The budget for expenditure on the village (the Precept), raised from your Council Tax for 2004-05 will be œ 23,208. This is œ 27.63 per annum for a Band D property and is an increase of œ1.22 (3.5%) to cover higher insurance premiums and increased costs. The parish council have also asked Dacorum Borough Council for an additional œ12,687 (Concurrent Expenditure) to be spent on the village. This is 1.3% higher than last year.
Grant Aid was made to the Village Hall towards the cost of major refurbishment and the Parish Council also agreed to underwrite the loan of œ7,500 from Dacorum Borough Council towards the costs. Grants were also made to the Youth Club, the Football Club, the Cricket Club and towards maintenance of the churchyard. The Parish Council is currently considering a grant to the Village Club to pay for a specific project within their planned refurbishment.
Village of the Year The village once again won an award , this time a Commendation in the Older People Category.
A Housing Needs Survey was distributed to all households in the village. 244 questionnaires were returned (32%) which established the degree of need. Cllr. David Nobbs has been nominated by the Parish Council to review possible sites within the village for affordable housing, working with Duncan Adams, the Rural Housing Enabler.
A proposal to provide a youth shelter as a place where young people could meet was explored but received little support.
Village Clock Estimates have been received for the removal of the unsafe inspection gantry to the village clock and work should be completed this year.
Chipperfield Website Following a generous offer by Russ Evans, a resident who is a professional web page designer, the Parish Council in co-operation with Chipperfield News commissioned the establishment of an ‘official’ web site, www.chipperfield.org.uk. Russ and Graham Mcmellin collected and co-ordinated information and Russ’s excellent site went live in February 2004.