Newsletter Summer 2004
What’s on this summer
June 1 Parish Council Meeting 7.30pm (VH)
June 12 Safari Supper 6.45pm
June 20 Beeches Farm open garden, afternoon
July 4 Barbecue and Fun Day 12-4pm (playground)
Aug 28,29 Open Studios event, High Street House and Pittams Farm (also Lois Weedon – see article)
Sept 4,5 Open Studios, as above
Sept 4 Village Fete, 2pm (Old Rectory gardens)
Regular events:
Chapel service 10.45am Sundays, Coffee morning 10.15am Thursdays, both at Wappenham Chapel
Table tennis team practice Sun eve (VH) tel 861038
Editor’s Notes
Thanks to the sponsors of this issue – the Bell Plantation and Janet Groom-Carroll. Also a thank you to our regular printers, Towcester Business Centre, tel. 358333.
There’s a new feature this time – wanted ads. More of these would be welcome. How about plant/seed swapping, too?
Just reading a chilling ghost story ‘Cloven’ by Sally Spedding, who used to teach the Lois Weedon art class – she has set it in a South Northants. village and there are definite links with real places. There is a ‘Grey Snorton’; the town of ‘Stoneshanger’ has a racecourse and large inn, with a main street called Cobbling Street, and the river ‘Wap’ also features. Eileen, has she been picking your brains? (Eileen Robbins is our expert on local ghost stories.)
The copy deadline for the next issue is August 15th – please send items to me at 1 Highbridge Rd, or email them to jane.harries@virgin.net.
Have a great summer!
Jane Harries
To Mr and Mrs Gundle, on the birth of
their daughter Florence.
VILLAGE HALL NEWS
Apologies for the delay in collecting the Tote this year - we're only about five months behind schedule! However, do not despair: members of the committee will be around within the next few days collecting your £12 for the year. We thought we would draw five months all in one hit - so you never know, you could just be one of those lucky winners. Prizes are £20, £10 and £5.
Events
As you know our annual Spring Quiz didn't materialise due to a variety of reasons, including clashing with a particularly important rugby game and a reduction in the number of tickets sold. We do plan to have one in the autumn, when hopefully we will get a good turnout.
We still plan to have a barbecue sometime in the summer - see posters in shop and around the village nearer the actual date.
Jenny Szczerbowski, Secretary
Funding update
It was some time ago that the committee sought the views of the village on the building design they would like for the hall. The overwhelming, 80+%, view was that we should seek to preserve the Gilbert Scott design. After a disappointing response to a tender exercise a potential building contractor was identified. Armed with the costs for this design the committee identified the various sources of funding that we could get to finance the work. It also sought the advice of ACRE on how to go about submitting applications. Indeed, last year, one of the committee attended an all-day seminar in Corby that was set up to provide advice to village hall committees, with speakers from the different grant-awarding bodies.
Since October last year, applications have been made to the various grant-awarding bodies. These bodies receive lots of applications and the advice we received was that we needed to distinguish ourselves from other village halls seeking grants. Our application centred on the preservation of a Gilbert Scott building.
Despite an initial favourable response to our application, Lloyds TSB and Charles Hayward turned it down. While Bernard Sunley is still considering it, we have been told that the maximum would be £5,000, rather than the £20,000 that we sought.
Having been rejected by other sources, we have had no choice but to seek funding from the district and county councils. The application now centres on compliance to the Disability Discrimination Act, for which the councils do have funds.
In summary, funding sought is as follows:
· SNC £12,000 – Decision to be made in July
· Bernard Sunley £5,000 – Decision date still to be advised.
· NCC £15,000 – Decision to be made 25th June. Formal notice early August
· Own Funds £3,000
We now await the decisions.
Pete Burrell, Chairman
A RECENT WORKING WEEK DIARY
FROM COUNTY COUNCILLOR BEN SMITH
Monday 15th March
Leave at 7am to go on the breakfast programme at Radio Northampton. They want to interview me on improvements to the Recycling Centres that are being proposed. These include better access for vans, an improved information leaflet and the opportunity for more sites to take ‘trade’ waste. While I am there I meet our Acting Head of Highways who thinks he has come along to talk about road humps in Brackmills. He has a big shock when told he is to talk about road works outside the radio station !
Back to County Hall for a meeting on landfill fires. The Environment Scrutiny Committee, of which I am Chairman, are about to carry out an investigation on this subject as we have had a number of fires at landfill sites in the county. University College Northampton, which has a waste management department, is helping us out. At 11am I go to the ‘Leaders’ Briefing’ which is a small meeting between the Chief Executive and 3 senior Conservative councillors. In the afternoon it’s the monthly meeting of the Environment Scrutiny Committee. The main items are the Northampton Multi-Modal study, which includes a lot of discussion on whether Northampton needs new bypasses; a new Cycling Strategy, and an update on improvements to the recycling centres. My last meeting of the day is at 5pm in the George Row Club, just next door to County Hall. This is the Conservative Group Meeting, which is mainly to discuss the agenda for the full County Council meeting on Thursday.
Tuesday 16th March.
I manage to do a couple of hours’ work in my studio, (I run my own business as a landscape architect) before leaving for a working lunch at Warwickshire County Council to talk with fellow councillors about cross-border issues. Find time for a quick look at the shops in town centre. Return home and see that the Chronicle & Echo report on yesterday’s Environment Scrutiny committee makes the front page headlines with ‘TOWN WILL NEED NEW BYPASSES’. Leave to attend the Area Committee at SNC offices at Towcester. Only about 20 members of the public attend. The Minerals Local Plan is discussed and it emerges that there is no allocation in the plan for sand and gravel relating to the Milton Keynes South Midlands Strategy. An early review of the plan therefore looks likely.
Wednesday 17th March
In the morning I fit in visits to doctor and dentist before doing some work in the studio. In the afternoon I meet a new client on site who wants to build a new country house. This project relates to planning legislation which John Gummer brought in and allows individual country houses if they are of outstanding architectural merit and landscape quality. Everyone seems to think the Labour government is about to change the legislation and put a stop to it.
Thursday 18th March
Up at crack of dawn to go to London for a meeting of the Waste Management Executive of the Local Government Association. Although it is the full County Meeting today, I feel I must attend some of the LGA meeting as I have missed the last two due to being abroad on both occasions. Arrive at Parliament Square to find it is closed and cordoned off due to a security scare.
There has been a chemical spillage from a lorry. This means I have a long walk but arrive in time for the pre-meeting at 10.15am. My pager goes off to tell me the Towcester Post wants to contact me to discuss development pressures and regeneration in towns. Manage to do this before going to the main meeting at 11am. Leave at 12.05pm after making a couple of contributions to the meeting. Take cab to Euston and catch the 12.45pm train to MK. Drive from MK to County Hall hoping to make it for 2pm. Unfortunately forget about road works at Grange Park which means I am 10 minutes late for County Council Meeting. Main topics include Community Strategy, Urban Development Corporation for West Northamptonshire and review of Local Transport Plan. Meeting finished at just gone 7pm and eat on way back home.
Friday 19th March
I am working on another ‘John Gummer’ country house scheme and this one has already been submitted for planning permission. I am off to a 10am meeting with the local authority. Meet up with other members of the team, which consists of client, architect and planner. The local authority has brought in an architectural advisor, but the meeting does not make much progress and I am disappointed that the landscape architect for the local authority does not attend.
Back to County Hall for a meeting with WS Atkins (Highway Maintenance Agents for CC). They want to make improvements to the ‘Clarence’ scheme. This is the freephone number for reporting potholes and other road maintenance problems. I am pleased about this because following a complaint recently from a Parish Clerk, I tried the service myself by telephone and email without success. Meeting finishes at 4.15pm, which means I will hit the Friday rush hour.
This has been a busy week, with 8 meetings, two media interviews and not really enough time to run my own business.
Cllr Ben Smith
Benz@btinternet.com
Village Hall Greenery
I hope that the two planted tubs outside the village hall will be seen and enjoyed by everyone in the village. They have been donated by Ashley Warren of The Bell Plantation, who is newly resident in the parish.
The planting is a mixture of summer bedding and evergreen shrubs. We are grateful to Ashley for his generosity.
Now that the gravel is being spread and the weeds dealt with, the environment of the hall will be transformed. We have asked to purchase one more matching tub from The Bell Plantation to complete the outside of the hall.
Penelope Gill.
DRAMA COMING UP...
The Weston, Lois Weedon and Wappenham drama group is busy rehearsing a new piece, which will be performed in late September. Watch out for posters and Wiz news!
There’ll be a walk or two this summer – time and route to be confirmed. Again, watch the usual places for news!
Anne Marshall
GARDEN FAME FOR BEECHES FARM
The Royal Horticultural Society took note of Nick and Dee Levinson’s garden at last year’s Open Day, and commissioned an article about it in their magazine, ‘The Garden’. The piece concentrates on the 40-odd varieties of Old Roses that Nick and Dee have planted - an ‘Old Rose’ is one that pre-dates the hybrid tea roses that came out in the early nineteenth century. It’s a very complimentary article; to have praise from the RHS is high praise indeed. It appears in the June issue of The Garden, which is out now.
The garden will be open for visitors on the afternoon of Sunday, June 20th, so come and enjoy them.
PARISH COUNCIL NEWS – ANNUAL PARISH ASSEMBLY
There was a very disappointing turnout at the Assembly (only six members of the public). Has anyone any ideas how we can remedy this for next year’s? All comments welcome.
My reports in the newsletter, for which this year we thank Jane Harries for editing so ably, and the minutes produced on Wiz and available in the Village Shop, cover our work over the year.
As I have said many times, so much of our time is taken up with the huge increase in planning applications, some more controversial than others. If anyone has any specific questions on this matter, do please ask them. We sometimes feel that other matters slip through the net; again if anyone feels this, please do say so.
Since last year’s Assembly Jonathon Miller has kindly agreed to be our representative to maintain contact with W S Atkins. This was at the suggestion of NCC Highways: thank you Jonathon for the input you have already made.
We would also like to thank Paul Featherstone for the very well-considered letter he wrote on our behalf to Northants. County Council, regarding their annual budget.
Kersten Kappler has done sterling work on the Village Design Statement. The draft was approved by a majority vote and I believe is in the hands of the SNC.
Thanks to Roy Wilson for representing us as liaison with the churchwardens for the Wappenham Parochial Charities.
I am ably supported by all the members of the Council and we all thank Lynn for slotting in so well in her first year as our Parish Clerk.
Thanks were expressed to Ashley Warren for the two lovely flower tubs he has donated to the village. There is to be a working party to spread some gravel around the immediate area at the Village Hall - spring has come!
Exhibitions of work by local artists in their own studios:
Saturday & Sunday 28th & 29th August
Saturday & Sunday 4th & 5th and 11th & 12th September.
The Stable Studio, High Street House, 8 High Street, Wappenham: Penelope Gill, Julia Hart, Linda Johns, Kerstin Kappler.
Pittams Farm Studio, Pittams Lane, Wappenham: John Wickham.
Stable Studio, Kettle End, Lois Weedon: Lyn Medlicott, Vanessa Gladman.
Opening times to be announced.
WAPPENHAM RECREATION ASSOCIATION (WRA) NEWS
On Saturday 6th of March the WRA held a ‘race night’ which raised around £400. The evening would have benefited from having a few more people, but those who attended seemed to have a good time.
This summer, carrying on from the success of last year’s, we will again be holding a BBQ and Fun Day. This will be on Sunday 4th July between 12-4pm at the playground. An entry fee will be charged for the children’s games, with a few more added to this year’s schedule. Food and drink will be available, so come ready to eat and enjoy yourselves.
It was noted in our annual report to the village assembly that the lease on the playground expires in approximately 6 years. If the village want to retain a playground facility, then perhaps planning and fundraising should be put in place sooner rather than later to achieve this goal.
Anyone wishing to have some hands-on involvement with the playground, or who has any good fund-raising ideas, can contact me or any of the other committee members.
Many thanks to all of those who have supported us over the last year.
Dene Ayres
WRA Chairman
County Councillor Ben Smith reported that his council again suffered a weak review on performance and financial matters. Roads continued to suffer from the redirection of funds over the last few years. The planned development of 167,000 homes by 2030 is going ahead, and is an issue for the Urban Development Environmental Strategic Board. The development will have an impact on Wappenham [NB: although there are currently no houses planned for Wappenham]. Waste management is a concern – 300,000 tons of household waste are produced per year in the county, without taking future developments into account, and a new EU directive on landfill sites means that recycling will be even more important than it is now.
District Councillor James Garret spoke at the Assembly on Council Tax, Central Railways, Roads, Recycling, Planning, Jason Bus, Customer Services at SNC and a summary of his role there.
Ann Marshall and Philip King spoke in their capacities as Footpath and Tree Wardens.
Full reports of the above and by all representatives of the village organisations will be available at the village shop and online.
Some of you may have noticed that the byway at the top of Wild Hill through to Abthorpe has been closed on safety grounds. I have some photographs from Aidan Jones showing the awful condition of this path - made completely impassable and very dangerous by motorcycles and 4x4 vehicles (I understand one vehicle and its occupants had a rescue helicopter circling overhead). Eventually the path will be reopened to pedestrians and horses, but I believe the closure to wheeled vehicles will be permanent on account of its abuse over the years.
Tree Warden and Neighbourhood Watch replacements needed
We are looking to replace Philip King as Tree Warden; he is to replace Kersten Kappler as our representative on the Action Plan Committee. Thank you to both the above for the work they have done during the year.
Pam Burrell is stepping down as our Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator and we need to find someone to take up this responsible but by no means onerous position. Can anyone help please? Please contact Pam (via wappenham@tiscali.co.uk) to find out more. Many thanks to Pam for all her work in the field.
The village website is now up and running and is a great credit to the website committee, who has been working very hard to achieve this - thank you. [Ed: The website address is: http://www.northantsvillages.org.uk/wappenham/]
Planning news
Planning permission has now been granted by SNC for the demolition of Manor Cottages and also for extension and alterations to the Chapel. This council approved an application for change of use from agricultural to residential to land behind 3 Poplar Rise, for extensions at 17 Helmdon Road and an extension to existing garage/shed at Hollyblue Farm. An application for change of use for barns at Elm Lodge Farm, one for alternative therapy units and the other for the sale of antiques, was turned down. This was only rejected because one of the barns was outside the building line and there was concern regarding car parking space and vehicle access.
Our next meeting is on 1 June 2004 at 7.30pm in the Village Hall.
Hilary Wickham
STRAY DOGS
South Northants Council have sent us a missive, given National Pet Week happened in May. Here it is:
The sunny days are here at last, along with stray dogs!!!
Open doors and gates are a wonderful opportunity for dogs to take themselves for a walk. Make sure yours isn’t one of them.
At worst your dog could cause an accident, injuring itself and maybe other people.
Your dog will most likely foul the footpath or grass area where other people walk and children play. This is not pleasant when taken home on your shoe. If your dog is seen fouling a fine of £50 could also be on its way to you!
Finally, if your dog is reported and picked up by the Dog Warden it will cost you £36 plus kennelling and vets fees to get your dog back.
Please remember your dog must wear a collar and tag with your details on it and not left to roam freely.
The WIZ email service has been running for nearly two years now and continues to provide timely information and publicity to the parish.
When WIZ was first published, the subscriber list was around 25 or so, with a target of 50. Currently the list is in excess of 60 and hopefully this will grow as more people get connected to the Internet.
On average two bulletins as week are published, with Parish Council matters still forming the bulk. [NB: If you’re not online, copies of Parish Council minutes are on the shop noticeboard. Ed.]
Earlier this year, in support of Neighbourhood Watch, WIZ (Clive Watt) was registered to receive by email community news direct from Northamptonshire Police. This allows important information to be passed on to a large amount of people in the Parish with minimum delay. [Again if not online copies are put on the parish noticeboards near the shop and near the Green]
WIZ will continue to be circulated with the subscriber list hidden. Originally this was done because some subscribers did not want their email addresses directly in the public domain. This is significant now because a hidden list avoids WIZ being the source of virus-infected and Spam emails.
Feedback is minimal but positive – any suggestions to improve WIZ would be welcomed.
Clive Watt
How many people in the village know that Wappenham has a team that competes and represents the village in a local league? Well, it does in the game of Table-Tennis (ping-pong to some!). Pete Burrell, Mark Garwood and I, together with Dave Long as reserve, compete in Division 2 of the Towcester & District Table-Tennis League and have just completed our most successful season so far, finishing fourth.
It was a season that started off with us just hoping to avoid relegation and ended up with us being nearer to promotion than the dreaded drop. Pete finished the season ranked in the top 6 players for the division. With the practice being put in over the summer, he hopes to do even better next season but will find himself hard pressed by his team-mates as much as anyone else.
During the season we find ourselves in far-flung places such as Woodford Halse, Farthingstone, Cold Higham, Gayton and Bugbrooke as well as nearer venues such as Towcester.
Wherever we go we can always bank on a friendly welcome and good healthy local rivalry. The other thing we can bank on is, it doesn’t matter whether we come up against a thirteen-year-old or a seventy-three-year-old, they still want to win! The good thing about this game is, like golf, you can be competitive at just about any age.
A couple of years ago we had enough players to have two teams, but unfortunately with people moving away, currently it’s just the one team. If there are people in the village who would be interested in getting a second team playing or just want to have some fun, then come along to a practice on a Sunday evening at the Village Hall, or give me a ring. You never know, perhaps we could get a Ladies’ team going as well.
Neil Colby
(contact via wappenham@tiscali.co.uk)