Leicestershire County Council will hold two public meetings, which will be hosted by the Leader of the County Council, David Parsons, and local MPs David Garnier and Alan Duncan.
* 9th June at 8pm, Gartree School, Oadby
* 12th June at 8pm, Coplow Centre, Billesdon
Please come along to hear more about Pennbury and to have your say.

Please click on the title of this newsitem for a
* full overview of consultation meetings and opportunties to find out more and have your say about the Eco-town proposals in June 2008.
* links to relevant websites

Congratulation to Councillor C James on the birth of her daughter.

Do you live or work in the village or within three miles of it?

Would you like to become a Councillor for Kibworth Beauchamp Parish Council?

A vacancy has arisen due to the resignation of a Councillor.

If you are interested in serving your community as a Councillor on the Parish Council please contact the Clerk, Mrs Christine Samuels on 0116 279 1128 (8.30 am - 11.30 am)

As you will be aware, the Government has announced that Pennbury is among 15 proposals on their shortlist of Eco-Towns.

A 'Have Your Say' meeting on April 9th in Kibworth will be a first opportunity for local residents to find out what is going to happen next.
This meeting will take place at Kibworth High School, Smeeton Road, Kibworth on Wednesday, 9th April 2008 at 7.00 pm (change of venue)

For the full government announcement, please click on the title of this newsitem or visit www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/737721

As a first step, the Government will now be consulting until the end of June 2008 on the appropriateness of the 15 sites with a view to reduce them to 10 sites by the end of the year.
Please find below the national consultation document setting out details of the process and a summary of each of the shortlisted sites.

Each year there is a seasonal rise in the number of burglaries at homes where the occupants are away on holiday.

Such a crime on a family returning from a well deserved summer break cannot be overstated.

Please see the attached poster from the Harborough & Lutterworth Local Policing Unit giving crime prevention advice.

The next Have Your Say Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 9th April 2008 at 7 pm in the Community Lounge St Cuthberts Primary School, The Chase, Great Glen (PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE: NOW KIBWORTH HIGH SCHOOL SMEETON ROAD)

Officers from both Harborough District Council and Leicestershire County Council will be present together with your County, District and Parish Councillors.

Come along and have YOUR say!

Have you ventured down to Rookery Close Recreation Ground recently and wondered what the earth works are for?

Well, this is the first stage of an exciting new project by the Joint Recreation Committee to create a mini-wetland area.

It is hoped that once established a boardwalk can be erected around the area to allow access for pond dipping and viewing the wildlife at close quarters!

A new service is being introduced in the village for young people aged between 14 and 25.

This is a confidential service on a one to one basis.

You will be able to speak to trained Youth Workers and health professionals on problems which may be affecting you such as exam stress, bullying, relationships and sexual health.

The sessions take place on Wednesdays between 6.00pm to 7.30pm
at Kibworth Old Grammar School Hall in School Road.

Do you want to see village amenities improved? Then please take a few minutes to read on.

As reported in your November Chronicle, the Parish Councils of Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt have representatives on a working party which aims to encourage the local population to consider where village amenities can be improved, or possibly new ones created, with the help of the Section 106 funds. These funds are substantial and will be paid by the builders as the KB1 development progresses. The monies will be paid to Harborough District Council (HDC) and it is up to us, as villagers, to make applications to HDC for funding for suitable projects (small or large). If we do not there is a risk that these funds will be used elsewhere in the district.

There are already funds available from smaller completed building schemes in the village and it is therefore disappointing that there have not been more local organisations submitting application forms as this money is waiting to be claimed.

One application is however already with HDC for consideration at their next 106 Funding Panel Meeting. This application has been submitted by the Parishes’ Joint Recreation Committee for funds to enable the main play park on the Warwick Road Rec. to be further improved. We are optimistic that this bid will be successful and work can be undertaken on the park before the summer.

If you have an idea for a project that is needed, and is sustainable and accessible to as many people as possible, we strongly urge any group, which is properly constituted, and interested in applying for funding to contact the Parish Clerks (Kibworth Beauchamp – Christine Samuels, Kibworth Harcourt – Lesley Gill) for an application form. Or, if in the first instance, you would like an informal chat about your ideas with the members of the Joint Section 106 Working Party, please contact the Clerk.

The Council have today received confirmation that David Wilson Homes wishes to withdraw planning application 08/00006/REM. They explained that it was reasonably evident that the weight of opinion was firmly against them and they would not wish to disrupt the good relations and confidence that has been established with the Parish Councils and the local community.

KB1, the massive David Wilson Homes development in Kibworth has received detailed Planning Consent for the first phase.

Now we have a supplementary planning application to alter Phase One to strip out many of the house details on properties around green and paved open spaces. The details David Wilson Homes wishes to omit are chimneys, plinths, eaves details, window and cill details.

The Design Statement that accompanied the original application is full of illustrations of Kibworth house design details and pretty illustrations of existing David Wilson Homes’ developments. These show chimneys, plinths, various eaves details, attractive window types, window heads and window cills, with promises of materials to respect the Kibworths’ historic character and enhance the development.

The Government Planning Inspector approved the development on this basis. Your Parish and District Councillors accepted the situation and resolved to welcome the new residents to our villages and use the s106 contribution monies to improve and upgrade the village facilities.

If this second application is approved we will finish up with an ordinary, bland, featureless housing estate, making a mockery of the efforts of the Parish & District Councils and most importantly you, the people of Kibworth.

In the words of David Wilson Homes’ planning director, Ian Althorpe, ‘The changes are necessary economies that will help our business to stay competitive in a more difficult housing market.’ Is this a valid reason to amend the Planning Application? No!

WE WILL NOT BE FOOLED – THIS APPLICATION MUST BE REFUSED AT ALL COSTS

Ian Althorpe took members of both Parish Councils around the development and assured them that phase one would be as the detailed approval with all the vernacular features that enhance and reflect the style of Kibworth. This is very important because of the skyline to this hilltop development, which is visible for miles and also one of the main entrances to Kibworth.

David Wilson Homes must honour their promises and create a development that will be a credit to Kibworth and not just another 600+ house ordinary housing estate.

Key words from the David Wilson Homes Design Statement

• ‘The design of the house types has been given careful consideration to incorporate qualities found in buildings in the Kibworth area’

• ‘The design principles adopted in the formulation of proposals for phase 1 will be taken forward to future phases’

• ‘Kibworth local vernacular has given inspiration to the architectural form of the development’

• ‘Materials and detailing used on the walls, roof and paved surfaces will respond to the locality.’

The David Wilson Design Statement will be available for inspection by contacting your Parish Council

Support your parish council’s objection to this application by writing to HDC objecting to Application Ref 08/00006/REM

Please note the Community Centre is not available on 12th February for the Council's monthly meeting. The Council have decided to hold the meeting at the Upper Meeting Room in the Methodist Church in School Road. Members of the public are welcome to attend as usual.

As Section 106 funding may be due to Kibworth by way of compensation for the new building developments, it is vitally important that you make your views known to the Parish Council, so as to strengthen the case for this money to be spent on improved facilities within your village.

In an effort to establish what Kibworth currently has to offer in the way of clubs/societies and what you as residents would ideally like to be made available locally, we are endeavouring to compile a directory of organisations within the village. This will then be accessible through the Library.
Please complete the questionnaire and post it to the Clerk or hand in to the Post Office or Library

Two Councillors and our street orderly were busy yesterday placing six tubs along the High Street.

These tubs were planted up with a beautiful Autumn/Winter display by CARE, a registered Charity based at Shangton.

This year's Christmas lights will be switched on on 12th December 2007

The Christmas Tree will be placed on the corner of School Road

and, as usual, the tree on the Traffic Island will be decorated with Christmas lights.