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Upper and Lower Benefield is situated in East Northamptonshire, along the A427 in between Corby and Oundle.
Benefield Parish Council consists of 7 elected members who represent both Upper and Lower Benefield. The Parish Council Meetings are held approximately every 6 weeks in the Village Hall, Brigstock Road, Lower Benefield. The Draft Minutes for the Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 24th February 2020 are now available.
The Draft Minutes from the Parish Council Meeting held on Monday21st September are now available. The next Parish Council Meeting is due to take place on Monday 23rd November the agenda will be available by Monday 16th November.
There is a growing Cricket Club, the Cricket Pavilion has been extended, which is situated in Upper Benefield.
The Village Church is in Lower Benefield, along the Brigstock Road, which holds regular services on Sunday’s along with an Annual Flower Festival and Garden Fete.
The Village Hall is also available for hiring, and events along with contact details are on the Village Hall News Page.
Dog Fouling – Clean Up After your dog – It is the Law
There have been several reports of dog poop bags being thrown into the hedgerows along the permissive footpaths, please take it home and put it in your black bin.
The Law
Using powers in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (2005), East Northamptonshire Council has implemented four dog control orders including “Failing to remove dog faeces”. This applies to all land that is open to the air and the public are entitled or permitted to have access to with or without payment. Using these powers the council can issue a fixed penalty notice of £100 to any person that lets their dog foul and does not pick it up. Being unaware that your dog has fouled is not considered a reasonable excuse for leaving it.
If you are issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice and you don’t pay it you could be taken to court. The maximum penalty then rises to £1,000. Whenever you go out with your dog carry some bags with you, just in case. Having no bags with you isn’t a reasonable excuse for not clearing up and you could still be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice.
Enforcement
East Northamptonshire Council’s Environmental Services Officers patrol areas where problems with dog fouling have been reported to try to catch the offender or act as a deterrent. If you would like to report a fouling problem it would be helpful if you could give them as much details such as approximate times when the fouling is happening and if possible descriptions of the dog and/or its owner. We may also be able to put up some signs warning owners not to let their dogs foul. Please see our dog fouling page for more information.
Please use the reporting dog fouling form to report an area to us where dog fouling needs to be cleaned up.
New tool to increase recycling in East Northants launches
As part of East Northamptonshire Council’s (ENC) long term strategy to combat contamination in recycling bins across the district, each household will shortly receive a sticker to place inside their recycling bin lid which reminds residents about what can and cannot be recycled.
The stickers will be included in the next issue of ENC’s resident magazine, ENCircle, which is due to hit doormats throughout East Northamptonshire from 12 September.
The hard wearing sticker should be affixed to the inside of the household’s green-lidded recycling bin and is designed to be a visual reminder of what should be recycled in East Northants.
If you do not receive a copy of ENCircle or your sticker is missing, please email waste@east-northamptonshire.gov.uk and a sticker can be sent out to you.
For more information about recycling in the area, please visit www.east-northamptonshire.gov.uk/recycling
X4 Bus Timetable Changes
Stagecoach will be revising the route of the X4 (Peterborough – Northampton) bus service from Sunday 30th August. Following the completion of the works on the North Bridge in Oundle the X4 will revert to its former route through the town.
The new timetable can be found here: https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/Timetables/Midlands/Kettering%20Timetabes/CVD%2029%20August%202020/KX4%20TT%20300820.pdf
St Mary’s Church, Benefield
During this uncertain and challenging time for us all………..
Are you in self-isolation and needing help, or just a daily chat? Please get in touch so that we at St Mary’s can see what we can do to help. OR are you fit and able to offer help? With shopping, collecting medication for someone – or perhaps phoning someone to check on their wellbeing?
In either case please contact the Churchwarden: Jane Berridge on 07808632448 or 01832 205283 or by email: janeberridge2@hotmail.co.uk, Alternatively, email the St Peter’s Church office in Oundle on this address: pastoral@stpetersoundle.co.uk.
We will of course follow all the advice about not acting in ways that spread infection, whilst doing what we can to help at this time.
The decision has been taken to suspend services in Benefield Church until further notice.
The Vicar, ministry team and wardens will be exploring ways in which acts of worship can be streamed or making home services available. We will let people know of the developments.
Jane Berridge
Village Hall
Unfortunately, our Annual General Meeting scheduled for the 15th April and our popular Sunday Roast on the 26th April have had to be cancelled due to the on-going pandemic. We look forward to re-scheduling these and other events as soon as possible. The Village Hall Committee wishes all villagers the best of health and look forward to seeing you soon
New Items
Church News Page has been updated on 5th May 2020
Village Hall Events page updated on 24th March 2020
Local Events page updated on 6th November 2019
Neighbourhood Plan Document has been added and Details of How the Council Tax is Calculated on Tuesday 3rd September 2019. These Documents can be found under the heading of Parish Council.
