YOU HAVE GOT THE POWER

The basic task of the Parish Plan Steering Group is complete and their Community Report is still available at locations around the village. It is proving very popular and a reprint has just been made. The Parish Council is now pressing forward with the necessary actions to bring the wishes of the community to fruition.  It can only do this with the active participation of the community and an advisory group has been established to enable all, who wish to do so, to get involved in the future of Congresbury.  This group needs your participation.

Just recently there have been two well publicised campaigns within the village supported by different groups of residents and with different degrees of success.

The first was by parents of young children being denied access to the local infant school which led to North Somerset Council's complete reversal of their previous decision to limit numbers. The campaign was orchestrated by the PTA, using the internet as well as the press to great effect.

The second was lower profile but equally heart-felt and was again a response to a possible decision by the District Council, this time to close our library. On this occasion local TV was used to back up the letters of protest sent by residents who responded to appeals for support with great enthusiasm.  That battle has been won for the moment although the war may yet go on.

Alongside of these very public issues, smaller differences to the quality of life in the village are being made, such as clearing the churchyard, which was done by a very small group of individuals.  The saving of important monuments within it is also under way funded from a variety of sources within the village as well as the Parish Council.

At a time when it sometimes seems we are totally at the mercy of forces outside of our control, these small but effective victories have been achieved by ordinary people, working together, with the support of organisations including the Parish Council and the local District Councillor. They prove that we do have the power to make a difference if we have the will to do so, and all work in partnership with each other. The Parish Plan survey, and the subsequent Community Report, highlighted several areas that can be tackled by just such partnerships to effect significant improvements to our village.

This survey of the community identified that communication within the village was not as good as people would wish.  It was also identified that there is a need to help people to engage positively in things that make the village work as a community. In order for this to happen good communication is essential.   A group is now in place to make sure that everybody in Congresbury is much better informed than previously about the things which affect their life in the village.

On the evening of 27th March there will be an open village meeting in the Old School Rooms to explain just how you can become involved in an area of interest to you by working with like-minded people. Mark the date in your diary, and come along and find out what you could do to make Congresbury an even better place in which to live.  At the village meeting on March 27th the key issues of the future Parish Plan for Congresbury will be presented in order to get feedback from the community.  A potential upgrade to the Village Meeting Facilities including the Old School Rooms will be one of these issues.  Other key issues will be Sustainability, and Community Spirit.  The meeting will include separate workshops for the three items to be covered.  More details of this meeting will be widely publicised closer to the date. 

As part of the upgrade of village meeting facilities an in depth feasibility study into upgrading the Parish Council owned ‘Old School Room’ buildings would be needed.  The objective of such an upgrade would be to provide vastly improved facilities for the activities already carried out there, together with providing additional youth facilities. Any upgraded facilities would need to provide a multi use centre and include a hall, and function/meeting rooms.  It would also need to make provision for the parish office, library, and cyber/youth café.  It would also have to be suitable for use in the 21st century with regard to both energy efficiency and IT provision.  It would be essential to show that a robust business case exists in order to ensure that any new development is self financing and does not become a financial burden on the community itself.  It is also very important that any upgrade to the Old School Rooms is not done in a way which is detrimental to other existing village facilities.

If you cannot wait until the meeting on the 27th. March to get involved yourself in the development of Congresbury to suit the needs of today, and future years, please contact Pete Sewell on 832523 for more information.