LAPWORTH PARISH COUNCIL REPORT
The September meeting welcomed Janet Smalley to her first full Parish Council meeting as a new Parish Councillor. Cllr Mrs Smalley lives in Packwood Lane has been a resident of Lapworth for over 30 years, with interests in conservation and the environment
To commemorate previous Chairmen of the Parish Council a plaque has been proposed by the daughter of Michael Thornton who served on the Parish Council for many years with three separate stints as Chairman. A full list of Lapworth Parish Council Chairmen has been researched at the County Records Office and is reproduced below. Please come forward with any comments/corrections, particularly details of their full names and any other information before it is ‘cast in iron’ and displayed in the Village Hall.
1917 – 1928 Alfred Duckworth Melson
1929 – 1930 G L Crouch
1931 – 1958 Col John Leslie Mellor
1959 – 1960 William Hodges
1961 – 1962 V W Crowther
1963 – 1964 Ernest Roger Watkins
1965 – 1967 John W Gaunt
1968 S H Croft
1969 Mrs A Garwell
1970 – 1972 Michael S Thornton
1973 A H Jennings
1974 – 1977 Mrs B Wilson
1978 – 1979 Michael S Thornton
1980 – 1985 Mrs S Rosenberg
1986 – 1994 Michael S Thornton
1995 – 1996 Keith Gascoigne
1997 – 2013 Mrs Margaret Francis
2014 – David J Corney
Cars parking on the grass at the Village Hall preventing children from playing there has been raised over the summer months and during the September Parish Council meeting two 4 x 4 type vehicles parked on the grass even though there were still spaces on the car park. This is a polite request for all users of the Village Hall not park on the grass.
Still on the subject of parking an officer from the County Council is going to look at the situation outside Lapworth School to see if any solutions to issues at drop off and pick up times can be put forward.
Stephen Spinks, Regional Manager, and Ann Ryan, Operational Manager from Packwood House attended the meeting and advised that visitor numbers had increased from 72,000 in 2011 to 170,000 in the last year. They were well aware of concerns for safety of visitors crossing from the car park to Packwood House and actively seek to minimize risk throughout the year.
District Councillor Peter Whiting advised that the Inspector has agreed to suspend the examination of the Local Plan to enable further co-operation between other local authorities so that the housing needs can be fully identified and addressed to meet his concerns. This could result in an increased allocation in Warwick District, further consultation would be carried out in areas affected.
County Councillor Mrs Compton reported that Councillors in Warwickshire have said ‘no’ to joining the West Midlands combined authority. Warwickshire County Council has agreed not to team up with seven councils in Coventry, Solihull, Birmingham and the Black Country which will form the West Midlands Combined Authority. Warwickshire’s councillors decided at a full council meeting last Thursday that they would prefer to team up with Coventry and form a smaller combined authority. However, Coventry City Council are proposing to join the West Midlands combined authority. WCC have agreed to create a working group made up of councillors from a range of political parties to look at alternative arrangements with other adjoining authorities
The Parish Council meets the second Monday of each month at 7.30 in the Village Hall
2015 dates 12th October, 9th November, 14th December, 2016 dates 11th January, 8th February, 7pm start 14th March Parish Assembly, 11th April, 9th May Annual Parish Meeting
Parish Council website www.lapworthpc.org.uk
Clerk Contact details – phone 01676 533258 or email lapworthpc@speedwellers.co.uk
