The parish council carried out a consultation with parishioners before Christmas, unfortunately there were only ten responses, which was disappointing; if you still wish to contribute to the consultation please do so. The consultation with the village is essential in developing a plan for the parish council to pursue and to allocate funds and awards where appropriate. The key issues arising from the responses were:

1. 6 agreed with further traffic calming - 3 did not - 1 no response
2. 9 wanted to see tree, flower and shrub areas - 1 did not
3. 6 wanted more street furniture etc - 4 did not
4. 4 wanted village signs etc in a similar theme - 5 did not and 1 no response
5. 7 thought there should be a village centre - 2 did not and 1 suggested extending the Mills Hall
6. 7 wanted a village show or carnival - 2 did not and 1 suggested continuing with present situation
7. 7 thought there should be more support for youth - 3 did not
8. 8 thought there should be more conservation areas - 1 did not and 1 did not respond either way
9. 9 thought we should 'light up' Carharrack at Christmas - 1 did not
10. 5 thought a village website useful - 4 did not - 1 response that there is already a website (which there is!) - www.carharrack.com
11. 4 stated they had been affected by the landfill site - 5 had not and 1 made a comment.

Key Comments

1. More use of area opposite shops for seating, Christmas tree, Nativity scene, bike racks etc
2. More activities for the youth - comments about the youth club being run by those without children in the village.
3. Plan early for Christmas lights.
4. Speeding cars a menace - not helped by street parking, further calming would need to be thought through carefully
5. More effort to create a village centre and enhanced areas
6. Let the youth make their own lawful entertainment
7. Need for public support for events
8. Landfill site smells from time to time
9. More bins for rubbish
10. Reinstate removed dog bins
11. Need for a litter picker
12. Improve links to the Mineral Tramways trails
13. Formation of a village Arts and Crafts group
14. Make more of the mining history of the area
15. Street signs and furniture but not necessarily in the style of the bus shelters.


You will be aware now that we have already addressed some of these matters and others will form part of our ongoing plans and activities.

United Mines Landfill Site

Two councillors have been regularly attending the consultation meetings and we have had formal confirmation that the site will close in October 2010 although there will be a management period and landscaping project lasting for some twenty-five years. SITA are planning an open day for local communities, which I hope you will manage to attend.

Village Developments

The first phase of the improvements to the area outside the church has begun with the installation of three new streetlights with a Victorian theme. We await the location of the commemorative cross and also the new seating and bicycle rack, which we hope, will begin to create a 'centre' to our village.

Pound Field

The second phase of work has begun with necessary fencing of the pond and stream to comply with Health and Safety requirements. In addition the whole site is being fenced to improve security and a new gate and parking area will be created. During the summer there are plans for young people of the village to carry out some natural history studies in the area and the pond and the plan is that young people from the youth club might be involved.

Traffic

You will be pleased to know that the traffic speeds through the village have been formally monitored by the police and that where people have been caught speeding then fines etc have been issued. We never know when the camera teams are operating in our area but bearing in mind the nature of the main road through the village we welcome as much monitoring as possible.

Motor-bikes

Likewise the police have been monitoring the possible illegal use of all forms of motorbikes and we have been assured that action is taken by the police. If you are troubled by persistent noise etc please ensure you report the incident, making sure you report the time, place, type and colour of vehicle and registration number. The police will take action if they have precise information that they can match with national database records. Do not suffer in silence; other parishioners have logged complaints so you will not be the first!

Dog fouling.

The vast majority of dog owners are very responsible and clear up after their pets but again we have received reports and concerns regarding dog excrement left in the street and also on grass areas close to where people are getting into their cars. One parishioner told me a story of how a person persistently allows their dog to perform on a patch of grass meaning the daffodils rarely bloom and the family often find they have inadvertently trodden in the mess and either transported it unwillingly into their car or home. Their are dog wardens whose job it is to patrol and ensure dogs are not loose and/or fouling public areas such as our streets or grass areas. Reports coming to the parish council will be logged with Kerrier District Council.

On a more positive note I am pleased to report that the parish council has supported the Carharrack Football Club in the purchase of new kit - we are impressed and pleased with the hard work the club does in supporting the youth of the village. PC Rob Denton has made comment that complaints about children and young people have fallen dramatically in this village so this is very much down to the work of the police and individuals in the village committed to supporting our children and young people - I include parents and families but I do believe the youth club would welcome more parents prepared to assist with activities on a Wednesday evening. The final point does refer to Rob Denton, who as many of you will now know, is moving onwards and upwards shortly to become part of CID. Rob has worked tirelessly for our village and much of that work has been with young people who may not have always agreed with what he has said and had to do, but I am sure they understand and respect those actions. I am sure you will join with myself and parish councillors in expressing a very warm and heart-felt thank-you to Rob and wish him every success in his new career. Rob was asked if he would be receiving the honorary pipe and deerstalker hat - more likely a DIY DNA kit!

Richard Carter
Chair Carharrack Parish Council