Town Council vote NOT to
accept current Masterplan
The general town council meeting on Tuesday December 3rd at the
Village Hall was in uproar as it was revealed an important vote on the
whether the Town Council would vote on its position on the proposed
masterplan had been omitted from the agenda so could not be voted
on at this meeting.
It had been requested and voted at a previous meeting to be added
but was not added by the clerk for the December meeting. This led to a
strong protest from councillors at the meeting who then called for it to
be added but finally agreed to hold an emergency meeting on the 10th
December, just to vote on whether the council supported the current plan
or did not.
The emergency meeting also carried some controversy when it
looked the vote was again to be postponed by a requested amendment
to the item. The vote finally took place and seven councillors voted not
to accept the plan in its current form with three voting for it. The council
would also seek to have certain points changed before the council would
accept a future plan.
This came less than one week before the end of the consultation
period, and certain councillors felt it would have been dismissed by
Central Beds Council if the outcome of the vote were to have been
submitted after the date.
Xmas Tree Festival and
Concert
This year’s Festival was a riot of colour and glitter with some 50 trees filling
the Church for the two-day festival.
The Green Wheel
The Green Wheel aims to provide a wheel of countryside around 11 towns
and parishes in our area, with connecting links as spokes coming off it.
Cliff Andrews of BRCC is currently producing plans for a Green Wheel
which can be used by the local communities in their towns/parishes.
The Green Wheel is more than an access route linking green spaces,
biodiversity and landscape. The criteria is that it is traffic free and safe,
offers and provides easy access to where people live and where they want
to travel. They should be protected from future development.
The plan aims to identify the key existing natural, historic, cultural and
landscape assets, accessible green spaces and rights of way and to plan
new features that will provide a connected network of green infrastructure
for the benefit of present and future generations.
At the heart of BRCCs work is the belief that the best results are
achieved by empowering local communities and giving them a say in
issues that affect them. With the plan identifying what is important to the
community, and what they would like to see improved to enhance the green
infrastructure network. The plan can be used to support funding bids, to help
communities make important improvements to their local environment.
The end product should be enabling local residents to have access to
attractive countryside and to enhance the habitats for wildlife.
Examples of possible ideas for the community to suggest
Accessible green spaces should:
• Be safe spaces that inspire confidence in visitors
• Cater for a wide range of user-types such as dog walkers, playing children,
joggers, family groups, older people.
• olf ranges, sports and playing fields, community orchards, woodlands, parks.
G
• Extend allotments, create foot/cycle paths, bridleways, crossings over
major roads e.g. the A 507.
• Provide attractive landscapes and open countryside.
• Provide opportunities for wildlife, heritage and conservation.
• Provide informal recreation opportunities such as bowling greens,
bird watching, etc.
• Provide interactive interpretation through information boards, play
structures/ environments and art features to encourage more people
and a wider audience into the countryside.
A story from my experience as an example of what can be requested.
With visitors up from last year
the amount raised so far is over
£1080, a huge thank you to all
those who worked so hard to make
the festival so successful and
took the time to make those very
inventive trees. The most popular
was ‘Eco-friendly Christmas’ by
Gothic Mede Academy with ‘The
Westlings’ – Isaac and Emily West in second and
‘An Environmental Concoction’ by 1st Arlesey Brownies in third place.
The Prize Draw was won by Doreen Rix.
T