The monthly Parish Council Meeting of Ketton Parish Council was held in the Parish Office on Wednesday, 19th October, and was attended by seven councillors, County Councillors Gordon Brown & Karen Payne, & the Clerk.
Peter Southern informed the meeting that Dick Bell has died. Dick served for many years both as a parish councillor and the chairman. Cllrs expressed their condolences to Dick’s family.
We have one vacancy for a new parish councillor. So, if you have time, energy and enthusiasm to spare please do consider putting yourself forward as a Parish Councillor – contact the parish clerk for more information (see contact details below).
PC Pete Icke sent an area crime report for the past month, dated 19 October. During the last month the following crimes have been reported: PC Pete Icke sent an area crime report for the past month, dated 19 October. During the last month the following crimes have been reported: damage was caused to cricket nets on playing fields overnight ; one theft of a 4×4 was reported, vehicle later found abandoned; two incidents of common assault reported; two incidents of hare coursing with damage to crops/land; two incidents where underground copper cabling was cut in preparation of theft & business grounds in Ketton were entered and copper cabling was stolen.
The Community Speed Watch groups continue to be trained and are out monitoring traffic.
CSW members are volunteers who are trained by Rutland County Council and the police to conduct “High Visibility Speed Checks” using a speed gun device known as SL700, also used by police. These are Home Office approved devices and are used to capture speeding motorists by the CSW. Those captured in excess of the speed limit will have their vehicle details passed to the police who will then post advisory letters to the registered keepers.
However, if it’s Police Officers conducting speed checks, expect your vehicle to be stopped at the roadside and the driver reported for the offence of Exceeding the Speed limit.
The police have dealt with 2 business-related burglaries, & ask residents to remain vigilant. Rural locations and farms are often targeted as their plant equipment are highly desired commodities due to demand exceeding worldwide supply.
Across the whole area of Leicestershire and Rutland there has been a significant increase in organised crime groups targeting “copper cables”. The MO is that these types of crimes will occur in rural areas on country roads during hours of darkness. A van and 4×4 type vehicle will often be in convoy together or parked up near to the roadside. Manhole covers are then removed and the BT copper internet cable is cut and pulled up and out of the ground.
If you see, witness or suspect anything similar happening, please call the police. Your call may be all that’s required to catch them in the act!
There is a police operation called “OP BATTERIES” for offences such as these, and the Rural Police Crime Team will be actively patrolling rural areas known to be targeted to detect/deter further crimes.
The police will continue to work closely with the local residents and will alert residents as soon as a crime is reported. If anything suspicious is seen, please report it through either 999 or 101.
There was one member of the public present at the meeting. Ronnie Burt previously raised the issue of overhanging & overgrown vegetation obscuring driver’s visibility on both approaches to the Welland bridge, between Ketton & Collyweston. The Clerk will contact Rutland County Council again to ensure that the vegetation will be cut back.
C.Cllr Karen Payne updated cllrs on the situation at Lakeside Healthcare in Stamford, which has been in Special Measures. This GP practice is of concern to RCC because Rutland residents are registered with it and in recent years a number have left and joined Empingham, putting pressure on that practice within Rutland. In the last Municipal Year, the then Adult and Health Scrutiny Committee demanded senior staff from Lakeside meet with the Committee to outline their planned improvements. However, despite clearly making improvements, the practice remained in Special Measures at its follow-up CQC inspection. There has been significant support being provided to Lakeside and they are progressing (moving from Special Measures to Requires Improvement) but they will be having another follow-up inspection shortly
The councillors & county councillor discussed engaging with younger residents to raise the profile of parish councils & encourage them to become involved in community decision making. This will be discussed further at a future meeting.
C.Cllr Karen Payne confirmed that Rutland County Council will receive funding from the government to deliver 26 standard and 4 rapid electrical vehicle charging points across the county. The majority will be on-street chargers in residential areas, alongside some publicly available chargers situated in council-owned carparks and on other council-owned land.
Rutland County Council, Ketton Parish Council and the Whitebread Trust are working together to provide a warm and safe meeting lounge in Ketton Library, on the days that the library itself is closed – that is Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am to 4pm. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be on offer, and the computers, with internet, will be available. If you think that you can volunteer to oversee a 3 hour session in the Library Lounge, please contact Jenny or Sinclair Rogers jenny.rogers99@btinternet.com
sinclairrogers@btinternet.com
Our local Rutland South Police officer is Pete Icke, and his contact details are 07967589225 peter.icke@leicestershire.pnn
Ikra Hussain is our Rutland South beat Police Community Support Officer, who can be contacted on 07929723321 Ext: 3306555, or Ikra.Hussain@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk
If you are struggling with your smartphone, tablet, or laptop then why not sign up with Sarah at the Parish Office for free one-to-one IT training sessions on a Monday between 2pm and 4pm, with Berni, our very patient and dedicated volunteer trainer?
The Whitebread Trust is a charity for the support of individuals and organisations within the parish of Ketton. Applications for support should be addressed to the Chairman of the trust, Simon Forster, via the Parish Clerk kettonpc@btinternet.com
Useful contacts/information:
Ketton Good Neighbours Scheme: for help or support, please call on 0751 7798397, between 9am and 6pm.
The Hub meets every Thursday from 10am to 11.45am at KSCC. Come and have a coffee and a catch up with friends.
Dates for your diary
Thursday Nov 3rd 7.30pm ‘Ketton Talks’ at the Congregational Hall – the Rutland Vineyard
Saturday Nov 5th 9am to 10am County Councillors’ Surgery in Ketton Library.
Thursday Nov 10th Team Mindspace 10k sponsored Night Walk www.mindspacestamford.com
Thursdays Nov 10th, 24th 2.30pm in the Methodist Hall, Darby and Joan Club
Fri Nov 25th Chatterbox copy date.
Sun Nov 25th to Mon Dec 5th Tree Week
Tues Dec 6th, Thurs Dec 8th Christmas gathering in the library.
The Parish Office in Stocks Hill (Tel 01780722451, email kettonpc@btinternet.com) is open Tues and Wed 8am to 4pm. Facebook: Ketton News. Website www.ketton.org.uk
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