Farewell from Alan
In last month’s Melton Messenger you were promised a few words from me to say farewell. A lot has happened in the last month. Firstly we had a very well-attended Annual Parish Meeting with some interesting speakers and the annual Melton Awards were presented. In particular the recently renamed Woodbridge and Melton Society gave a talk about their activities and how their blue plaques are awarded.
Secondly we had the District Council elections where I stood as a candidate but was not successful in my bid to represent Melton at that level. My campaign mainly consisted of me delivering leaflets to every home I could find and often accompanied by my Labrador Retriever Hector. The Melton boundary is not as distinct as you would expect and at one point I was well in sight of Ufford where the houses receive the Ufford Punch rather than this magazine but I was still in Melton!
The results are out and results in a big change of Councillors at East Suffolk Council. For me I thought that after 12 years on Melton Parish Council a change would be good for me and the council. So much has been achieved when I look back over the years.
Melton Parish Council has a maximum of 15 Councillors and currently has 13 elected and 1 co-opted Councillors so there is one remaining vacancy. I know of at least one person who is interested in joining so the Council will be back to full strength very soon. I leave the council in the knowledge that the good work will continue.
So thank you all for reading my notes and thanks for all your support, no doubt I will see you at the fete.
Alan Porter
Former Chair – Melton Parish Council
Melton Award Winners
At the Annual Parish Meeting, the Melton Award was presented to three Melton residents in recognition of the service they give to the village. Carol and John Duce received the award for all the work they do running Melton Old Church and keeping it going as a venue for everybody in Melton. Martin Wilks received the award for all the hard work he does for Melton by being the Tree Warden and running the Tree Crew.
Catch Up from Carol – Melton Parish Council News – June 2023
Having bought my house in Melton in 2010, one of my earliest thoughts was how could I get involved in the village? I have always had an interest in local communities and working with the Parish Council seemed like a great opportunity. Having met William Grosvenor, our now retired Clerk, to discuss whether I would be of any help, I joined the Council in 2017. I’ve learnt a lot about what it is like to live in a semi-rural location and what is important to many of us. Traffic, controlled development of green space and Sizewell C have all been high on the agenda along with the village fete and other community events.
My thanks go to our former Chair, Alan Porter, who spent a great deal of time representing the views of the Council and the local residents. Under his leadership, the Parish Council has delivered a great legacy. It’s also important to remember that the Parish Councillors are all unpaid volunteers.
Last year was a busy one for the Council with the delivery of some long awaited and major projects including the Pavilion at the Recreation Ground, complete with public toilet, car parking near Winifred Fison House, improvements at the Jubilee Green at Hall Farm Road and two island crossings on Melton Road/Melton Hill.
The focus for the forthcoming year will be improvements to the play equipment at Beresford Drive and the Recreation Ground. We also hope to install a bike pump track at the Recreation Ground. We continue to make improvements to the land that was divested to us from East Suffolk Council.
We’ve moved to monthly Full Council meetings, with no meeting in August and November. Details of the meetings are on the parish noticeboards and the website and all members of the public are welcome.
I hope that during the next few years I can follow Alan’s lead, and along with my fellow Councillors to do my bit so we can continue to enjoy the beauty and community of our village and further improve our local facilities.
Beresford Drive Play Park Public Consultation
If you didn’t make it along to the consultation you can still let us know your thoughts on what improvements you would like to see by completing our online survey: www.melton-suffolk-pc.gov.uk/beresforddrive/
Traffic Concerns
A group of local Parish Councils, including Melton, concerned about the increased traffic levels resulting from housing developments and the expansion of Bentwaters, have instigated a meeting with the new CEO of East Suffolk Council. They hope to engage in a meaningful discussion on how to have feasible development, that acknowledges the actual capacities available in our rural environment.
Carol Gradwell
Chair, Melton Parish Council
