Linkinhorne Parish Council

Statement of accounts for Linkinhorne Parish Council 2008/9

Chairman: Mr Richard Masson

Clerk to the Parish Council
Julia Todd
Penrilla House
Rilla Mill
Callington
Cornwall
PL17 7NT
01579 363160

Chairman’s Report 2009

For the past two years, a great deal of your council’s time has been taken up with meetings, consultations and the assimilation of copious amounts of documentation concerning the new Unitary Council in Cornwall. It is with regret that I tell you that the majority of these activities seem to have come to nothing and the will of Truro has been imposed upon us regardless of our opinions and votes. Nevertheless, One Cornwall is now with us and we will work hard to ensure that the interests of Linkinhorne Parish are properly represented.

At the beginning of last year we were also faced with the surprise resignation of our Parish Clerk and many of us were fully occupied in finding and appointing a replacement. We were fortunate that Mrs Julia Todd applied and was successful at interview. We feel confident with her now securely in post.

We all know that this is a difficult time financially and I am pleased to tell you that your council recognised this early enough to take action to reduce our budgets and subsequently your Council Tax demand for this year. We have achieved a reduction of over 11% in demand for the coming year while sustaining our commitment to services and maintaining prudent reserves. It is a pity that neither the County Council nor the Devon & Cornwall Police Authority were similarly inspired.

You will have seen that the affordable housing project in the Parish is well advanced and we expect the properties to become occupied from this summer onwards. This is the culmination of a long term aspiration from this parish council and I would like to thank everybody for their hard work and dedication in bringing the scheme to fruition. Similarly, the traffic calming at Upton Cross has been achieved after many years of battling. In this regard I would like to extend my particular thanks to County Councillor Bob Emuss whose sterling efforts to secure funding for the project ensured our success.

Our planning work continues and over 60 applications were dealt with through your parish council on the past year. We are again indebted to the two professionals among our number for their informed advice.

On a more disappointing note the revision of the Parish Plan which I highlighted in last year’s report is foundering. We have had minimal feedback from the parish but nevertheless will try once more to involve parishioners in this important base element of your council’s work.

My thanks are due once again to the efficient but quiet progress made by the Footpaths Committee in maintaining these important arteries within our rural parish. Also I would like to thank our County Councillor, Mr Bob Emuss and our District Councillor, Mrs Beryl Martin for their unceasing support. We lose both of these fine councillors due to the reorganisation of the County Structure but are fortunate that Beryl will continue to bring us the benefit of her extensive experience in her position as a parish councillor. Also, we have once more benefited from the support and dedication of PC Garth Hatt. His attendances at our meetings and his reports have been exemplary.