Mary Herbert resigns

You may know that I resigned from Kingsley Parish Council on Friday 23rd August, 2011.  I have really enjoyed meeting many lovely people during the five years I've been a Councillor and getting to know them better.  I have much appreciated the friendship shown me by local residents and landowners on my 'walks and talks' around the village and the help and advice given by Clerks and Councillors in neighbouring parishes, by Officers and Councillors at both District and County Councils, by the Hampshire Association of Local Councils and by all those people involved in the community organisations we are so fortunate to have in our area.

Together we have achieved so much to enhance the small village of Kingsley and improve the services offered to our community:

• village mapboards to highlight our hidden gems;
• 'Exploring Kingsley' walks leaflets;
• improving access on our Rights of Way through the installation of kissing gates and a new boardwalk and a better relationship with our landowners;
• improving safety for our childen's play area and installing a picnic table with wheelchair access on Upper Green; 
• clearing the flytipping and enhancing Lower Green as an opportunity for biodiversity, education and community involvement;
• installing new benches for visitors to the 'Cricket Pitch', the Village Green in the centre of Kingsley Common;
• the introduction of the 30mph speed limit through the village and the extension of the 40mph limit to include part of Oakhanger Road;
• Speed Limit Reminder signs shared with the parishes of Headley and Grayshott;
• a new footway beside our busy main road towards the bus stop near the Cricketers Inn;
• extending the existing footway to the west of the village centre to enable those visiting the cemetery to do so safely;
• major remedial work in both St Nicholas Burial Chapel and in the cemetery;
• the creation of the super new allotments on the edge of the village.

This could not have been done without the support of two excellent Parish Clerks and fellow Parish Councillors.

I am very pleased to have played a small part in the development of all of these projects and have every confidence that Kingsley will continue to flourish with the initiative and enthusiasm now being shown in our community.

I confess I am, however, now looking forward to being able to walk in the area and socialise without my 'parish councillor' hat on, to spending more time with my friends and family, and to exploring the glorious countryside both in our own area and further afield.

My very best wishes for the future. Mary