Good evening everybody - welcome to our Annual Parish Meeting when we look back at what the Parish Council has achieved during the last year.

This has been my second year as Chairman. I would like to start by thanking all our Parish Councillors and our Clerk for their support during the year. I think Alconbury has a very proactive Council which endeavours to take action whenever possible on all sorts of activities that are put before it. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our County and District Councillors who are always very willing to help us in any way they can. I feel we all work very well as a team.

I was very sorry to accept the resignation from three Councillors during the year, all of whom carried out tremendous work on behalf of the Council. Both Mary Watkin and Mark Brown served in the position of Chair as well as Councillors, and Vivienne Dyer took on many onerous tasks. I was very sorry to see them go, and would like to take this opportunity of thanking them once again. However, I was also pleased to welcome Ray Pickering and Roger Sale as new recruits and a third new Councillor will be chosen at the AGM tonight.

I am very proud to say that in July 2008 Alconbury Parish Council was awarded its Quality Status.Thank you again to everyone who worked so hard towards gaining this accreditation. As a result of this award, I think parishioners can be assured that their Parish Council acts in a proper and efficient manner in all aspects of its work.

There have been several important new initiatives during the last financial year. Firstly, the Parish Council has been desperately trying to find land for allotments for the village. We now have over 30 residents who have expressed a desire to rent an allotment. You may rest assured that the Council will continue to pursue this project until it has been brought to a satisfactory conclusion. We have also made real progress with the enhancement of Bramble End playground and hope to see this project well under way within the next few months. The Parish Council has also received considerable support for its idea of a community orchard or fruit trail within the village. These are other projects that may be pursued when resources become available. The Council has also continued with the development of an Emergency Plan, something which it feels to be very appropriate for the community, maybe even more so now that the Environment Agency has informed us that the Flood Alleviation Scheme for the village will not go ahead. In the absence of a Scheme, the Parish Council is keen to make sure that any help is readily available for anyone at risk of flooding.

The Council has also been very vigilant on major planning issues in the area, liaising whenever possible with appropriate authorities on any proposed development on the airbase and trying to ensure that the village is protected as much as possible from any adverse effects from re-routing of the A14. It has met with the new owners of Truckstop and is pleased to support the re-opening of this facility. It has also met with the developers of Northbridge in Stukeley and has worked with the District and County Council to ensure that we do not lose our Post Office which is so vital to the community.

The Youth Group in the village continues to thrive and is fully supported by the Parish Council. Thank you to everyone who gives their time and effort to this very worthwhile venture. There is always a shortage of adults to help with the club, so if any of you are interested in getting involved, please do get in touch.

We have continued to publish the bi-monthly Newsletter which I think is still very popular. I feel it is very important to keep the community as up to date as possible with Parish Council activities.

The Parish Council has continued to financially support various groups within the village, and I am very pleased that the amount donated this year increased to £2,100. I would like to encourage local groups to continue to ask the Parish Council for financial assistance as money is set aside for such requests.

I've enjoyed my second year in the Chair. It‚'s been a busy year. I would like to say again that I think the village is very fortunate to have a team of people who are extremely willing and able to donate their time voluntarily to their community, and I am very grateful for their support. Thank you.

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