The following is the text of the report delivered by Danusia Morsley, the Chair of Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council, at the annual parish meeting on 28 April. These were taken from the minutes, which also include reports supplied by a number of local groups.

This report covers the period April 2024 to April 2025. This time last year we were without a custodian following the death of Frank Stansfield. It’s a pleasure to report that public contributions contributed to a seat in the grazing area with a plaque commemorating Frank. Last summer Jay Sylla took on that job and is doing a great job of looking after the Fairground and the other bits of the village that the Council is responsible for.

On 6th June we joined the country in marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day with the lighting of a beacon. Very soon, on May 8th, we will have the 80th anniversary of VE Victory in Europe Day. This will also be marked by the lighting of a beacon plus singing by the Hurst Choir and an opportunity to join in patriotic singing. The H&G will be serving fish & chips.

At the end of 2024 we said good bye to Lynn Hannawin who as clerk and assistant clerk before that, had kept the Parish Council running smoothly for many years. We have been very fortunate to find Danielle Davis as her replacement. Danielle is a Mortimer girl and has hit the ground running and is keeping us all in order. She and Sallyann make a great team in the office. Do remember that the Parish Office is open to the public Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday if you have an issue you think we might be able to help with.

Another way of getting in touch with us is via one of the monthly occasions where you can find a couple of councillors eager to hear what you want to tell or ask them. They are on a Saturday morning 10 – 11 at Mortimer Bistro and in the Horse & Groom on a Tuesday evening 7 to 8 . The dates each month are on posters round the village, the website and are being renamed – Pint with a Councillor and Coffee with a Councillor

During the year we have lost three councillors. twi from resignations and one sadly due to the death of John Wells. John was a Mortimer man born and bred; a much-respected councillor and we miss his presence and contributions. We have welcomed two new councillors quite recently: Jayne Todd and Ryan Saunders. We look forward to working with them and gaining benefit from their skills and experience. As of this moment we still have one vacancy, so please do come and talk to us if you think you might be interested in serving your village and helping decide how we spend your money.

Looking at the public comments/questions this time last year:

• The boards have been updated
• We have got the police, fire, school here as requested this year
• There is no change from GWR re a carpark at the station
• The council is actively engaged with WBC re parking along The Street new St Mary’s School. WBC needs to undertake public consultation to add yellow lines.

The work of the Council has developed a lot over recent years. We had a discussion at the end of last summer about how we could better organise ourselves to reflect what we actually need to do. The results of that discussion are that from 15th May (when we have our annual Parish Council Meeting) we will be working with a different committee structure. The current Fairground & Cemetery Committee is bravely taking on the Commons and various other bits of land we look after and is renamed Estate Management Committee. The current Planning Committee will also be considering highways and footpath issues and is renamed Planning &

Highways Committee. The Roads, Footpaths & Commons is no more. But we will have a new committee, the Community Committee. This will bring under one umbrella the newsletter, website, surgeries and new ways we will communicate with you. It will administer the Community Grants and Community Award and also explore how it can support the many not-for-profit groups in the village to make Mortimer even better. I am hoping that individuals from the community may be co- opted onto this committee to work together. I expect that the new committee will want to undertake some form of public consultation to find out what you think we should be doing.

During the year a vast amount of work has been undertaken in revising all our policies, mainly by Graham Bridgman. I would like to report that we have the most polished and consistent set of policies that I have ever seen in any context!

During the last year we were awarded the Foundation level of the Local Council Award Scheme. This shows we adhere to all the essential standards, with all the necessary documentation to operate lawfully and in accordance with established practices. The council aims to work towards further levels in the future.

Design work on the cemetery extension continued last year leading to tenders in the autumn. The tender was awarded to White Horse contractors who have recently started work. We expect the landscaping to be completed before the summer. This will include a memorial wall where plaques can be placed for those who ashes have been scattered elsewhere. We still have spaces in the current cemetery so there will be plenty of time for the new one to settle and become a place of tranquillity before it is needed.

Work on the cycleway to Burghfield continued all year. Sadly slow responses from WBC Highways at several points have caused further delays but we are creeping closer to preparing tenders for the construction.

This year under our Community Grant scheme we have given small grants (up to £1500) to Mortimer Music Live for two heavy duty gazebos for use as changing rooms etc during events, to Mortimer Table Tennis Club to fund a new free weekly table tennis session for teenagers, Mortimer Pre-School for specialist music teaching, Mortimer Warm Welcome towards provision of refreshments for attendees and The Oaks Childcare Club towards funding childcare for disadvantaged children.

A number of applications have been received outside the advertised period and have been asked to wait and reapply. The Community Committee will be looking at how best to administer these grants as fairly as possible within Mortimer. A new timetable will be announced and it is expected that there will be only one period for applications each year. Also I think that organisations cannot expect the same item to be funded by the Parish Council year on year. New funding needs will likely be given priority over repeat applications. But watch this space for information from the new committee.

A footpath to enable children and others to walk from the Community Centre to The Street not via the carpark was completed during the winter along with the utility square. This is used for the Christmas tree and beacons as required by the Council but we also encourage suggestions from the public as to ways it can be used throughout the year. It has a power supply.

With the support of District Councillor Nick Carter we have received match funding from WBC for the installation of a lockable water supply in the centre of the Fairground which can be made available to hirers of the Fairground. It will be in place in time for this year’s Fun Day on July 5th. A water supply will also be installed inside the Parish Council compound which can be used for cleaning the tennis courts etc.

The Parish Council is pleased to announce that it is supporting the Fun Day by providing the headline arena act, a daredevil acrobatic act, no not performed by councillors. The council is funding the spectacle of a parkour athlete, a trials bike rider and a BMX rider racing over large obstacles.

The Parish Council through Mike Dennett has continued to monitor the discharges from the Thames Water Pumping station. He has also led the work in monitoring speeding in the village through our SID and ASWC. The purchase of further devices to deter speeding is in the pipeline.

I’m pleased to be able to state that the precept we set for the financial year 2025/2026 means that the element of your Council Tax which comes to the Parish Council remains at 2022 levels. A Band D house paid £89.21 in 2022 and it is 12p less this year at £89.09.

I would like to thank all the councillors for their work this year. Parish Council work is a team effort. I had a significant period of ill-health during this year and would particularly like to thank Graham Bridgman for doing everything in my absence; the council relies on everyone taking their duties seriously but he has been an exceptional vice-chairman and made my role many times easier.

Along with Burghfield and Sulhamstead Parish Councils we have recently given notice to withdraw from an agreement with West Berkshire Council which required us to contribute more than £15k per annum to the running of Willink Leisure Centre. The Parish Council felt there are better ways to spend that money.

In response to a public question about the potential impact on services, Cllr G Bridgman provided background: the original agreement, established in 1996, was a joint venture between Berkshire County Council, Newbury District Council, local parishes, and the Willink School governors. The parishes contributed to operating costs in return for a share of income if the centre was profitable. Over time, the agreement evolved into a flat annual fee, with the managing board becoming inactive (last meeting in 2017), and no recent performance data has been provided.

Burghfield and Sulhamstead Parish Councils support the withdrawal. WBC has requested a meeting via the parish Clerk for Burghfield.

Cllr Nick Carter, also a District Councillor, noted that as West Berkshire Council’s (WBC) budget for the year had already been set, the impact of the Parish Council’s withdrawal on services was currently unknown. Cllr G Bridgman clarified that Stratfield Mortimer Parish Council (SMPC) had paid the contract withdrawal fee, which equated to the 2025/26 annual contribution.