YAPTON PARISH COUNCIL

Who we are and what we do!

[A short guide for residents on Parish Council Services]

“We’ve got a Quality Council”

Who we are…..

The Parish Council is made up of 10 members elected for 4 years. The last election was held in May 2011. The current membership is as follows:

Stephen Haymes

(Chairman)

Chairman

Stephen Haymes, Woodlands Park House, Main Road, Yapton [Tel: 551475]

Vice-Chairman

Andy Faulkner, 6 The Poplars, Yapton [Tel: 555395]

Members

Derek Ambler, 11Graham Road, Yapton [Tel: 551156]

Mark Andrews, 1 The Poplars, Yapton [Tel: 554689]

John Bryan, 5 The Croft, North End Road, Yapton [Tel: 555813]

Michael Caiger, 44 Loveys Road, Yapton [Tel: 552435]

Tony Kendall, 15 Cherry Avenue, Yapton [Tel: 552033]

John Mills, Walnut Tree Cottage, Church Road, Yapton [Tel: 554765]

Richard Taft, 8 Wick Close, Felpham, Bognor Regis [Tel: 582997]

One Vacancy

………………

Clerk of the Council

David Tansley, 12 The Loop, Felpham, Bognor Regis [Tel: 582128]

What we do …..

The Parish Council normally meets bi-monthly in the Village Hall. The meetings are open to the public and all residents are welcome to attend. The dates of the meetings and the agenda are posted up on the Parish Council noticeboard and on our website (see below). The notice board is sited to the right of the entrance to the playing field/village hall car park opposite the Coop Store.

The main services which Yapton Parish Council provides to the local community are as follows:-

Allotments

The Council manages a very successful and popular allotment site situated off Cinders Lane comprising 50 “five-rod” plots. The plots are let out for a modest annual rental. All plots are normally taken and there is a waiting list. Please contact either Parish Councillor Mick Caiger or the Clerk for further details.

Street Lighting

The Council owns and maintains a number of street lights in the village. These are located in side roads off the main highway.

King George V Playing Field

The Council owns and manages the playing field in Yapton, which includes the car parking facilities for the Village Hall and nearby shops. The field is dedicated as a King George V Playing Field and as such it is protected “in perpetuity”. Good seating facilities are provided at strategic view points throughout the field including two picnic tables.

Adjoining the playing field there is the very popular children’s play area which was opened in August 2002 and is known as the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Children’s Play Area. The well maintained facilities include a range of the very latest play and climbing equipment for toddlers and young children together with picnic tables and seats for parents. Nearby to the children’s play area on the playing field is an enclosed floodlit Multi-use Games Area (MUGA) or “kickabout area” designed for 12 - 18 year olds. This features a hard-surfaced basketball/ five-a-side football pitch for local youngsters. Behind the MUGA, the Council has recently built a full-scale skate park, a facility, which has proved very popular with youngsters of all ages. A youth shelter and practice skateboard ramp and permanent goal posts complete the range of recreational facilities provided on the playing field.

The playing field itself is regularly used stoolball matches. Unfortunately the village cricket team had to be wound up a few years ago due to lack of interest and the football team has recently moved to an alternative venue. The field is regularly let to voluntary organisations for their fund-raising activities such as fetes and Coles Funfair visits for one week in October each year. The fair's visit culminates in a grand firework display on the Saturday evening.

Bus Shelters

The Council owns and maintains the 4 bus shelters in the village all sited along Bilsham Road.

Yapton & Ford Village Hall

The Council is a major stakeholder in the village hall which is sited on the playing field. The Parish Council leases the site to the Yapton & Ford Village Hall Management Committee, a charitable trust which manages the day-to-day operation and letting of the building. The Parish Council has assumed responsibility for the external maintenance of the building and three of its members serve on the Village Hall Management Committee. In the year 2000, the Council funded the cost of the Clock Tower on the village hall to commemorate the new Millennium. In 2005 it was instrumental in raising the necessary resources to fund the replacement of the defunct electric storage heaters with a new gas-fired central heating system and other internal improvements. More recently the Parish Council has secured funding to enable the complete refurbishment of the Main Kitchen, two kitchenettes and the bar facility within the village hall to bring these area up to modern day standards and health and safety requirements.

Planning Issues

The Council’s Planning Committee operating under the chairmanship of Andy Faulkner takes an active interest in all planning applications in the village and where appropriate observations or objection will be sent to the District Council.

Copies of all planning application for the village are posted up on the Parish Council’s notice board (sited opposite the Co-op Store) and the Council will be pleased to hear from any resident who has concerns about a particular application. However it must be stressed that the Planning Committee does not object in principle to all new developments but considers each application on its merits. It will listen to the views of residents but can only object on material planning grounds.

Grants to Voluntary Organisations

The Council regularly gives grants to local voluntary organisations to help with their on-going costs. Application forms for grant-aid are obtainable from the Clerk. Completed applications must be accompanied by a copy of the latest set of audited accounts. The Council considers applications for grant-aid once a year at its July meeting.

Parish Council Newsletter and Website

The Council publishes a regular newsletter “Yapton News” after each Parish Council meeting. This is made widely available and distributed to every household in the village. The Council has also established its own website [www.yaptonpc.gov.uk]. This, together with the bi-monthly newsletter, gives further details about the Council’s activities and is intended to keep the community informed and up-to date on all aspects of its work.

A "Quality" Council - What it means

Yapton Parish Council was the first Parish Council in the District and one of the first 100 in the country to be awarded "Quality Status".  This prestigious achievement recognises that the Council is run efficiently and effectively. It enables the Council to work much more closely and, in many cases, in partnership with other principal Authorities.

Quality Status benefits the community of Yapton by giving the Parish Council the opportunity to play an enhanced role in the provision of local services and it also allows the Council to become more involved in the decision-making process in respect of local issues affecting the community.

Please Help...

In order to maintain the Parish to a high standard, we rely on the assistance of members of the community. Whether it be anti-social behaviour, a litter problem or damaged play equipment we would like to know. If you observe anything that you feel requires attention, please let us know.

YPC Info for Residents