Chairman’s Report Sulgrave Parish Council. 2025-2026.
The past year has been one of achievement, and accomplishment in what we have set out to do as a Council.
The first agenda item is always HS2. This great scar on our countryside impacts on our everyday life. Every meeting Mike Powell reports, usually to tell us of road closures, or more likely in the case of the Radstone road, that the re opening has been delayed. What a disgrace that they can’t get the construction right in the first place. The cost to us all with the extra mileage and time is considerable.
However, your council can take considerable satisfaction in achieving funding from HS2 for the refurbishment of the Pocket park. Eighteen months ago it became obvious that the cost of new equipment was very prohibitive. (New double swing to cost £7000. ) and with higher scores on the annual safety report, it was decided to apply to HS2 for funding, and to go for a new design. Sarah Parker took this onerous task on and she can take great pride in her achievement of getting the full amount asked for. The application process, including getting three quotes, was pretty challenging. Thank you Sarah. Thanks also to Christine our clerk and Mike Powell for their help and support to Sarah. We look forward to the opening event on Saturday May 23rd, along with the scarecrow festival.
The dog bins contractor failed us badly last autumn, and with unemptied bins on a regular basis, we changed to a new contractor in January, who has provided an excellent service to date, for less money together with regular invoicing.
The defibrillator has had to be renewed. We thank Richard Macdonald for his help and advice to Will Priestman.
The village grass cutting continues to be carried out to a high standard by C.M G.
under the watchful eye of Neil Higginson.
The council now has its own dedicated web site, designed by Karen Baldry and she is working closely with Colin Wootton on the village web site.
Lisa Roberts stood down as newsletter editor in September and our thanks to her for her contribution. Fortunately two new residents Victoria Barker and Kat Farmer have taken the editorship jointly, bringing new initiatives with them. Thanks must go to the many deliverers of the newsletter especially Kym and Tony Keatley who do the sorting and generally make sure that all runs smoothly.
The village library in the Church continues to be well used, and my thanks to Susan Sanderson for her work as librarian. Also to Jo Peppiatt for the coffee morning, where £76 was raised for the Church and £80 was donated to the Childrens society from the generosity of the library users.
My thanks also to Maureen Jeffrey for looking after the planter near the village shop and Tony Keatley for the many small practical jobs he does for the village.
Sulgrave I believe is in a good place, with the new families that have moved here in the last few years, many of whom have soon integrated into our friendly and welcoming community. Something that we as a village should be proud of. It means therefore that octogenarians like myself can soon take a back seat.
Finally my thanks to my fellow councillors for their part in the P.C. We are in my view a team, working voluntarily for Sulgrave taking pride in what we do, steered at all times by our excellent conscientious clerk Christine, whose guidance and knowledge of local government is much appreciated. Thank you Christine.
Reports were received from the following:
Parish Council. Cllr Richard Fonge.
Parochial Church Council and Hall. Shrimp Christy and Andrew Dixon.
Village Shop. Charles Smyth-Osbourne.
Sulgrave Charities. Paul Crowley.
Footpaths. Paul Crowley.
Village Website. Colin Wootton.
West Northants Council. Cllr Alison Eastwood.
Sulgrave Manor. Cllr Will Priestman.
Allotments. Parish Council.
Richard Fonge. Chairman. 2.4.2026.