Lamplugh Parish Council
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Chairman's Report 2007/2008
Chairman, Chris Spencer
The Parish Council has had another busy year, looking after the interests of the Parish on your behalf. It often seems that the more we raise our profile as a council the more onerous the role of councillor becomes and it is with this in mind that my sincere thanks go to every one of the members listed below, for their hard work and dedication in the many tasks and roles that they undertake.
Roger Braithwaite 862772 Leigh Puddifoot (Vice-Chair) 862422
John Davis 861855 Rosalie Parker 862313
Peter Davis 811311 John Postans 861954
Kay Larkin 861265 Wilf Richardson 861776
Edmond O’Fee 861945 Cam Ross 861552
Chris Spencer (Chair) 861004
At the time of writing this report, a vacancy still exists on the council. Anyone interested in applying for this role should contact the clerk. The only qualifying criteria, other than the minimum age restriction of 18, are willingness and enthusiasm. Training is an ongoing theme for all councillors, new or existing. Is there a young person out there aged 18 to 25 who would like to join us and represent the views of younger parishioners?
To be an effective Parish Council, and we are officially recognised as one through our “Quality Parish” status, requires many things,but above all it requires input from the Parish. How else are we to decide the direction we want to move in?
Every Parish Council meeting has a slot on the agenda for public participation. Almost without exception the only time this is ever used is when a contentious planning application prompts an individual or small group to turn up and voice there concerns. This and any form of contact is most welcome, but we would all love to hear your views on the many other aspects of parish life. All too often it seems that we ask for direction, hear little or nothing in response, so we make a decision on your behalf and then have to accept criticism for our actions, rarely does praise come our way. Please get involved, we are here to serve you; be proactive!As most of you will now be aware our long serving clerk Ann Lister retired from the post at the end of March and has handed the baton over to our new clerk, Peter Maher. Since the beginning of January when Peter was appointed, we have been in the fairly unique position of having two clerks in post, this was felt to be the most effective way of introducing Peter to the various aspects of his new role, so he has worked along side Ann for the past three months. Peter intends to undertake the specialised training necessary to give him the recognised qualifications essential to this post. It has of course meant that this period of handover has placed an additional financial burden on our budget, but this will be a one-off expenditure. While we have extended a warm welcome to Peter, we cannot let Ann depart the post without paying tribute to her huge contribution over the years. Ann has offered a constant guiding energy and has always contributed far more than her paid role as clerk demanded. We have a great deal to thank her for over the years and I am sure you will all join me in wishing her all the best for the future.
Chris Spencer, Chairman
Clerk to the council, Peter Maher
Telephone No: 01946 862 667
Email address: pandmmaher@btinternet.com