As previously notified, the Parish Council is seeking to improve its communication with residents by using email. A database of addresses is being created using information provided by those residents who responded to a recent questionnaire.

The database is ready for launch and those residents who have signed up should expect to receive a test communication in the next few days.

There is an open opportunity for those not already registered, to sign up by sending an email to avondassett.clerk@googlemail.com stating
name, address, email address and contact telephone number(s).

For those without email, there is an option to receive paper copies of communications.

The Avon Public House (now privately owned) re-opens on the evening of Friday 12th February 2016. Initially the pub will be open for drinks only but the restaurant will open shortly. More information will be supplied soon. For more information please contact Katie.

Stratford-on-Avon District Council has seen its funding from central government reduce by over 50% in the past five years. Over the next three years it is expected that all of the support from government will come to an end. The Council has implemented a range of savings to meet this challenge; however, in doing so the Council has always consulted the public on priority areas to help inform these decisions.

During this period the Council has frozen Council Tax and in 2012/13 a small reduction in Council Tax was delivered. However, for each of these years government was in the position to provide a grant to reward the Council for not increasing Council Tax, unfortunately no grants are now available.

In order for the Council to continue to deliver valued services the current budget proposal for 2016/17 is that the Council should increase its part of Council Tax by £5 to £133.05. This level of Council Tax is still amongst the lowest in the country and would be the lowest within Warwickshire.
As in previous years the Council is consulting upon this proposal, along with other proposed budget changes.

The survey may be accessed here.

To help residents reduce waste Warwickshire County Council are running free home composting workshops open to those who are new to composting and those we are already composting but might need a bit of help.  Anyone attending the workshop will be given a voucher to buy a compost bin for £5 (normally £10) from a local Recycling Centres (except Judkins).

To book a place please go to www.warwickshire.gov.uk/composting.

Warwick

Warwick Methodist Church, Barrack Street, Warwick, CV34 4TH

Monday 4th April – 6.00pm – 6.45pm

Monday 23rd May – 6.00pm – 6.45pm

Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford Methodist Church, Old Town, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6BG

Wednesday 13th April – 6.00pm – 6.45pm

Wednesday 25th May – 6.00pm – 6.45pm

Warwickshire PCC launches police precept consultation

Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Ron Ball wants to hear your views as he considers setting the police budget for 2016/17.  He is asking all members of the public if they are willing to contribute around a penny a day extra in order to maintain frontline policing levels.

In November, the Government announced plans in its Comprehensive Spending Review to keep policing budgets at current levels during the life of this Parliament.  As has now been made clear by the Home Secretary in a letter to PCCs, the only way that police funding will remain at the same level will be if the police precept – the small portion of each council tax bill that pays for policing – is raised by the maximum permitted amount of 1.99% each year by every PCC.   Without this, Government resource funding to policing will actually be reduced by 1.3% in real terms over four years.

If the current police precept rate was frozen, Warwickshire Police would lose around £0.709 million next year and £0.709 million in each subsequent year, resulting in a financial gap of around £2.836 million by 2020.  This would have a significant impact on frontline policing and could reverse the recent efforts which have seen the proportion of officers on the frontline increase to 95 percent, which is above the national average.

As a result, the Commissioner is proposing that the police precept is raised by 1.99% next year – equivalent to 31p per month or £3.75 per year on average for a Band D property – less than the price of a coffee and a cake at a leading high street coffee shop.

You can find more detail and give your feedback on this proposal by completing an online survey, which asks the simple question:

“Are you willing to spend an extra 31p per month for an average Band D property in order to maintain frontline policing levels?”

For more information and to take part in the consultation online, please visit: www.warwickshire-pcc.gov.uk/preceptsurvey

Alternatively, you can:

• Email opcc@warwickshire.gov.uk and stating ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the question, plus any other supporting comments.
• Or write to Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner, 3 Northgate Street, Warwick CV34 4SP, again indicating whether you wish to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to the question and including any other supporting comments.

The consultation will close at midday on Monday, 18 January 2016.

The AGM of the Dassett Country Show was held on 12 November 2015.

£1,375.80 was donated to the British Heart Foundation, the chosen charity for 2015. The following grants and donations were also agreed:

• Seniors’ Christmas Lunch and Children’s Christmas presents – £550
• St Peter and St Clare churches – £150 for the upkeep of the fabric of the building
• Avon Dassett Parish Council – £500 towards the cost of refurbishment in the Reading Room
• Avon Dassett Parish Council – £250 for the playground
• Fenny Compton Brownies – £250 to support their ongoing activities
• Avon Dassett Charities – £500 to help with improved fencing

The December meeting of Avon Dassett Parish Council will now be held on Monday 21st December at 7.30 pm.

Warwickshire County Council proposes to make a Temporary Traffic Order closing C35 Wharf Road, Fenny Compton to vehicular traffic.

The closure is required for carriageway works.

The Order will commence on 9 November 2015 and will last for a period of 18 months, or until the works are completed, whichever is the earlier.  However, it is anticipated that the works will be completed by 16 November 2015.

The work will be carried out between 07.30hrs and 18.00hrs daily

Pedestrian access to and egress from properties and land situated adjacent to the length of road to be closed will be maintained at all times. Vehicular access will be maintained where possible.

Please use an alternative route. Diversion signage will be in use.

Please see below the latest information for carers from Warwickshire County Council.

• C4C Newlsetter October 2015
• Carers conf poster

A Village Clean-Up is planned for Saturday 31 October, 0900-1200.

Volunteers are requested to help the Parish Council in its annual tidy up of common areas around the  village.

We will try to complete as much work as possible but priority attention will be given to the War Memorial, the Nature Reserve, the footpath on Church Hill and the steps to St John’s Church.