Parish Council Report June 2006:

Hilton  

Chairman of Parish Council.  After more than three years as Chairman, Graham Barradell stepped down on rotation and Lissie Wright was elected to take his place.  Keith Fleming will remain as the deputy chairman.

Planning Applications.  The Council gave it’s recommendation for approval to two planning applications.  One for a change of use of buildings at New Farm Potton Road and the second for an extension at 16 Westbrook.  In both cases, the Council considered that the changes would benefit the owners whilst having no detrimental impact on the village.

PARC.  The PARC programme for young people in Hilton continues to thrive under the fresh guidance provided by Katie Low of HDC’s Young Lives.  The Hilton group are planning a series of events throughout the summer.

Additional Street Lighting.  The Parish Plan indicated that a number of residents wanted additional street lighting in the village, particularly in The Grove and at the end of Tythe Close.  Paradoxically, there were a similar number of residents who voted for less lighting with the aim of preserving the rural character of the village!  Nevertheless, the Council recently obtained a price for additional lighting in these two areas.  The estimated cost of installation was over £7000.  This is currently unaffordable and therefore, no action will be taken.  The requirement will be reviewed at a later date. 

Grant for Mower.  The Parish Council did not approve the request from residents of Rutland Green and Flackdale Road for a grant towards a lawn mower believing that it would create an unaffordable precedent.  However, the Council agreed to review the current frequency of grass cutting with HDC. 

Traffic Census.  The Parish Council intends to conduct a census of vehicles passing through the village to provide a factual basis for future work to reduce the volume of traffic.  If anyone is interested in helping, they are asked to contact the Clerk.

Crime   During May, a car was broken into in Scott’s Close.  In addition, Police have recently given a general warned regarding the rise in distraction burglaries in the County and the need to be especially vigilant. 

Traffic Accidents.  May was a bad month for car accidents within the village with three being recorded at the Gravely Way Cross roads with Potton Road. The Council has again asked the Police and the County Council to review safety in this area.