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A BULLETIN FOR BURNHAM NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH COORDINATORS & THEIR
STREET MEMBERS
21st March 2008
"THINK BURNHAM".
Market Town Health Check.
A small group has formed in
Burnham with the encouragement of the County, District and Parish Council and
membership from some of the existing voluntary organisations to undertake what
is known as a "Market Town Health Check".
This exercise has a proven methodology and has been used successfully by many of the towns and large villages within Bucks and across the country. Its aim is to encourage local communities to think about how they would like to enhance their quality of life over the next three to twenty years.
The group has adopted the name "Think Burnham". Its aim is to complete a survey amongst all those who live, work and/or care about Burnham and report back on your ideas over the coming year. The outcome of the survey will be a list of action items to improve the life of Burnham.
The survey will focus on four particular areas.
A special effort will be made to learn the views of the young members of our community. There are notices about how to access the survey both electronically and in paper form. Copies will also be included in Round and About. The "Think Burnham" Group will be present at local events over the next year seeking your input and updating on progress.
If you have a real interest in helping to shape how the "Think Burnham" Group goes about undertaking this survey, please contact its Chairman, Viv Nicholas on 01628-661887.
To 'kick start' the process, in
various locations around the village, (Medical Centre, Library, Churches & some
shops) you will find a small A5 sized "Think Burnham" leaflet asking everybody
to provide Two Ideas to help start the study. For your
convenience a copy is attached. Please
put on your thinking caps, come up with some creative ideas - (don't restrict
yourself to 2 if you have more) - preferably broadly relating to the four issues
above and return your suggestions to the post box at Burnham Health Centre,
Minniecroft Road or Burnham Library. And please get your children
participating too as their suggestions are also important.
THE CHERRY ORCHARD
At Monday's meeting of
the Parish Council's Recreation & Amenities Committee, it was agreed that a
request from a local business, Window Flowers, to purchase land at the Cherry
Orchard would be passed to the Finance & General Purposes Committee with a
recommendation that their application be turned down.
FEEDBACK FROM SLOUGH RINGMASTERS MESSAGES
Street drain covers now
seem to be joining the list of items being stolen on a regular basis around
Slough as a result of the rising prices of scrap metals. Please keep a regular
check on those in your street in case the thieves venture out into Burnham.
NEW /
REACTIVED NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH SCHEMES
There was an
enthusiastic set-up meeting on March 19th for a new NHW scheme being launched in
Eastfield Road and it is hoped that once this scheme is up and running it will
help to make a valuable contribution to vigilance in that part of Burnham. Two
new Coordinators for Cambridge Avenue also attended this meeting and the scheme
there is about to be reactivated.
THAMES WATER - ARE YOU PAYING TOO MUCH
FOR YOUR WATER?
For new Coordinators
and others who may not have been receiving bulletins a year ago when I first
mentioned this, it is possible that some homes around Burnham are paying too
much for their water rates as a number of roads do not have any street drains
(Well, at least they can't be stolen!). If this applies in your case and the
surface rainwater from your property drains away into soakaways rather than into
the drainage system, you will be entitled to a reduction in your water rates
bill. If you look at the small print under "How we Work Out Your Bill" on the
back of your last bill you will see you are entitled to a £16 reduction if your
property falls into this category. Ours apparently did and when I pointed this
out to other members, a number of them found they also qualified. So, if
your road doesn't have any street drains and you are unsure whether you qualify,
phone the Thames Water drainage line on 0845-9200-805. Have your account number
handy. If you are eligible for this rebate, you will not be able to claim a
refund for all the past years you've been paying at a higher rate. (We tried !)
EASTER AT ODDS FARM
If you're planning an
Easter outing for the children or grandchildren, a new Adventure Maze opens
there at Easter, and between 21 - 24 March there is an Easter Egg hunt around
the farm. But before you set off, save money on entrance fees and go to
www.yellowtom.com, (and click on Slough or Maidenhead on the
right hand side of the Home page. Yellowtom is a new online business directory
venture in which two of our NHW Coordinators are involved, and although still in
the early stages of development there are already some consumer
offers/discounts. Under the Tourist Attraction category you will find coupons
for Odds Farm which you can print off for "One Free Child Entrance with every
Adult". Print off as many coupons as you need as they won't accept photocopies.
This offer saves £5.95 for each child and is valid until December 2008. Other
businesses offering discounts are Car servicing, MOTs, Aircon, Image consultant,
Mind mapping/speed reading lesson, Horizons Bookshop and Natural Hair Room at 79
High Street, Burnham,
COUNCIL TAX PAYMENT DATES
If you're waiting for
your Council Tax bill to arrive and wondering whether you could spread the
direct debit payments over twelve months instead of ten, unfortunately South
Bucks, unlike some other Councils, will not allow you to do this. However, they
do offer a facility to vary the date on which your direct debit leaves your bank
account and you can set it up to be made on the 1st day, the 11th day or 21st
day (April 08 to January 09). This might be helpful to some individuals who
are self-employed or whose income does not arrive regularly on the same date
every month.
CAR FOR
SALE
Due to illness one of
our members has to dispose of their dark blue 5 door hatchback Toyota Yaris
semi-automatic 1296cc registered May 2007. With all extras including back
sensors, 5000 miles on clock. £10,199. If interested please contact Tel:
01628-604815
AVOID CENTRAL WINDSOR ON 25TH & 26TH
MARCH
There will be various
road closures due to the Troops Rehearsal (25th) and the State Visit of the
President of France (26th).
CONCERT, St Nicholas Church, Taplow, 29th March.
Renaissance
Singers are giving a concert called Beatus Vir. Tickets £13 including supper
and a glass of wine. Children under 16 free. Tickets from 01628 771689 or
01628 622911
1P ENERGY SAVING LIGHTBULBS
Tesco are currently
offering energy saving lightbulbs for 1p each (Offer limited to four per
customer.) Both bayonet & screw fit types available. Also available online,
although you will have to pay a delivery charge. Nearest large store likely to
have reasonable stocks is beside Slough Railway Station but you can check
location of other stores at
http://www.tesco.com/storelocator/.
A PASSING THOUGHT - FIGHTING FOR OUR
COMMUNITIES
I read the following
comment by a journalist this week "The good thing about this country, in
contrast to many, is that it has traditionally exhibited a certain care when it
comes to the needs of people who might be vulnerable. If you lose that care,
you lose the character of the nation, and that, I'm afraid, is a process already
well under way". He was talking about the proposed closure of so many post
offices which will devastate the life of many local communities, causing real
hardship to the elderly and those without transport. But he could equally well
be writing about the loss of other community facilities - our libraries, our
green spaces, sports facilities, etc. We are still fortunate to be keeping our
local High Street & Eastfield Road post offices although we may lose the one in
Burnham Lane but this issue is a wake-up call to all of us not to be complacent
about the facilities we take for granted and be prepared to fight for them.
Once lost, they are usually gone for ever.
A REQUEST PLEASE
!
A number of you e-mail me from time to time with comments or
information and it's always good to have your feedback. However, it sometimes
catches me on the back foot if I don't know who you are. I have a list of
Coordinators names and addresses, but not the names of their street members so
if you could provide your street address or a Coordinator's name in future it
would be helpful in letting me know where you live. Many thanks.
Happy Easter. Enjoy your break.
Wendy Strathdee
Area
NHW Coordinator
(wendy@strathdee.org.uk)
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