Parish Council

Thruxton has a population of some 650 people of all ages and the first level of democracy is the Parish Council.  There are seven Parish Councillor seats and five of these were filled by election in May 2007.  There has been one resignation and the three vacancies have been filled by co-option.

The Parish Council is the first tier of local government and has responsibility for maintaining the village and the parish.  This extends from Mullenspond in the east to Cholderton in the west, Kimpton School in the north and the A303 in the south.  Planning and tree conservation matters are always referred first to the Parish Council, and the Borough Council takes into account the recommendation of the Parish Council.  A major success has been the Village Design Statement, which sets the standard and will in future play a major part in influencing planning decisions. A third edition of the Thruxton Appraisal (1981 and 1997) is being undertaken this year.

The Parish also sets the local precept – that part of the Community charge that relates purely to village matters.  We are proud that in Thruxton we maintained the same rate (£8250) for five years with a small increase to £8,750 in 08/09 increasing in 09/10 to £9250.The reason for this increase is to preserve a level of reserves and allow for major stream-bank repair work   The precept covers such matters as the maintenance of street lights, essential tree surgery, the parish notice boards, and the salary of the part-time Parish Clerk who acts as the focal point for all matters between the Parish and the Borough.  The precept also covers major capital projects such as the play area, although some of this is met by grants from the County or Borough Councils, as were the new footpath gates and the footpath map.  The Parish Council works very closely with Neighbourhood Watch and the police.  The maintenance of the village Green is also paid for by the Parish Council.

The Parish supports local activities, most of which are publicised in the Thruxton Times – another Parish Council initiative, under the editorship of John McKenzie. The Parochial Church Council, Thruxton War Memorial Hall, the Three Villages Sports Trust and the Childrens’ Play Area all receive grants from the Parish Council.  Currently, the Parish Council is working to create a car park on the sports field which will take cars off the road during term time.  We are very lucky in that Earthline Ltd has offered to fund this valuable venture, but some planning conditions are being contested with the help of CPRE.

Thruxton Parish Council exists to serve our village community.  Amongst current concerns remain the numbers of heavy lorries coming through the village and the speed of through traffic. Both major earth moving firms have complied with our request to send their vehicles via the circuit and we are working closely with both Test Valley Borough Council and Hampshire County Council on the other concerns. We are very proud of our village and do all we can to foster community spirit in a rural village the ethos of which is both special and precious.  We want you to feel the same about your village so if you know of something that needs to be done, then please tell us. 

Charles Milner-Williams
Chairman
January 2009