I am very pleased to begin this report that during the last year Marchwood Parish Council was awarded Quality Status. This occurred in November 2004 and we were presented with the award in December 2004 by the Chairman of the Accreditation panel. With this status we were able to apply for additional funding and our first grant of £5,000 was awarded in January 2005. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has just announced that an additional £1million is available for 2005/6 for the development of Parish Plans. We of course will be putting in a bid. The parish plan when completed, enables the Parish Council to influence planning decisions and development within the parish. We are looking for volunteers from all walks of life to join us on a steering group in order to progress the plan forward. Everyone’s views are taken into account.

Last year, after many year’s service on the Parish Council, Cllr Dave Makinson resigned. I would like to thank him for his service to the parish. In July we welcomed David Porter as his replacement. I hope that he feels at home with us.
As previously reported in the press there has been a delay in the Youth Centre project. The site previously selected being a former landfill site, is now subject to much greater legislation in terms of environmental impact surveys before any planning permission is given. The cost of doing this is extensive so we are currently seeking alternative sites in conjunction with the District Council. This is an ongoing process and we hope to progress this further in the not too distant future.

The precept of £178,910 for 2005/6 represents around 2% increase on the precept for 2005. The cost for an average Band D dwelling is £90.38. We continue to maintain and preserve the facilities in the village up to the highest standards. There is a large amount of public open space to maintain and we strive to make every pound of the precept work in the best interests of the parish. Councillors represent the Parish Council on more than 20 other organisations both locally and at the National Association of Local Councils through the annual conference. We also attend many council meetings and the attendance register at these meetings is on display for your perusal.

Last Year for the first time we produced a Statement of Objectives which we hoped to achieve. Some of these statements are ongoing whilst others are more specific. Some of the objectives have been achieved and I shall name those specially as my report progresses. Others are on the way to completion. A new Statement of Objectives has been agreed and this again is on display. The HGV ban on certain village roads should come into operation in the not too distant future and should make life a little easier on our local roads.

Some improvements will be made to the traffic calming measures on Main Road following public consultation. The speeding on some roads, especially Tavells Lane, is also under investigation. The District and County officers are also looking closely at the junctions off the A326 into the village, especially Staplewood Lane. We hope to see some improvements there over the coming months.

We have a new Website. www.marchwoodparishcouncil.org.uk which is regularly published in the Village News and is also on display here this evening. It is a vast improvement on our previous efforts and the website is regularly updated. We are constantly trying to make it better so if you belong to an organisation that needs a website or has a site and wants to link, please contact us. The input and comments from the general public is important.

In an effort to make ourselves more available to the public we have introduced an additional meeting in October. This Open Forum is for the residents of the village to talk to us about any issues that may affect them. Last year we had around 7 people turn up. It is your opportunity to talk to the Council without the constraints of an agenda and in a more relaxed open manner. Please come and spread the word.

Before the full Parish Council meetings last year we also held a crime surgery. The local police were present and available to talk to the public. This has proved very successful and will continue with the Community Safety Officers who have fairly recently been appointed.One our Statements of Objectives last year was the appointment of a youth worker for the village. This has been done and Derek Hawkins was appointed. He has made contact with a number of groups in the village and visited schools.

The Marchwood ‘Dome’ is now operational and working. It is not yet up to full capacity but an official opening is being planned soon and invitations to local residents to visit will also happen. I visited the Dome last Summer and was very impressed with what I saw. It is hoped that there will be Marchwood History Book. I gather local groups are working on this as we speak. This project is being progressed by Waterside Heritage who want to update the existing book. They are also looking for sites for Blue Plaques. If you know of anyone famous who lived within the Parish please let us know.

The Parish Council would like also to remember local residents who, over the course of time, have made an impact on the village. The person who built the church and the Infant School are a couple of examples. Suggestions to us would be welcome. It is hoped that we could put these together to form a roll of honour, for display in the Village Hall.

As Trustee of Lloyd Recreation Ground, the Parish Council has installed new playground equipment there. This also was one our Statement of Objectives. This has proved popular with the younger element of our village and we hope that they continue to enjoy the new facilities there. Tennis lessons continue to be very popular and will shortly be starting up again. Sport and Play in the Park organised by the Youth worker runs over the holiday periods. A Connexions officer has been given use of the Pavilion office for a couple of hours a week to provide advice on work opportunities for young people. Only two football matches have had to be cancelled over this season due to very poor weather conditions.

The Fair at Cork Field continues to be successful. Local residents were consulted and their views taken into account and the fair took place last July. We regularly check all our play equipment and any inspection reports have been favourable. Remedial work is always carried out. Some new public seating has been installed in conjunction with the Good Citizens project. This was also one of our Statement of Objectives.