WNC News – September newsletter

On this page you can view the latest news from West Northamptonshire Council. Visit their website at: https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/

WNC Town & Parish Briefing – Monthly Comprehensive Newsletter

WNC News Releases – highlighted by East Farndon Parish Council

July 17th 2023 – Cabinet approves plans to seek public’s views on social housing allocations in West Northants

Bench Under the Beech Tree

New Footpath Warden for the East Farndon Parish

After many years of excellent work, Alan Langley is standing down as the Footpath Warden for the East Farndon Parish. Huge thanks to Alan for giving his time to walk our large network of paths identifying issues that need to be rectified in order that everyone can enjoy our stunning rural community at all times of the year. We are pleased to announce that Jonny Dargie is taking over from Alan and will officially become our new Footpath Warden from September 1st 2023. If you have any questions or need to report any problems with our footpaths, please email our Parish Clerk, Caroline Burton and she will pass the details to Jonny. Thank you Alan and welcome Jonny!

Reopening the Northampton to Market Harborough Railway – Sept 30th – have your say

The English Regional Transport Association will be holding a meeting in Northampton on the 30th September 2023 with a discussion due to take place on the re-opening of the Northampton to Market Harborough railway line. The meeting will be held in Quaker House, Wellington Street, Northampton. 2pm to 4pm, 30th September. 

The line closed in 1981 and has since been used as a cycle way and footpath as well as by the Northampton Lamport Steam Railway. The ERTA believes that reopening the line will confer many benefits to those living in the region including improved passenger links to Leicester, Nottingham and the North, as well as a reduction in road haulage traffic. 

Significant public support will be required to lobby local and national government to request a feasibility study be conducted on reopening the former line. The meeting will provide an opportunity to ask questions related to this plan as well as to learn more about the ERTAs activities nationwide.

For more information you can visit the ERTAs events page at https://ertarail.co.uk/events/

Read more on this story by clicking this link: https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/arts-and-culture/reopening-the-northampton-to-market-harborough-railway-4275948

In Memoriam – Dr Mark Biggin

Dr Mark Biggin

18th May 1935 to 14th August 2023

It is with great sadness that the family of Dr Mark Biggin announces his death at the age of 88. Moving to East Farndon in 1965, Mark was resident here for 58 years and made many friends in the village.

Born in Leeds in 1935, Mark trained at Guy’s Hospital as a Doctor later working in Burton-upon-Trent and various places in England. He moved to Market Harborough in 1964, working initially at Bowden House on the Northampton Road and then at Market Harborough Medical Centre on the Coventry Road.

Mark met Shirley at Guy’s when she was training as a Nurse. They went on to have 3 children: Andrew, Alison and Helen; and 6 grandchildren: Oliver, Duncan, Ashleigh, Ella, Oscar and Matias. As well as enjoying campervan holidays, Mark loved photography, woodturning and growing sweet peas.

A Service of Thanksgiving will be held on Friday, 1st September at 2.30pm at St John the Baptist’s Church, East Farndon. This will be followed by refreshments at the Village Hall. All are welcome.

East Farndon Community Speedwatch 2023 now underway

East Farndon is participating in Community Speedwatch for a 4 week period from Saturday August 19th 2023. You will see our volunteers out monitoring speeds at a number of locations within the village and at varying times during the day and early evening. In addition, please be aware that the Police will also be visiting East Farndon on a regular basis and they will be carrying out their own roadside checks and issuing fixed penalties or advice where appropriate.

There is still an opportunity to get involved as a Speeedwatch volunteer. If you are interested, or have any queries, please email Bernie Fallon at bfallon.efpc@gmail.com

Bench Under the Beech Tree

Warning – Police will ticket vehicles that obstruct pavements in East Farndon

Despite repeated requests and warnings, the issue of parking on pavements in East Farndon continues to be a problem. Our local Police are now going to keep a close watch and everyone should be aware that they will ticket vehices if they are found to be parking in a manner that obstructs pavements. The Police will follow a 2 step process,

Step 1 – a leaflet / letter will be left on the offending vehicle(s) warning drivers not to obstruct / park on pavement.

Step 2 – if no improvement – Fixed Penalty Notice by post AND removal of the vehicle (not one or the other).

The Parish Council has previously contacted the Police to resolve this issue which obstructs pedestrians, in particular buggies and mobility scooters. The Police advised that streets in East Farndon have no parking restrictions so vehicles can park on the road, but in any event, a space 1 METRE WIDE on the pavement should be left so people can get past safely. In addition, if a vehicle is parked on the road, especially on Main Street / Harborough Road, drivers must ensure that it is not parked on a blind bend so that traffic has good visibility in both directions. Thank you everyone!

If you have any questions, please email our Parish Clerk, Caroline Burton

New bench in memory of Mark Ellis

There is now a new bench on the footpath in Hall Close, the field behind Redbrick Cottage. The bench was kindly donated to the Parish Council by Sue Ellis, in memory of her late husband, Mark, who lived in East Farndon and loved walking in the parish. The Parish Council extends its thanks to Sue, and Tom & Alice Joule for allowing the bench to be placed there. We hope residents will enjoy the views afforded from the bench.