Parish Chairman’s Report September 2023
At the last meeting of the Parish Council before the holiday season (31st July) we discussed the problem of dangerous driving and anti-social behaviour at Castle Hill. Several affected residents were at the meeting and explained their concerns about the situation adjacent to their homes. The Council requested that the police attend the next meeting of the Council on 25th September, so residents could explain their concerns directly. The Community Safety unit at TWBC has also been contacted and asked to provide CCTV evidence to enable the culprits to be identified.
At its last meeting on July 11th the Neighbourhood Plan Working Party signed off the amendments to the Capel Neighbourhood Plan arising from the recent Regulation 14 Consultation. The Submission version of the plan has now been submitted to TWBC, who will carry out a second consultation in the early autumn, before the plan goes to an independent examiner.
Bam Nuttall the contractors who were working on the railway line have now cleared the site they were using adjacent to the car park in the Recreation Ground. They have reseeded the site (the former under-fives play area) and created two planters and a wooden bench. This in addition to the sponsorship of the Citizen of the Year Award made them more than welcome guests in the parish.
Discussions continue with KCC Highways about the proposed crossing at the end of Pemble Road and the interactive speed sign on Five Oak Green Road. KCC have thrown doubt on whether we have the minimum three sites available on highway land for the portable SID. If a portable SID (which the parish council would have paid for) is not possible, then we are pushing KCC to come up with an alternative, particularly as speeding issues in the village were recently highlighted by the Police and Crime Commissioner on social media. Meanwhile, concerned residents can register to be trained and help the Five Oak Green Speed Watch Group at https://www.communityspeedwatch.org/WIZ-FRONT-v2-GetInvolved-exist-4.php
Hugh Patterson