Barrow Focus

Poppy Appeal 2009

The Parish Council has agreed to facilitate this year’s Poppy Appeal.
Volunteers are desperately needed to coordinate this mammoth task which includes distribution and collection of collection boxes to static collection points and also to house to house collectors and eventually the count. Please contact Lesley at the Parish Office.

Rural Community Council Best

Village Competition 2009 The Parish Council made application to Category 1 – Community and Category 2 – Business.
The Clerk and a member of the Council have been invited to attend the presentation evening which is to be held on 24th September 2009 at Birstall Village Hall. We will find out then if we have been successful again.

Christmas Lights Event 2009

Will take place on Saturday 5th December. A Road Closure Order will be in operation from 4.30pm to 7.00pm which includes High Street and Church Street.

Diversion signs will be in place during this time.

The Slabs
We are informed that funding for this project will not be available during this financial year. We would however like to provide an update.

The County Council has no intention of closing the footpath but it does seek agreement of both Barrow and Quorn Parish Councils to a 3m wide ‘multi user route’ which could be surfaced in an appropriate manner. Cyclists would be advised to dismount at the bridge. Requirement for lighting is to be reviewed. A section of slabs at the Barrow end of the footpath is to be retained, so helping it to keep a link to the past.

Further to several meetings held with representatives of both Quorn and Barrow Parish Councils we have declined any additional meetings since we could not reach agreement. We are however talking to the County Council. Please let us know your thoughts on this matter

106 Agreement attached to David
Wilson Homes/Miller Homes

You may be aware that when permission is given for development the developer is bound to provide funding toward infrastructure, thus an Agreement is formed under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act.

Due to the present economic climate some of this funding has been delayed and therefore some improvements are incomplete while some have not even begun.

Provision of cycle lockers adjacent to the entrance of Barrow station has been progressed by officers of the County Council although they were to be installed at the occupation of the 50th dwelling. Similarly improvements to bus stops throughout the village is a part completed project. A bus service was launched which serves the development by providing transport to Loughborough and Thurmaston shopping centre. Traffic calming schemes at Nottingham Road and at Cotes Road were to be implemented upon occupation of the 150th dwelling. The Cotes Road Scheme has (as part of the ‘Safe Route to School’) been undertaken and was presumably funded from this agreement. There is no new information relating to the scheme for Nottingham Road.

Funding towards health care is, we are assured, held at the Borough Council until the Primary Care Trust makes application for its release. This funding has to be spent in Barrow.

Areas of open space within the development are progressing and should be implemented prior to occupation of the 200th dwelling. Meetings have been held between the Borough Council and the developer, and the Parish Council has been assured that it will continue to be consulted as will our Youth Council. A scheme for Public Art should be approved prior to expiry of two years from commencement of the development or a longer period, subject to agreement of the Borough Council. Contributions to the Library Service has, we assume, been paid over. Contributions to the Education Authority are supposed to be made in tranches but they have actually already been paid over. Hall Orchard, HPHS and Rawlins have all benefitted.

Improved access to Parish
Council Meetings
At the meeting of Full Council in August our Echo Correspondent acted as guinea pig and was, with assistance, able to access the Parish Council meeting. A portable ramp on loan from Barrow of Treats facilitated this. Purchase of a ramp and alteration to the actual door are to be considered at the September meeting. The ramp will be loaned again for this meeting.