Parish Council Notes

Sports Club Building
The major item to report is that the offer made by the Parish Council for the acquisition of the Football Club Building has been accepted. At the moment things are being dealt with by the lawyers, but we are advised that we should have ownership of the building by the end of July. The urgent item then is to bring the changing facilities back into use as soon as possible. We can not be certain of the timescale as we need to ensure that the systems available in the building are safe and up to a reasonable standard. It seems to me that gives a real opportunity for us to think about how we take forward the facilities we have, so the Parish Council will be working with the Sports Association and the various Sports Clubs which use the sports fields over the coming months.

New Development in Welles­bourne – The Core Strategy
Perhaps the first product of the new Coalition in Government is the abolition of Regional Strategies for new development. The Department of Communities and Local government has written to all local planning authorities informing them of 'the intention to... return decision making powers on housing and planning to local councils'.

We are not clear yet what the outcome of this change will be on the plans for development within Wellesbourne. We shall be monitoring the situation closely. Along with many others locally, the Parish Council has vigorously stated the position that we believe that Wellesbourne has grown enough and that development should be limited to meeting local needs, not to have growth imposed by a 'framework of regional numbers and plans'.

Lastly from one dog owner to all the others, please clean up after your dog!

The next meeting of the Full Council will be on 6^th July at the Methodist Hall at 7.30. All are welcome.

David Johnston, Chair, Wellesbourne Parish Council

YOUR PARISH PLAN – HAVE YOUR SAY

The next stage of the Parish Plan is a chance for everyone in Wellesbourne to contribute ideas.

There are two events this month:- July 18th at the School. We will be at the School Summer Fayre on July 18th – so if you are going, be sure to look for [our] the Parish Plan stand. There will be a special section for children as well as a chance for you to tell us your thoughts on the future of the village.

July 31st - Drop-in Day at the Village Hall. We're having [our own] a Parish Plan open day in the Village Hall on Saturday July 31st (10am till 4pm) with displays, maps and photographs to stimulate ideas and discussion.

You can contribute by either making a brief comment on one topic you feel strongly about, or you can tell us at length about your vision for the future of the village.

THE PARISH PLAN IS YOUR VISION FOR WELLESBOURNE: WE’D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

Wellesbourne & District Lions

I hope you are all enjoying the summer and by the time you read this I hope England will still be in the world cup! Schools will be breaking up and we will all know the full implications of the first coalition budget.

The summer is always a busy time for Lions as we take part in various summer fairs and fêtes. Wellesbourne Street Fayre was the 1^st on 5th June: the weather was gorgeous and it was great to see so many people having a good time.

We will be at the Barford Fête on Saturday 3rd July and Walton Fête & Dog Show on Sunday 8th August. Hope you can support these events.

A forward notice now for our next major event. Please pencil this one in your diaries – We are hosting a ‘Mini Prom’ at the Guy Nelson Hall in Warwick on Sunday 12th September at 7.30pm.

Lion Andy Stokes

WALTON NEWS

After enthusing about the frail green of the Walton willows, I was pleased to encounter in the Old Testament lesson in church the next Sunday a reference all those years ago to willows along the river bank which all goes to show that some things don't change too much even though governments come and go. In the same way the parable of the sower and the seed which Mac preached about at evensong is as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago, and although modern technology has changed the way the land is farmed, there is still the basic pattern of seed time and harvest. Already the crops are carpeting the valley, adding a lighter green in contrast to the woods which are already clothed in the darker green of high summer.

It has been a pleasure to walk in the golden light of evening and to watch the new life on the lake - fluffy ducklings and cygnets, fiercely guarded by their parents, and Barceló Walton Hall are to be congratulated on the way the grounds are being cared for - also for the re-surfacing of their part of the road through the park. It has been a welcome sight too to see the verges cut back along the village road which at least makes it possible to see the dangerous pot holes. We recognize that this is a national problem following the hard winter, but it does seem particularly acute along the Walton road, making us all feel that we take our life in our hands every time we venture out. There has been correspondence recently in the paper about the hazards of cyclists and this again is a national problem that has its impact on local walkers - a shout of warning or the ring of an old fashioned bicycle bell would be appreciated.

The wedding season is now in full swing and so once again the Old Testament lesson was relevant with its story of Jacob's wooing of Rachel, the love of his life, and I did venture to ask some of the prospective bridegrooms who were in church that evening whether they would be prepared, as Jacob was, to work for seven years without wages to win his bride. One gave a positive answer, but I think the others weren't so sure! But their devotion to each other is apparent and we wish them all the best for a stress free wedding day and many years of happily married life.

Already plans are well ahead for the fête which will be held once again in the grounds of Walton Hall, with all the usual attractions including the Dog Show, on Sunday 8 August from 1-4. Please keep the date in mind and come along to enjoy all the fun of the fair and help us to keep our little church in good repair.

EH