Woodford News
Saints Alive
The Saints Alive magazine issued by the Benefice includes more village news and can be viewed on the Benefice website.
September Parish Council Meeting
At Woodford Parish Council’s September meeting Councillor learned that the accounts for year ending March 2024 had been approved by the government appointed auditor. A summary of the accounts and the return are available to view online at www.woodfordpc.co.uk, or by contacting the clerk for a copy.
The other main item of interest is that there is now a daily bus service from Oundle to Rushden Lakes which passes through Woodford with a timetabled stop at 10:07 in Thrapston Road. The return journey is at 12:08 arriving in Woodford at 12:25. Other pick up points are the Hare and hounds in Great Addington and Addington Road Irthlingborough. The service is operated by Stagecoach and is service number CB1. Bus passes can be used otherwise the fare is £2.00.
The council has received a number of complaints regarding the storage of building materials at the Playing Fields. The Council has taken the matter up with the Club who have advised the matter is being dealt with.
Lastly, a reminder that anyone can attend a
Parish Council meeting to listen to proceedings. There is also a
point on the agenda at which you can make representations or ask
questions although questions which require any research will receive
a response in writing at a later date. Equally any matter requiring
a decision will be deferred until it appears on a later meeting
agenda. Consequently, such matters are best advanced to the Clerk
well before the meeting. More information about attending a meeting
can be found on the Council’s website. The next meeting is on 15th
October at 7.30pm in the Baptist Chapel
August Parish Council Meeting
Following a request from the Dukes Arms to use Church Green as overflow car parking for Woodfordstock, councllors declined the request but formally permitted the use of the two main greens for car parking for the event.
Due to parking issues and obstructions caused by attendees at a recent dog show, councilors agreed that a more formal and rigourous request procedure would be introduced for the use of the green in future events. It was agreed that events generating large out of village interest would probably not be suitable for siting on the village green.
A request had been sent to the Sports Complex to tidy and make safe certain areas of the playing field.
The Council will be formally registereing with the Community Speedwatch Campaign 2025 and will be seekign volunteer assistance in the near future. Please forward your contact details to clerk@woodfordpc.co.uk for more information, or if interested in assisting
July Parish Council Meeting
At the July Parish Council Meeting two Planning Applications were considered. The first was for a new wall with iron railings at 35A High Street to create a boundary between the pavement and the front window. The second was for the demolition of an old stable and garage at 13 Church Street to replace with a new single garage with a games room above. There were no objections to either application.
The flooded footpath in the field at the southwestern end of Church Street, was noted to have been reported to the Rights of Way at NNC.
A report from the Police advised that in May an afternoon had been spent monitoring vehicle speeds entering the village at all three entrances and found no cases of vehicles breaking the speed limit. Parking was once again discussed, and it was agreed to seek advice from NNC with a view to tackling the issue.
Two road closures orders were announced, both service connections. Club Lane would be closed to through traffic between 11th and 13th September (water) and Church Green between 2nd and 6th September (Gas).
June Parish Council Meeting
At the June meeting the main agenda item were the approval of year ending March 2024 accounts which will now be submitted for audit. Discussion also took place about renovating the seats in the children’s playground and this will take place over the summer.
If there is any matter you think the Council can assist with please do not hesitate to make contact. Whilst the Council’s legal powers, and budget are limited if your request is beyond our means or remit it is likely we can put you in touch with someone who can assist.
May Meetings
The May Parish Council meeting was preceded by the Annual Parish Meeting. Reports were provided by the Parish Council, the Temperance Charity, the General Charity and the Reading Room. The Parish Council report can be read in full on the council’s website but the main details included the fact that the street light upgrade had now been completed, saving the council money each month on the power bill. The completion of the project also mean the Parish Council could reduce its demand on the Council Tax bills this year. During the twelve months to January the council had commented on D planning applications, provided litter picking services to the village, maintained the village greens and verges, commenced repainting the children’s playground equipment, and continued to object to the Kettering Energy Park. The council has also applied for a weekly mini bus service to Rushden Lakes which is likely to star in early Autumn – watch this space.
The Temperance Charity reported that a grant had been made to cover the cost of new windows and door at the Reading Room and the General Charity reported that it had donated £1000 to the school for library books, £1,000 local cancer charities and £2,860 to village pensioners last Christmas benefitting 143 persons in 103 households.
A representative from the Reading Room spoke of the ever increasing number of books available for loan free of charge, various village groups which use the premise, and the snooker club which has massively increased its membership over the past year.
At the May Parish Council meeting Mr Guy Banham was re-elected as Chairman and Mr Ivor Vaughan as vice chair. This year is the final year of this “council” as elections are timetabled for May 2025. The council is actively requesting improvements to the crumbling pavement in Highfield near Eady’s Row, and also reporting the many potholes needing attention in the village. A request has also been made to have the trailer removed from Highfield where it has remained for many years, and the council has now been advised it will be removed by the end of June. The council is also seeking advice from NNC regarding how improvements can be made to parking in the High Street especially between the village green and Eady’s Row. The Police have also been requested to carry out speed surveys in the village but results have yet to be received. The Council has also applied to be part of Community Speedwatch Campaign which involves villagers gathering information of speeding vehicles. If this is something you are interested in being a part of please forward contact details to the Clerk (below) so that we can keep you updated.
April 2024 Parish Council Meeting
At the beginning of the April Parish Council meeting a
presentation was made by Chairman Mr Guy Banham to Mr David Cullum,
for his work as groundsman for the council. This role primarily
involved cutting the village greens and Church Green, a task he has
carried out for 31 seasons 1993-2023. Amongst the mementos he was
presented with was a small diorama, and a framed certificate of
appreciation. Based on the record of hours worked since 1993 and the
average speed of Dave’s lawn mower, it was calculated that he had
travelled enough iles to reach Perth
(Western Australia – not Scotland).
During the meeting discussions about parking and speeding throughout the village were discussed once again and contact will be made again with the relevant authorities again asking for action. Further information regarding these points can be found on www.woodfordpc.co.uk. The Kettering Energy Park Masterplan was once again discussed and the Council agreed to continue to object to this potentially large development, which is currently at the preplanning stage. It was however agreed that any plans, irrespective of the size of any development in the vicinity of the windfarm and the planned solar farm on the A510 towards Finedon must incorporate junction improvements at General’s Corner (Addington Rd, Cranford Rd and Woodford Rd at the A510) The council agreed to apply to be a trial site for a weekly community bus service from Woodford to Rushden Lakes.
Lastly at 7.00pm the Annual Parish Meeting on 20th May in the school room of the Baptist Chapel. This meeting last about half an hour and is an opportunity for any village organisation to give a verbal annual report of their achievements. Anyone wishing to be included on the Agenda should contact the Clerk to the Parish Council (which convenes the meeting), by 12th May.
News Catchup February 2024
Now that the upgrading of street lamps is
complete the Parish Council has been able to reduce the annual
precept (the amount we receive from Council Tax ) by £4,000. (15%).
On the subject of street lights the council has also ordered an
additional lamp to be installed in the
High Street between Sunnyside and the old Infant School. This was
the longest unlit stretch of pavement in the village.
The council was asked to investigate providing a dog waste bin near the Newtown allotments. The result was that it was not sufficiently accessible for the vehicles which would empty the bin, and there were also three other bins within 250 metres at The Leys, Rose Terrace and Sunnyside.
Other bins are available in Church Street,
Bakers Lane, Church Green, West Street, Thrapston Road, Mill Road
and two in Highfield. In the last days of the old East Northants
Council it was calculated that Woodford had more dog waste bins per
head of population than any other town or village in the district.
Dog walkers – please use them.
The council has received a number of complaints
regarding the state of the verges within the village, due to the wet
weather. Please try to avoid driving on the verges to minimise
damage. The Parish Council does not have the resources, neither
financial or physical to carry out repairs, and any requests for
repair should be made to North Northants Council vis
www.fixmystreet.co.uk.
December 2023 Parish Council
The main subject for discussion was the budget for the forthcoming financial year.Following the completion of the streetlamp upgrades it will be possible to reduce the budget for 2024/5 by £4,000, and consequently the amount raised through Council Tax will also be reduced by a similar amount.
Traveller's Site in Thrapston Road
There are various rumours circulating about what can and cannot be done on the Traveller's Site in Thrapston Road. When the Planning Inspector agreed to a temporary approval for three years, various conditions were also specified. These conditions can be found in the Inspector's Report. The actual layout of the site which the applicant should be working towards was submitted to NNC in February 2022 and it is this plan upon which the Inspector based her decision.
Change of Local Election Arrangements
The Local Government Boundary Review has taken place over the past twelve months and the recommendations to be put before Parliament will reduce the number of Councillors at NNC by ten, and change many of the ward boundaries with effect of the 2025 Local Elections. Woodford will be part of the Thrapston Ward comprising three councillors. The Irthlingborough Ward will reduce from three to two councillors, and will also lose the parishes of Ringstead and Denford which will become part of the Raunds Ward. Ford full details see the Commission's Report.
November Parish Council Meeting
Mrs Sally Bryant was welcomed to her first meeting.
It was reported that NNC would not install a dog waste bin at the Newtown Allotments due to the restictive access for vehicles servicing the bin and the lack of comlaints regarding dog fouling in the area. If you see persisant evidence of dog fouling please report to NNC.
It was agreed to obtain a quotation for the installation of a new street lamp in the High Street between the former infant school and Sunnyside. All street lamps requiring upgrade had now been replaced.
October Parish Council Meeting
At the October Parish Council meeting Councillors hear approval had been given to the Planning Application for a side extension at 78 Highfield and a rear extension at 3 The Moorings. A discussion regarding the alteration to glazing at Manor Farmhouse was also on the agenda, but no objections were raised to this application.
A long standing vacancy for a Prish Councillor was filled with the co-option of Mrs Sally Bryant of Mill Road. This brings the number of Councillors up to the full allocation of thirteen.
It was reported that the remaining orange sodium lamps in the village will be replaced shortly with energy efficient LED models as used in the rest of the village.
The provision of a dog waste bin near the Newtown allotments is also being investigated. Dog fouling is on the up in the village, and there is a legal responsibility for dog owners to clean up after their pets and dispose of the waste in a hygienic manner. The provision of dog waste bins is not required by law but are generally provided to assist the dog owner. Please use them. If on the other hand you are aware of dog owners not clearing up after their pets please report to North Northants Council by visiting www.northnorthants.gov.uk and in the search field enter “dog Fouling” or follow this link.
Lastly, the council is looking to employ a villager to cut the village greens next year following Mr David Cullum advising he wishes 2023 to be his last season. The successful applicant would be directly employed by the Council and would be covered by the Council’s insurance. Fuel costs are reimbursed and a payment for the “hire” of the mower is also made. Further details are available from the clerk.
September Parish Council Meeting
At the September meeting of the Parish Council councillors discussed planning applications for 13 Church Street, and also Twywell Station House. No objections were raised.
The Energy Park at Burton Latimer was briefly discussed and councillors learned that a joint letter from local Parish Council had been sent to North Northants Council lamenting the methods that had been employed with regard to the style and scope of the consultation.
Verge cutting this year was reported as being haphazard due to issues with staffing but hopefully will return to more regular cuts until the end of the season.
Lastly it has been reported that Mrs Susan Hayman, Parish Clerk from 1984 to 1998, and Parish Councillor 1999 to 2011 passed away in early September at the age of 91 years. Condolences are expressed to the family by the current Council.
May 2023 Parish Meeting and Annual Parish Council Meeting
The Woodford Annual Parish Meeting was
held prior the May Parish Council Meeting. Annual Reports were given
by the Parish Council, the General Charity, the Temperance Hall
Charity and the Reading Room. The Parish Council report drew
attention to some of the costs incurred last year and the huge
increase in lighting costs faced by the Council. The Council had
commented on twelve Planning Applications, had continued to maintain
the Village Greens, pay for verge maintenance and litter picking
within the village. The children’s playground is also maintained at
the Council’s expense. The General Charity donated £3,220 to good
causes and widows and pensioners in the village benefitting 148
individuals last Christmas. The Temperance Hall Charity had provided
£7,000 towards works at the Reading Room, Woodford Sports and
Community Complex and also contributed towards the upgrading of some
of the street lighting. The Chairman of the Snooker Club / Reading
Room advised that the snooker club now had fifty members but was
still struggling with the cost of electricity. It is also home to
the Woodford Library where books can be borrowed for free, or a
voluntary donation. There are over 2,000 books to choose from so why
not pay them a visit one Tuesday or Saturday morning.
At the Annual Parish Council meeting Mr Guy Banham was re-elected as Chairman and Mr Ivor Vaughan as Vice Chairman. Appointments were made to the two village charities. Planning applications for properties in Highfield, The Moorings and Church Street were all discussed but no objections raised. The additional information for the proposed green waste recycling plant near General’s Corner was discussed and the Council continues to object to this application. A discussion also took place with regard to the Policy Document being created for the so called “Kettering Energy Park”. A large number of concerns, comments and objections were raised and these will be forwarded to North Northants Council in order to shape the future of this site
Rather than being found on Facebook at.
https://www.facebook.com/Woodford-Parish-Council-108585915328013
we can now be found at www.facebook.com/woodford.pc
April Parish Council Meeting
At the April meeting of the Parish
Council Ms Sheree Southcombe of Long Row was welcomed as a new
Parish Councillor. There is still one vacancy should there be
another villager interested in entering local politics. Please see
contact the clerk for more details.
There were no new planning applications
however, the appeal for the traveller site will be held on Wednesday
24th May at the NNC Thrapston
Council Offices. This is a public hearing,
so anyone can attend, although it is
necessary to register your intention to attend as space is limited.
Contact
appeals.ENC@northnorthants.gov.uk or call 01832 742143.
Advance notification of the three day closure
of Addington Road commencing on 26 June for water connection works.
Local diversions will be in place – see
https://one.network/?tm=133581402
The May Parish Council meeting on 16th
May will be preceded by the Annual Parish Meeting at 7.00pm, and
should any village organisation wish to attend and give a verbal
report of their activities of the last twelve months please contact
the Clerk no later than 9th May in order to be included
on the agenda.
March 2023 Parish Council Meeting
Councillors heard that a planning appeal for an extension to 1 Rectory Lane had been given the go ahead by planning inspectors. A planning application for a garage and store at 1Church Green had been refused by North Northants Council.
Funding had been received from North Northants Council to put towards the cost of repainting the Children's Playground equipmnet in Highfield. This will be carried out by volunteers. A letter had been received from a Club Lane resident complaining about the speed and traffic using CLub Lane especially whe passing parked cars. This road is narrow and not ideal for both pedestrians and vehicles. Ideally if not visiting a propeerty in Club Lane drivers are advised to use Church Green, and similarly pedestrians are advised to use BakersLane which has very little traffic due to being even narrower. The matter has been forwarded to North Northants Highways for any suggestions they might have. Lastly, one of the Councillor vacancies was filled when Mrs Sheree Southcombe of Long Row was co-opted to the Council
February Parish Council
It is been confrmed that the Planning inquiry for the traveller site in Thrapston Road will be held at Thrapston on 24th May.This is a public enquiry and anyone can attend. It was agreed to borrow the litter picking equipment again from NNC for a village wide litter pick for use before the end of April before the verges start to grow too vigorously.
Councillor Vacancies
There are presently two vacant seats on the Parish Council. The Council meets on the 3rd Tuesday at 7.30pm each month to carry out business advised on the agenda. Meetings usually last about an hour and a half. Please view this document for more background information.
If you are interested in being co-opted please email the Clerk by 15th February providing a few background details about yourself and why you'd like to be considered
January 2023 Parish Council Meeting
Woodford Parish Council is looking for two Parish Councillors. If you’ve got two or three hours a month spare then you could be who we are looking for. The council will be co-opting new councillors at the next meeting in February. Consideration was also given and agreed that a request for a reduced speed limit be introduced between Woodford and Great Addington. The route between the A6 at Irthlingborough through to the A6112 at Islip is a frequently used short cut and whilst some of the route is protected by reduced speed limits the Great Addington to Woodford section is not, and this section has had a considerable number of incidents over recent years
December 2022 Parish Council
At the December Parish Council the main business discussed was the budget for the forthcoming year. The huge increases in electricity costs means that street lighting costs have increased by over 120% despite the move over the past three years to energy efficient lamps. The Parish precept (the amount of Council tax the council needs to fund its business) will therefore increase from £21,500 to £27,000. For a Council Tax Band D property this equates to approximately £9 per annum or 17p per week. Band A properties will pay about an extra £3 per year.
The Parish Council now has two vacancies for councillors. These positions will be filled by co-option at the January meeting on 17th January 2023. If you would like more information please see www.woodfordpc.co.uk or email the clerk@woodfordpc.co.uk. Interested persons wishing to put their name forward should do so by emailing the Clerk by 12 January providing some details regarding why they wish to be considered and what skills they could bring to the Council.
November Parish Council
At the November meeting a planning application for five dwellings in The Leys was discussed. This application would involve the demolition of the existing garages and the construction of three terraced houses one side of the road, and a pair of maisonette flats on the opposite side. A similar application had been approved in 2015 and had now lapsed. The Council welcomed the tidying of the disused site, and the fact that off road car parking for two cars per property was included in the scheme. The Council’s major concern was that the development would generate potentially ten additional vehicles using the narrow Whittlesey Terrace.
An application for a small extension to a property in Paddock Road received no objection.
The other main issue discussed was a new lighting power contract. Power for the streetlights had previously been supplied under a three-year contract since 2019. Last year the council budgeted for a 10% increase for this financial year, however, as is now well known since February this year costs have escalated far beyond that figure, with the present supplier forecasting a 200% increase increasing the costs by over £600 per month. The Council is working hard to find more competitive quotes, and at present is hoping to avoid switching lamps of, even if cuts are made elsewhere.
October Parish Council
The October Council meeting started in sombre mood with a minutes silence and tributes in memory of the chairman of the council, Mr Peter Bird, who had passed away at the beginning of October. The first formal business was to elect a new Chairman and Mr Guy Banham received the unanimous backing of the council. Guy has lived in the village for several years and has been a parish councillor for six years.
It was learned that an appeal had been lodged with the Planning Inspectorate regarding the recently refused travellers site in Thrapston Road. The timescale for the appeal is not yet known.
A request for a new dog waste bin in Church Street to be located between the field gate at the end of the road and the Rectory Lane junction was discussed, and advice regarding a location enabling easy emptying of the bin will be sought from NNC.
The Book of Condolence in respect of Her late Majesty the Queen has been deposited at the Lord Lieutenants office for collation with other books from the County. Thanks were also expressed to the Reading Room Committee for allowing the book signing to take place on their premises.
Peter Bird dec'd (Chairman Woodford PC)
1935-2022
Peter Bird was born and bred in Ringstead and on leaving school served an engineering apprenticeship at Keunen Brothers, Irthlingborough, followed by the obligatory national service, as an RAF engineer. On demob in 1959 he joined Unilever Research at Sharnbrook where he worked in a variety of engineering and management roles until being offered early retirement. He met Woodford girl, Muriel,in 1951 but not being an impulsive man, it was ten years before they married in St Mary’s Church Woodford, moving into their newly built home in Church Street later that year. Peter served as a local preacher for over twenty years before becoming lay pastor of the Woodford Baptist Church in 1986, a position he held until earlier this year. He was a trustee of the Woodford Charity from 1963, and served two terms as a parish councillor, 1967-1970, and 1973–2022, over half the latter period in the role of chairman.
On retirement in 1990 he became a magistrate spending a day, most weeks, at Kettering Magistrates Court for fifteen years. He also enjoyed gardening, caravanning, all manner of DIY and travelling.
July Parish Council
At the July Council meeting a number of positive comments were aired regarding the visit of Taylor’s funfair. The fair owner was also pleased with visit and has agreed to return again in July 2023.
The Council had no objection to the construction of a timber garage and car port at 1 Church Green. Plans for a car port (in addition to previously permitted works) at Five Spires had been approved by North Northants Council, but an extension to 1 Rectory Lane had been refused.
The Council is still seeking to co-opt a “community minded” individual to the existing vacancy. If you are interested please email the clerk before 10th August.
Lastly, the Council’s article in June Saints Alive, mentioned permission being given for the installation of bollards around the village green. To clarify: Earlier in the year the Parish Councill requested suggestions from North Northants Council how best to address the erosion around the green and how to control the unauthorised parking. North Northants Council advised they would permit, at the Parish Council’s expense, the installation of timber bollards. Information received in July regarding the cost immediately meant that such a plan would not even warrant discussion. All rumours that the installation was a “done deal” could not be further from the facts.
Rumours regarding bollards around village green
It has been drawn to the council's attention there are rumours regarding a decision to install bollards around the village green. These rumours are totally unfounded and no such decision has been made.
Faced with a number of complaints received from residents regarding unregulated parking on the village green, the Parish Council sought solutions from the Highways Department who responded that they would permit the installation of bollards around the perimeter of the green at the Parish Council's expense. The council has no budgetary provisions for such works and no further discussions have taken place or decisions made.
May 2022 Parish Council Report
The May meeting of the Parish Council was preceded by the Annual Parish meeting when reports by the Parish Council and Village Charities were made. The Parish Council report can be found on the Parish Council website but included the following expenditure details; village green maintenance £1,400, verge cutting £1,400, litter picking £935 and street lighting £3,375, the latter being a considerable reduction since the council started to introduce low energy lamps two years ago.
The net cost of the new fencing around the Green in Paddock Road was £970 which was approximately 10% of the overall cost with the remainder being grant funded.
Only seven planning applications were considered in the last year with the council raising no objection to six of them.
Woodford General Charity reported that Christmas grants to pensioners last year totalled £4,605.
At the Parish Council meeting which followed Mr Peter Bird was once elected to the Chair and the Vice Chairman was Mr Ivor Vaughan.
Following a request to the Highways Authority regarding ideas to prevent vehicles parking on the village greens without permission they responded that under the circumstances they would give permission for the installation of bollards around the main village greens, but at the Parish Council’s expense. The cost to the council and consequently the feasibility was not known.
Lastly it was reported that after a gap of three years a Funfair will be on the green for a week in July reviving the “Woodford Feast” tradition. The Fair will be provided by Ian Taylor Amusements of Spalding, who are well known in this area for their fairs at Finedon, Thrapston and Higham Ferrers.