Needham Parish Council Annual Meeting: 15 May 2017

Chairman’s Report

Over the past twelve months the Parish Council have again represented the residents of Needham with a full schedule of bi-monthly meetings.  We have acted on a variety of concerns including the harassment of pensioners by door-to-door callers, theft of firewood and noise nuisance.   We have also been successful in requesting action on clearing fly tipping and highway and footpath obstructions.  

However, the lack of a response to our request for the reinstatement of an early morning bus service and improvement to the A143 crossing reminds us that as a Parish Council we have limited influence. 

Similarly, our objection to a recommendation by the Boundary Commission that Needham should be relocated in the Harleston District was also dismissed.  I look forward therefore to receiving regular visits to our meetings from the Harleston District Councillors when the change takes effect. 

In the last twelve months we have welcomed Heidi Williams and Georgina Frost onto the Parish Council and I am grateful for their support. I also welcome the support of Darren French in volunteering to be the Needham Tree Warden.  

On a sombre note, it is with sadness I have to report that Sylvia Miller, who stood down as a Parish Councillor at the beginning of the year and who was also active in many other aspects of village life, died at the Easter weekend.  The large numbers who attended a memorial service is testimony to the affection in which she was held.

We continue to maintain a healthy bank balance where the sum of £915 has been earmarked for payment of a half share with Brockdish of a SAM2 (Speed Awareness) machine.  We also continue to fund the publication of the Link newsletter.

The Parish Council are pleased to support the Needham Action Group set up to create a community area on land behind the Village Hall and we hope to be able to assist them with financial transactions.  A grant of £767 from the District Councillor is helping fund negotiations to obtain a lease on the land from the Townlands Trust.

I should like to thank Jenny Wilby, our District Councillor and Martin Wilby our County Councillor, for attending our meetings when their commitments permit and for their highly informative reports.  As always, I must also thank Philip Freemen, our Parish Clerk, for his support and without whom we should not be able to function.

Andrew Major