2006/02

Children’s Playground

All the construction work for the three phases has been completed. The children of the area have been introduced to our new play equipment, and it is proving to be very popular.

The formal opening ceremony will be delayed until 6th May 2006, because there is a fabulous landscaping scheme being implemented at the moment, and we want to let the area recover, before we display it to visitors.

We are indebted to Mr Martin Holgate for arranging for this very imaginative scheme, and for agreeing to put up the cost. The Parish Council hopes to be able to contribute to the cost, but this will largely depend on the availability of funds.

We are also indebted to Brent Gleave, who has offered to build the entrance wall, Bob Walker and Mal Smith who will lay the entrance paving stones, and Peter Wilson who will re-paint the gates, after they have been treated. All have offered their services FREE OF CHARGE. It is hoped that other tradesmen will follow their example.

And let us not forget to mention the hard work and dedication of that band of mums (and dads, etc) who formed the Action for Silverdale Children Trust. Without their determination we wouldn’t have a new playground at all….. thank you!

Library extension

We have been informed that the Library Service is to provide a new side entrance, for disabled persons, in the current year. There are however, structural problems with an outside wall and these will have to be overcome, before the new main entrance can be constructed. This latter work is planned for 2005 to 2006. This should result in a small extension and make the building more usable for everyone.

Silverdale Shuttle Bus

Lancashire County Council has now decided that the service will be discontinued from 7.30pm each evening, as from 27th March 2006. Your Parish Council has made strong representations to retain the service, but alas, to no avail. We remain of the opinion that this is a retrograde step. We are particularly concerned about those rail passengers who have to walk to the village, especially on dark winter nights.

“Quality Parish” Application

Our application for “Quality Parish” status was successful. We are now the first, and only, parish or town council, to gain this status, out of all the local councils in the Lancaster District. In fact there are only 261 councils which have been awarded this status, in England, out of around 8,700 local councils. This status should give us additional powers and more say in the running of our County affairs. Time will tell!

Council Tax

Your Council has decided to set the Precept at £17,903, for 2006-07. This will work out at approximately £26.06 per Band D property, an increase of approximately £5.51 per year. We hope that you will appreciate all the hard work done by your Councillors and Officers.

Your Councillors

If you feel the need, or desire, to contact any of our Councillors, please feel free to telephone any of them. Their names and telephone numbers (all preceded by 01524) are:

Chairman
Peter Roberts
702315

Vice Chairman
Tony Houghton
701416

John Burrow
702784

John Eden
701678

Bernard Fryer
701734

Arthur Graves
701284

June Greenwell
701610

Ralph Henderson
761594

Or, the Clerk, Peter Challenor, on:

01524-761824, or clerk@silverdale-pc-lancs.gov.uk