The Parish Council The Parish Council plays an important part in your life. It raises and spends £20,000 - £30,000 of your money each year looking after Marston.
The Parish Council pays for unadopted street lights, grass-cutting, extra policing and has tried to reduce speeding through the village by installing a speed camera point. CCTV cameras have been set up at the shops in Station Road, St Mary’s Church and the parking area in front of the Church.
The Parish Council spends a great deal of its time dealing with three key issues:
· Planning and Development.
· Landfill and Waste Disposal.
· The A421 Strategic Corridor.
Each application is discussed by the council to determine the suitability of the proposal for the parish as a whole and a report is sent to the District Planning Officer on each one. Marston has almost doubled in size during the last decade. Two large applications for development are still to be decided. The advice of Planning Consultants has been used in the past to assist the council in its deliberations.
This has been a major issue over the past years. The extension of the Brogborough site until 2008 was against the advice and wishes of the Parish Council. Professional advice has been taken to ensure that the conditions imposed on Shanks and McEwan (now Shanks.Waste.Solutions) are rigid and enforceable to best protect our interests and the standards of health and safety. A contact point has been set up for residents to register complaints about conditions which they feel are caused by landfill in the area. Mobile 0831 136199 and Tel:- 01234 768742
Traffic, overcrowded roads and serious congestion on the A421 are regular causes of complaint. The council will continue to press for the road to be dual carriageway.
Through grant aid, the council supports the Village Hall, Playing Field, Mums and Tots Club, Chimney Tots Play Group, Scouts and Guides, Brownies and Cubs and pays for a qualified Youth Leader to assist in the running of the Youth Club.
The Parish Council contributes to the insurance of St Mary’s Church and to the upkeep of the graveyard. Church End Lower School, Shelton Lower School, Mums and Tots and Chimney Tots provide the children of the parish with an excellent start to their education.
The Parish Council pays for additional police presence in the village as mentioned above. An incident book is held in the garage in Bedford Road where residents may enter issues and concerns of which they feel the patrolling police should be aware.
A copy of the Domesday Book is held by the Clerk and can be consulted by prior arrangement.