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Parish Council Report February 2008
Hilton
A number of residents have highlighted that Tythe Lane has flooded on several occasions over the winter. TheCouncil has agreed to look into this matter.
The Council has received warm support from eight local communities to their proposals to jointly press the Highways Agency and its new design contractor to address common environmental issues. The A14 Action Group plans to call an early meeting with these villages to agree a common agenda for presentation to the Highways Agency.
The Parish Council hosted a very successful meeting in January to discuss items regarding management of The Green. This topic has excited considerable comment from residents. We thought that residents might like to see a summary of the meeting and this has been added at the end of this report.
The Council plans to clean the ponds at Graveley Way, the Crossroads and at Park farm in the coming autumn. In addition, there will be a programme of tree care in and around the Green over the coming weeks. Sadly the beech tree at the bend of the High Street is diseased and must be removed as part of this work.
The Council agreed to amend its investment policy for its reserve funds and details can be obtained from the Clerk.
Mr Bill Halford was recently co opted as a Parish Councilor. The Council also took the opportunity to remind residents that the Four- Yearly Parish Council Elections will be held this year, on 1 May. If you have always wanted to influence the way things work in Hilton why not put your name forward as a Councilor. Again, details can be obtained from the Parish Clerk.
The position of Clerk to the Hilton Parish Council will become vacant this summer. Anyone wishing to be considered for this position should contact the Chairman of the Parish Council on 01480 830577. The post is for a flexible 40 hours per month and further details of the hours and salary etc can be obtained from the Clerk on 832030.
Summary of the Hilton Parish Meeting Held in The Chapel on 14 January 2008 to Discuss Management of the Green
Four Parish Councillors and 26 residents attended the meeting. A brief summary of the topics discussed is as follows
Introduction The Council explained that the aim of the meeting was to inform residents, and to gather views, about the current and future plans for managing The Green. The Green had evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of the community and the maintenance needed to reflect these changes. Management has to balance sometimes contradictory objectives such as safety, amenity-use, drainage, wildlife, visual appearance, and cost. The majority of maintenance work on the Green was financed from the Precept and took up between a third and a half of the precept each year, depending on the work needed. The Council tried to limit rises in the Precept to be broadly in line with Council Tax.
Parking. The Council discouraged parking on the grass of the Green. However, preventing occasional and temporary parking was difficult to enforce. The Council had therefore chosen to discourage parking by liaising with local interest groups and by the use of signs. The Council had also set up a pilot scheme using stakes, ropes and raised verges , but had received comments that the stakes and ropes were unslightly. They would be removed in the spring. There was some support for futher raising the verges in places. There was some debate about the use of the car park at the Village Hall for non Village Hall activities.
Grass Cutting. The Council’s approach to grass cutting was to make the area available for recreational activities whilst preserving the unique appearance of the Green and the distinct variety of plant communities built up over the centuries. Some of the Green was cut for hay at no cost or profit to either the Council or the Common Rights Owners whilst the remainder was cut by residents, the cricket club and the contractor. All are requested to work under the direction of the Council’s management plan.
In 2006, the regime for cutting the football pitch was amended so as to cut alternative halves of the pitch in successive years but this had drawn adverse comment from some residents who felt that the move threatened the cowslip population. There were a variety of views on the importance of the leisure facility versus the appearance of the Green and its flora..
Ditches and Borders The Council explained that ditch maintenance work for 2008 had started. A number of residents were very concerned that enough was being doing to ensure that the village drained properly and that the current cycle of ditch clearance was insufficient. The Council would consider their comments in reviewing the management plan.
Ponds. The meeting was advised that the ponds required clearing on an 8-10 years cycle. The Council intended to clean all the ponds over the coming two years with funds drawn from reserves. Residents emphasised the need to ensure culverts and grills were kept free of debris and weed. There was agreement that some bulrushes should be retained in the Cross Roads pond to reduce blanket weed, but the coverage should be limited. The Council was also recommended to revisit the reports produced following the 2001 floods.
Trees The Council explained that Hilton has a large number of very mature trees. These are managed so as to prolong their lives but sometimes had to be felled in the interests of safety. New trees are planted to replace those lost. The big beech on the corner of the High Street was severely infected by fungus and the Council had reluctantly decided to fell it as a safety measure. Some residents said that blackthorn was beginning to be a problem as were overhanging branches along the Wilderness.
Summary. The Chairman thanked residents for attending and for highlighting all the various issues, all of which would receive full consideration.
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