Chairmans Report (May 2025)

This is my final report because, after 26 years as a Councillor and over half those years as Chairman, I am retiring at the end of the AGM. It has been a privilege and honour to serve the locality but now it is time to make way for younger people. I will continue to organise our Community speed watch sessions, arrange for group oil deliveries for anyone who has oil central heating and send out email alerts when I hear about delays on local roads or any police warnings.

It is very encouraging that some of the newer members of the Parish Council are taking an active part in our duties of not only taking decisions for and on behalf of our residents but also playing an active role in making this parish a safe and pleasant place to live.

I am pleased to report that a defibrillator for Ridley has been ordered and will shortly be installed outside Skip Brown's premises on the A49 and we are grateful for the owners' permission to have it there. The cabinet will be locked to prevent theft and vandalism. If you are aware of someone who has become ill and might need a defibrillator, the correct procedure is to dial 999 and describe the emergency. If the operator thinks a defibrillator is needed, they will give you the code to open the cabinet. The machine itself will guide you through the method of use until an ambulance or First Responder can reach the patient.

The playing field in Bulkeley is being used very frequently now, both for children playing games and on a Sunday morning for all ages taking part in a 'boot camp' under the guidance of Phil Holdcroft. Play equipment will be installed soon, including a short Ninja trail. We have received from Mrs Andrea Newton the generous donation of a shed which will be used to store the equipment used by the boot camp participants. In addition, we plan to install some sort of large box or container for items such as footballs which will be freely available for use by children playing on the field. We hope parents will encourage their children to use the items responsibly and return them to the container afterwards.

Idina Hastings