May 2020 – May 2021
This year has been a difficult time for everyone. Corvid-19 has affected all of us in one way or another and continues to do so. To those residents who have lost family members, friends or colleagues I offer my condolences on behalf of the Parish Council.
The pandemic has affected the normal operation of the Parish Council in a number of ways. But we have continued to hold meetings remotely. Activities at the Memorial Hall were either limited or suspended over this time. Football matches on the Recreation Ground were not allowed and the pavilion was closed. This resulted in a significant loss of income for the Parish Council but these losses were offset by grants made available by RMBC.
Some of the achievements of the year were new equipment for the Recreation Ground play area, the introduction of remote CCTV to discourage anti social behaviour, the formation of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme and collaboration with the Environment Agency, Harworth Estates and Yorkshire Water to prevent surface water flooding. The campaign for noise reduction measures, created as a result of the A630 Parkway widening scheme, continued during the year and this remains ongoing. We also arranged a “blitz day” by RMBC to clean the mini roundabout in front of the Plough shop.
Members of the Parish Council worked with officers from Clifton Park museum on a project to promote the glass kiln in Catcliffe. This culminated in an amazing light projection into the kiln on a very cold April evening. Unfortunately due to Covid restrictions only a limited number of people experienced this spectacular light show. Hopefully we may be able to repeat this or something simulator later in the year.
During the lockdown we couldn’t organise Parish Council litter picks. However this didn’t stop councillors Shaun and John Pashley from giving up their own time to do a fantastic job clearing the village of litter and unwanted vegetation, from one end to the other. Special thanks to Shaun and John for their tremendous work.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Sarah Youngman for all her hard work and dedication as clerk to the Parish Council and also give a warm welcome, offer best wishes and good luck to our new clerk Jill Samuels in her new role.
Garry Marsh Chairman, Catcliffe Parish Council