Editorial: thank heavens for the Parochial Church Council!

What makes a village community is the people who work to make it a better place. Parish councillors, community activists, church volunteers, all of them take an interest in their village and, hopefully, help to create a lively, more inclusive, atmosphere.

St Peter's, Creeting St Peter

As a relative newcomer to the village, I have been particularly impressed by the work of the Parochial Church Council, currently led by Alice Matthewson, whose attempts to maintain the fabric of our parish church, the only community building in the village, have led them to branch out into being the commnuity social organisers. Monthly coffee mornings, frequent pub nights, concerts - there is no end to their efforts to entice the rest of us to abandon our armchairs and socialise with our neighbours.

And yes, the funds raised do go to maintain the fabric of a building which, I must confess, I don't enter often - I'm a Roman Catholic, no matter how tenuously. But even a rationalist like myself accepts and appreciates the value of maintaining one of the cornerstones of our village life - Creeting St Peter would be by far a worse place without a church to call its own.

However, what might have started out of necessity has blossomed into something which makes me proud to be a resident of our village, as the enthusiasm with which the myriad volunteers organise the events, and welcome us to share them, acts as an example to us all.

So, thank you to Alice and the team, and may there be many more opportunities to say so...

Apply now for Endeavour Card

Young people between the ages of 16 and 19 can now apply for a free Endeavour Card which will give them 25% off bus fares around Suffolk.

The travel smartcard, similar to the London Oyster Card, is being introduced by Suffolk County Council and will mean reduced travel costs on buses from 1 October 2013.

At first, the card will operate as a ‘flashcard’, giving the pass holder the discount as they board the bus and pay for their journey. But by April 2014, cashless payments and online top up will be activated on all cards. This will make the card easier to use and speed up boarding times.

Operators that have so far signed up to the scheme include Ipswich Buses, Galloway, Coach Services, Stephensons, Carters, Suffolk Norse, Anglian Bus and First Eastern Counties. The scheme is open to other operators to join until 31 March 2014.

Councillor Graham Newman, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for roads and transport said:

16-19 year olds in Suffolk can now apply for a free Endeavour Card and I’d urge them to sign up now and start saving money. Most importantly of all, the Endeavour Card will help to remove transport barriers to college, training and work. This will make a significant contribution to achieving the aims of our Raising the Bar initiative - to raise educational attainment and aspiration and better match skills with future jobs.

Young people have been able to register an interest in having an Endeavour Card since May 2013. So far 2,300 have signed up and have now been invited to apply.

Online applications can now be made by visiting www.suffolkonboard.com

Future developments

Suffolk County Council is interested in developing a non-discount, cashless, smartcard for all Suffolk residents, regardless of age. This will be considered in the next 12 months.

Local residents invited to join leading councillor at ‘Grand Driver’ workshop

Councillor Graham Newman is inviting local residents to attend an education and safety workshop which focuses on drivers over the age of 60.

On Thursday 17 October, a 'Grand Driver' workshop will be running from 10am to 12.30pm at Kirton and Falkenham Village Hall. Councillor Newman, Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for roads and transport is encouraging members of the community to join him in completing the course, which is entirely free of charge.

The 'Grand Driver' scheme has been running for over seven years and has seen hundreds of drivers successfully complete the course. In order to assist with the continuation of safe driving into later life, Suffolk County Council, with the help of Department for Transport funding and Cranfield University, were able to produce a comprehensive programme of education and assessment for older drivers.

The workshop will address the following areas:

• Health and mobility
• Refreshing knowledge of the Highway Code
• Improving hazard perception skills

Councillor Newman, who himself is over the age of 60, said;

People who attend the Grand Driver workshop with me next month will have instant access to an abundance of practical tips and advice.

It really is an excellent way of keeping your driving skills up-to-date and staying safe on Suffolk's roads, particularly as the majority of us will have had no expert driving tuition since we passed our first driving test, perhaps more than 40 years ago!

I would strongly encourage anyone over the age of 60 to consider attending the workshop and to call as soon as possible to register for a place."

To book a place on the workshop, email roadsafetytraining@suffolk.gov.uk, or call Jane Holland on 01284 758841.

Editorial: are the lights going to stay on?

Last night's power cuts are a reminder as to just how dependent we are on utilities that we generally take for granted. The village's nine street lights fall into that category too, and yet their long-term future is in some doubt.

The impact of higher energy costs, combined with the relatively low efficiency of the elderly equipment, hurts the Council budget. Worse still, EU regulations on light bulbs make the required bulbs obsolete, and hard to obtain. But, more importantly, the equipment is the property of the Parish Council, meaning that the County Council has no obligation to act.

A while ago, a paper was submitted to Parish Council which raised the question of turning the lights off between midnight and 5 a.m., as is already the case across most of the county. By purchasing meters, significant savings could be achieved, and the cost of the meters recouped over a period of less than four years. Parish Council was not convinced, however, and it was decided to leave things as they were.

The subsequent electricity bill did generate a discussion on whether or not to turn off the lights altogether, but nothing came of it.

Replacing the street lights with new LED versions - hugely reduced running costs, twenty-five year guarantee, reduced light pollution - will cost about £650 per light, so what is the Parish Council going to do?

Here at the Creeting St Peter Journal, I'll be keeping an eye open when Council meets to discuss its budget for 2014/15, to see if there is a plan, either to raise the capital needed to replace the lights, or to invest in new meters which will at least buy time.

I acknowledge that, whatever happens, there will be cost implications, either in terms of an increased precept or lost services/facilities. But surely, it's better to have a plan than to cross your fingers and hope for luck...

Making the vulnerable a bit safer

A joint initiative between Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and a local Rotary Club has resulted in a major boost to the provision of free smoke alarms to vulnerable residents.

The first batch of 240 alarms purchased by the Stowmarket Gipping Valley Rotary Club has now been handed over to SFRS. The alarms will be installed in homes in Mid-Suffolk where the occupants are elderly, disabled or single parent families.

Over the coming months it is hoped that the Stowmarket initiative will be extended county-wide. Already the Framlingham Rotary Club has signed up to the scheme, and many more clubs have shown an interest in a scheme which has major benefits for local communities.

At a ceremony held at Stowmarket Fire Station this month, the very first smoke alarm was presented by Martin Hall, president of Rotary Club, to Colin Spence, Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for public protection.