Ketton
The monthly Full Council Meeting of Ketton Parish Council was held remotely on Wednesday,
20th January, due to the current Corvid-19 situation. All parish council meeting will be held remotely for the foreseeable future, until we are advised by the government that physical meetings can resume. Provision has been made for members of the public to participate in virtual council meetings and they will be able to view and hear the meetings, but will be only be able to speak during Public Questions time.
The virtual meeting was attended by twelve councillors, County Councillors Brown & Payne & the Clerk.
There were four members of the public present.
Councillors welcomed Sgt Paul Kear, Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant, Melton and Rutland NPA, Leicestershire Police, who came to the meeting to discuss policing in Rutland. Sgt Paul Kear reiterated that the police’s priorities are road safety, speeding on rural roads, anti-social behaviour, drug dealing & rural crime, including wildlife crime, such as hare coursing and thefts from farms. The police are also concentrating on fraud, internet & telephone scamming, phishing, courier fraud & are working with Rutland County Council to raise public awareness of these crimes & tackle rogue traders. Cllrs raised residents’ concerns regarding road safety & parking, in Ketton & speed checks by both the police and Community Speed Watch. Cllrs also discussed with Sgt Paul Kear police engagement and community involvement with residents, including police support & responses to rural crime and thefts from farms & the enforcement of Covid restrictions.
Police report
PC Peter Icke sent an area crime report for the past month, dated 18 January. During the last month there has been reported in the Rutland South Beat:
One church roof alarm sensor was damaged; one incident where a number of males were searched and one dealt with for possession of cannabis & one unlocked bike was reported stolen.
It has been a fairly quiet month with regard to crime on the South Beat and no doubt this is due to another lock down. The police would like to thank residents for continuing to observe the Covid-19 regulations as we have gone up through the Tiers to our present situation of Tier 4. Thankfully the police have not had to attend as many breaches as other areas and that is down to Rutland resident’s continuous co-operation. The joint Rutland North and Rutland South priority will remain as rural crime in relation to burglaries, car crime and theft from farms. The police want to remind residents that the usual Modus Operandi is entry by forcing rear garden doors or windows, as these areas are isolated and out of sight. Please make sure all doors are locked whether you’re in or not, windows are locked and secure and look at your security measures on any lockups, garages, sheds or outbuilding. If you can make it difficult for anyone to get into the rear garden, even better as this is the preferred point of entry for burglars. Preferred items for criminals to steal are jewellery and cash, so please keep these safe. Try and park your vehicle in a well-lit area, & manoeuvre your van to make it difficult to open any side or rear doors. The police are running a vehicle enforcement campaign throughout Rutland for speed and anti-social driving & will be out in villages and towns with the speed laser gun. They will update Twitter and Facebook with the results. The police will continue to work closely with the local residents and will alert residents as soon as a crime is reported. The police current operations are Op Vitality for rural crime with extra officers on patrol and Op Vulpine for proactive Covid-19 breaches and crime. If anything suspicious is seen, please report it through either 999 or 101.
Neighbourhood Link is a free email messaging service from Leicestershire Police, Neighbourhood Watch and other partner organisations, providing news and updates on policing matters that are relevant to residents.
Residents can sign up and receive email alerts about policing activity and initiatives in our local area as well as crime prevention advice and information. They will also have the opportunity to reply directly to our neighbourhood team and provide feedback via surveys.
https://www.neighbourhoodlink.co.uk/#signup-section
C.Cllr Karen Payne confirmed that RCC is waiting for a start date for the Parking Order to come into force & the installation of yellow lines to restrict parking on the High Street & Church Road. RCC will be taking action to alleviate flooding incidences on Luffenham Road, by carrying out remedial work on kerb stone.
C.Cllrs Brown confirmed that work to install a local full fibre network in Ketton is continuing & the parish council will be updated on progress. He is also continuing to follow up issues with RCC regarding the recent resurfacing work in Kelthorpe Close.
The chairman thanked C.Cllrs Brown & Payne for their ongoing work in resolving issues on behalf of
Ketton residents.
Ketton’s Flood Warden, Ronnie Burt confirmed that he is monitoring flood water levels on
Collyweston Road and will notify residents on Ketton News & Next door Ketton if the road becomes impassable. Cllrs thanked Ronnie for his assistance in helping to ensure public safety.
The Planning Committee has been working on the 3 large scale High Street planning applications – the Crescent 2020/1263/MAF, Chater Field 2020/1263/MAF and Home Farm 2020/1254/MAF which would, as proposed, create 86 more houses. The deadline for comments to Rutland County Council https://www.rutland.gov.uk on these applications has been extended to January 31st. If you do submit a comment, it would be helpful if you could send a copy to the Parish Council.
Councillors welcomed Mike Walker, the Land and Planning Director from Balfour Beatty Homes, to the Extraordinary Planning Meeting on 5th January, to discuss the planning applications at the Chater Field &
The Crescent sites & the proposed developments. Mike Walker confirmed that the developer would be taking all comments into consideration and that further discussions will be ongoing with RCC Planning & Highways, with further consultations with all parties. Concerns were raised by both cllrs and members of the public regarding the total impact of the Home Farm, Chater Field & The Crescent developments, with regard to their combined impact on Ketton School, the Post Office & Shop, a possible increased risk of flooding & traffic through the village & additional pressure for parking spaces along the High Street
Councillors welcomed County Councillor Alan Walters, Rutland County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health, to discuss primary & secondary healthcare provision in Rutland and Stamford, to the Extraordinary Full Council Meeting on 13th January. Alan gave a presentation, about health matters in Rutland, outlining excellent working relations between our health and social care partners &well-established Better Care Fund practices, with low levels of delayed transfer of care from acute hospitals. Rutland residents can expect (on average) to live a longer, healthier, happier, better-educated life, and to be safer than in most other authorities. The Clinical Commissioning Group is responsible for commissioning health services for all patients of registered practices in their area; so if you live in Rutland and are registered with a GP in Lincolnshire – then Lincolnshire CCG is responsible for commissioning your healthcare.
RCC has a degree of responsibility for “health and wellbeing” but does not commission health services nor hold the budget (other than very limited roles mostly around prevention, and combining health and social care). This is done largely through the Health and Wellbeing Board, which is a strategic body including Rutland County Council, Leicestershire Partnership Trust, CCG, Citizens Advice Rutland, Leicestershire Police, Health watch Rutland. RCC is responsible for the wellbeing of all residents in the County.
It is recognised that residents don’t really know what the Health and Wellbeing Board have been doing for healthcare locally, or that actually we are in a good place and how health and care is integrating.
Residents may worry that there are plans they don’t know about & the future infrastructure in Rutland itself, especially for community beds provision locally. Some residents, especially in Ketton, worry about who is responsible for their care if registered with a GP out of County, such as in Stamford.
C.Cllr Walters confirmed that there is an intention to create a vision for Future Health Rutland, with the
Health and Wellbeing Board having oversight of the development. A sub group called the “Integration Delivery Board” will draw up plans & residents will have a say at an early stage and ongoing – methods are still being finalised but are likely to include part of the “Future Rutland” conversation (which may give overarching viewpoints), and the use of a resident engagement board.
Prior to the meeting cllrs received a report by Healthwatch Rutland concerning changes to health provision in Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland. The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust consultation on reconfiguration of acute hospitals and maternity services ended on 21 December 2020, &this document provides a consolidation of the many questions and comments Healthwatch Rutland (HWR) has received during the consultation.
The NHS offers an online service which includes ordering repeat prescriptions, contacting a GP or emergency dentist, managing long term conditions and monitoring physical and mental well beinghttps://www.nhs.uk/health-at-home/
https://ket2tin.wixsite.com/kettinnpKetton Green Spaces Group https://kettongreen.wixsite.com/kett/projects has received permission from landowners Hanson, and from Trustees KSCC for tree planting, coppicing and other tree management activities at KSCC. So, if you want some winter outdoor activity, do contact the group via its website.
You can sign up for a monthly ‘Your Rutland’ e newsletter by registering on Rutland County Council’s website www.rutland.gov.uk
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, Glenis Southern, via the Parish Clerk kettonpc@btinternet.com
Dates for your diary:
C.Cllrs Karen Payne & Gordon Brown would like to remind residents that they hold a monthly surgery. This is currently being held remotely. The next surgery will be on Saturday February 6th,10am to 11am: by Zoom – please contact Gordon, Gbrown@rutland.gov.uk or Karen, Kpayne@rutland.gov.uk to book a slot. Councillor Sinclair Rogers from Ketton Parish Council will also be available to answer questions and provide assistance.
Sunday March 21st: Census Day (the census takes place every 10 years and the results help local councils to decide how to spend on services. In 2011, our response rate in Rutland was 94%!)
Ketton Parish Office is in Stocks Hill (Tel 01780722451), email (kettonpc@btinternet.com) and is open Wed and Thurs 9am to 4pm.