Chedworth
Parish Council

What is a Parish Council ?

A Parish Council is 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

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 2009

The Council will meet on the following dates during 2009:

• Monday 19th January
• Monday 16th February
• Monday 16th March
• Monday 23rd March (Parish Meeting)
• Monday 20th April
• Monday 18th May
• Monday 15th June
• Monday 13th July
• Monday 17th August
• Monday 21st September
• Monday 19th October
• Monday 16th November
• Monday 14th 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:

• June 2009
• May 2009

Minutes:

Parish Council Meetings

• May 2009
• April 2009
• March 2009
• February 2009
• January 2009
• December 2008
• November 2008
• October 2008
• September 2008
• August 2008
• July 2008
• June 2008
• May 2008
• April 2008
• March 2008

Other Meetings:

• The 2008 Annual Parish Meeting

The 2009 Parish Meeting

The 2009 Parish Meeting was held on 13th March 2009 in the Village Hall. The report was given by the Chairman, Mrs Susie Moore:

• The 2009 Annual Parish Report

Latest News

The Playing Field is looking particularly inviting at the moment following the appointment of a new contractor, Bibury Landscaping, who have been doing an excellent job of mowing it. However, unless people use this facility then the £700 paid by the Parish Council to keep the field playable all season will have been a complete waste of your money.

The Parish Council would be delighted to see greater use of the field to justify all this mowing money. There are already moves to diversify its use; Andy Chapple has marked out a running track and it is hoped that a semi-permanent rounders pitch will have been marked out in time for the school holidays.

It is not always necessary to book the Playing Field and the Parish Council does not charge local residents for using it - but if a booking has been made (through Liz Broad, Parish Council Clerk (01285 720313) it will obviously take precedence over non-booked activities.

The new bus route which takes the 864 right through the middle of the village is due to start on August 9th. At this point we do not have any details on stopping places and timings although it will probably be somewhere near the Village Hall at 10ish, returning at 1ish on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Check the noticeboards for details.

Gloucestershire County Council Public Rights of Way Team has admitted that they are sitting on 120 unresolved Definitive Map Modification Order applications (requests to amend the Definitive Map to add or divert public rights of way). This was revealed in a response from Defra to the Parish Council's appeal for an early resolution to our DMMO request for the remaining stretch of Hills Farm Track to be declared a Public Right of Way. The Secretary of State at Defra ruled that there were no grounds for pushing our case further up the waiting list. But why is there such a long waiting list? County Councils are supposed to deal with DMMOs within 12 months but it seems that by fiddling about allocating priorities they are doing enough to meet their statutory requirement.

Chedworth Parish Council's Responsible Financial Officer, who also happens to be our Clerk Elizabeth Broad, must be congratulated for successfully negotiating the obstructions and jumping through all the hoops imposed by the system for auditing Parish Council accounts which led to our books being signed off as in perfect order. Being such lowly public servants Parish Councils need not one but two annual audits and we have to pay for both. We are now into round two and our thanks go to Liz for dealing with this significant annual chore.

The next Parish Council Meeting is on Monday, July 13th and the August meeting is on the 17th, both at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall games room. Unconfirmed minutes of the preceding meeting are available on this webpage a week before the meeting and items for inclusion on the agenda must be submitted to Mrs Broad (720313) by the previous Wednesday evening.

Getting a bus route changed is not easy but Fred Shaftoe, co-ordinator of the Chedworth Traffic and Transport Action Group of Chedworth Parish Plan, has pulled off a major coup by getting agreement in principle from Gloucestershire County Council for the Cotswold Green bus (service 864) to do a round trip of the village before going on to Cirencester.

The bus runs on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and currently enters the Village from Withington. It goes along Fields Road to the Hemplands and back before leaving the Village Hall crossroads at 10.03 for Cirencester via Calmsden. The proposal is for the bus to turn off Fields Road near the airfield and go via the Tuns Hill triangle, the lower village road and Hemplands Hill to the Village Hall. This service then gives passengers a couple of hours in Cirencester before returning to Chedworth at 13.10 and the proposed new route through the village should make it a far more attractive proposition to many Chedworth residents.

Fred is still wondering what happened to the 61 people who, when they filled in the Parish Plan questionnaire, offered their services as drivers for those needing help with hospital, work or shopping transport…

The Parish Council and the Chedworth Diggers finally managed to get all their respective ducks in a row in time for the May PC meeting when both parties signed an agreement to license the "pointy bit" at the far end of the PC-owned grass keep field for use as a Community Garden. The final hitch had been caused by the Bank which had taken six weeks to release to the PC its deeds for the land in order that ownership and boundaries could be confirmed as a prerequisite for the deal.

The Diggers are happy for the Licence to be displayed on the Parish Council webpage so that its terms are freely visible to all. Click here to view the Licence.

In response to a request from a member of the Public the Parish Council is to display unconfirmed minutes of its previous month's meeting on its webpage one week before the next meeting. It is important that everyone realises that unconfirmed minutes which have not been agreed by the Parish Council as being the true record of a meeting cannot be relied upon for accuracy and completeness. In many ways they are not worth the cyberspace they are floating in but may serve to give people an indication of what was discussed should they wish to add anything to the next meeting's agenda by contacting the Clerk before the Wednesday evening deadline.

The Cotswolds Conservation Board is offering an expanded range of Rural Skills courses throughout the coming year. The two-day courses are suitable for beginners and teach crafts such as drystone walling, pole lathing/coppicing, hurdle-making, thatching and hedgelaying.

Gloucestershire Rural Community Council is continuing to encourage local people to become involved with Gloucestershire LINk. This stands for Local Involvement Network and is an association of individuals, organisations and community groups that works with their local communities and the Health and Social Care Services to make sure that the latter provide what the community needs. It is a rare opportunity to have an influence over decisions on Health and Social Care issues and to put forward new ideas and solutions. Leaflets have been put in the Village Hall foyer or you can email gloslink@grcc.org.uk. The co-ordinator's name is Pamela Dewick (01452 528491) and the first AGM is in Gloucester on June 24th.

The next PC meeting will be on Monday June 15th at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall games room. Agenda items for discussion to Mrs Broad, our Clerk (720313), by Wednesday June 10th please.

The process of adding a new public right of way to our network involves modifying the "definitive map". This map, as its name suggests, is a document held at Shire Hall which shows and numbers every right of way in the Parish. The County Council has a duty to determine within 12 months the validity of requests to modify the map.

The last time the Parish Council applied to add a new footpath to the definitive map the process took eight years; after seven years' wait the County Council Public Rights of Way Team admitted that the request had been mislaid.

Our current modification claim for the addition of Hills Farm Track to the definitive map was lodged in December 2006 and as there has been no progress so far the Parish Council has decided to exercise its right to request the Secretary of State at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to require Gloucestershire County Council to address our request for a modification order within six weeks. This course of action was agreed in part because of the strength of public feeling about this stretch of track and the very large number of forms submitted by residents in support of the application giving evidence of continuous, unchallenged use of the track over at least 20 years. The PC is also keen for an early resolution of the issue because of the unacceptable acts of vandalism to the owner's signs.

Whether this appeal to Defra will achieve anything remains to be seen but it is hoped that chronic understaffing of Gloucestershire County Council's Public Rights of Way Team will not be accepted as a valid reason for their failure to even initiate the process of assessing footpath modification claims.

The Parish Council is all set to sign a licensing agreement with the Community Garden Group for use of the triangular area at the south western corner of the PC-owned land at the Village Hall for the cultivation of fruit and vegetables. A few administrative hurdles remain but it is hoped that terms will shortly be agreed and the area, which has no value for grazing because the Parish Council cannot afford to make the fences stock proof, will soon be put into productive use by a community group.

It was a great pity that so few Parishioners turned up to the Annual Parish Meeting in March. This year the PC decided to widen the scope of the meeting and had invited reports from all the Parish Plan Action Groups, the Chedworth Society and the Chedworth Youth Parish Council in addition to the traditional yearly updates from the Parish charities and the PC Chairman. With so many speakers present the room was far from empty but there were very few audience-only attendees and the Chairman's pleas for someone to come forward to take the reins of the Social, Leisure and Services strand of the Parish Plan went unheard.

The Mobile Library Schedule remains unchanged for Chedworth in 2009/10. The Library van will roll into town and park at the village hall between 11.50am and 12.20pm on alternate Thursdays starting with May 14th and 28th. The Library Helpline number (for queries and renewals) is 0845 230 5420.

The next meeting of the Parish Council will take place on Monday 18th May at 7.30pm in the village hall games room. Items for discussion must be included on the agenda beforehand by contacting the Clerk, Mrs Broad (720313), by the preceding Wednesday afternoon.

The increasing congestion at the upper end of the village caused by on-street parking has claimed another victim: the County Highways gritting service.

While gritting lorries are getting larger, the space for them to manoeuvre between parked cars - particularly at night - has become ever more restricted. As a result Gloucestershire Highways has had to withdraw Tuns Hill and Cook's Hill from the cold weather gritting route and will instead provide grit supplies for motorists' use. Apart from seeking a total ban on on-street parking in the area this is the only way in which it can ensure grit is available. It is proposed to install a grit box opposite the end of Ballinger's Row and to provide additional heaps elsewhere in the vicinity.

It is hoped that fire engines and ambulances will not also grow too large for our village roads…

Grit and snow scenarios may seem like a distant memory but the Parish Council would like to thank all those who heroically managed to keep the roads open during the protracted snowy period. As our nominated Snow Warden, Mrs Jean Clarke is the keeper of a fine snow plough attachment loaned to the Parish by County Highways. Unfortunately the plough had been returned after servicing by GCC earlier in the season with some of its bits missing, but thanks to the ingenuity and skill of its operator it was made to work regardless. Thanks also to Neil Farnsworth and Stowell Park Estate who also did valuable snow-clearing work.

Chedworth is fortunate to have its own Youth Parish Council which since its inception over a year ago has organised a number of social initiatives for younger parishioners. The line-up of the YPC is necessarily dynamic because its Councillors have a habit of going off to College. More recruits are always welcome; please contact YPC Chairman Chris Miles (milesy2712@hotmail.com ) to find out what goes on. The YPC has a particularly relevant role in Chedworth where young people attend such a wide range of different schools and, apart from the 6 to 8 Club, have few opportunities to meet socially.

New Councillors Adrian Bell and Paul Sibbald are already showing their talents and public spirit by undertaking the repair and renovation of the roadside maps and Village noticeboards. The maps have long been in need of replacement but the new-fangled floppy disk containing the map information could not be found. However as Paul's late father, David Sibbald, was the original designer of the map Paul was able to lay his hands on an old-fashioned paper version which can be reproduced. The Parish Plan consultations revealed a continuing need for navigational help around Chedworth so refurbishment of the maps will help - until this even-more-new-fangled SatNav technology makes maps unnecessary and incomprehensible to future generations.

The Parish Council undertook a review of its webpage at its last meeting but could find no scope for improvement in this facility which is mastered by Alex Priest for the benefit of the community out of the kindness of his heart. However the PC would like to know from you, the Public, if there are additions or improvements which could be made to the village website.

Next meeting: Monday April 20th at 7.30 pm in the Village Hall games room. To get items onto the agenda for discussion, please contact Mrs E. Broad by the preceding Wednesday (parishcouncil@chedworth.org.uk or telephone 720313).

The team returns to full strength this month with the co-option of two new Councillors.

Paul Sibbald: I have been no stranger to Chedworth in the last 18 years. I was a frequent visitor when my parents moved to the village in 1991, and after 14 years as senior buyer with a large civil engineering & building contractor in Hertfordshire, I realised my ambition to escape from the "rat-race" and moved to Chedworth in November 2004 and set up my own business.

Since then, I have met many people from the village and understand from them that there is a great deal to do in supporting and building upon the already thriving community we have in Chedworth - hence, my decision to follow in my late father's footsteps and join the Parish Council. I am very pleased to have been co-opted to the Council and hope my experience and practical and proactive attitude will be of benefit in representing and promoting the interests of the village.

Adrian Bell: After several years as Rendcomb residents, my wife Liz and I finally got our chance to move to Chedworth in 2007 - a memorable occasion, as our move coincided with the July floods.

Agriculture and the rural sector is my profession, but also my passion - I run my own business from home and offices in Moreton-in-Marsh, working as both an agricultural journalist and as a consultant offering public relations and marketing services to a range of organisations connected with farming and countryside matters. In my 'spare' time, I run a steadily increasing flock of Wiltshire Horn sheep whose grazing activities are gradually improving some of the pasture in Lower Chedworth!

Naturally with this background, seeing Chedworth develop as a thriving and viable rural community is very important to me - which is why I decided to join the Council. I'm delighted to have been co-opted and I hope I'll be able to make some useful contribution to developing Chedworth's future and the community's interests.

The next monthly meeting will be on Monday March 16th in the Village Hall games room at 7.30 pm.

Even more exciting will be the ANNUAL PARISH MEETING on Monday March 23rd, also in the games room at 7.30 pm. This is effectively the Village AGM when reports on the past year's activities are delivered by representatives of the Village charities and by the Chairman. Progress to date with the Parish Plan Action Plans will also be reported and the Parish Council will accept free and unfettered questioning. Don't miss this opportunity!

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.

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 5p 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.

Grants for Dry Stone Walling

The Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty gives grants of up to 50% for dry stone wall repairs. This covers a limited list of parishes, to which Chedworth has recently been added.

Up to 50% grants are therefore now available from the Cotswold Conservation Board at Northleach for the repair of dry stone walls within the Parish, and the grant percentage may be higher if the wall benefits the wider public, e.g. it's next to a road or a footpath.

You can download an application form from their web site or you can contact Jonathan Gahan (Dry Stone Walls Project Officer) by email or on 01451 862000.

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.

• 29th June 16:00
• 10th July 16:00
• 26th July 11:30
• 12th August 11:30
• 19th August 16:00

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