Author: lismuller

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement of 23rd March, the Archbishops have written to clergy in support of the measures, requiring that churches must now close both for private worship and public services.

Our church buildings are therefore now closed for public worship,  private prayer and all other meetings and activities except for vital community services until further notice.

Only a week ago I thought I would be encouraging you all to spend this time to prepare your gardens for us all to enjoy on June 21^st.  But things have moved on and we don’t know how things will pan out but it seems highly unlikely that having 450 people attending such an event would be desirable or acceptable.  We have therefore taken the decision, at this stage, to postpone the event until June 2021.  Friends of St Peters would like to thank those who had already agreed to open – we look forward to visiting your gardens next year. Take care all.

In light of the Government guidance around non-essential contact, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued advice that public worship is suspended until further notice.

Routine church services, worship and events will not take place but all four churches in our benefice – including St Peter’s in Thornton – will be open on Sundays from 10-12, for personal prayer and reflection. All are welcome, but we respectfully ask that all visitors wash their hands on entering and leaving the church, and that they adhere to the government’s advice on ‘physical distancing’.

For information regarding the current situation with funerals, or to make bookings for weddings or baptisms in the future, please contact Pauline Ashby in the usual way.

Update provided by Peter Bedford County Councillor for Markfield, Desford & Thornton Division

“Since the public meeting on 5th February Severn Trent are working through the following:

The issues:

– The problem days are weekends, bank holidays and school holidays primarily, although the number of problem days is perceived to be increasing.

– Visitors are parking across residents dropped kerbs and blocking access, parking along the dam forcing vehicles to drive on the pavement, parking on the pavement in the village preventing use of the pavement.

– The issues are replicated at school run times so it is not isolated to St visitors and so a holistic plan to vehicle movements and parking in Thornton is needed.

Ideas/options in our control:

– Immediate: Signage on our land for those entering site to ask them to be considerate in their parking. Something like: ‘Park with care; please respect our community. If you have parked across a dropped kerb or on the pavement please turn back and move your car to a more suitable place, thank you.’

– Medium term: We can support the Parish Council in agreeing a poster, messaging signage campaign in the village around a ‘park with care’ approach.

– Medium term: We can support the Parish Council in applying for a TMO as a trial for a super busy day that would then result in official cones being placed out by the council to prevent parking in the village. Worth a trial to see where this pushes the problem to as this could inform the thinking on yellow lining which is a longer term option.

– Medium term: Parking at other end of Dam in the pull in could be expanded to create a couple more spaces.

– Longer term: Create parking from the flat area below the dam. There was agreement from the community this would be a good thing and it was suggested by the community that car parking charges should be introduced to provide a revenue stream for this. Because the parking issue has been exacerbated by Charnwood BC introducing charges at Bradgate this would help balance out demand. Others voiced concern that charges would push people to park in the village which is why this would need to be done in conjunction with better control with the village regardless. This options is not easy as it will require overcoming the tight turning circle on access/egress on to and off the dam side.

– Longer term: We need to carry out an appraisal of where else we could look to bring people to site (Outback lane?) and create parking elsewhere that would mean any overflow isn’t impacting the village directly.

– Longer-term: It was suggested by the community that we create a footpath the other side of the wall on the Dam (on our land) to enable the dam to be used for parking and a separate path for pedestrians.

Other actions:

– The police are going to do some sporadic enforcement on the junction where there ’dangerous obstructive’ parking takes place. Their powers are limited to the junction, beyond this it is highways, but without yellow lines there is nothing for them to enforce.

– We need to keep up discussion with highways and explore getting yellow lines and what would need to be true to have this in critical areas.

– Parish Council need to look at the parking at the pub (now closed?) to explore if this could be used for peak days to take the pressure off”.

At  Thornton Community centre on Wednesday 5th February at 7pm.

This has been organized by Borough Councillor Ozzy O’shea. Chris Boothby and County Councillor Peter Bedford. Representatives from Severn Trent, The police and Highways are attending

.

This year’s theme was ‘Christmas critters’ and there were entries from village groups, adults and children. The winners were:

The Christmas Tree festival proved popular and attracted nearly 150 people to come and view the trees on display. Visitors voted on the trees without knowing whose they were, and the results were announced at the 6pm Carol service The trees were beautful and all had worked hard. Well done and thank you to all who took part.

Sunday 15th at 6pm at St Peter’s Thornton. Nine lessons and carols by candlelight followed by mulled wine and mince pies. All very welcome!