The Parish Council met in a warm and welcoming California Ratepayers’ Hall on a very cold December evening; the new boiler was clearly a timely investment!

Councillor Lauraine Newcombe, Chairman of the Planning Committee, reported on two meetings, the first of which had been attended by Heather Thwaites, Head of Planning at Wokingham Borough Council.  Ms Thwaites agreed that planning enforcement had been poor, but assured the committee that new enforcement officers had been recruited and that a better service would be available in 2008.  Ms Thwaites also told the committee that the Protection Area around the Thames Basin Heath site has now reverted to being 5km linear (as the crow flies), rather than by road.  In other words, it will encompass a larger area

A meeting held at Finchampstead Memorial Hall, to discuss proposed gravel extraction to the west of Longwater Road, had been well attended, and, on the whole, residents had been assured by CEMEX that all precautions would be taken to minimise the effects of extraction on households.  However, the Parish Council Planning Committee has drawn up a list of concerns which has been forwarded to Wokingham Borough Council.  These include air monitoring, hours of work, effects on footpaths, access by lorries to the site and concerns about the conveyor systems.

 The New Mill Restaurant has applied for permission to erect a semi-permanent marquee in its grounds.  The Planning Committee recommended that this be refused as there had been complaints about noise last summer.

Residents from Reading Road and Park Lane had attended the Roads Committee meeting in November to express their concerns about the number of recent accidents at this crossroads.  Councillor Milne agreed to set up a meeting with WBC Highways Department to discuss all the issues.  District Councillor Simon Weekes reported that Wokingham Borough Council was actively seeking ways to prevent future flooding of this area.

Councillor Andrew Pearce reported on the FABNAG (Finchampstead and Barkham Neighbourhood Action Group, previously the Police Liaison Committee – henceforth to be referred to as FABNAG!) meeting on 12^th December.  Essentially, these meetings are to discuss policing matters, but they also have a community role.  The meeting on 12^th December was addressed by Beverley Warman from WBC Waste Recycling.  Some FABNAG members had expressed concern about how early in the morning the bin men arrive so that refuse has to be put out the night before and is often attacked by foxes.  One solution would be to put out the bin itself or to spray the sack with disinfectant.  Parishioners may wish to note that they may have more than two black re-cycling boxes, at no extra cost, and that extra green waste bags are available at £4 each.

The Parish Council meeting ended at 9.30pm, when Councillors and partners were invited to join the Chairman in a seasonal glass of wine.

A Happy New Year to you all!

Cllr Chris Driver

The date this page was last altered was December 28, 2007.

Copyright © 2003 Finchampstead Parish Council