As
I think about what to write for this latest article
the phrase ‘Worse things happen at sea’ keeps
popping into my mind.
I have just heard news of a
terrible train crash on a level crossing not far
away, at the time of writing nobody knows the full
story of what happened but no doubt the full impact
of this disaster will be revealed.
Earlier in the
week I had a telephone conversation with a Marchwood
resident who told me that in the very early hours
of one Monday morning when everyone was asleep, a
car travelling at great speed crashed into the side
of his house moving the house about an inch off its
foundations. His young son was asleep in the room
where the car crashed.
When I hear of news like this
it makes me realise how fragile life can be and that
the trivial things that happen every day which make
us all cross are in fact just that, trivial. Thankfully
nobody in the house was hurt but things could have
turned out very differently.
On a much more positive note Marchwood Parish Council
has been awarded Quality Status. The accreditations body
studied in great detail the application put in by the
Parish Council and were very happy to award this seal
of approval to us. We are one of only four in Hampshire
and there are only about eighty in the whole of England
and Wales. We are naturally very pleased that the work
of this Parish Council has been recognised and we hope
to continue to give as good a service as possible for
many years to come.
Our first Open Forum at the end of
October was not too well attended but a number of issues
did arise. Traffic problems continue to be the main cause
for concern be it rat running , speeding or HGVs on the
road. We are listening and wherever possible we are trying
to do something about it or bending the ears of others
who can. We are awaiting the final stages of the HGV
ban in certain parts of the village that will, we hope,
greatly alleviate some of the problems.
There is no news
to report as yet on a possible site for a youth community
building but we are working on that and hope to have
something positive to report in the not too distant future.
Over the summer I was fortunate enough to visit Marchwood
Dome. What an amazing building to see. I saw it semi
clad and was impressed with the framework itself. The
dome will be operational shortly and in reality is a
mini electricity generator using waste as a fuel.
I think
we have to realise that we all generate a lot of waste
as human beings in the 21st century and this waste does
need to be got rid of. We all need to recycle as much
as possible. The dome will be open at some point to local
residents and I recommend that you visit this building
when the opportunity arises. It is already quite a striking
feature on the skyline.
Marchwood now has its own detached Youth Worker who
will be making contact with all the local groups that
our young people go to. Derek Hawkins is very keen
to meet as many young people as possible. He has a
wealth of experience and knowledge and he is keen to
help in any way.
I received a letter from PowerPoint,
one of these groups about wanting to participate /help
in some kind of community action. I thought it was
a fantastic idea and hope to follow this through in
the not too distant future.
Please look at our new
website.
It is full of information about the council’s
activities. It has a rogue’s gallery of councillors
and staff and, as you will see, not many of us
will win any beauty contests. There is the opportunity
for you to tell us what you think about the site.
We hope it provides you with the information you
need . If not then let us know.
Christmas will be shortly with us and 2004 will
be consigned to the History books. I hope all of
you have a good Christmas and a peaceful New Year.
Darryl Hindle
Chairman
Chairman’s
Report
