2015/06
June Newsletter
Superfast Broadband
The first properties in the Broadband for Yealand and Silverdale scheme have gone ‘live’ (including Yealand village hall) and the routes to Silverdale and Storth are being considered. Apparently superfast broadband is now available in Silverdale via British Telecom.
Station Waiting Room
The Chairman, Ms Margaret Mackintosh and a representative from the Furness Line Action Group attended a meeting with Mr Chris Cutts, the Station Manager for Northern Rail, to discuss the waiting room which is considered to be in relatively good condition structurally. The building is owned by Network Rail, but Northern Rail has responsibility for it over the next 12 months (during their franchise); it is hoped that it could be used by a community project with funding from lottery grants, for example, with income generated by the project used to maintain the building. We see our role as being one of helping to promote the project and we have written to Mr Cutts to confirm this.
Website
Mr Steve Lamb will continue to maintain our website until 1st June 2016 on the same terms as his current contract.
Annual Meeting
At our annual meeting in May Councillor Bond was re-elected as Chairman and Councillor Houghton as Vice-Chairman.
Ms Harriet Bradfield and Ms Angela Woods did not stand for re-election at the local elections in May. Mr David Sandiford stood as a new Member, as there were eight vacancies, and only seven candidates standing for election, all seven were elected unopposed and we had one vacancy. Mr John Bennett, Mrs June Greenwell and Mrs Carol Hansbury subsequently put themselves forward for co-option onto the Parish Council. We interviewed them and agreed to co-opt Mr John Bennett. Mrs Greenwell and Mrs Hansbury have since been asked if they would like to join the Playground Management Committee as members of the public.
Mr Nigel Goodrich was elected as City Councillor in the local elections and we look forward to working with him.
Post Office
The Post Office will be moving to Silverdale News, 17 Emesgate Lane on 17th August.
Public Rights of Way Improvement Plan
We have responded to the consultation document to request that footpath 22 be removed (it goes through some residential properties) and to raise the issue of the Trowbarrow – Moss Lane footpath again.
Donations
Recently, we donated £134 towards advertising the Open Gardens’ scheme and gave a grant to Ms Sue Heise for the hire of Silverdale Village Institute for ‘brush up’ language sessions. Both grants were given under section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972.
Seats
Councillor Houghton has inspected the seats owned by the Council and identified many in need of attention. We have now formed a sub-committee to look after the seats and other street furniture in the village, with Councillor Houghton as Chairman and Councillors Bennett and Williams as Members; Mr Laws has been invited to attend for information.