Parish News - September 2014

The Parish Council deal with all kinds of enquiries. These range from blocked drains, dog fouling, potholes and (lack of) grass cutting, to speeding and planning applications. A typical meeting will usually cover all of these issues and the Parish Council do try to keep on top of them as best they can. Many queries are ultimately passed on, usually to the County Council, but generally speaking, the Parish Council is the initial line of contact. Any concerns can be expressed to any of the 8 Councillors or the Clerk either personally, in writing or by attending a meeting. Notices of the meetings are displayed on both village notice boards at least 4 days before a meeting – they can also be downloaded from the website (ovinghamparishcouncil.org.uk). Meetings start at 7.15 with an opportunity for residents to raise any concerns.
Concerns can also be logged directly with the County Council by ringing (01661) 520005.
Although there are usually only 9 meetings in a year, much is done in between – the number of emails is unbelievable! Many of these are just for information – others are trying to sell the latest in playground equipment at a starting price of £20,000 (Councillor Phil Holden would endorse these but budget constraints…). You will also see many councillors walking round the village on a regular basis checking weeds, rubbish and the like.  
Meetings are also held with the County Council and other local parish and town councils on a regular basis. The Councillors are also involved in many committees some specifically linked to Ovingham, such as the Reading Room Committee, or others such as the East Tynedale Forum.
Finally, our next meetings are 16^th October and then 20^th November.


Margaret Davenport
Clerk to Ovingham Parish Council