Newsletter 5
December 1st, 2009
Another year draws to it close so it is necessary to reflect on the past twelve months since there is plenty to consider.
Wyre in Bloom Competition
This years competitions saw Inskip succeed to a much greater degree than had been hoped. Alan Lingard, together with his small team of volunteers, managed to win not one trophy but two in the same competition. The Judges of the ‘Lancashire Best Kept Village’ competition considered that Inskip was the most improved village in the competition and that was the first trophy. The Judges also decided that Inskip was runner up to Bretherton in the small village class.
Alan is looking to build further on this success and would like as many people as possible to help him either with an offer of their labour or any ideas as to how we can make our village much better than the others. So if you are inspired by our success then give Alan a call and help him in next year’s competition. When it comes to the Judges views everything is taken into consideration and this includes private gardens, hedges as well as the general tidiness of the whole area so everybody has a part to play. For next year it will help our cause if gardens are colourful, hedges are trimmed and footpaths etc are weed free.
For next year the Parish Council will be improving the new flower planter opposite the Derby Arms and constructing new ones on Preston Road between Pinfold Lane and West Drive.
As if this were not enough success St Peter’s School also gained a bronze award in the schools category, which is judged as a separate entity. We offer our congratulations to them and all the people who helped achieve these successes.
Mary Beetham
During the summer months Mary Beetham formally resigned from her position of youth worker where she has, for many years, helped the young people of the village to broaden their outlook and enjoy life to the full. Mary will be badly missed but two ladies who have been helping Mary, Debbie McCabe and Nicky Bamber, have agreed to share her duties. For her part Mary will continue to be available for advice and will continue to organise certain fund raising events in the manner only she can. We all wish Mary every success in whatever she decides to do next and hope we will continue to see her guiding the young people of the village, albeit in not so direct a manner as in the past.
Christmas Carol Concert
As we promised last year this is to be an annual event. It will take place on December 18th 2009 commencing at 6.30 pm and lasting until 7.30 pm. Once again it will be held around the Hannah Hollinshead tree, by the YIP’s Centre on Nelson Gardens. This should make a great start for Christmas.
PACT Meetings
Sadly after an enthusiastic beginning attendance at the PACT meetings has dwindled so badly that there were zero people attending the last three meetings. This is a great pity since the meetings give everyone an opportunity to talk with the police about matters that concern them. If this goes on there is a good chance of losing this platform because the police are considering the discontinuation of the meetings.
Crime Report
From Police reports the crime figures for Inskip have been very low over the past 6 months. However there have been some small crimes reported such as the theft of £1,600 of manhole covers taken last June and garden ornaments
stolen from gardens. The largest crime reported was the recent loss of diesel fuel and damage to vehicles belonging to DPS whilst they were parked at night. The Police have had a report of sightings of a white Mitsubishi vehicle reported close by the crime scene but nothing definite. Apart from advising you all to take care to lock your sheds, house doors and windows at all times when you are out the Police would also suggest keeping watch for anyone acting suspiciously and pass all information, such as registration numbers and descriptions of vehicles etc. to them.
All Weather Sports Court and Children’s Play Area
In recent months the Parish Council efforts with Wyre Borough Council to improve these facilities have had some success. Wyre Borough have cleaned and marked out the Sports Court and promised to re-lay any paving slabs that form a hazard as well as cutting back any vegetation encroaching onto the play area.
In the children’s play area they have made several attempts to rectify the problem of the slippery safety surface by power washing it. Despite this they note that the problem is occurring with increasing frequency so they have decided that the best course of action is to replace the rubber tiles with a new porous, wet pour rubber safer surface. Funds have been obtained from the Capital Budget and it is anticipated that the work will be carried out sometime during this winter.
Village Roads and Footpaths
For several months the Parish Council has been pressing Lancashire County Council, as Highway Authority, to maintain and repair the roads and footpaths in the village. The numerous potholes in the roads, especially those caused by heavy builder’s vehicles, have been drawn to Highways attention stressing they are a hazard to motorists. Some promises of minor remedial works have been made but major projects, such as Pinfold Lane, continue to be dismissed through ‘lack of funding’. Requests for the footpaths to be renovated in order to make them safer for pedestrians’, especially children with parents and residents on mobility vehicles, have also been brushed aside with the comment that they are not due for inclusion in the work schedule. Perhaps if they received more complaints they would look at doing these works a little sooner?
If any resident, who feels strongly enough about a particular stretch of footpath or road that is in need of repair/maintenance, could make direct representation to the County Council it could help our campaign. Contact details for the Highways Department are as follows:
Mr Jim Robson (Area Surveyor North) Tel: 01524 753340
Highways Agency
Lancashire County Council
Hampson Green Lane
Galgate
Lancaster
LA2 0HY.