In the last few weeks I have been involved in a range of things. Issues come to me by phone, email and quite often in the golf club carpark! No names to protect the innocent!!! In no particular order I list them below just to keep you updated with what I am up to.

Today, over a cup of coffee in the golf club, someone came up to me and thanked me for sorting out a housing issue that had been going on for some time. One conversation with the right person followed up with an email seems to have done the trick.

I was pleased to have worked with the Hundon Parish Council working group who are in the process of creating a survey to better understand the housing need in Hundon. This is a useful exercise to provide some evidence when seeking to influence the size or shape of any development proposed in the village.

It was lovely to hear from Hundon football club confirming that they have been awarded a significant amount of money from the Covid restart fund that I introduced them to. Glad to have helped. Sport is so important for well-being.

I am working with a home owner trying to get a planning application through for an agricultural building conversion to residential. The government is encouraging this use of old barns but ….. the council has a very rigid view on this. I am keen to ensure we don’t follow all the rules yet end up with something that nobody wants. A possible “call in” is on the cards.

It was lovely to support the opening of The Bell in Clare. I am looking forward to trying out the food which promises to be of a high standard.

It’s my pleasure to agree to join the Clare Platinum Jubilee 2022 celebrations working party. A great idea and should be fun. These events don’t happen without loads of work from the organisers and they need our support.

Just when I thought the issue of grass cutting had gone away I had a complaint from Cavendish saying the community orchard had been missed again. A quick email seems to have sorted it but this must not keep on happening. The good news this time was I had been made aware of the problem and sorted it before the Parish Council could jump all over me, phew.

I am preparing for the “call in” of the 53 house development on the Cavendish Road in Clare. I was expecting it to come to the development control committee in September but October is now more likely. A lot of folk in Clare are interested in this one.

I met with the owners of the shop in Kedington who are considering putting in a planning application for a new shop in a different location within the village. This is an interesting project that has split opinion in the village. We will have to wait and see what happens if a planning application goes in.

Parish Council meeting usually take up a number of evenings each month but don’t take place in August.