parish lanes are becoming a regular venue for people discarding rubbish illegally. Tyres, carpets and a part trailer are recent drops. I can't imagine why these mindless idiots can't just take their rubbish to the tip. Please keep watch for these people, it is an offence and MBC will prosecute with our help. Trading Standards are featuring a website to remind us all of dodgy deals and unscrupulous dealers. see Rip off Tip off. Wind Turbines not reliable Financial
Mail 15th April 07 Supplies
of electricity from wind turbines are highly erratic and cast doubts on
their reliability as a source of power, official figures revealed. Just
weeks before the government publishes its energy review white paper, a
research paper by the national grid shows that on some days, even in
winter, wind turbines are virtually motionless. The
government is said to want wind power to supply 20% of energy need by
2020. Advocates
argue that the UK is the worlds windiest advanced nation. But according to
the National Grid, in the period between October 2006 and February 2007
there were 17 days when output from the existing 1632 windmills was less
than 10% of capacity. During
that period there were 5 days when output was less than 5% and one day
when it was only 2%. In the whole 5 months the wind-turbines were
operating at only 35% of their efficiency. Jeremy
Nicholson, director of the Energy Intensive Users Group, whose members
include the big energy users such as Corus, said, ‘These figures show
how necessary it is that the UK has a balanced energy policy. We simply
cannot rely on one energy source’. A spokesperson from the National Grid said that wind constituted 2.5% of generation capacity, assuming that turbines were working at full capacity. Wind turbines 'are ruining our quality of life'By
Martin Beckford The majority of people living near wind turbines believe that the noise they make is ruining their health and quality of life, a report has revealed. Neighbours also claim that the constant hum and the loud "whooshing" sound made by the blades in high winds is destroying the value of their homes. A survey of people whose homes are situated within 1.2 miles of turbines has shown that three-quarters of them feel that the noise has damaged their quality of life while four out of five say it has affected their health. Those who said they were made ill by the sound of the wind farms, which are designed to benefit the environment, described conditions ranging from migraines and palpitations to depression. Three quarters said their sleep was disturbed by the noise and some claimed that they had been forced to stay in bed and breakfasts to get a proper night's rest or to sell their homes at reduced prices to get away from the area. One of the respondents to the survey, carried out by a family doctor, claimed that the noise was "like Chinese water torture", while others said they could "see no future" and "dare not sleep at home". Dr Amanda Harry, a Plymouth GP who compiled the report after studying the effects of wind turbine noise for several years, wrote: "What this shows is that there are a number of people suffering from the consequences of noise from the wind turbines. "I'm sure that the cases mentioned here are the tip of the iceberg and further independent investigation is warranted. There is much concern within communities that if one is seen to complain about the noise and if they decide to move away, their properties will be difficult to sell and possibly devalued as a result. They feel they are in a 'Catch-22' situation." Some wind farms are situated just a few hundred yards from homes but Dr Harry believes that until independent research is carried out, no turbines should be built closer than 1.5 miles from the nearest dwelling. Dr Harry wrote: "There are many people living near wind turbines who are suffering from problems with their health. The noise produced from the wind turbines is an extremely complex one and I feel that it is the complexity of the noise and vibration which causes the disturbance. "From my discussions with people suffering from ill-health who live near wind farms, it seems that the symptoms suffered can occur up to a mile from the wind farm." But a spokesman for the British Wind Energy Association said it was just a "myth" that turbines were noisy. She said: "We are aware that people have concerns but we are not aware of any evidence that supports their claims. "The unfortunate thing about noise is that it can be a subjective perception. Some people can be more sensitive than others." The Government commissioned a report into claims that the low-frequency noise emitted by wind turbine generators was affecting people's health but it found last year that there was "no evidence" of ill-effects. The report did admit that some wind turbines were responsible for a loud "whooshing" noise created by a phenomenon known as aerodynamic modulation, but the Department for Trade and Industry insisted that this was present in only five of the 126 wind farms in the UK. A Government working group on wind turbine noise has also been set up. At the meeting of the Parish Council on Tuesday 27th September, a proposal by the Chairman John Davies that the Parish Council should oppose plans to install a Windfarm at Asfordby mine site was defeated by 3 votes to 2. Scoping report Harworth Power is a subsidiary of UK Coal Planning application to install a 50m wind monitoring mast (approved) Wind Farm plan may now see 40 turbines installed on the old colliery site. (News) At the Melton library public exhibition planned for Wednesday January 18th, Windfarm representatives fail to show up. A library official said they were expected at 12:00 but by 13:30 they had failed to show up and had not contacted the library although the exhibition space had been made available. More news 30 years on the Parish Council On the 10th February Margaret Sleath celebrated 30 years on the Parish Council and along with friends and councillors enjoyed a celebration lunch at The Black Horse. Margaret is the current chairman of the Parish Council and she was thanked and congratulated for her tireless work in the community by Richard Easom.
Heat
damaged roads
Information supplied from an e-mail posted
by Mike Sheldrake to Joe Orson(edited by Joe Orson)
There are numerous roads that are suffering due to the heat and it will be a while before the LCC can take stock and properly quantify the impact. However, the roads that the LCC have most concern (at this time) about in the Asfordby Division are Perkins Lane at Grimston, Nottingham Lane at Old Dalby, Broughton Lane Long Clawson, Ashby Folville to Great Dalby and Somerby to Cold Overton (and others may yet come to light). The latter is already included within this years programme for resurfacing and so the problems here will be short-lived. However, the others will require additional/alternative funding if the LCC are to carry out appropriate repairs in the near future. Officers will be reviewing the situation once the weather has stabilised and the LCC will then consider the likely costs and programme implications arising from this extreme heat. At the moment the LCC have a gritter spreading dust and a hand gang treating smaller locations. There is not a great deal more they can reasonably do. This situation is frustrating because the LCC feel that funding and the strategies that have been introduced over the last two to three years are just starting to reflect in an improved quality of road surface around the Borough. Now we have suffered damage that is expected to take a few years to claw back from. Predominately scripted by Mike Sheldrake, LCC Melton Local Development Framework Melton Local Development Framework documents New Parish Notice Board for Saxelbye A new Parish notice board has been erected in Saxelbye at the junction of Main St and Ostler Lane.
Click to view At the Parish Council General Meeting on the 26th April 2006 residents expressed concern at the damage caused by traffic to grass verges in the parish. There were some exceptional circumstances that may have caused excessive damage such as the closure to the A6006 in 2005 when the parish lanes were used by traffic seeking alternative routes. In addition building works have caused excessive damage to the area around Windy Ridge and the access through Shoby Lane where contractors vehicles use the verges for parking and passing. Since the Annual General meeting Counsellor Orson has made representations to Mike Sheldrake about the issues raised by residents. The attached photographs are by no means exhaustive but demonstrate some of the issues raised recently. Photographs Village envelope consultation scheme The Parish Council has now completed the consultation exercise. The results have been passed to MBC and all contributors have been sent a copy of the MBC return document. Table of results Consultation Statement See consultation overview bbc.co.uk News Grimston draft village envelope Conservation areas appraisal 3rd November 05 The Conservation Officer at MBC has commenced a programme of character appraisals for both Grimston and Saxelbye conservation areas. Residents were invited to comment on the appraisals by the end of November. You can read the Conservation officers comments and see the maps of the conservation areas here. Grimston Saxelbye Freedom of Information Act 2000
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives a
general right of access to all types of recorded information held by
public authorities, sets out exemptions from that right and places a
number of obligations on public authorities.
Any person who makes a request to a public authority for information must be informed whether the public authority holds that information and, subject to exemptions, supplied with that information. Individuals already have the right of access to information about themselves under the Data Protection Act 1998. As far as public authorities are concerned, the Freedom of Information Act will extend this right to allow public access to all types of information held. This individual right of access to information will come into effect on January 1, 2005. Public authorities will be required to adopt and maintain a publication scheme setting out the classes of information it holds, the manner in which it intends to publish the information, and whether a charge will be made for the information. The purpose of a scheme is to ensure a significant amount of information is available, without the need for a specific request. Schemes are intended to encourage organisations to publish more information pro-actively and develop a greater culture of openness. Police forces were required to have an approved publication scheme in place by June 30, 2003. The Act will be enforced by the Information Commissioner, a post that combines regulation of both Freedom of Information and Data Protection Acts. Information and publications will be made available on the Leicestershire Constabulary website, by email or by post. You can apply for information and publications not contained on our website by contacting the Data Protection and Information Security section. Leicester councils are part of a nationwide 'Compost at home' campaign that encourages residents to transform their kitchen waste into nutrient rich compost for a blooming garden. The Council have teamed up with 'WRAP', (The waste and resources action programme) to provide composting bins.
As part of the initiative residents can order one the schemes subsidised compost bins which are supplied with a free guide to composting direct to your door. WRAP is helping to provide the bins which start at £5.00. You can contact the scheme by calling 0845 073 2001 to order your bin. The bins can take nearly two thirds of kitchen waste including prunings, egg shells, cardboard and tea bags. For home composting advice call 0845 600 0323 or visit http://www.recyclenow.com/compost A6006 Shoby bends - road safety scheme The vehicle activated signs have been installed on the A6006 between Asfordby and Shoby crossroads. This was part of the Leicestershire CC Capital Program of Integrated Transport for 2005-2006. Two of the signs display a double bend warning and a slow down message, the other 8 are standard chevron signs that will pulsate sequentially when activated. A further Vehicle Activated has been installed at Shoby cross roads A6006 / B676. (press release) Planning applications can now be viewed on-line at http://www.meltononline.co.uk/planning/ The planning process has changed Conservation areas Conservation area leaflet Most recent bulletins at the top of this section July 19th 08 Petition to limit nigh night flights at EMA http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/peacefulnight/ October 5th 2006 NEMA Announces more disruption for residents through new routes for Ryanair, Penny Coates delighted (news here)
NEMA Master Plan - Report of the LCC Director of Community Services in response to the NEME Master Plan. Updated here 4th May 06 Click here Leics CC Press Release COPR
599 For
Immediate Release Strong views at Airport exhibition 7 April 06
Visit demand.uk.net added (Feb 06) Demand Newsletter March 06 NEMA expansion debate begins Feb 06 Anyone wishing to contact NEMA about any issues should write to - Ms Penny Coates, Local airport extension plans (Added 25 Jan 06) See details NEMA Draft master plan consultation (added 17 Jan 06) Public consultation on Nottingham East Midlands Airport's (NEMA) draft Master Plan, which was to have begun at the end of this month, will now start on Friday 10 February and last for three months. The Airport has taken this decision to allow for more time to work on the mitigation proposals set out in the document. Unfortunately the areas worse affected by the 2005 flight plan changes are not on the venues of the public briefings. We urge you to write to Ms Penny Coates and suggest Asfordby Village Hall as a suitable venue for a briefing. Our parish is within the 30 mile radius consultation area, our nearest briefing is Loughborough. (Consultation announcement) Discussion in parliament about NEMA October 05 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm051010/debtext/51010-27.htm News items NEMA On Friday 26th August news items about aircraft noise in Gaddesby were featured on Midlands Today and Central News. The items featured Alan Duncan and Austin Healey. Budget airline adds more flights, 1.2 million new passengers per year. (Sept 2005)A Leicestershire MP has backed those complaining about aircraft noise, saying it must be made easier to complain about night flights. There has been a campaign to block more night flights into Nottingham East Midlands Airport (NEMA). Airport authorities said the number of complaints have dropped since new routes were introduced in May. NEMA conducts an opinion poll 10 October 05 But Alan Duncan, MP for Rutland and Melton, said those wishing to complain faced bureaucratic buck-passing. "The CAA (Civil Aviation Authority), NATS (National Air Traffic Service) and NEMA all bounce responsibility from one to the other, and none of us can establish the facts." He added: "Residents affected by night flights thus have the injury of nuisance compounded by the insult of bureaucratic abuse. " In the three months leading up to the changes there were 854 complaints from all areas, in the same time afterwards there were 475 complaints. NEMA (Summer 2005) Since the changes to aircraft routing into Nottingham East Midlands Airport one would be excused in thinking that NEMA have omitted to give the pilots a map. Any route in a general North - South, East West direction at any altitude seems to be acceptable. Our MP Alan Duncan has accepted the issue as a problem and supports a process for gathering evidence by monitoring, tracking and reporting. The object is to get the airport designated, or not designated, no one seems sure, but to make a change from the present system where NEMA is the only UK airport without regulation to night flying.
Alan in his Melton Times article (Aug 4 2005) says that Ministers are against changing the airport's regulatory status as it would hold back economic growth in the area. Alan comments that waking people up constantly at night is a way to do that. We support his view that night flights can only get worse and they need to be controlled now. Do write or email us with your views, views count. Friends of the Earth campaign NEMA comments on noise LCC files NEMA |
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