ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE 07-08 AND 08-09 YEARS


The last Annual Clerk's report was on 29 April 2007. The Clerk - Mrs Chrissie Robinson - sadly passed away in April 2008. A Locum Clerk was appointed until December 2008 when Mrs Janet Wheeler took over on a permanent basis.

This report is therefore based on the main items of business over the last two years.

Very soon after the last Annual Report, the Local Elections were held. The then current Chairman, Cllr Clifford Joseph had already advised the Council that he did not wish to stand again as Chairman. The elections brought two new faces on to the Parish Council - Cllr Steve Harrington and Cllr Chris Westacott in May 2007.

The internal auditors appointed were Mr Geoff Weir for 07-08 and Mr Barrie Dancer for 08-09 financial years.

COUNCIL MEETINGS
13 Council meetings were held plus extraordinary meetings to appoint a new Clerk.

Open Forum sessions were attended by 43 people in 07-08 and 35 people in 08-09.

PLANNING - A total of 75 planning applications and 19 Tree Works applications were considered during 07-08. In the following year, a further 83 planning applications and 14 Tree Works applications were considered. Site visits were often carried out and decisions made. In 07-08, Hurley Parish Council voted to object to 6 planning applications. This number was to double in the following year with 12 objections to planning applications.

PLAY AREAS - Over the past two years, the play areas have received yearly official inspections with written reports on the safety of the play equipment. Regular site visits help ensure that Hurley Parish Council can respond quickly to any emergency repair. This year, the Parish Council spent over £3,000 on refurbishment of the Shepherds Close play area in Hurley.

At the Choseley Road play area in Knowl Hill, RBWM chose this site to receive a total of £40,000 as part of the Government's new Play builder scheme. The urgency is that this scheme must be completed by the end of March 2010 in order to receive the £40,000 grant. Hurley Parish Council have just finished the first consultation on this project and hope to progress as quickly as the scheme will allow.

Thanks must go to Braywick Heath nurseries for maintenance at Knowl Hill and Jason Dean for maintenance at Hurley.

OTHER ITEMS - Over the past two years, a recurring theme seems to stay on the agenda for some of the Council's major challenges. Such as:

* Grundons Recycling Plant, Star Lane - Grundons has now installed two of the largest hydroclaves in the world. Foul emissions from the hydroclaves have caused distress to many residents in Knowl Hill. Other concerns relate to traffic movement leaving the site and monitoring the condition of the treated clinical waste as it leaves the hydroclave. A serious fire at the plant where part of the hydro had malfunctioned has left four months of damage. Hurley Parish Council is working closely with our Borough Cllr Maureen Hunt to ensure that the residents of Knowl Hill can live without the foul odours arising from this plant. We have taken advice from the National Association of Local Council's legal team and we hope that the rights of the residents to live without toxic fumes will be established in a new spirit of understanding.

* Motorcycles in Ashley Woods - Hurley Parish Council has worked with RBWM and the Forestry Commission to tackle this problem. New fencing and log bollards along the road will help make it difficult for the bikes to be unloaded.

* Parking in Hurley - The Parish Council has been working with RBWM, Hurley Village Association and the Police in order to find a reasonable compromise for the visitors parking in Hurley on warm summer afternoons. An interim solution has been implemented but is still to be ratified following consultation.

* Honey Lane - various problems - Hurley Parish Council acquired the gift of a substantial part of the Wastes of Hurley from Cllr Geoff Hill. These verges will remain under the protection of the Parish Council and retained as the natural woodland that Cllr Hill has been determined to preserve. Hurley Parish Council records grateful thanks to Cllr Hill for his generous gift.
The problems of Honey Lane continue. The gravel trap in case of over-shooting the corner on the junction of the new road has not been implemented. The loose gravel that gets swept down the lane in wet weather make this a dangerous corner with a strong chance of skidding vehicles. The stop sign is almost entirely obscured by the hedge and positioned too close to the junction. The sign needs to be located higher up the Lane to give more notice of the junction. An additional salt bin in icy weather also needs to be positioned higher up Honey Lane.

* Knowl Hill War Memorial - has now been renovated and the names of the soldiers re-carved. This project, was managed by Cllr Sandra Baker and funded by a grant and Grundons.

* Apple Hill Nursing Home - still unresolved as the hearing was postponed in favour of a full public enquiry which is now scheduled for early August.

* 239 Hurley Bus - this has been the subject of many complaints and Hurley Parish Council is working with Borough Cllr Maureen Hunt and RBWM in order to find a bus service that will best meet the needs of the Hurley parish residents.

Hurley Parish Council has a new Police man!  PC Marc Chapman and two PCSO's are now covering a beat area that extends from White Waltham to Cookham. With such a huge area, and so few in uniform, it is fair to say that the Police have an impossible task.

The Parish Boundary walk is due to be held again in September 2010 - the last events were in 1994 and 2000.

Hurley Parish Councillors give up much time and energy into helping make life a little better for the residents of our parish. They are all unpaid volunteers and deserve to be commended for their dedication by serving on the Parish Council.

On a personal note, I have been Clerk at Hurley since December 2008. I would like to thank them all for making me feel so welcome and for being so patient whilst I get to know the parish and its issues.

I hope to be able to Clerk the parish of Hurley successfully in the future and I will do everything possible to ensure that the Cllrs have the information they need to make effective, inspired decisions.


June 2009