All the Councillors and people I have spoken are delighted that the plans to update the Thirlmere Recreation Hall have been passed. We intend to add disabled access and toilet facilities in a new entrance Hall. There are to be new toilets and showers and better use made of the committee room. An improved method of heating both for the rooms and water is proposed as part of the project. We now need to think about all the ?bits and pieces? needed to carry this work forward, and if any one has any thoughts or ideas please share them with us.

Some maintenance work is to be done in the Spring on Naddle Beck. The toe boards are to be mended in some places and reprofiling of the banks above, and stones replaced where they have fallen from walled banks. Willow stakes cut locally will be placed in the reprofiled banks to assist stabilisation. Work will also begin again on St. John?s Beck between Bridge End and Wanthwaite Bridge in the Spring.

The council was represented at an area Parish Plan follow up meeting, This proved interesting as issues were brought up relating to our parish plan and what the council had been able to achieve from it. Some we had achieved some we were still working on and other things remained very difficult. Being able to provide better safety at junctions on the A66 continues, also the poor maintenance of roads in the Parish especially keeping gullies clean so we don?t have so much standing water which causes accidents and then walls broken. We were impressed that our Parish Plans were being used by the various authorities even if they could not give us all the help we wanted. In the end it all comes down to the lack of money. The trees have been cut back from the roadside, A591 Dale Bottom to Shoulthwaite which is appreciated.

The Young Farmers Group are going to use the old allotment land at Stanah to grow things again. It will be interesting to see what they produce hopefully produce they can enter into the Flower Show in the Summer. Good luck with your first growing season!

Continuing support from the Council for the local hospital and all it provides, was given. It?s importance in so many respects, we all rely on it at some time.

The Parish Council has arranged with United Utilities a visit to Bridge End Water Treatment Works and Thirlmere Straining Well. It is to be on Saturday 4^th March, meeting at Bridge End, (under the Dam) at 1.30pm.

Sally Bickerdyke (Parish Clerk)