Chair's report on Parish Council Activities for 2023/24
Chair’s report on Parish Council activities for the Year 2023/24
We began the year with a successful Coronation Party which was well attended despite the inclement weather.
Road safety has continued to be an issue. The Council has purchased two new Speed Indication Devices (SIDs) which will be moved around hot-spots in the village once suitable posts have been installed. Councilor Ascough has successfully got the Community Speedwatch going again with new volunteers recruited and trained. They are often to be seen doing speed surveys. All the data they record is fed back to the local Road Safety Partnership. We have also been in discussions with our County Councilor and the Highways department at Lincs County Council and this should lead to speed limits on Boston Road and Spalding Road. Following the serious accident in Risegate recently we are working with the County Council and the Police to find ways to improve road safety along that stretch of road.
We have continued to improve the facilities at both playing fields. At the Gosberton playing field new heavy-duty goalposts have been installed to replace the previous ones which were vandalized. At Risegate playing field we have worked with the community fundraising group to provide additional play equipment. A new picnic bench has recently been ordered for Risegate playing field. The Council continues to review the provision in both fields both in terms of safety and maintenance of the existing equipment and the need for new equipment.
Following the annual Village inspection we have started a programme of maintenance and improvements. These include repairs to the cemetery paths, tree works and repointing of the war memorial.
The Council continues to search for suitable additional cemetery land in preparation for the existing cemetery being filled. The landowner immediately adjacent to the existing cemetery is unwilling to sell to us, so the search is being extended to elsewhere in the village.
With the winding up of GCAT organization of the Summer Fair has been taken over by the Youth Centre and Stephen Timewell, organiser of the Spalding Tulip Parade. The Council has made the Gosberton playing field available for the event.
An afternoon tea with a vintage singer is being arranged to celebrate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. This will be held at the Parish Hall on 8th June.
I would like to thank all my fellow councilors who give their time and services for free and work tirelessly for the community. They do much more work than most parishioners are aware of and are generally only mentioned when someone has a complaint!
Finally, thanks to our Clerk, Fran who makes my job so much easier, keeps us all on the straight and narrow and is so often working away, unrecognised, in the background.