By Malcolm Llewellyn, Chairman
Malcolm Llewellyn, Chairman
I am sure that we all welcome the return to print of Hurst Life, and the opening of more of our High Street shops, as another series of small steps to whatever the new ‘normal’ might be.
During lockdown your Parish Council joined much of the country in conducting business on Zoom and then Microsoft Teams. Our staff have been operating from home, and contactable via email or by leaving a message on the office number. A small group has met weekly to focus on priorities, and getting important information out to our residents; particularly those who were isolated or did not have internet access.
There have been three leaflet drops to every household, with details of local organisations and companies that were also offering help and support. They were delivered by (mostly) young and willing volunteers led by Tracey Payne – for which we are all very grateful.
With our buildings closed, quieter streets and some of our contractors available to work safely, we have been able to push on with projects that had been delayed by the wet winter, or which would have required the closure of facilities in normal times. These have included repairs at the Cemetery, upgraded footpaths, tree safety work, improvements to the Village Garden and further changes at the Court Bushes Community Hub. With outdoor exercise being paramount, and Hurst Meadows enjoyed by many on a daily basis, it became pressing to open the approved access though Marchants Close. Some were trying different routes to gain access to the Meadows from the west side. Regrettably, the ‘lockdown’ precluded our envisaged meeting with local residents, and the announcement was made on our website and Facebook. It is important that we all stay out of the section of Ancient Woodland, known as The Wilderness, and designated by our signs. The completion of the Bramble Park western footpath will enable all to comply.
Elsewhere Council Meetings have been held via videoconferencing and telephone. If you wish to attend a meeting please contact the Clerk to the Parish Council, Sarah Groom, to enable access. Unfortunately the Annual Parish Meeting, which was due to take place on 19th May, had to be cancelled. Instead a report for the year 2019/2020 is on our website. If you do not have internet access please contact the office and they will enable a paper copy to be provided.
Of note, the report explains why for 2020/21 the Parish Council had to increase the Council Tax by 13.9%, or 19p per week, for a typical Band D property. It is not a step that we have taken lightly as we appreciate the impact that such a rise will have on our community.
Meanwhile, thank you to all who have volunteered to help others through these challenging times. These fantastic people include:
• Everyone involved in the Hurst Covid-19 Neighbours’ Support Group
• Those organising and delivering on behalf of the Food Bank
• Residents taking bags and litter-pickers on their daily exercise walk to help protect our local environment
• Those keeping the Sayers Common Community Shop open and taking deliveries and other help to those in need
• Our local businesses who have gone the extra mile working extremely hard to provide residents with goods and services
Finally, I would like to thank Stephen Hand, the outgoing Chairman, under whose leadership, experience and direction over the last five years the Parish Council has transformed its responsibilities and reach for the community - a legacy that we need to build upon going forwards; to the further benefit of our community.