PARISH COUNCIL - Breinton Parish Council held its meeting at the village hall on July 7. Following the earlier resignation of Ivor Rees, there had been no call for an election to fill the vacancy and it was agreed that Lorraine Lewis would be co-opted onto the council to fill the vacancy. Over the last two or three months there have been three vehicles broken into at Breinton Springs. PC Dean Wall advised that motorists should not leave valuables in their vehicles.

Litter is an ongoing problem in the area.

It is not practical to install litter bins and all visitors are encouraged to take litter home but the National Trust has arranged for litter picks throughout the summer. There will be a litter pick around the area on Sunday, September 5, all volunteers are welcome. Meet in the church car park at 2pm. Teas will be provided afterwards. Amey has recently provided new railings on the lower Breinton road and also done good work in removing (as far as possible) graffiti from a gateway on the Wye Valley Walk. They will be asked to attend to a few other jobs which need attention.

Coun Bob Matthews reported that progress had been made with a couple of outstanding planning issues and resolving a problem with flooding in one area. He advised that options on the footpaths around Stretton Sugwas and up to the camp were being considered and drawings prepared. There will be a few ‘pinch points’ on the path up to the camp where pedestrians and cyclists may have to travel on the same stretch, but at least there is progress. The footpaths and cycleways will be completed before the cattle market opens. The parish council will be requesting a grant of £100 from the Woodlands Trust to help with the costs of celebrating the 10th anniversary of Drovers (Millennium) Wood. The celebration is likely to be a pig roast and fireworks party in November. As part of the celebrations the parish council expects to receive 420 trees for planting in November. The council has ideas for where some of these can be planted but would welcome suggestions from residents. It is not necessary for the trees to be planted on land with public access but they must be planted where they can be enjoyed by the public. Call the clerk on 01432 340129 with your suggestions.