The Christmas tree will go up at the War Memorial on Friday December 4th. At 4.30pm there will be Christmas carols and stories and the lights will be switched on at 5pm. For information about the ceremony please contact Suzanne Smith on 770106.
The Parish Council thanks Ron Gibbons and Ray Elvis for obtaining the tree and putting it up.
Lancashire County Council is reviewing subsdised bus services - including the 80/81 buses through Caton and Brookhouse. More information on Lancaster District Bus Users website http://lancsbus.blogspot.co.uk/.
The Trustees of the Council of Management regret having to inform the community that earlier this year, some accounting anomalies were found in one of the Institute’s bank accounts. This was immediately reported to the police, who have instigated a thorough investigation and are currently taking the appropriate action. As this is an ongoing case, the Trustees are not in a position to disclose any further information until the police inform us that it is appropriate to do so.
Traffic has not been able to drive along the section of road nearest the church for many weeks now, with single alternate line traffic controlled by traffic lights. This is because the underside of the bridge is weak and Lancashire County Council’s road engineers do not want HGVs or buses driving over it. Work is now due to start in the New Year and be completed by April 2016. Meanwhile the contractors who provide the traffic lights have been asked to check that they are working correctly and to ensure that the coned-off area is as small as possible to allow vehicles through more easily
At its November meeting, the Parish Council considered what to do next about a Neighbourhood Plan. Rather than proceed with a full-scale plan at this stage, we will investigate more limited alternatives which might be more effective in shaping housing develpment in the village and might attract more people to get involved.
The Forest of Bowland AONB has been working with Electricity North West England on several projects to remove overhead powerlines, including at the top of Littledale from Deep Clough to Winder. They are replaced with undergound cables. There is funding for further undergrounding and people who live locally are asked to identify overhead power lines within the Forest of Bowland which should be considered for replacement by underground cables.
There are several criteria involved in assessing which power lines are feasible to underground, and to assess their priority:
VICTORIA INSTITUTE
B4RN is making steady progress in bringing highspeed broadband to rural areas in Lancashire. In our village, Littledale and the Forge Mill area are already connected and enjoying the new service. A hub has now been put in place near the Artlebeck Bridge and serves some homes in that area. In Caton Green, digging the channels for the high-speed fibre-optic cables is almost complete. The next stage is blowing the fibres and making connections to individual properties. Planning to take the service from Caton Green to the Moorside area is complete and digging has started.
Over 200 years ago an area of land adjoining the river Lune was given to the Parish in perpetuity. The Poor's Land charity was set up to give money to people living in the parish who have limited means. The monies obtained from grazing and fishing rights is given out each year in December. If you wish to apply forms for Caton with Littledale Poor's Land Charity will be available at the post office on Sycamore Road from 1 November 2015.
New evidence suggests that Lancaster City Council should plan for around 9,500 jobs and 13,000 new homes for the years up to 2031 to provide for our growing and changing community.
Drop-in meetings are being held later in October.
Ellel Village Hall 20/10 2pm-7pm
Dolphinholme Village Hall 21/10 2pm-7pm
Lancs & Morecambe College 22/10 2pm-7pm
Carnforth Heritage Centre 27/10 2pm-7pm
Slyne Memorial Hall 28/10 2pm-7pm
Lancaster Methodist Church on Scotforth Road 29/10 2pm-7pm
At its September meeting , the Parish Council co-opted Hannah Diggle and Sid Thompson as councillors, joining Karen Hill who was co-opted at the July meeting. This means that there is just one place left on the Council; if you are interested in becoming involved in the work of the Council please contact the Parish Clerk.
Where shall we put new homes? What should they look like? And what about places to work or play? People who live or work in Caton, Brookhouse, Littledale and Caton Green are invited to a meeting on Friday October 9th at the Victoria Institute at 6.30pm to find out about neighbourhood plans. Come along to hear about what a Neighbourhood Plan can – and can’t – do to enable people in the village to shape development which takes place in our area.
During the last few months (June to August) the police have been alerted to a number of burglaries in Caton and Brookhouse and neighbouring areas. Criminals target cars, caravans, sheds and vans which contain tools, as well as homes, shops and hotels. The police have increased their patrols along the cycle path between Caton, Lancaster and Glasson Dock to improve public safety here. There have also been reports of poaching in the area. Please make sure your premises are secure and contact the police if you see anything suspicious. Ring 999 in an emergency or 101 at other times.
Anthony Rooker and his family are leaving the the Station Hotel. During his time at the Station, Anthony has worked with the local community to raise money for local clubs and charities, put on events, and provide a welcoming place which has helped bring the community together. Everyone's hard work was recognised when The Station won 'Best Bar in Lancaster 2014'. Anthony and his family are moving to The Greyhound, Halton, on the 24th August.
Planning is starting for the 2016 Caton Gala. Find out more on their website
28 adults and 11 children from our twin village Socx visited us 9-12 July. On their arrival they were given a reception by the Parish Council before heading off to the homes of the host families. On Friday morning, at their request, the children went to school, younger ones to Caton Community Primary School and the older ones to Ripley St Thomas, whilst most adults had a more leisurely breakfast before setting out to see more of the area. Everyone met up after lunch to take a tour around Lancaster Castle.
The Lancaster Guardian will publish items of village news and reports of events in its Community News pages. We need to write up the material ourselves and send it in, and there is no guarantee it will be published. But it would be good to have more about our village in the local paper. This could be information about forthcoming gigs by local groups, Best Kept Village news, reports on talks or events at the Victoria Institute, new businesses....If you would like your material to appear in the Lancaster Guardian, please contact our village correspondent, who is now Jenny Walmsley. Her p
3 Milestone Place, Fell View, Caton, LA2 9RF
Lune Valley Rural Housing Association has a vacancy. The rent is £96.49 a week. If you are interested please contact Dean Wall at Adactus Housing on 0300 1111133 | ext: 7770
We are delighted to welcome new councillor Karen Hill who has been co-opted onto the Parish Council. There are three further vacancies for councillors; anyone who would like to be considered for membership of the Council is asked to contact the Parish Clerk. The Chair of the PC is Jenny Walmsley and the Deputy is Rob Paine. Parish Council minutes may be read here on the village website, and on the notice boards at the Village Institute and on Brookhouse Road outside Wavecrest.
Pavements and pathways should be kept clear of obstructions so that pedestrians, especially those in wheelchairs or with pushcahirs, can pass easily. In a number of places in our villages hedges have grown out over the pavement. In some cases this has happened over a period of years, gradually encroaching on the pavement. Please ensure that your hedge is cut back in line with the imside edge of the pavement.
