Reports and Minutes from the Blewbury Annual Parish Meeting held on Wednesday 26th April 2023 in the Village Hall

Annual Meeting of the Parish – Facilitated by the Parish Council

1. Opening remarks from the Chairman

Dermot Mathias opened the meeting by welcoming the attendees and talking through the Parish Council’s last 12 months.

2. Those present were invited to talk through their reports.

Reports were received in advance from:-

a. Parish Council Chairman – Dermot Mathias

b. Parish Council Planning Report (Lydia Inglis) & Financial report (Clerk)

c. County Councillor – Sally Povolotsky (present)

d. District Councillor – Hayleigh Gascoigne (present)

e. Village Hall Management Committee – Bruce Gibson

f. United Charities – Sheila Loy

g. Malthus Trust – Meirion James

h. Blewbury School – Ann Parham

i. Blewbury Pre School – Philippa Weedon

j. Blewbury Local History Group – Audrey Long (present)

k. Blewbury Players – Steve White (present)

l. Oxfordshire Wildlife Rescue – Anni Byard (present)

Anni explained the current activities of the OWR & in order to increase awareness of this in the village, Anni to write an article for the Bulletin.

m. Speed Watch – Jill Ingoldby (present)

n. Police Liaison Team – PCSO Gary Kirby

o. Sustainable Blewbury – Anne Millman gave a verbal update on behalf  of Sustainable Blewbury, who held their own AGM in the previous  week. Anne mentioned some of the ongoing key activities of the group such as the repair café/permaculture/Quaker woodland. The ‘Thames Water’ nature reserve will become the responsibility of SB when      charitable status is achieved. The group is also working with the school & the local history group, and would like to work with OWR.

3. Open Forum

3.1 Those present expressed ideas for next year’s APM including:-

a. Publishing reports ahead of the meeting (village web site, Facebook BPC & BVS pages)

b. Groups represented to have their own table & invite attendees to move around the tables (similar to a ‘Freshers Week’ or ‘World Cafe’ arrangement)

c. Ensure all communications channels are used to advertise the meeting (Bulletin, Stop Press, web site, FB)

3.2 A ‘Welcome to Blewbury’ pack for newcomers to the village was also raised.

3.3 The purpose of an annual Parish Meeting is clarified below:-

The purpose of the meeting is to give the Parish Council, along with other local    organisations, an opportunity to let local residents know what they have been doing over the past year. The meeting is also an opportunity for residents to have a say on anything they consider valuable to the people of the Parish. The meeting can also be an opportunity for local groups, clubs, societies and other voluntary and statutory organisations to provide an exhibition and/or have representatives from the group address those present at the meeting about the work they do and what they are involved in. Parish Councils throughout England are required by law to hold an Annual Parish Meeting, which must take place between 1 March and the 1 June, although this meeting is not a Parish Council meeting. Meetings should not commence before 6pm. The Annual Parish Meeting is for all electors of the Parish. Anyone is welcome to attend the meeting, however only registered electors of the parish may speak and vote during the meeting.

4. Date of next meeting:- Wednesday 17^th April 2024 (TBC)

The meeting closed at 8.45pm.