Harvington

YOUTH PROJECT: It is hoped that the project will receive considerable financial benefit this year from the fact that Mervyn Huggins, veteran (and by that we mean experienced) long-distance runner will again be running the London Marathon on April 22 and will donate all sponsorship monies to the Youth Project. It will be, it is thought, a cause which will appeal to all residents, especially with this year's concentration on improving facilities for our young people - a subject which has been much in the public eye recently. If readers have not already undertaken to sponsor Mervyn, he would be delighted to hear from you as soon as possible. His phone number is 871238. Do ring, please. His commitment and generosity deserve all our support.

PARISH COUNCIL: At the meeting held last Wednesday, public forum opened with questions about on-going problems such as drains, signposts, road repairs etc and questioners were assured that letters concerning all of these had been promptly sent to the bodies concerned but no replies had been received and no progress could be reported. In reference to the deplorable condition of the roads, the chairman reminded the meeting that county coun Clive Holt had said that these were scheduled for repair in the next financial year, ie between this April and March 2002. (We trust that this will prove to be so - the numerous potholes become more hazardous by the day!) It is clearly the case that if complaints and enquiries made by the parish council were to receive prompt and positive replies, their job would be very much easier. We can only guess at their frustration.

One positive move, however, has resulted from the Policing in Harvington meeting held on February 27, Mr Alan Paul of WDC will come to Harvington with PC Storr today (Thursday) for the first meeting of the Local Community Safety Group, which, it is hoped, might prove to be the first step in dealing with problems of unacceptable behaviour. Readers will remember that the police had advocated very strongly the setting up of such a group and had been told that coun McKenzie had already recruited the necessary number of volunteers but had been unable to get a promise of attendance by a member of WDC. This has now been remedied and we look forward to news of a successful first meeting.

Other local matters were also dealt with, the clerk being instructed to pursue the matter of failure on the part of householders to deal with overhanging trees and bushes near 'Dalkeith' and in Ragley Road; the chairman reported an agreement arrived at concerning the use by lorries of The Rowans at times which endanger children; Mr and Mrs Seager were told there were no objections to plans for a new bungalow; Mr Lawrence received retrospective planning permission for 65A Village Street, subject to three conditions; MP Peter Luff's offer to discuss the situation relating to the re-surfacing of the bypass with chairman McKenzie was accepted with gratitude - and, occupying its usual place of item of most importance, the Fishing Lakes problem was reviewed. Planning consultant and village resident Mr Andrew Muir has responded generously to the expressed need for the services of an expert in these matters and was present to demonstrate what might happen next, given several possible developments arising from the district council and county council's decisions at the next stage. He gave advice on when and under what circumstances the parish council might consider engaging the services of a consultant and/or a planning solicitor and the costs of such an undertaking were discussed. The matter now awaits the district council's acceptance of the final discharge of conditions attaching to the original planning permission (four out of the five have already been discharged) at which point the county council will need to decide whether to allow the extraction of the proposed amount of sand and gravel. The parish council remains ready and determined to meet the challenge of any unfavourable decision.