SNIPPETS FROM THE PARISH COUNCIL Parish Clerk: Sharon Jones, Honeysuckle,Hockey Hill, Wetheringsett,Suffolk IP14 5PL Tel 01449 766139 Email:
[email protected] Web site: www. mendlesham.onesuffolk.net Your Councillors are: ● Giles Black tel 766796 ● John Downie tel 766363 ● Mike Exley tel 766246 ( Emergency Planning Co ordinator for Mendlesham) , ● Mike Favager tel 766007 ● Brian Gardiner tel 766648 ● Terry Moore tel 767027 ● David Nunn ( Emergency Planning Co ordinator for Mendlesham Green, Tan Office and outlying properties) tel 767158 ● Helen Orton tel 767741 ( Chairperson) ● Jo Robins tel 766797 ● Sabrina Webb tel 768658 Meetings: Tuesday 24th March 2015 7.30pm, Old School Room Find out more about standing for election as a Parish Councillor. All welcome Wednesday 15th April 2015, 7.30pm, Old School Room, Mendlesham Ordinary Parish Council meeting . NB meeting of Mendlesham Community Centre Charity either preceding or following Ordinary Parish Council meeting depending on agenda items for both organisations. Tuesday 28th April 2015, 7.30pm Small Hall, Mendlesham Community Centre Annual Parish Meeting, Tuesday 19th May 2015, Old School Room, Mendlesham Annual Parish Council Meeting 7.00pm Annual General Meeting Mendlesham Community Centre Charity 304795 7.15pm Annual General Meeting Mendlesham Memorial Playingfields Charity 304796 7.20pm Ordinary Parish Meeting 7.30pm Street Light Project
In November 2012 the Parish Council removed all 65 of its street lights replacing
them with 52 new modern LED based units.
The primary reasons for doing this were to improve reliability and reduce
electricity consumption.
In financial year 2012/2013 (the last full year with the old street lights) the Parish
Council paid, in total, £3,653 to operate those lights.
The £3,653 was made up of £2,144 for electricity, £1,169 for maintenance and
£340 for administration.
In financial year 2014/2015 (ending 31 March 2015) the Parish Council paid, in
total, £849 to operate these lights, £310 for electricity, £462 for maintenance and
£77 for administration, a tremendous reduction.
So by replacing all of the street lights (removing 13 completely) and turning all
lights off at night the Parish Council achieved substantial reductions in electricity
and maintenance costs. The total cost of operation of one street light in
2012/2013 was £562, today that cost has reduced to £16.33.
The Parish Council took out a 20 year loan with the Public Works Loan Board to
buy the 52 new street lights. The loan has a fixed interest rate of 2.9% and the
cost of this has been financed from the savings generated by changing the lights.
The annual cost of the loan is £2,258. Without allowing for inflation the net
annual savings are in excess of £500 and our exposure to energy cost inflation
has been significantly reduced.
Article ends Election meeting: Tuesday 24th March 2015 7.30pm Old School Room
. Come and find out more everyone is welcome. We have a number of Councillors who have indicated for personal reasons, that they will not be standing for election as a Parish Councillor on the 7th May. Over the last few years, Mendlesham Parish Council has achieved a tremendous amount but we will need new Councillors to continue this work and represent all parts of the community. If you care about where you live and want to be a part of defining the future for Mendlesham, Mendlesham Green, Tan Office and outlying areas, come and find out more about standing for election, becoming a Parish Councillor and representing your community. The majority of people can stand for election.See see http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/141798/Part1Canyoust
andforelectionPandC.pdf
for more information. At present, the Parish Council holds a power called the Power of Competence which provides the Council with a wider ability to
do
“anything that individuals generally may do” providing it is lawful and in the interests of the Parish. One of the eligibility requirements to qualify for the Power of Competence is that at least twothirds of the Parish Councillors need to have been elected on election day. Basically we therefore need a minimum of eight Parish Councillors on 7th May to continue to use this power, If we don't get eight people stand, we will not have the opportunity to correct this until the next election, in four years time. If we don't retain the Power of Competence, the Parish Council will be restricted to powers and responsibilities as determined under Statute Law. This would mean that we may not be able to then do something we would want to do to protect the Community, for example, run a community shop or post office. Ideally we would have more than 11 people stand which will mean a poll will take place on 7th May and the Parish Council will have democratically elected Councillors with a strong mandate to represent the community. If we have 11 or less people stand they will automatically become Parish Councillors. If you are unable to make the meeting and want to know more, please speak to Cllr Helen Orton tel 01449
767741
or the Parish Clerk el 01449 766139. Annual Parish Meeting Tuesday 28th April, Small Hall, 7.30pm We hope that you will be able to join us for the Annual Parish Meeting. This is not a parish council meeting, but your meeting as electors of the Parish to meet and discuss matters of interest . The meeting will include our Mendlesham Community Awards which will recognise community work, either as a organisation or individual. We also hope that organisations will let us have short reports, reporting on activities over the past year, but also perhaps more importantly, plans for the future and any assistance required. Such reports forwarded electronically in advance of the meeting to the Clerk would be much appreciated. Are you in need of affordable housing? If the answer is yes, the Parish Council recommend that you contact Mid Suffolk District Council and apply to go on their Housing Register. You can do this either by logging on to
www.midsuffolk.gov.uk
and clicking on Housing & Homelessness, then Council Housing, then How Do I Apply for Housing, then take the Gateway to Homechoice option Or if you do not have access to a computer by telephoning the joint Babergh and Mid Suffolk Customer Support Team to on 01473 825757 If you want to live in Mendlesham please make sure that your application states this clearly – there is a place in the application where you can choose where you wish to live. Community Centre: Public meeting: Thank you to the 70 or so people who attended the Public meeting to discuss the future of the Community Centre. Its been a long time since we have had such a positive meeting and we now have many suggestions and ideas to take forward. We will now move forward working with those of you who volunteered to help to tackle the issues and secure the future of our “ Jewel in the Crown” as someone said at the meeting. Bar arrangements
: We must thank Paul Allen of the Kings Head PH for many years undertaking the Bar Manager role at the Community Centre, firstly under his personal licence and then as appointed by the Parish Council as Bar Manager under the licence now held by the Parish Council. At the beginning of this year, Paul asked us to take forward recruitment of a new Bar Manager. This is an extremely important role as licensing regulations are complicated and we need to protect the Parish Council and residents/users of the Community Centre and need someone who will ensure all licensing terms and conditions are fulfilled. After consideration, a professional company, Top Notch Bars have been appointed as new Bar Managers. They are responsible for the
supply and sale of all alcohol
consumed in the building. As with all new arrangements, this will be kept under review, but at present if alcohol is needed for an event, it will be sold via the Bar irrespective of the number of people attending the event. We are in the process of changing posters, hire agreement forms etc, but if you are hiring the Community Centre and want to consume alcohol please either email Top Notch Bars at [email protected] or phone Rob or Tracy on 07591677668 to discuss your requirements and book a bar for your event. Volunteers:
We have

many volunteers who work very much unseen, to keep the assets of the parish in good order without cost to the community. To all of those who do this in whatever way, thank you. If there are any more of you out there with some time and skills, Cllr Brian Gardiner or the Clerk will be very pleased to discuss how you could help the community. 34th Bomb Group War Memorial: We were recently notified of the death of one of our veterans, Robert M. Baer, his obituary can be read at
http://www.callahanandhughes.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1520825
. Robert had visited Mendlesham in 1983 and 1983 see his thoughts further to his visit in 1983. “… I met the ladies who put the flowers on the memorial and got their names and a picture of them. I told them how much I was impressed and moved, when I was in England in 1976 on an overseas exercise to Leakenheath AFB, to come back after 30 years and find the 34th

Bomb Group Memorial in such good repair, the grass cut and fresh flowers on it. I could not describe my feelings of appreciation of these wonderful people who after 40 years still remember and appreciate the fact that the airmen of the 34th

Bomb Group fought and died to protect their England and for freedom all over the world.” Robert was not able to attend the dedication of the Memorial in November 2014, but his son Chris and partner Matt and granddaughter Crystal, husband and very young children were able to come over. Thank you to Carolyn and Andy Triscott who organised some flowers and laminated details which were placed on the memorial and Father Philip for the prayer and candle lit for Robert at St Mary’s Church.