Clerk: Bobs Damerell, [brill.parish@gmail.com]. Please see our website [www.brillparishcouncil.co.uk] for councillors’ roles and email addresses.
Purpose
Brill Parish Council exists to serve the civil parish of Brill Parish, building a safe, sustainable, harmonious, and productive community.
Successes in the last 12 months
Community & Groups
On-going work with Brill With Ukraine group to support Ukrainian families settling in Brill including language training, helping them feel at home, liaison with Bucks Council and other bodies; a role for which we have received a Pride of Bucks award.
Supporting numerous local events and groups throughout the year with promotion on the Brill Parish Council & Community website, social media and posters.
Promoting the on-going Aylesbury Vineyard foodbank collection and moving the location to the bus shelter so the phone box is always available for use.
Supporting Brill Community Market with public liability insurance.
Environment & Amenities
Building upon last year’s management plan for Brill Common in association with BBOWT, going from strength to strength with our partnerships with community groups and volunteers working on the common. Continued participation in Bernwode-Otmore-Ray farmer cluster group with surrounding landowners.
Setting aside no-mow areas on The Green to promote biodiversity and support bee populations, these areas being marked by attractive wooden signs kindly produced by a resident.
Leisure, Sport & Play
Continuing to build a good working relationship with The Brill Society who manage Brill Windmill on our behalf, including working together to survey and repair the sails. Also setting up a separate committee to work together to take forward a plan to purchase Hartwell’s Barn and Saunders Field for the longterm benefit of the whole community.
Operating an effective online booking scheme for public use of the MUGA.
Communications
Paying a resident to keep our website and Instagram feed up-to-date, and produce a monthly email and print newsletter.
Maintaining a Facebook page for Brill Parish Council.
Business & Meetings
Continuing with our finance and budget meetings and developing processes which help us to deal equitably with parish issues.
Continuing with Dropbox as an online depository of documents and ensuring contingency planning for smooth handover to the next council.
Continuing to develop and refine policies to support the work of the parish council and interactions with residents.
Working on contingency and emergency planning to enable the work of the parish council to continue with minimal disruption in future years.
Roads & Traffic
Purchasing and installing two speed indicator devices, with financial support from the Community Board.
Submitting an application to join a Buckinghamshire Council scheme to install high-speed electric vehicle charging points. The application was successful, and two charging points are planned for the Memorial Hall car park. Bucks Council have put the work out to tender and the project in expected to be realised in 2025.
Challenges in the last 12 months
Running an effective council despite having only four (out of seen) councillors.
Working to raise funds to purchase Hartwell’s Barn and Saunder’s Field, alongside The Brill Society and other village groups. This project is progressing and ongoing!
The high expectations of the community - and our own enthusiasm! So many worthy ideas - and so little time.
Finding on-going homes for our Ukrainian community.
There have been long delays to Highways-related projects due to changes at Bucks Council. A new contractor and management procedures are now in place and the Parish Council is continuing to press for permanent bollards to be installed outside the Memorial Hall and for replacement village signs (one of which was damaged by shotgun pellets a couple of years ago).
Concerns about speeding in the village have been raised with Bucks Council, the Community Board, and our district councillor - but there are no funds (and little will?) to support the imposition of a 20mph speed limit.
There was a near-miss incident in the village; a child was nearly struck by a van near the fire station. This could have been very serious. Residents are reminded to drive carefully in the village, park considerately to keep the sight lines at junctions clear (particularly on the Windmill Street corner), and to ensure that traffic signs adjacent to their properties are not obstructed by overhanging vegetation.
How can parish councillors and Clerk best support each other in the coming year?
We will continue to build our team by respecting and listening, discussing, using available evidence, reaching compromise where needed, and doing our best to implement decisions fairly and efficiently.