Many thanks to all those, and dog, who turned out to help with preparation of the gound for the wildflower seeds. Quite a bit of effort is required for the preparation and the number of volunteers made it much easier. Let’s hope for a good display.

There have been requests from residents to have areas of wildflowers established. The photograph show a triangular area, at the lower part of The Oval by Church St., bounded by the walls and the line of trees.

Wildflower seeds have been bought by the parish council and if you would like to help establish the wildflowers please come along on Tues next week (27th) at 5pm  – and to bring along a garden rake if you have one – when the area will be raked and the seeds sown.

Rutland and Stamford Sound is a new, independent, not-for-profit community radio station led by well-known local presenter Rob Persani. We launched on 8^th March this year. The attached is a poster for you to use and share as you wish to let your local residents know more about the radio station.

What do we do?

Rutland and Stamford Sound entertains and informs local people, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have local content, presenters, stories and involvement in every aspect of the radio station. We support the health and wellbeing of our listeners by helping to combat loneliness and isolation. How do we know this? Local people told us so, in engagement activities on the build-up to the station launch. Our name was chosen by local people and our logo was designed in Rutland. Local people listen to our radio station and engage with our brand.

Who is behind the radio station?

Originating from a project initiated by Rutland County Council, the station is now an independent Community Interest Company (Rutland and Stamford Sound CIC Registration No. 13100133). The Board and Management team are local people with business, broadcasting, finance and community experience. We are all volunteers, publicly accountable for our operations, transparent in how we use our funds and committed to regular engagement with the local community.  Currently broadcasting on-line, we operate to OFCOM standards of best practice.

Want to know more?

If you have any questions about the radio station, advertising and news, please get in touch. We’re looking forward to hearing from you and working together, soon

The Annual Parish Meeting (APM) will be held on the 19th April at 7.30pm. Because of the restrictions this will have to be a virtual meeting by Zoom. The link for the meeting is:    

https://zoom.us/j/91267575090?pwd=V3k0TkJsaUVFY29UYXo0Nm5aOGltUT09

Meeting ID: 912 6757 5090

Passcode: 738000

The APM is an opportunity for parishioners to have their say on the activities of the parish council and make suggestions of future projects that could be undertaken. There will be an online presentation of our activities following which parishioners will be invited to give their comments, so please do come along. However if you are unable to attend your comments are most welcome. Please email them to clerk@northluffenham.org.uk.

For a variety of reasons not everybody will be able to join in the meeting and a Newsletter is being circulated summarising the activities of the Parish Council over the past year: please click to download

A reminder that from the 12th April the A6003, Uppingham to Oakham road, will be closed in both directions due to extensive works on the railway bridge. If you want to travel to Oakham please find an alternative route.

Please see the attached full press releaes from RCC concerning the above

3 for £1 .. at gate of Kings Farm (at the bottom of Kings Road).

“The Future Rutland Conversation launches today. It’s your opportunity to get your views heard on all things Rutland. Topics to be covered include environment/ climate change/ health and wellbeing/ leisure/ living in Rutland/ public services/ learning, skills and employment.  Find out more and sign up for virtual live conversations or take part in surveys at www.rutland.gov.uk/FutureRutland  Please register and then you can join a conversation here: https://future.rutland.gov.uk/live-virtual-conversations” on the village

Happy to say that Albert has been found, thanks to everyone who shared the message

Rutland County Council District Council (‘the Council’) in exercise of its powers contained in s14(2) Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 has issued this notice in relation to Severn Trent water works because of the likelihood of danger to the public.
The effect of the notice is that Glebe Road shall be closed with immediate effect today to 25/03/2021.
The maximum duration of this notice shall be 21 days from the date below.
During the implementation of this notice the diversion route shall be Glebe Road, Pilton
Road, Moor Lane, Digby Drive, Chapel Lane, Church Street, Pinfold Lane and Lyndon Road

A map of the diversion route is available to view at https://one.network.

Mark Andrews 23rd March 2021
Interim Chief Executive
Rutland County Council
Catmose
LE15 6HP

HIF: you need to know about Housing Infrastructure Fund – because if voted through at the special Rutland Council Meeting 22nd March at 7pm the St. George’s Barracks development of 2,215 houses is much more likley to go ahead and it has significant fianancial risks to the county. If defeated the devlopment as planned cannot proceed.

A North Luffenham parish councillor and resident will ask searching questions concerning the risks if the HIF is approved. You can support them by attending the meeting on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/93063688674. As a member of the public you cannot speak but the councillors will be aware of the presence of the public and this will impress on them at what is a stake.

Please click on this link to have an understanding of the issues:

The effect of the order will be that during the dates and times specified below all vehicles will be prohibited from proceeding along the length of road known as Oakham Road from the junction with Lyndon Road to Uppingham Road
The closure is to enable Network Rail to undertake bridge demolition and rebuilding works.
The duration of the Closure shall be for a maximum period of six months from 12th April 2021 or until the works are completed.
It is anticipated the works will take 85 days. The closure shall come into force when the appropriate signs and diversion route are erected on site.
The duration of the Closure shall be as follows: from 12th April 2021 to 5th July 2021
The alternative route during the closure will be via the route shown on the attached plan

After the government announcement on 22^nd February and the roadmap to ease out of lockdown we have been working with our bus operators on re-building our local bus services.  Several changes will come into effect from 8^th March 2021 including the reinstatement of the Centrebus Service 47/R47 to aid travel to access education.  This timetable will be made available at relevant bus stops as soon as possible but can also be found on the Centrebus website www.centrebus.info

The timetable for Centrebus service 12 will also be amended from 8^th March to include stops at Uppingham Community and Stamford College once again.  A copy of this timetable is attached for your information and is being put out at relevant bus stops during the course of today.

Social distancing measures should still be adhered to and the wearing of face masks is still mandatory unless exempt.  Hopefully if everyone is careful we will be able to build back up to full services everywhere in due course. 

At a Rutland County Council Planning Meeting on the 15th December representations objecting to the retrospective planning application for the lorries to remain were made by residents and parish councillors from North Luffenham and Edith Weston along with our ward councillors. The application was rejected unaminously with the result that the site could no longer be used as a lorry park resulting in less heavy lorries on the surrounding roads.

It is heartening that the hard work that went into our valid objections to this application were heeded.

A challenging and interesting opportunity has arisen for a suitably experienced, enthusiastic and competent individual to be appointed as Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer to North Luffenham Parish Council. The successful candidate will be required to work from home and will be provided with a laptop, software and printer.

The salary is in accordance with nationally based terms and conditions and is currently £10.62 per hour. Hours of work:  11 hours per week.

Responsibilities of the post include:

• Advising Parish Council of policy issues and proper procedure.
• All Parish Council administration and correspondence.
• Arranging meetings, compiling agendas and producing the minutes of meetings.
• Managing financial records, monitoring and reconciling the accounts, preparing accounts for audit.

The Parish Council is sole Trustee of the North Luffenham Field Gardens and Recreation Ground Charity and the Clerk would be responsible for dealing with all administration in connection with this.

You will need to be able to work flexibly, and attendance at evening meetings is essential. Some knowledge of council procedure is an advantage but essential training will be provided. In addition, support can be provided for further training towards the Certificate of Local Council Administration.

Applicants must have:

• Experience of administration and financial management with sound word processing and spreadsheet management skills.
• Ability to work to own initiative and to work with volunteers to achieve the Council’s objectives.
• Good numeracy, oral and written communication skills

Please call Parish Council Chairman: Tim Smith on 01780 360083 or email timsmith@nortluffenham.org.uk for job description, person specification and further details.

Applications in the form of a CV and covering letter are invited by Friday 26^th March 2021 and should be sent to:

Tim Smith, Chair NLPC, The Old Poor Barn, 6a Church Street, North Luffenham, LE15 8JR

Closing date for applications: 26^th March 2021

Interview dates: w/c 11^th April 2021

Clerk commencement date: 3^rd May 2021

Blank Firing and training on the airfield

The airfield will be out of bounds from:

Mon 15th Mar 21 – Fri 19th Mar 21.

0700 – 1800

There will be blank firing taking place and the use of practise grenades, so the adherence to these timings is of the utmost importance.

Thank you to all who are continuing to donate to the collection point in the village telephone box. It is emptied regularly with a delivery to Oakham every 7-10 days.

Please click on the link below see the list of present shortages.

The presentation by Cllr Alan Walters, who is a Rutland County Councillor and has a responsiblity for health commissioning and public health, gave a talk on the future of health care in Rutland to North and South Luffenham on Tuesday 2nd February and his presentation is available to download:

Cllr Walters would welcome your comments and he can be emailed: AWalters@rutland.gov.uk

Many thanks to all those who attended the talk and discussion on Tuesday.

As we get to the start of lambing season locally, it is now more important than ever to keep your dog on a lead as you walk your dog across or near fields that have sheep and their new born lambs in.

Dogs that are not on leads can worry, injure, savage and kill sheep, they can also cause ewes to abort or carry still born lambs. Once the lambs are born and if separated from their mothers by dogs (or people) they can be rejected and subsequently die from starvation.
It is essential that all dogs are kept on leads and under control and that owners (and all walkers without dogs) stick to the designated footpath routes.

Thank you for your co-operation.

The links below relate to sheep worrying by dogs:
https://www.yourdog.co.uk/the-your-dog-blog/knowing-the-consequences-of-your-dog-chasing-animals
https://www.nationalsheep.org.uk/dog-owners/sheep-worrying/