The Local Plan: A note from Cllr Gale Waller

You will be aware that Rutland County Council has entered its final public consultation stages on the Local Plan (the Plan which gives approval to housing and employment development sites such as at St George’s Barracks).  Details, including how to respond, can be found here: https://www.rutland.gov.uk/my-services/planning-and-building-control/planning/planning-policy/local-plan-review/ There is a help line for those of you who have difficulty viewing the on line documents through which you can book a slot to view hard copy at Catmose.  Many parishes are also offering residents the opportunity to view a hard copy in the parish.  Contact your parish clerk or chairman for information.  RCC is asking for responses (to be in by 9 October) via their on line form (large print is available from RCC) but you can send in a letter or an e-mail. Please contact me if you want further information: gwaller@rutland.gov.uk

Have you thought it would be great to reinstate some of the railway lines axed under the Beeching Cuts. It is not such a pie in the sky idea as in 2019 the Government promised £500 million ‘Beeching Reversal’ fund.

The possibility of re-instating Luffenham railway station and providing services in the Corby direction as well as Oakham & Stamford/Peterborough has been raised by the Welland Valley Rail Partnership. This would be a long term project and the first step would be a feasibility study and therefore there is uncertaintainty that it could be enacted. However it is an interesting suggestion, it chimes with the times, and North Luffenahm Parish Council would be interested in comments to this post, in the Neighbourhood Plan questionnaire, or to clerk@northluffenham.org.uk

For much further information please click on this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/10rw6h4fn43ooxi/WellandValleyRailConcept-v3.pdf?dl=0

A tree has fallen onto the footpath from Digby Drive over the field to Moor Lane. A resident has kindly cut off some branches and it is possible to walk under the tree. It appears to be stable but please take care. It has been reported to Rutland County Council.

Please see the attached road closure notice from RCC about the closure of Station Road from 9.00pm on 2nd Sept to 7.00am on the 3rd Sept

Please see the attached notice concerning the closure of Station Road from Wireless Hill Roundabout to the Railway Crossing.
The closure is to enable Tarmac to undertake carriageway patching works on behalf of Rutland County Council

Tabletop Sale
Have you had a good clear out whilst in lockdown? Have items that are too good for the tip? Would like to help raise money for Macmillan Cancer research?
On Saturday July 25th in the South Luffenham Village Hall there will be a tabletop sale from 10am-4pm to raise donations for Macmillan Cancer research as we will not be able to hold the usual coffee morning to support them in September. It will be carried out within the recently published Covid19 guidelines for Village Halls with numbers in the hall at any one time being monitored, gloves available and facilities for hand sanitiser and hand washing in place.
If you would like to donate items, please contact Tracy Steward and arrangements will be made to bring your items to the hall at least 3 days before the event. Tracy 01780 729006 tracy.steward@outlook.com

This leaflet is being delivered to all households in the parish and has been produced by the North Luffenham St. Georges Barrack’s Group and has the endorsment of the Parish Council. Please download the complete leaflet by clicking on the following:

Please tick one of the boxes on the back of the leaflet and return to The Fox or email your response to timsmith@northluffenham.org.uk by Wednesday 15th July. You may want to respond to RCC’s online questionnaire and make your views known at http://www.rutland.gov.uk/sci If you want to know more of the issues involved then download the link below. This will form the basis, along with your views, of NLPC’s reponse to the Statement of Community Involvement consultation

Consultation of the Local Plan will begin in August: this not only has profound implications for local parishes but for the whole of Rutland. North Luffenham Parish Councillors have been involved in the initiation of a campaign, ‘Fight4Rutland‘ https://fight4rutland.org/

On behalf of the Rutland Foodbank I’m pleased to say thank you to everyone involved in the Community Collections Scheme. No-one could have predicated the situation we find ourselves in and the impact upon our local communities. Already this financial year the Foodbank has helped over 550 people in food poverty. The number of referrals is rising and we anticipate an increase in the rate of referrals as furlough ends and sadly firms need to make redundancies. 

Your extremely generous donations were so well timed that we now have healthy stocks in the warehouse of certain items but there are a few products that we will always need regularly. I wonder if I might take this opportunity to refocus the current shortages and ask that you consider asking your community to pop these in the collection box. We really appreciate donations of the long-life sponge pudding packs and Smash-type potatoes. We have very good supplies of toiletries at the moment but do run short of disposable razors quite regularly. Unfortunately we cannot accept fresh or homemade food or food past the best before/use-by date. At the moment we are blessed with mountains of baked-beans, tinned soups, dried pasta and cereals so for the moment we would ask not to donate these until further notice.

Occasionally we run very short of an item so in that situation we put a shout-out on the Rutland Foodbank Facebook page (it’s accessible to browse even if you are not signed up for Facebook). If you need to contact the foodbank team directly please email on info@rutland.foodbank.org.uk