Walkern Parish Council Report July – August 2024

Walkern Parish Council Report

The Parish Council does not meet in August but this report covers some of the issues we have been dealing with over the last few months. The full minutes of the meeting held in July will be available on the Parish Council website and on the Parish Council Notice Board by Budgens.

Walkern Neighbourhood Plan

We are very pleased to announce that the Neighbourhood Plan (First Revision) has been adopted by East Herts District Council. This has been the result of a great deal of detailed work by Councillors and our consultant Jaqueline Veater. It was recognised that the Parish Council has made particular reference to the environment, green spaces and biodiversity in the update, including a new section on green corridors and a tree charter. It also includes requirements concerning new developments as well as those protecting the conservation area.

The plan will be used as part of the East Herts Development Plan, replacing the 2018 Walkern Neighbourhood Plan. All the documentation relating to the Plan is available on the East Herts District website or from the Walkern parish website by following a link under the NEWS heading

Walkern Parish Website

The Council has been aware that the website needed a complete overall and we are very grateful to Mike Allingham for taking on the task. The site has easy to follow headings concerning the work of the Council, for example planning applications, news and how to contact us. There is also information on the finance, governance and policies that should be made available to the public as well as the dates of Council Meetings, agendas and minutes.

Updating the website is ongoing; our aim is to make it as informative as possible as well easy to access

Parish Clerk

Residents may be aware that the Council has been advertising for a new Clerk in recent months. We were pleased to receive a number of applications and interviews have taken place in August. We hope to appoint a new Clerk in September as soon after the Parish Council meeting as possible.

Memorial Garden

The Council carefully considered a request from a resident about a possible pet memorial garden in the area. However, the rules and regulations concerning the putting up of plaques and the scattering of ashes are detailed and complicated. We have responded to the resident concerned that we are still in the process of creating a Peace Garden on the old Baptist Chapel site in Froghall Lane. The garden will have a bench and would be somewhere quiet and tranquil for residents, including pet owners, to sit and contemplate.

Development at Bockings

We were very pleased to receive an invitation from Rachel Furze, the newly appointed architect for the site to meet her and John Foks, one of the landowners, to discuss their new plans. These included an idea to protect the land at the side of the River Beane, the possibility of a single storey building on the garage site and the development on the paddocks to include a variety of styles that would fit into a rural environment. It was a cordial and informative meeting where an offer was made to hold a public meeting sometime in the future so that Councillors and village residents could see the proposed plans and ask questions.

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday 5th September 2024 at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre commencing at 7.00 pm.

Christine Nudds, Parish Councillor