Saints Alive: Stanhoe and Barwick Newsletter

February 2010

The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal

Stanhoe house to house collectors, The Crown and All Saints Church collection between them raised the excellent total in 2009 of £539.05. This compares with £401.80 raised the previous year and represents an increase of 34% in a deep recession. My very grateful thanks are due to everyone who contributed in any way.

If anyone wishes to show support for The Royal British Legion for the rest of the year between the November poppy appeals, small enamel poppy pins are now available for a donation, which will go to the poppy appeal, and these may be obtained from me (phone 518033).

As membership of the Legion is no longer restricted to those who have served h HM Armed Forces, who not consider joining? The annual subscription is just £11 per head and that money too, contributes to the welfare of ex-service personnel.

Pamela Austin, Honorary Poppy Appeal Organiser, Sedgeford &District branch, The Royal British Legion).

Update on Community Information Point

As previously reported, we have approval to open a CIP in the Reading Room, which means internet access for all. The Borough Council provides the equipment primarily to enable residents to access the Council’s website and information, but the facility can legitimately be used for any internet application. Stanhoe will be provided with a computer, a printer and a workstation, along with ink and paper. There is thus no need to own a computer, and there will be no major cost to using the facility, although in due course we will have to fund our own replacement printer consumables, so a very small charge may be made.

When the CIP is open, there will always be a volunteer on hand to guide users, giving demonstration, support and practical assistance. Your privacy will be respected, and we will help, within our own capabilities, you to make whatever use you wish of the equipment – maybe printing your own photographs, for example, as well as browsing, shopping, or researching on the “world wide web”. If there is anyone else who would be prepared to give an hour occasionally to assist, or anyone who would come along and make tea for users and help to make it a social occasion for the village, please inform Pamela (518033) or Yvonne (518148).

Wanted

The Archive Group are looking for a photo with Mrs Bloy’s shop in it, as several people remember it fondly. Please look at any photos that you have featuring the road between the pond and the cross. If you have a photo we should love to borrow it to copy for the Archive. Please lend it to Pamela Austin or Rosemary Brown. We are also looking for information on the Chapels, especially the (closed) Wesleyan Chapel. If you know anyone that attended it, or you have any information, please let us bow. Many thanks.

Duck refuge on the village pond

The Parish Council has received a proposal to construct an island on the village pond to provide a refuge for the ducks (and, presumably, the geese) on the pond. This could provide a sanctuary away from the traffic and keep the ducks and geese safe from predators. Needless to say, the council would not take any action without the consent of the villagers and with this in mind, it would like to hear your views, for or against the idea. Please speak to any councillor or the chairman, Terry Austin (518033). If the idea is favourably received, it would require funding and could, perhaps, be done in conjunction with a spring clean/deepening of the pond bed when the water level is low which, admittedly, may not be for some time.

Proposed wind farm

Between Stanhoe, South Creake and Syderstone, now known as Jack’s Lane wind farm being planned by Renewable Energy Systems Ltd (RES) currently involves 20 turbines of 2.3MW each, giving a total installed capacity of 46MW. The project is sometimes referred to as Bluestone Farm. RES project manager Simon Peltenburg has been keeping Stanhoe Parish Council chairman Terry Austin up-to-date on the progress of the project. In summary: The maximum number of turbines is now 20 (previously RES suggested 30) and are likely to be Siemens 2.3W machines with a hub height of 80m and a blade length of 45m, giving a total maximum height to the blade tips of 126m. (The existing anemometer mast, just visible from Barwick Road is 70m high). The closest turbine to Stanhoe will probably be 1.5–2km away, though the positions of individual turbines are still open to discussion.

Since the total capacity is now below 50MW, planning consent would be the responsibility of the Borough Council. If consent is rejected, there would be a public enquiry. If there were no holdups in the planning process, the turbines would not be in place before early 2012. Consent would be for 25 years, after which the turbines would have to be demolished or refurbished. At the start of the project, RES will be obliged to deposit a bond large enough to pay for the turbines to be demolished.

The construction phase would take around a year. Large loads would enter the site from the south, via Hyde Park on the B1454 and Barwick Road. To avoid two-way traffic in Barvwck Road, empty lorries might have to pass through Stanhoe. Power would be exported by underground cable, not overhead lines. The site would provide permanent jobs for 2 people.

RES would commit to paying an annual community benefit fund of £2000 per megawatt installed. Public consultation is likely to begin in November with the distribution of newsletters by RES. The Parish Council is keen to hear the views of resident, both for and against the proposal. At this stage a planning application has not been made.

Stanhoe Social Club

A meeting will be held on Friday 5th February at 8.30pm to discuss the continuation of the Social Club as at present we only have 8 committee members and the legal requirement is 10 and apparently more are going to resign. Due to the lack of villagers joining, this could be leading to the closure of a popular village amenity. So no dates have been set for bingo, quizzes or any other events. If you want to keep this village amenity, more committee members are needed and volunteers to help with all the events, otherwise it will be goodbye to Stanhoe Social Club!