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During the last year, the Parish Council were asked to support our new Park by giving £10,000 subject to a donation from South Holland District Council, who are partners in working with us to improve our community. This money was handed over, along with £25,000 from South Holland DC, at the ground breaking ceremony on December 9th, which was attended by Santa Claus.
For a long time residents in Donington have wondered why we do not own our Market Place. Some years ago, when it was put up for sale, previous Parish Councillors who tried to raise the money were unable to purchase it. Now the present owner has agreed to sell it. The Parish Clerk, Diane Fairweather, has negotiated with them, agreeing a price of £10,000. This all came in the same financial year for the Parish Council. In order to meet these added expenses, the Council held a public meeting, asking residents if they would allow us to increase our precept for this one year. We promised to increase the council tax for just one year to meet these added extra costs, which would be assets to Donington. To have this money for one year we would not have to take up public loans, as Councils are allowed to do, if we had done that then the council tax would have stayed higher for some years to come. The Parish Council are now in a position to reduce the tax for 2007/08 as we promised. The Finance Committee met in December and were able to set the precept back to its usual level. The Market Place is in the process of being purchased and the donation to the Park has enabled work to start. We hope you will be happy with the decisions we made and thank you for your support.
IDEA was born out of a chance to improve Donington through a Government pilot scheme offered to us. We took the opportunity to have a go, with the support of South Holland District Council, the Parish Council and the Minister for Local Government in 2003 who all signed an agreement called the Rural Residents Compact. We identified areas for improvement in Donington which were
Providing amenities for young people of all ages
Tackling problems of vandalism
Improving the environmental & economic aspects of Donington
This agreement was to be reviewed in three years time and so now we are in the process of doing just that. If you would like to come along and join us, please contact the Parish Clerk Diane Fairweather Tel 01775 820576.
Parish Council
Saturday Supplementary Waste Collection service
You may be aware that the Lincolnshire County Council funds the service that the District Council provides for collection of miscellaneous waste from the Red Cow paddock site off Church Street.
Every month the wagon takes away anything we wish to throw away that is not able to be taken on refuse and recycling collection days.
This extra funding from the County Council for this service has been threatened recently but the District Council has secured the money for this service for another year and hopefully for the foreseeable future.
I will be keeping an eye on this as the service may need to be revised but while this is being worked out we have our Saturday collection from February 2008.
Library review
Saturday opening at the Library
A major library service review was carried out between February and October 2007, involving extensive public consultation.
With this in mind from April 2008 our library in Donington has proposed new opening hours, these opening hours include Saturdays.
If you wish to contact me on matters concerning the District or/and County Council do not hesitate to call me on 01775-820731
or email cllra.puttick@lincolnshire.gov.uk
Ever wondered what the Parish Council does?
Donington Parish Council is a statutory body that meets at The Ruby Hunt Centre on the first Thursday of every month (7pm). It has powers under a number of different acts, The Local Government Act 1972, The Public Health Act 1936, etc.
The Council raises funds by the annual Precept (which is added to the rates bill and collected by S.H.D.C on behalf of the Council) which is set in January. The amount required for the precept is guided by the setting of the annual budget by the Finance subcommittee in early January. The Council pays for the street lighting, maintains the cemeterys and public footpaths, has invested in CCTV for the village which include monitoring costs, funds the Donington Voluntary Car Service that is operated by the Ruby Hunt Trust. Provide the lights and Christmas trees that are displayed in the Market Place and High Street. The council also has one employee the Clerk who takes charge of the day to day running of the Councils business and presents the Councillors with the necessary information and implications in regard to the legalities of decisions to be made at the monthly meetings. The Council also applies for money from grant applications for specific projects such as the renovation of the Market Place in 2006.
The current councillors were democratically elected in May 2007 and these councillors will remain in office until 2011. The Council has various different subcommittees which are Finance: takes care of the budget and precept ensuring value for money. New Cemetery & Old Cemetery: ensures the areas are kept in good order. Planning: allowed to give comments on any planning applications in the village. Allotments: makes sure that the allotments are kept in good condition (at this moment all allotments are let). Also council representation is required on various local charities and group according to the constitutions of those organisations. Such organisations as The Donington Pop-In Volunteers, The Thomas Cowley Trustees, Donington Youth Club, Millson Charity & Poor Lands charity to name a few.
The council currently owns a small amount of land & property that is either rented out to provide income to keep precept cost down or forms part of Donington amenities such as the Market Place. There are other community buildings & land that are not owned by the Council such as The Community Centre which is owned and operated as a charity by its Trustees, and Flinders Park which is owned by I.D.E.A Ltd and run by the Directors of the company and volunteers. All such community assets are fully supported by the Council as part of the ongoing development of the community.
At the moment the Council is putting together the final plans for the Annual Christmas Market on 7th December and organising the trees to be put up in the Market Place and High Street. We are also applying for grants to renovate the Pond on Mill Lane. If successful with the application it will see the Bank being shored up, better fencing and hard stand for the seating area making the environment a lot safer.
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