As somebody who has lived and worked in Stapleford for most of my life, and as a parish councillor, I really do believe that we have a Parish Council that is committed to trying to solve many issues we face as a community. I am proud to be involved in the decision-making process with like-minded individuals who volunteer their time for the benefit of others and to improve our village. The only downside is the struggle we have in encouraging others to join us on the Parish Council!
It worries me what reservations or misconceptions residents have which make them reluctant to stand as parish councillors. I promise, we are just like everyone else: we have busy lives and families, but we try to find a bit of time to spend on things that are important and benefit us all.
Could you contribute some expertise to the Parish Council, whether it be financial know-how, supporting green projects, community infrastructure, or the day-to-day upkeep of parish buildings and green spaces?
High on our agenda for the foreseeable future is reducing our environmental impact by introducing measures to reverse the decline of our fauna and flora, and improving the green credentials of our public buildings and spaces.
One such project is reconfiguring the Jubilee Pavilion to make it more accessible to a wider range of users and more cost-efficient to run. We recently had a ‘green report’ done to highlight areas we could improve upon and we are now sourcing initial input from architects on how to make better use of the existing footprint of the building.
The general ideas we have asked them to explore are: reconfiguring the existing layout to provide us with unisex and disabled toilets, plus a toilet facility accessible from outside; the potential for installing air source heating; carving out another smaller meeting hall; extending the kitchen area with the addition of a bar through to the main hall; and erecting an outdoor shaded area on the west side of the Pavilion. We’d like to cover the latter with solar panels to power the building if orientation and security issues can be overcome.
We would welcome any input and are open to suggestions from residents. If you would like to join the Parish Council to assist us or just volunteer your time as a resident in support of Parish Council projects, we would love to hear from you.
Cllr Michael Gatward, April 2022