This is my second Blog, and quite a lot has gone on since my first. Alcester Town Council (ATC) has become the first Parish in the County to be a “Health and Wellbeing Town”. This development is in line with national policy, and enables Alcester to become a trusted partner with Warwickshire County Council. The aim is to enable individuals to develop support needs they can access ensuring that all Alcester citizens can ensure they are able to live full, active and independent lives.
The Town Council has reorganised its committee structure and introduced new committees as: Community Care Committee chaired by Prof. Cllr Chris Brannigan; Community Facilities Committee chaired by Cllr Jim Kenyon; Communications chaired by Cllr Yvette Morrison, and Strategic Planning chaired by Cllr Mark Cargill. In addition ATC has established a Health and Well Being Board chaired by Cllr Lennox Cumberbatch, which will form a platform for ATC to liaise with important figures in the health and wellbeing community external to ATC. The Health and Well Being Board will have its first meeting in August, whilst the other new committees have held their first two meetings and are defining projects and implementing actions; progress will be reported in later Newsletters. The new committee structure, agendas and minutes of all meetings are on the Council website (http://www.alcester-tc.gov.uk/).
There are also other major Council developments taking place during September to December 2015. The Council has been working with Warwickshire County Council and Stratford District Council to secure the future of Globe House; this has now been achieved. As of 1st January 2-16 Globe House will be redeveloped to become the home of the Library, the Museum, and the Town Council; it will be a true Community Hub. The building work will take place over the period September to December 2015, during that time the Town Council will have to vacate Globe House, with consequential problems. The Council will continue to operate from various locations, and to maintain an interface with residents, we will have a “hot desk” in the Library, manned 10am to 1pm on Thursdays. Council contact details are elsewhere in this Newsletter.
Whilst the Council restructuring is going on developments in the Town have not halted, most people are aware of the re-proposed development in Priory Road by Churchill of 27 Retirement Flats. This re-proposal has been objected to by the Planning Committee of Alcester Town Council (see website for details), and was due to be heard by Stratford District Council West Area Planning Committee at Elizabeth House in Stratford on Tuesday 18th of August, when the Council was to mount a vigorous objection. However, this item on the Agenda for the West Area Planning Committee has now been withdrawn, and so the hearing will not take place. This has not gone away, so keep your eyes on the Council website for future developments.
My first Blog apparently upset some people by seeming to imply that the Greig Trustees would not allow access to the building for ATC to conduct survey work. This was not the case, the Trustees would have permitted access. ATC did not wish to expend any money on surveys until the ownership is decided.
To end on a positive note, the Artisan Markets are proving a success and are set to continue, and the next formal Council activity is the Civic Service to be held at St. Nicholas’ Church at 11.00am on Sunday 6th September 2015, all are welcome.
Professor Cllr Clive Neal-Sturgess, Mayor.