Letter from our County Councillor

As I may not be here and you might have a new County Councillor after May 4, I wanted to acknowledge the work of Eastington Parish Council. They are a very dedicated group of people working to improve the environs and life of the village. Often, getting ideas executed takes a frustratingly long time and I am pleased to hear, finally,  that the 'village gates' should be appearing soon. The gates will hopefully have a psychological impact on car drivers and persuade them to drive in a more considerate way around the village.

I think I must have more 'concerns' raised about car driver behaviour than anything else.  It really is the one thing I can do nothing about however much I might like to! Signs or no signs, it is up to the person behind the wheel to drive according to the conditions and the speed limit. And there is of course, the Highway Code! The road users bible.

Keeping ditches and dykes clear is something which regularly appears on the Parish Council's agenda. There are a number of measures already in place to ensure landowners recognise their responsibility for keeping watercourses on their land clear of obstruction and reduce the risk of flooding. The Enforcement of the Land Drainage Act 1991 provides permissive powers to serve notice on landowners requiring them to carry out work to clear watercourses on their land - but of course we hope that sort of heavy handedness doesn't have to happen. Those of us who remember the floods, which were terrible, know the importance of keeping these water courses clear so in the interest of peace of mind for everyone who lives in the village,  can I encourage landowners to ensure that any ditches and dykes are not full of debris.

A bit of good news! Another exciting development on the Owen Harris Memorial Ground is the Skate Park. This is an expensive venture but I am really happy to say that I have been able to put a grant £4K towards this from my Active Together funds. This comes from a 'pot' of money all councillors had to support initiatives which encourage residents to be active. I think the Skate Park qualifies. I look forward to seeing it being used.

Another bit of good news is that the stretch of road that goes past the Badger should be surfaced in the next couple of months. (Fingers crossed).

Spring is here - the daffs are gorgeous and the light evenings are getting longer.

Best wishes to everyone

Lesley Williams,   

Gloucestershire Councillor - Eastington Division