PARISH COUNCIL: Report of the meeting of Defford and Besford Parish Council:

Notifications had been received that a hedge had been planted at Defford Arms Car Park in compliance with building conditions.

It was decided to write and support criticism of a Government Green Paper on changes proposed to the planning process advised by both the WCC and CPRE which it was feared would remove certain controls on aggressive developers, and mean that strategy for the whole area might be as remote as Birmingham.

A reply had still not been received from Severn Trent categorically confirming that seven houses in Upper Street were connected into the new sewerage network.

Property owners along the A4104 had been copied with a letter to Wychavon HPU requesting that the footpath be cleared of encroaching verges and at the same time warning those who had not attended to cutting back their hedges that they should fulfil this obligation. One or two had still not undertaken this work and thereby risked enforcement notices being issued.

It was agreed to buy a litter bin for the Millennium Green from Wychavon DC.

The memorial project for the Village Green had been approved subsequent to the submission of a redesign which replaced the controversial stainless steel cross by a granite pillar.

A litter bin would be provided free by Wychavon DC for the recycling centre in the village hall car park, where plastic bags, bottle tops etc could be disposed of. However it was pointed out that large items should not be taken to the centre but kept until a skip for large items is provided.

A letter had been received from Wychavon HPU advising that both Spring Bank Lane and St Peters Lane, Besford were scheduled to be resurfaced during the forthcoming financial year although no time scale was identified.

Most people would already be aware of new railings to Abriel Bridge provided by Railtrack.

It was agreed to restore a memorial plaque which was once displayed in the Old Primary School in Croome Road, which had come to light after many years sojourn in a local shed.

John Brooks had stepped forward to organise an event to celebrate the Queens Golden Jubilee. Finally a further warning regarding bogus officials calling on elderly residents following an incident on Hill View. If you are at all unsure do not let anyone into your house without contacting the organisation for confirmation.