Chairman’s Annual Report 2020-2021
Firstly can I give the councils gratitude to all key workers nationwide and personally thank all local key workers for keeping us all safe in these unusual times.
As I believe Havercroft with cold Hiendley parish council has the third highest council tax payments per property band in the Wakefield area I am pleased to say that with careful planning we have managed to reduce the precept this coming year. And hope to reduce it in the coming year.
The parish plan is a ten year project and is well on track. Firstly the woodland park is underway this was on the previous parish plan but was never started. It was well supported by local business one of which paid for 80 fruit trees and another buying 3kg of wild flower seed. The local community really pulled together to get the trees planted in cold conditions this has also lead to a lot of interest in a parks community group being setup.
It was agreed that the village was in need of some new notice boards and it was agreed the parish needed three. Two out of the three have already been erected one by the millennium garden and one in Cold Hiendley.
During these exceptional times a need for I.T equipment was identified by the previous clerk and we have budgeted for it this year. This will need to be reviewed as we ease our way out of lockdown. The money could possibly be put to better use.
The leisure centre and learning centre. After a rocky start the council were happy to continue to support the leisure centre with funding but the council feel this needs to be funded by a formal agreement. The learning centre received funding from Wakefield and so decided not to apply to the parish council but have applied for funding this coming year. Again the council feel this agreement needs to be formalised.
Finally I would like to thank all Councillors and the Clerk for their continued commitment to the work they undertake in the Parish and to the help and support that they have given me.
Paul Stockhill
Chairman of Havercroft-with-Cold Hiendley Parish Council.