ANNUAL REPORT

On behalf of the Parish Council, I am pleased to welcome you to the 111^th Annual Meeting and, to report on some of the activities, which have taken place during the past year.

Highlights

Proposed Safety Measures for Pedestrians in Station Hill

For many years, Cookham Parish Council has been working with RBWM to promote the introduction of pedestrian safety measures outside Cookham Social Club in Station Hill.  At long last the work looks set to take place late April, early May 2007 involving the continuation of the pavement outside the Social Club and up to the railway crossing. Part of this scheme will also see junction improvements to the difficult entrance of Station Road. 

Cannondown Railway Bridge

Cookham Parish Council remain concerned about the number of incidents involving high-sided vehicles endeavouring to pass under Cannondown Railway Bridge. The Parish Council will continue to lobby RBWM for a better warning system in order to highlight the height of the bridge before its too late.

Improved Parish Lighting

Over the last year Cookham Parish Council has worked hard to make subtle improvements in street lighting. Various projects have been pursued including the re-positioning and lighting of a second lamp on the Causeway Bridge and a new column at Odney Lane, near The Ferry restaurant. The Parish Council had also hoped to gain permission to erect lights at the war memorial and the power to enable the Christmas tree to be re-positioned from outside The Crown. Sadly discussions with the National Trust have, through no fault of your Parish Council, taken an inordinate time and permission has not yet been granted despite support from the local Police. Cookham Parish Council will continue to push for this scheme to go ahead.

Flooding

A new Flood Alleviation Scheme is being planning by the Environment Agency. The action is designed to achieve a 1 in 50 year level of flood protection to properties immediately upstream of the North Maidenhead Flood Embankment, namely Strande Lane, Danes Gardens and Lightlands Lane. The Environment Agency has promised the Parish Council that residents will have every chance to view and comment on the proposals before a planning application is submitted. An Open Day will be held for this purpose and will be widely advertised through the usual noticeboards, press and cookham.com web site.

Still on the subject of Flooding, Cookham Parish Council will be working closely with businesses and residents in the village to develop flood procedure in times of severe flood emergencies.

The Parish Council have 5 Standing Committees, they are:

1.                  The Adoptive Acts Committee

2.                  The Finance and General Purposes Committee

3.                  The Footpaths and Open Spaces Committee

4.                  The Planning Committee

5.                  The Emergency Committee

Adoptive Acts

The Adoptive Acts Committee is responsible for the Cemetery in Long Lane, Street-lighting throughout Cookham and the two War Memorials.  The current annual cost in maintaining the Cemetery grounds is £5,000. In 2006 the re-planting of the central border was delayed by the hot summer. This project was completed in the autumn and is an attractive feature in the cemetery grounds.

Changes in legislation concerning burial grounds is still awaited in a White Paper by the Government. The measures will affect the way in which your Council preserve and maintain the Cemetery grounds.  In order to prepare for these changes, the Clerk is currently transferring old burial records on to new specialist software for the Cemetery.

After many months of enquiries and research, your Council traced the family who own the Tarrystone Seat situated at the junction of Odney Lane. We have recently given the go-ahead to restore this important landmark to its former glory beside the ancient Tarrystone.

Finance and General Purposes Committee

Items of expenditure, large or small, undergo the utmost scrutiny to obtain best value for money and ensure we keep within our budget.  The loan of £15,000, obtained in 2002, to part finance the cost of the Parish Office will be fully repaid by the end of May 2007. Cookham Parish Council has continued to support the extended opening hours at Cookham Library. Our contribution of £2,000 ensures the Wednesday afternoon opening continues.

The precept for the coming year 2007/2008 has been set at £64,000, an increase of £8,000 (14.5%). The increase will help fund the following:

• Local election costs for 3^rd May 2007.

• Parish Plan – the second instalment of £2,500, to make our total contribution to the plan of £5,000. No less than three Parish Councillors are working hard on the Steering Group of this village project.

• Cemetery extension – a sum of £2,000 towards any additional costs associated with consecrating and preparing the extension for use.

• Cost of living – with inflation officially running at 3%, this sum was considered necessary to cover the increased running costs of the Parish Council.

Footpaths and Open Spaces Committee 

The Footpaths and Open Spaces Committee is responsible for clearing all vegetation from the intricate network of 70 footpaths within the Cookham Parish.  Well used footpaths are cleared several times a year.  The current annual cost for clearing the footpaths is approximately £2,000, of which the sum of £1,200 was recovered from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. 2007 will see the long awaited opening of FP60 under Cookham Bridge – Cookham Parish Council has worked closely with The Ramblers Association and RBWM to re-instate this essential foot path.

The Parish Council has also participated in the “Trees in Parishes” scheme which has resulted in three new trees erected on the Alfred Major.

As part of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead’s Section 106 funding agreement, your Council hopes to continue to increase the range of equipment in the children’s’ play area on the Alfred Major Recreation Ground and also add a Teen Scene shelter for older youths. Regulars to the Play area will note that the vandalised see-saw has now been replaced.  All equipment in the Play area is inspected annually by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

Planning 

During the past year, your Council has met on 23 separate occasions and dealt with well over 200 planning applications received from the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead.  Site visits were arranged and with your Councillors local knowledge and blend of experience, all applications were determined having regard to the Royal Borough’s related planning policies.

Local Development Framework Consultation 

The Parish Council continues to respond to the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead’s Local Development Framework and Core Strategy consultation – a project that will be ongoing throughout this year.

Communications 

All Parish Council meetings are advertised on our four noticeboards throughout the parish. All agendas and minutes of the Parish Council are displayed on the Cookham Website, by kind permission of Liz Kwantes. Your Council also acknowledge and welcome the weekly reporting by the Maidenhead Advertiser, the Marlow Free Press and the Maidenhead Express.

I would like to thank all the local organisations and individuals who have contributed to the well-being of the village. I would also like to thank our Parish Clerk, Janet Wheeler, for the tremendous work that she has put in and for the support and guidance given to me throughout the past year. My thanks also go to the Clerk’s assistant, Shirley Warren, for all her hard work as well.

In conclusion, I would like to thank publicly all of the Parish Councillors. It has been my privilege to have such a great team of Councillors. It is a team that brings together individuals of widely differing backgrounds and widely differing skills but is a team that has one ideal - and that is to serve the community of Cookham as best that it can and to keep Cookham as delightful a place in which to live as it always has been. It is to them that I offer my sincere and grateful thanks.

Thank you.

Michael R. Barnes

Chairman of Cookham Parish Council

March 2007