06/08/2023
As month three draws to an end, it feels an appropriate time to update you all on activities so far.
We have been busy reporting and documenting pot holes and damage to roads around the village. Most of which have now been repaired. We will continue this work, alongside our efforts to reduce parking on double yellow lines, and HGV’s using our village as a cut-through between the A5 and commercial premises off the A34.
Our War memorial has been tidied, and will undergo cleaning in the next few weeks for it to look it’s best in time for Remembrance day. We welcome ideas for the planting of the containers.
Plans for a commemorative blue plaque celebrating the late David Williams have been finalised and ground works carried out ahead of the unveiling. We hope to share a date for this with you in the coming weeks.
Uncovering a long standing, complex scam to defraud the Parish Council embedded in our mailbox. We assisted the Police, Bank and IT professionals in investigating and gathering evidence. Following the investigation, we have reviewed and implemented far tighter data and financial controls, along with a new, secure email, ensuring a breach of this kind can never happen again.
New policies and procedures are being written and introduced, bringing the Parish Council up to date with current legislation, and laying foundations for its future.
A thorough review of accounts has been completed. During which, it became apparent our budget fell short of operating costs. We have, and continue to work hard, bringing spending in-line with budgets. Cancelling services we can perform ourselves, and seeking the best deals on those we can’t. Whilst an increase to precept is inevitable, we are committed to keeping costs as low as possible.
We are actively looking into grants and funding opportunities. This will allow us to deliver much needed improvements within our community without significant increases to precept. Currently having £13k allocated to us from the UKSPF in 2023-24 and a further £32k in 2024-25. Along with £33k in CIL monies. In September we will hold open meetings with residents and local business owners to understand the needs of our community and how best to spend this funding.
An extremely tight budget and limited funding means, for the most part, this year will be a year of research and planning. As we move into 2024, we will start to see the funding needed to realise those plans. We encourage your involvement. Working together, we can make a difference in our community!
Bridgtown Parish Council
