What is Chedworth Parish Council ?

It's a group of people who are elected by fellow parishioners to represent the concerns and aspirations of the local community.

What does a Parish Council do ?

The Parish Council plays an important role as the grass roots level of Local Government, directly representing and promoting the interests of the community. Councillors also act as ambassadors for their community, keeping everyone aware of local needs and concerns and reporting back on District, County and regional changes.

In addition to the Parish Councillors, who are your unpaid representatives, the Council employs a Clerk to carry out its business and to ensure that the many statutory requirements are met. A small levy, or precept, is added to your Council Tax to fund these activities.

Here are some of the services the Parish Council offers:

There are two ways you can contact the Parish Council:

1. Email the Clerk at parishcouncil@chedworth.org.uk
2. Contact a Councillor

Standing Orders

There are rules, some of them laid down in Acts of Parliament, on how a Parish Council should conduct itself. These rules are known as Standing Orders and can be viewed here.

Parish Council Meetings

The council meets in the games room at the village hall at 7.30pm on the third Monday of each month. Members of the public are actively encouraged to attend and there is an opportunity at each meeting to raise matters of concern, or to ask questions that have been previously lodged with the Clerk.

Please note that there is a protocol for raising issues from the floor: Attendees are respectfully asked to refrain from interjecting until invited to do so by the Chairman; a single point or question may be dealt with by the Chairman without opening the meeting to the floor, but in the case of an issue that is contentious the Chairman may suspend the meeting before opening a general discussion.

Meeting dates

The Council will meet on the following dates during 2010:

• Monday 18th January
• Monday 15th February
• Monday 15th March
• Monday 22nd March (Parish Meeting)
• Monday 29th March (Extraordinary Meeting)
• Monday 19th Apri
l
• Monday 17th May
• Monday 21st June
• Monday 19th July
• Monday 16th August
• Monday 20th September
• Monday 18th October
• Monday 15th November
• Monday 13th December

Meetings start at 7:30pm in the games room at the Village Hall.

Agendas and Minutes

The Agendas and Minutes of recent Parish Council meetings are available online.

Meeting Agendas

• August 2010
• July 2010

Minutes of Parish Council Meetings

• July 2010
• June 2010
• May 2010
• April 2010
• Extraordinary Meeting March 2010
• March 2010
• February 2010
• January 2010
• December 2009
• November 2009
• October 2009
• September 2009
• August 2009
• July 2009
• June 2009

The 2010 Parish Meeting

The 2010 Parish Meeting was held on 22nd March 2010 in the Village Hall. The report was given by the Chairman, Mrs Susie Moore.

• Meeting Minutes (UNCONFIRMED)
• 2010 Parish Report

Latest News

There appears to be considerable support within the village for the provision of a publicly-accessible Automated External Defibrillator (or AED) for use in Sudden Cardiac Arrests (SCA). Pay attention - this topic is riddled with abbreviations.

The equipment under consideration is not simply a defibrillator (as in "charging… stand back…bang", seen on television) but a "Full Rescue AED" which guides the user through the entire process from assessment of the victim's condition, through heart massage (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation or CPR) to defibrillation if the machine considers this final stage necessary. While roughly half of unresponsive collapsed victims need defibrillation, every one of them needs high quality CPR. This very smart machine uses text displays and voice prompts to tell the user how to administer effective CPR.

The British Heart Foundation is offering 50% funding towards the provision of publicly-accessible defibrillators but there are, as usual, a number of hoops to negotiate before any funding can be awarded. One of these is for us to work in partnership with the Great Western Ambulance Service which needs to endorse our application and set up a training programme for volunteers within the community. It is not intended that the trained first aiders will be the only ones able to use the AED - the point of it is that anyone should be able to rescue victims - but it is part of a general trend of encouraging communities to take responsibility for themselves.

The Parish Council needs to know that there is support for this project and that volunteers will come forward for first aid training. Please contact us at parishcouncil@chedworth.org.uk or telephone the Clerk on 720313.

According to the BHF "optimal conditions for defibrillation are present for only 1-2 minutes with success rates decreasing thereafter at up to 20% per minute of delay" which leaves Chedworthians in a parlous state if they have to wait for an ambulance to trundle over from wherever they come from these days.

The former BT telephone kiosk at the bottom of Hemplands Hill will henceforth be known as:

the "eXbox"

John Aylen has generously offered his talents to fit out the eXbox with shelving and a pinboard using materials supplied by an anonymous donor from Lower Chedworth. The eXbox will serve as a book/cd exchange, a lost property depot and a parish information point. It will not be available to members of the public for posting notices or advertisements but the PC would happily consider suggestion for other uses. Dr. Vanessa Sissons is also looking into the feasibility of housing an emergency defibrillator there.

The PC and parishioners are indebted to Col. Aylen and the anonymous donor for help in setting up the facility which we hope will become an invaluable village hub as well as being the smallest Parish Council office in the land.

As Chedworth is within the Cotswold Lorry Management Zone, large lorries are no longer permitted to enter the village unless they are delivering or collecting. However there have been several recent instances of problems with large freight vehicles in the village knocking down dry stone walls and getting stuck even though they might have been legally engaged in delivering or collecting. The Parish Council asks local residents, businesses and householders, to specifically request that smaller lorries be used for deliveries to the village wherever possible.

This is your last chance to claim back from the PC your old planning application documents before they head for the recycling unit. We have copies of applications lodged since 1990 and you must be able to supply the CD reference number in order to retrieve the plans.

Parish Councillor Paul Cundick will be pedalling off to France on August 18th just two days after fulfilling his role at the August Parish Council meeting. Paul is taking part in a four-day cycle ride from London to Paris in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and his fellow Councillors will be behind him, in a metaphorical sense, all the way. Please support Paul via www.justgiving.com/Paul-Cundick.

The next Parish Council meetings will be on Monday 19th July and Monday 16th August, both at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall games room.

Contact us by email: parishcouncil@chedworth.org.uk or telephone Mrs Broad, our Parish Clerk, on 01285 720313.

Now that parishioners have said that they do not wish to see affordable homes for local people built on Parish Council land beside the football field the way is clear for renewed consideration of some of the other possible uses for this land.

The April 2008 edition of the Hill and Valley News reported that the following uses were proposed at the Annual Parish Meeting: “a site for Affordable Housing, extra tennis courts, a multi-use sports facility for teenagers, community vegetable gardens, boules pitch, grazing, games pitch and an extension to the Play Area”. Two years later we still have the original grazing and games area and, thanks to the efforts of the Diggers, we have added a vegetable garden to our list of community assets. The Play Area was, very sensibly, revamped without waiting for the Parish Council to allocate it a larger plot so we still have on the table proposals for tennis courts, a Multi Use Games Area, or MUGA to give it its popular title, and a boules pitch. So, please, get involved, get organised and help the PC get some facilities in place.

The roadside maps, designed by the late David Sibbald and given to the village by the Parish Council to mark the Millennium, have now been updated and reprinted. The PC agreed at its recent meeting that Councillors would themselves undertake the necessary renovations to the iron stands so if anyone can offer a crash course in rust removal, sanding down, filling and repainting to those Councillors who lack these essential skills, we would be pleased to hear from them.

The transformation of our newly-acquired red K6 telephone box is in the planning phase – but we really need a consensus as to what we are going to call the thing. The PC is offering the prize of a week’s stay in the box for anyone who can come up with a neat name for it, other than the accurately descriptive but cumbersome default title of “the old telephone kiosk at the bottom of Hemplands Hill”.

The Parish Council has been made aware of recent instances of sheep being worried by dogs and reiterates the well-worn advice to dog owners to keep their dog on a lead and under close control when walking through a sheep field. Sheep owners are within their rights to shoot any dog they find harming their animals and may also charge the dog’s owner for resulting veterinary costs or stock replacement.

While spring cleaning our cupboard at the Village Hall where we have been storing paper copies of all planning applications within the Parish lodged since 1992, we decided to chuck the lot out. They are duplicates of those held by Cotswold District Council and we are under no obligation to keep them. If anyone would like to reclaim any plans before they get recycled, could they please contact the Clerk and be able to give her the application number.

The Parish Council could not provide a volunteer from its ranks to represent its interests, as a user of the Hall, on the Village Hall Management Committee. It was, however, agreed that it is essential to have an effective line of communication between the two bodies if we are to work in partnership on issues which involve the simultaneous booking of the Hall and the Playing Field.

The Parish Council’s ability to derive income from the field is dependent on the goodwill of the Village Hall. As this is the Parish Council’s main source of income apart from its share of the Council Tax, any shortfall arising from problems with renting out the field to football teams, Caravan Clubs, Morris Men or whatever, will end up being met by an increased precept.

The PC emissary to the Village Hall Management Committee does not have to be a Councillor. Is there anyone out there who would agree to attend VHMC meetings on our behalf and to facilitate our communication with them?

Contact us by email: parishcouncil@chedworth.org.uk or telephone Mrs Broad, our Parish Clerk, on 01285 720313.

The next meeting will be on Monday 21st June at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall games room. All welcome.

As you probably already know the Public Poll conducted by the Parish Council in response to a request from a member of the public at the Annual Parish Meeting asked the question: “are you in favour of the Chedworth Community Land Trust progressing the development of affordable housing on the site in the grass keep field north of the community garden?” 148 “No” votes and 127 “Yes” votes were polled in a turn-out of 41.7%. Notwithstanding the Poll result, the Parish Council passed a motion (with one abstention) expressing full support for the CLT and its aims.

Gloucestershire County Council Youth Workers have pulled the plug on the newly-formed Chedworth Youth Group after only three months. In spite of plenty of early interest in a programme of regular meetings and outings for the 13-19 age-group, attendance has since dried up completely. Chedworth teenagers evidently don’t feel like partying on a Monday night - unlike their peers in Withington - so the decision has been made to scrap the previous arrangement of meeting at Chedworth and Withington on alternate Mondays and to meet instead at Withington every week. Chedworth young people will be made very welcome at the Withington Jubilee Hall from 5.30 to 7.30 on any Monday evening.

Do keep in touch with Katie: email@kessex.eclipse.co.uk

Parish Councils throughout the Cotswolds have been asked by the Cotswolds Conservation Board to reconsider the management of their roadside verges with a view to encouraging greater biodiversity and providing a continuous habitat corridor within which species may move and spread. Our own roadside verge management is currently in the hands of Gloucestershire Highways although there exists a process whereby verges which are already species-rich and whose regular scalping is not necessary for road safety can be given Conservation status. They are then managed to a regime agreed by the Parish Council and Gloucestershire Highways with only a single annual cut after flowering to allow the development of a richer population of both flora and fauna. Identifying suitable stretches of roadside verge, surveying them and negotiating with both the County Ecologist and Gloucestershire Highways is way beyond the resources of the Parish Council and it was agreed to try to enlist the help of the Chedworth Environment Group.

At the time of writing, a team from County Highways is engaged in installing more emphatic “gateways” to the Village. This is hoped to make it clearer to motorists that they are entering a settlement and should modify their speed accordingly. Will it work?

Tom Watts’ Sunday football session has slipped into summer mode with a later start of 3 pm. Boys and girls between the ages of 5 and fifteen are welcome; please bring shinpads and water.

The next Parish Council meeting , to be held on Monday May 17th at 7.30 in the Village Hall games room, will be preceded by a site visit to assess what can be done to transform the old BT ‘phone box at the bottom of Hemplands Hill into a hub of Parish life.

Contact us by email: parishcouncil@chedworth.org.uk or by telephone (720313). Items for inclusion on the agenda for discussion at the next meeting should be received by the preceding Wednesday evening.

The result of the Chedworth Parish Poll held on the 16th April was as follows:-

Yes votes 127
No votes 148
275 votes cast = 41.7% turnout

The question asked was "Are you in favour of the Chedworth Community Land Trust Ltd. progressing the development of affordable housing on the site in the grass keep field north of the Community Garden as outlined below".

Topical Issues

The Parish Council is always keen to receive information or opinions on topical issues; the following section outlines some of the topics that have recently been discussed within the Parish. We will be regularly updating this section so that interested parties can keep themselves up to date with how things are progressing.

Freedom Of Information Act
Publication Scheme

The Act requires every public authority to adopt and maintain a generic model publication scheme which should be adopted and operated by all public authorities from 1 January 2009. Chedworth Parish Council adopted the generic model publication scheme at their Council Meeting on 16th November 2009. It is intended to provide everyone interested in the Council with a comprehensive guide to the information that the Council will automatically or routinely publish or otherwise makes available to the public. See here for details.

Chedworth Parish Plan

A Parish Plan is a report resulting from a community-wide consultation on matters which affect the village and the community. At the beginning of 2006 we were sent information from the Gloucestershire Rural Community Council (GRCC) regarding the benefits of forming a Parish Plan. A public meeting was held at which volunteers were recruited to form a Steering Group, which will take the Plan forward.

A web page has been set up to keep residents informed about the progress of the Plan.

Dog Fouling

There is still a problem with dogs fouling the footpaths and other public areas. Allowing your dog to foul is not an offence. Not clearing up after your dog is an offence.

Dog fouling in play areas presents a health hazard to children. Fouling on agricultural land poses problems for the landowner, as there are obvious implications of parasites and toxins found in dog faeces getting into the food chain. It's therefore both in your own and everyone elses' interests that you take responsibility for your dog when away from your home.

Please note that allowing your dog to foul anywhere other than on your own property (and not picking up after it) is illegal and punishable by a fine and a court summons. This is likely to be issued by the dog warden who will be making routine visits to Chedworth.

Speed limits within the Village

The only speed limit within the village is the 40 mph limit on Fields Road. Some residents have made representations to the council about the speed of traffic on this and other roads.

In response to these representations a flashing sign has been erected near the Village Hall to warn motorists of the presence of school children. This sign is activated by the school so that it only flashes when children are in transit. We are still waiting for SLOW signs to be painted on the other accesses.

After a request from a local resident, the Parish Council had looked at the possibility of a SID (speed indicating device) which is activated by speeding vehicles. The idea was turned down for two reasons: the cost (in excess of £1,800), and that it would not be in keeping.

We have also been monitoring traffic speeds in Fields Road using a radar gun. The average speed of vehicles is around 35-44 mph, which is within acceptable levels. We will continue to monitor the situation.

Just in: We've obtained a copy of The Department for Transport's guidance on setting local speed limits. NB: To view the document requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Footpaths and Hedgerows

Footpaths and roads can become obstructed, for instance by overgrown vegetation, particularly during the Summer months. If you know of any problems of this type please contact any Councillor or email the Clerk.

Parking in the Village

There are numerous blind spots in the village where consideration is called for when parking your car. You can help to avoid causing a danger to other road users, both drivers and pedestrians, by ensuring that you are not causing an obstruction when you park your vehicle. Please also remember that inconsiderate parking can obstruct emergency vehicles such as fire engines, ambulances etc.

The Parish Council is fully aware of the wish of many villagers to keep Chedworth free of suburban clutter such as double yellow lines, and councillors share these sentiments. We're therefore pursuing other ways of improving road safety in the village, for instance by asking residents not to park in dangerous places and to try to limit parking in these areas by non-residents wherever possible.

To this end we have sent letters to residents close to problem areas asking for their cooperation, and the parking seems to have improved in those areas. Our thanks to all of you who have responded.

Useful Information

Welcome Leaflet

The Parish Council has produced a Welcome leaflet for newcomers to the Parish. This leaflet includes details of many aspects of Chedworth activity including the Church, Doctors, Schools, Local Authorities and Societies, clubs and organisations.

If you are new to the village and have not received a leaflet then please contact the Clerk, who will be pleased to let you have one. If you know of anyone new to the Parish, please let a Council member know so that a leaflet can be delivered to them.

Village Maps

We have two maps of the village available for parishioners. One is a basic map like the ones that are sited at various points around the village, and the other is a more detailed road map. If you would like photocopies of either of these maps please contact any Councillor or email the Clerk. The cost is 10p per sheet for photocopying.

Bus Timetables

New for Summer 2009 - local bus timetable.

Broadband

Broadband became available to most residents in the Parish on 19th May 2004. Ex-Councillor Mr Paul Morris has prepared a guide to choosing a Broadband service.

Police Visits to Chedworth

PCSO Paul Bowman parks his Mobile Police Station at the Hemplands and/or the Village Hall once a month. He invites anyone who wishes to seek advice and information on any aspects of rural policing to visit him. You can also contact the Mobile Police Station by phone at 07734 068276 or via email.

• 11th June 11:30
• 24th June 16:00
• 13th July 16:00
• 30th July 11:30

Chedworth Parish Council

Name	Address	Occupation
Mrs. Susie Moore (Chairman)	The Old Forge Fossebridge Cheltenham GL54 3JP Tel: 01285 720214	Retired Agricultural and Technical writer now Mother and Housewife
Mrs. Elizabeth Broad (Parish Clerk)	Brookvale Chedworth Cheltenham GL54 4AB Tel: 01285 720313 Email: parishcouncil@chedworth.org.uk	Parish Clerk
David Broad (Councillor, Vice-Chairman)	Brookvale Chedworth Cheltenham GL54 4AB Tel: 01285 720313	District Councillor, works in Motor Trade
Andy Miles (Councillor)	Apperley Fields Road Chedworth Cheltenham GL54 4NQ Tel: 01285 720775	Planning Consultant
Tom Watt (Councillor)	The Haven Chedworth Cheltenham GL54 4AJ Tel: 01285 720604	Writer & Broadcaster
Paul Cundick (Councillor)	Umona Fields Rd Chedworth Cheltenham GL54 4NQ Tel: 01285 720654	Administrator
Paul Sibbald (Councillor)	Iolanthe Church Row Chedworth Cheltenham GL54 4AD Tel: 01285 720016	Property Maintenance, Builder & Gardener
Adrian Bell (Councillor)	Pancake Cottage Lower Chedworth Cheltenham GL54 4AW Tel: 01285 721056	Agricultural Marketing & Journalist