WASNAV

WASNAV (Wollaston and Strixton News and Views) article by Jonathan Alms (July 2011)

As a newly elected Parish Councillor, I would like to thank all of you who voted for me in the elections on 5th May. It was actually quite exciting to be part of an election and to witness the counting of ballot papers at the Redwell Leisure Centre. Having lived in the village for 12 years, I felt I wanted to take a greater part in village issues and I look forward to meeting Parishioners and hearing your views on how we can improve Wollaston for the future.

What is clear from the state of public finances is that towns, villages and their inhabitants will all have to play a greater role in helping themselves and I think we can all do a little bit to help our community. Having attended my first three Parish Council meetings, it is apparent that there is less money from the County Council for road repairs, maintenance, litter picking etc, so we are going to have to help ourselves a bit more. It would therefore be great to have volunteers from the village who could help us with our duties which, in turn, will help the overall community in which we live. If you would like to offer some help to the different Working Parties, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact Angela Young, the Parish Clerk.

One of my pet hates is litter and, like many other places, it makes our village look rather shabby and unkempt. We can all play our part in keeping the village tidy, as well as teaching our children not to drop it in the first place. The PC has just installed new litter and dog bins to help with this problem.

Regarding other PC news, the website has been updated. Do take a look at what goes on at our meetings and the budget we spend on your behalf.

With summer here, do make the most of the Pocket Park and Summer Leys Nature Reserve. During the Open Gardens, one house had 206 visitors!

Jonathan Alms