THURSDAY CLUB: The outing on March 16 is to The Bridge Inn at Hindlip for the two-course carvery, plus tea or coffee, followed by 1940s-style entertainment. Leave Eckington at 10.30am. On March 30 at 2.15pm in the village hall the annual meeting will be held. Non-members welcome. For information call Janet on 750066 or Margaret on 750316.

PARISH COUNCIL: At the meeting on February 14, a number of electors attended the open public forum to raise their concerns.

Concern was expressed that the parking in The Close was causing access problems. The lay-by and car parking spaces were not being used effectively, with poor parking resulting in increased numbers of vehicles on the roadside. Not all the houses had access to off road parking, and with the increasing numbers of cars per household the question was asked whether increased car parking could be provided or whether double yellow lines at the entrance to The Close were appropriate.

Complaints about on-going vandalism were also made. In particular one homeowner had his boundary hedge vandalised on at least four separate occasions.

Cemetery: A water leak at the cemetery had resulted in the water supply temporarily being turned off. Repairs should be completed as soon as possible, and the council has apologised for any inconvenience.

Parish councillor vacancy: A vacancy for co-option to the council has arisen with the recent resignation of Jim Lee. Applications for anyone wishing to be considered for the post are available from the clerk, Diana Ball. The closing date for applicants is Friday, March 17.

Post Office: The post office has been closed for 12 months, and to date alternative premises have not been found. If anyone is interested in running a community post office, or would like to offer premises to discuss the matter further they should contact either the clerk, Diana Ball, or the rural post office advisor, Zoe Hibberd, at Post Office Ltd, c/o National Consultation Team, PO Box 2060, Watford, WD18 8ZW.

Wychavon District Council Local Plan: Following the recent public inquiry to consider the proposed local plan and objections, the Planning Inspectorate produced a report recommending a number of changes to the plan. This has resulted in Wychavon District Council producing a Proposed Modifications Report, which it hopes to have adopted as the Local Plan. The report and the Planning Inspectorate report are available to view on line (www.wychavon.gov.uk), at any of the Wychavon District Council one-stop shops, and at the local libraries. The Modifications Report takes on board the planning inspector's recommendation for land in Tewkesbury Road to be included for housing development. This matter was considered at the council meeting, and the parish council has decided not to object to this inclusion.

Parking: It was acknowledged that parking was becoming a problem in The Close. It was decided that a meeting would be held with Rooftop Housing Association, to look at whether any possible solutions could be identified.

The next parish council meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 21, immediately following the open public forum at 7.30pm. The open forum is an opportunity for anyone to attend and raise direct with the council any issues or concerns.

ANNUAL PARISH MEETING: The annual parish meeting will be held in the village hall on Tuesday, April 11 at 7.30pm. The meeting will include a review of the parish plan and progress towards the action plan.The parish plan asked for the parish council to consider the installation of street lighting. The feasibility and need for street lighting are currently being explored, and the likely cost implications. The findings to date will be presented at this meeting. The parish council is seeking views on this matter.