January 2004

Halam WI
Railways in India - a talk by John Meredith on January 6th, 2004 at 7.30pm, Village Hall. All will be very welcome and we are sure husbands/lads will find John Meredith on "Trains in India" totally fascinating. Allow yourself to be transported to sunny climes in January. Light seasonal refreshments will be served.

Warning of Telephone Fraudsters
The Police have warned of a new scam which is being carried out. You receive a phone call and are asked to press 9 to find out about a prize you have won. On doing so you are switched to a £20 a minute phone line. They keep you hanging on for up to 20 minutes, by which time you have run up a bill of £400! Needless to say, there is no prize. Please do not be caught out by this.

Parish Plan Questionnaire - Update
The Parish Plan Steering Committee would like to thank all those who completed and returned their questionnaires before Christmas. So far, 30% of those distributed have been completed and passed on to the Nottinghamshire Rural Community Council (Notts. RCC) for data input.

We would like to apologise for the omission of the Notts. RCC address from the front sheet. If you would like to forward your questionnaire directly, their address is:

Nottinghamshire Rural Community Council,
Newstead Miners' Welfare Community Centre,
Tilford Road,
Newstead Village,
Nottingham, NG15 0BS.

Any outstanding questionnaires will be collected in the New Year.

If you have not received one please contact Halam Parish Council or any Steering Committee Member (01636 814026).

The aim of the questionnaire is to solicit views and thoughts about all aspects of village life and identify areas about which residents feel strongly. The output from the exercise will be used by Halam Parish Council and Notts. RCC to draft up a Parish Plan (Action Plan) for the village from which any grant and other funding opportunities can be pursued, as well as identifying design and planning criteria which can be used by Newark & Sherwood D.C. The questionnaire has been produced by the Halam Parish Plan Steering Committee under the auspices of the Parish Council. Notts. RCC have provided guidance during the drafting of the questionnaire and will undertake independent electronic data capture of the information.

All questionnaires are dealt with anonymously and no personal details are input. An Open Meeting was held to help identify the areas to cover. The questionnaire was compiled following a fully inclusive process where relevant bodies in the village each produced questions specific to their needs (e.g. The Parish Council, The Parochial Church Council, Halam C. of E. Primary School, Halam Kids Club, The Village Post Office/Shop, The Waggon & Horses etc.) A specific group was set up to look at environmental and design issues.

Volunteer Contact Sheets that have been passed to Notts. RCC will be separated and sent back to the Steering Committee who will forward names and offers of help to the Parish Council. Only the Parish Council will retain this information.

If you haven't yet returned your questionnaire, it is not too late to do so. This is a unique opportunity for your voice, views and ideas to be heard. Even if you are unsure about the questionnaire, use the opportunity to put down your views, whether or not they are covered by the questions.

We would like to wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. Halam Parish Plan Steering Committee

Parish Council Meeting, 7.30pm, Thursday, 11th December 2003

Present: G Herbert, N Armstrong, A. Fraser, A. Paris, I Sharman.
Apologies: K. Lindley, S. Bust

Resignation:

Karin Lindley sent a letter of resignation due to poor health. It was agreed that the Chairman should have further discussion with her before a decision is made.

Dog Bin:

A site meeting will be held immediately before next month's Parish Council meeting to confirm the location of the bin outside the church.

Neighbourhood Watch:

All previous co-ordinators will be contacted and an open meeting with the area co-ordinator Tony Reynolds will be arranged for early in the new year.

"More Cops for Notts":

A petition has been received asking for more police coverage. This will be circulated in the village.

 

Parking:

The school wrote outlining the steps they are taking to try to help the parking situation on School Lane and the Turnpike end of Radley Road. Parked cars on Radley Road at the end of Gray Lane are still causing some problems - can all residents please ensure that this junction is kept clear.

State of Roads - Gray Lane:

The poor condition of the road has been reported to the County Council. The Clerk will write emphasising the need for the road to be resurfaced.

Gate at top of Cultersforth Lane:

This has been removed by the County Council as this lane is a public highway.

Halam Hill Footpath:

A parishioner has been struck by a car while walking up Halam Hill. Although she was not seriously injured, this adds further weight for the argument for a footpath along the Hill. Mrs. Armstrong will raise this incident with the District Council.

Bus shelter cleaners:

The two younger volunteers have now started a cleaning rota. The Clerk was authorised to buy cleaning materials for this work. Some of the work will be done for free as part of a Duke of Edinburgh award.

Plans for the Village Hall:

Martin Hubbard explained the options available for extending and upgrading the hall to bring it up to the required standard for disabled access. It was agreed that the Access Officer from N&S District Council will be asked to attend next month's Parish Council to outline sources of funding available as it was felt that any work should only be undertaken if external funds were available. Andrew Fraser agreed to start research into grants available.

Village Shop:

The shop closed on 17th December. Councillors will attend a meeting at Kelham Hall to explore the possibilities of keeping the shop open under a Community Shop scheme.

Parish Plan:

A letter was received criticising the questionnaire. In response, it was emphasised that the questionnaire was completely anonymous and to preserve anonymity, the returned forms were not being opened by anyone in Halam, instead all analysis was to be completed by Notts. Rural Community Council.

Parish Council Minutes and Agendas:

It was agreed that copies of the agenda and minutes would be made available to the public at future Parish Council meetings.

Planning:

1. Applegarth, Radley Road - Extension; removal of condition 4 from permission 03/02040/FUL and minor amendment to roof: Passed unanimously.

Finance:

It was resolved to pay the Village Hall cleaners.

Next Meeting: Thursday 8th January, 2004 at 7.30pm (Councillors to meet outside the village shop at 7.00pm)

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St. Michael the Archangel

Services this month -

Sunday 4th January: 2nd after Christmas	8am Holy Communion 9.30am Family Communion
Sunday 11th January: Baptism of Christ	11am Sung Eucharist
Sunday 18th January: 2nd of Epiphany	9.30am Family Communion
Sunday 25th January: Conversion of St. Paul	11am Sung Eucharist
Sunday 1st February: Candlemas	8am Holy Communion 9.30am Family Communion

If you have any items or information you would like publishing in the next newsletter, please get the details to Edward Gathercole (813760) by the 26th.

Please remember to let Ed know if new people move into the village or if you know of any births or marriages in the village.

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