CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2006 – 2007
1. We won the Best Kept Small Village Competition once again, which is our 9th award.
We have entered the competition for this year and I shall be sending out a task list in the usual way for “volunteers” to help. Village Clean Up Day for any tasks still outstanding is on Saturday the 26th May. The RV is at 10 am on the Village Green The Best Kept Churchyard Competition will be judged separately this year, although the churchyard of course is part of the overall village competition as in previous years. We also won the Calor Best Village IT Competition, which I will mention in more detail later.
2. There were the normal three Ordinary General Meetings, which were held in May, October and February with the AGM following the May meeting. There were three Extraordinary General Meetings held during the year.
3. There were six Planning Notifications in the year. One for felling six conifers at Church Cottage, another for the felling of a T1 Gleditsia tree at the Cottage on the Green, another for the extension to the entrance hall and provision of a WC at Bakers Farm House, another for a new porch and new garage/office atHenmarsh House, yet another for reducing the height of six poplars at Camden Farm House and finally requesting the felling of a pine tree in the area of Bakers Farm. All six were strongly supported by the Council and subsequently passed by the Planners, although the latter one had to go all the way to the Stour Committee before it was finally agreed.
4. We received another “Unqualified Opinion” for our Accounts to 31st March 2006.
5. We have applied for a Precept for 2007 – 2008 of £670. Last year the Precept was £800.
6. Our Barton Village Website (www.bartonontheheath.co.UK) has now been running for some time and I am sure you will agree that our Webmaster, Mrs Linda Graham, has done a wonderful job in getting this going so well. So much so and entirely due to her we won the Best Village IT Award. Please do try and give Mrs Graham any inputs, which you think would be beneficial to the village, as a number of people have visited our website and it just makes it all so much more interesting. You can contact her either through the website or on her email bartonvillage@btinternet.com.
7. The salt bin for the village is still situated at Hick’s Corner. Thankfully there has been no need to use it this last winter.
8. Seven Trent Water Board have completed their work in and around the village, which has included putting in a link to the water feature on the village green.
J F Rickett
Brigadier
Chairman