Report to the Parish Councils 2017 County Councillor Malcolm Longley.

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2 Report to the Parish Councils 2017 County Councillor Malcolm Longley. Another year flown by and it seems only the other day that the last AGMs were upon us. As usual, I will divide this report into two sections which will cover some of the highlights from the Northampton County Council s perspective and some from the local Parishes. Regarding the County Council, the dominant issue remains one of tight financial pressure primarily due to the continuing reduction in central government funding and the County Council s reluctance to increase the local tax rates. This pressure on resources is magnified by the increasing demands in adult and social care which accounts for around three quarters of the county s annual spend. In the last financial year there was a overspend particularly in the adult care budget at the year-end which was made good from the continuing sale of redundant properties owned by the County Council. Most of the overspends continue in the areas of adult care and child care whilst the administration (LGSS) and the operational areas (rubbish collection, road maintenance etc.) are remaining broadly on plan. However, an overspend in one area will clearly need to be offset elsewhere if we are to make the books balance which leads to downward pressure on the highways budget amongst others. The local infra-structure has not been allowed to suffer as these programmes are funded on a capital, not revenue basis and the cost of borrowing for local authorities is very competitive. So, where it is believed that capital investment is the right thing to do for the longer term benefit of the county this policy has been adopted. Some of the good outcomes which are noticeable are the link road between the M1 and Daventry often referred to as the Flore by-pass, the major road improvements in the town on the inner ring road, a major link road north of the county and on the outer ring road where a new round about has been completed paving the way for the progressive duelling of the A43 which just commenced. The refitting of the old post office on the A508 is now well advanced and will soon become an academy for over 1,000 students adding to the academic improvements in the town. The new County hall building Project Angel - is all but complete and will house the bulk of the county office staff currently spread around the town which will mean the closure and sale of over a dozen buildings the largest being John Dryden House in Lakeside (now sold and vacated) and county hall (part sold and vacated). The primary driver of this initiative is to bring all the staff together where this is practical and to implement the Next Generation Council model of governance. This model has been in being in LGSS for some considerable time and has proved very effective in both cost terms and operational excellence. On the political side the prospect of a Unitary government for the county will come into focus once the forthcoming elections are complete and the shape of the new council is known. There are differing views as to the benefits and disadvantages which will be aired and debated over the coming months. It is my intention to stay close to this debate and keep all well informed of the progress and the arguments put forward for and against during the debate. Regarding my personal involvement, I have tried to maintain as much contact with the Parishes as I can but it is just not possible to be at all the meetings for in some cases three meet on the same evening. However there have been a number of successes notably via the empowerment fund which I have strived to divide equally across the various Parishes and although the programme started quite slowly some years ago it is now oversubscribed thanks mainly to effective councils and bright clerks. I try to ensure that this fund is rationed fairly and used in areas that are usually short of cash

3 and where a 500 contribution is well received for example pre-school groups. In addition, I also try to ensure that the projects meet with the Parish Council s approval. A practical outcome to my Parish involvement is that a comprehensive study is continuing into the Braunston to Daventry cycle path and funds have been earmarked from CIL funds for its implementation in due course. Funding has been secured from a number of sources for the construction of the long-awaited footpath bridge over the canal at Crick. The detailed design in now underway with a scheduled completion for the autumn of this year. Regarding my County role, I have been appointed as an assistant to the cabinet which means that I am included in the cabinet meetings, discussions etc. and take on various projects that are assigned to me. As well as a voice at the table, this role gives me a clear insight into the detailed working of the council and most importantly the financial arrangements. Finally, I have enjoyed the last few years as your representative at County hall and hope that I have made a contribution to the district. As you will all be well aware there is an election due in May at which I will again be standing as the Conservative candidate for the district of Braunston and Crick and if elected I intend to continue my approach in a similar which is staying close to the Parishes and ensuring local issues are foremost.

4 District Councillor s Report to Barby & Onley Annual Parish Meeting I am pleased to present my report to your Annual Parish Meeting. Major topics continue to be various aspects of planning and development, roads and traffic, waste collection services, and to which we now must add the future of the District Council. The District Council has continued its work on the Local Plan Part 2, which will give detailed policies for development in the district. Barby is likely to be placed in the secondary settlement category, and Onley in the open countryside category in the draft plan. Further evidence is needed before the draft plan is ready for public consultation, and this is expected within the next two months. The requirement for pitches for Gypsies, Travellers and Travelling Show People may be of more concern, given the activities and applications we see on Barby Lane, although the District s requirement has been reduced from 17 to 6. For Onley there is the ongoing worry of the proposal for a garden village at Lodge Farm off the A45. The District still has a 5.9 year land supply. Major developments in Daventry, Micklewell Park to the west of Welton and the north-east Daventry extension, have, however, not yet come forward. The result of this could be that the urban/rural split for new housing is revised. Although the requirement for rural housing to 2020 has already been reached, this is a minimum, so we could see further large applications being made by developers. With an adopted Neighbourhood Plan this parish should be well protected, but we have already seen less weight than expected given to Neighbourhood Plans at Planning Committee. Always of concern to this ward is the question of the roads. This includes traffic volumes, particularly on the minor roads, which are deteriorating fast, even though Onley Lane has just been resurfaced. We have to ensure that Onley Lane and Barby Lane, where there is already a marked increase in traffic, do not become rat runs as a result of Rugby developments. A development at Lodge Farm could produce problems for Onley Park with a considerable increase in traffic. We are currently no nearer to the adoption of the approach road from the A45 to Onley Park. Waste collection will from 2018 be dealt with, subject to satisfactory conclusion of detailed negotiations, by Norse, a company originally set up by Norfolk County Council. Recyclates will be co-mingled and will be sorted at a facility out-of-county, food waste will continue to be collected weekly, and there will be a paid-for green waste collection. Collection of garden waste is not a statutory duty for local authorities, and many are now charging for its removal. I have no statistics on whether it has led to more fly tipping, but this may depend on the type of area. Although the District Council has no responsibility for schools, it played a part in the setting up of the University Technical College, which closed this year only 3 years after opening, because of lack of pupils. The Council enabled and partnered the building this year of a special school in Daventry, which takes pupils county-wide, and I understand is fully subscribed. The Council has also put money into a new primary school at Monksmoor. It has during the year put funding into the redevelopment of the Phoenix Youth Centre in Daventry and into Daventry Sports Park, where planned development of more football pitches has meant the displacement of several hockey teams, which currently have no satisfactory alternative place to play.

5 The Council has agreed to run an on-line community lottery for the benefit of local voluntary organisations. Other local authorities do this successfully, but I have my own doubts about how much it will raise. We can but hope. There has been no progress in arts provision, which I mentioned in my report last year. It was notably absent from the Council s recent Corporate Strategy, and when a question was raised about this at full Council, the answer did not provide reassurance. There are, however, still hopes that Daventry may get a cinema in the redeveloped Site 1 area behind High Street. There has been no progress so far on the ground of the redevelopment of Daventry Town Centre, but planning permission has been granted for the controversial canal arm to be built from the Grand Union canal to Eastern Way. The Council has continued to support the Big Switch, giving customers the opportunity to opt for cheaper electricity suppliers. You may remember that the Boundary Commission is conducting a parliamentary constituency boundary review. The proposal for Daventry is that southern part of the district joins South Northants, and Lutterworth is joined to what is left. It looks as if the Commission found itself with odd bits and pieces which it decided to amalgamate, as the proposal makes little sense, and the District Council is opposing it strongly. What might have more practical effect on us are the various proposals for a unitary authority. The County Council has proposed a countywide authority, based upon the current county council. This is strongly opposed by all seven Districts and Boroughs, but their alternatives are not yet agreed, and talks continue. This is important to our villages, because it is likely that with a unitary authority, responsible for all services, economies of scale could be achieved, but decision making is likely to be taken further away, with no guarantee that services would improve. We await developments in the coming months. At the Council I have continued as a member of the Licensing Committee, the Local Plan Steering Group, the Daventry Town Centre Development Working Group, and the Member Learning and Development Group. I represent the Council on the Rugby/Daventry Crematorium Committee, the A5 Member Partnership, and Northamptonshire ACRE. I have also supported your views at Planning Committee when there has been an application affecting the parish. Catherine Lomax District Councillor, Barby and Kilsby Ward

6 ONLEY YOUTH CLUB Youth Leader : Claire Griffin Runs during Term Time on Thursdays pm at Onley Park Village Hall. Number of children attending is usually 9 12 children aged 8 Yrs plus, but sometimes there are as many as 15. Various activities take place. Games Quizes, Bingo, Crafts and competitions. Last week they used the Skate Park and weather permitting that will probably be the case. Young people also play Football, and Rounders throughout the lighter evenings. 24 April 2017