The Ampney Times
What regular readers in Ampney Crucis will immediately notice about this edition of the newsletter is the change of name. There has been some interest in spreading the coverage to all three villages and, following the Parish Meetings in both Ampney St Peter and Ampney St Mary, it has been decided to move ahead with each village paying its way. So, welcome to our new readers and welcome to ‘The Ampney Times’
We are confident it will prove successful but we will review the decision at the end of the year. The first innovation for this new edition is reports from all three Annual Parish Meetings and these are on pages 5 and 6.
To all our readers, may the editors take this opportunity of thanking everybody for their contributions and please keep them coming. The 'official’ content tends to come from the Parish Council and Meetings but all the local news comes to us from all directions. and essentially it is a case of the more the merrier. We do have to work to a deadline but the copy date is always on the last page of each edition
The Ampney Crucis Times got off to a slow start but ended as an accepted part of the scenery. We hope the new newsletter will prove to be equally successful in Ampney St Mary and Ampney St Peter.
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This was a major item for discussion at the recent Annual Parish Meeting. There will be a special meeting of the Parish Council at 7.30 p.m. on 9 June at which the final decision will be taken – please see the article on page 3.
The Ampney Crucis Association will hold its annual meeting at 7.00 p.m. on 26 June at Wych Elm, Ampney Crucis, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs John Ducker.
For a trial period (which ends early next year) public participation is being allowed at Cotswold District Council planning meetings. For any planning application sent to the committee for a decision, four presentations (each lasting no longer then three minutes) can be made on behalf of the Parish Council or Meeting, objectors, supporters and the applicants (and in that order).
If you wish to speak at a planning meeting in relation to any planning application, you should contact the Planning Department direct.
The Meysey Players are performing Shakespeare’s “Much Ado about Nothing” between 3 July and 6 July inclusive in the beautiful gardens of the Manor House, Ampney St Mary, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Mark Heaton.
Performances start at 8 p.m., with a Saturday matinee at 3 p.m. Tickets from the Box Office É850158 or Tourist Information Centre, É654180.
Cream teas will be served on Saturday 12 July 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m., Ampney Crucis Village Hall, on behalf of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. £3.00 per person, please pay at the door. All proceeds go to the local branch of the MS Society. Volunteers needed to serve tea please! Enquiries Janette Coombs É850096.
Save the Children – a thank you
The Ampneys and District Branch of Save the Children would like to thank all those who supported them in their two recent events. The series of Sunday lunches, so expertly and generously held by Mr John Brook in Cirencester, raised £1,000, while opening of the Ampney Park grounds, by kind permission of Mrs Angela Scott, raised £500.
Residents at the eastern end of the Village Street in Ampney Crucis were recently canvassed for ideas on traffic calming following some complaints about traffic (ACT December 2002). The general view was that humps or chicanes would not be welcome but that other means of reducing traffic speeds should be considered. A 20 m.p.h. speed limit was suggested but the Parish Council was against this on the grounds that it would be unfair to burden everybody because of a handful of unthinking motorists.
A subsequent speed check in the village showed no overall excessive speeding apart from a very small number of people who apparently feel that 40 m.p.h. is safe. The Parish Council will, however, be looking into temporary speed notices that can be put up from time to time just to remind people of the speed limit.
The A417
Ampney Crucis Parish Council has pursued the idea of double white lines along the most dangerous sections (e.g. the stretch alongside Ampney Park) and individual parishioners have also been in contact with Gloucestershire Highways. Double white lines are to be installed along the A417 through Ampney Crucis and Ampney St Peter but the precise location is determined within standard guidelines based entirely on forward visibility. As an example, the rules say that the A417 alongside Ampney Park is long enough for overtaking and therefore this stretch will be double white lined only on the corners.
The rules on double white lines are totally inflexible and cannot be set aside on the grounds of road safety e.g. a road being narrow or prone to accidents.
Generally
In view of comments received (from Ampney Crucis and Ampney St Mary), the Parish Council would like to remind everybody that to use motor bikes, trial bikes and quad bikes on the village roads, vehicles must be taxed and insured and drivers must have a licence. Bikers must wear helmets. Every driver must observe the speed limits and, equally importantly, must be considerate to other villagers whether they are using the road, walking the dog or sitting at home trying to have a quiet cup of tea!
The schedule for June and July is as follows (times are approximate):
A C A St M A St P
11 June 12.45 13.00 14.00
23 June 12.45 13.00 14.00
15 July 16.45 17.00 18.00
31 July 12.45 13.00 18.00
In Ampney Crucis, the station parks outside the Village Hall. In Ampney St Mary, it parks by the parish Notice Board and in Ampney St Peter by the junction with the A417.
The attending officer is PC Rueben Wyatt.
The April Clean up day in Ampney Crucis saw a small group of people take on the task of trying to keep the village tidy. It has to be said that the turnout was disappointing so it is hoped for a better response for the autumn clean up in October.
There was a better turnout in the Burial Ground where a two hour blitz resulted in the removal of several tractor loads of material. This has now been a regular task over the last three or four years and the results speak for themselves. Thanks to all those who turned up.
Come along and enjoy an afternoon at Ampney Crucis Primary School on Saturday 21 June at 2 p.m..
Plenty of stalls including plant stall, bottle tombola, Gypsy Rose Fortune Telling, cake stall, BBQ, cream teas, raffle, bouncy slide and lot more fun and games!
Is there anyone in the village who would be interested in playing tennis with others in the village? Has anyone access to a court which they would be willing to let others in the village use for social tennis? In either case please contact Andrew Lazenby É851557.
If there is sufficient interest perhaps a local tennis group could be set up.
The Ampney Crucis Playground
Your views are still needed! The discussion at the Annual Parish Meeting provided much information but the Parish Council felt it needed a more focussed meeting at which to make a final decision on the proposal. An extraordinary meeting of the Parish Council is to be held at 7.30 p.m. on 9 June in the Village Hall and the playground will be the only item on the agenda.
The debate is now on.
The proposal is to construct a children’s playground on land at the northern end of the football pitch in Allotment Lane. The County Council would grant a licence for this purpose to the Parish Council for ten years initially; the football pitch would be moved towards the Village Street to make the space available.
The projected capital cost is just over £31,000 and this would be met largely by grants though some fund raising may be necessary. Some of the annual running costs could be met by fund raising but it is likely that most of these costs would have to be met by the Parish Council i.e. by an increase in the precept. It is difficult to be precise but around £2,000 to £2,500 a year may be a prudent figure (the current precept is £5,300). The increase would mean an additional £7 a year to a Band D household.
Some of this increase would be to build up reserves either to provide the funds for the refurbishment of the playground after, say, ten years or to remove the playground if it failed at some point in the future.
Here are some of the points that have been expressed for and against.
Within the village there is no room for children to play together safely. The results of the questionnaire sent round showed that up to 70 children will use such a facility (the number of children in the village is higher than most people think but the figure is supported by the number of mugs distributed as part of the Jubilee celebrations). Alternative facilities are only available to families with transport. A professionally designed playground will provide a focal point for families to meet and the provision of a skateboard ramp will mean that older children will be included.
The plans have the support of local families and there is the firm commitment to provide the necessary ongoing support in the future.
Those against.
The playground will be a nine day wonder and it will be difficult to maintain enthusiasm for a playground built well away from the village. Families come and go and it will be difficult to guarantee that new arrivals will have the same level of commitment. The playground will need an element of daily supervision and this will be impossible to maintain. It will inevitably suffer from vandalism
It is not known what level of grants will be available and the organisers have underestimated the difficulty of raising the top up funds. The village is small and so funds attracted by this group will simply mean lower funds for the other main groups i.e. the Village Hall, the Church and the school. Other organisations are self supporting and do not need a relatively high annual subsidy from the Parish Council.
For the venture to move ahead, funds have to be applied for from the various grant giving bodies. No approach to these bodies will be successful unless the group can give the assurance that they have the support of the Parish Council. This support is more than just a vote of encouragement; it means potentially having to raise the precept to ensure that the project can survive in the future. That is the decision the Parish Council will have to make on 9 June.
The meeting will follow the established routine. It will start with a public discussion and everybody present will be entitled to have a say. The time for presentations will be strictly controlled by the Chairman.
After the public debate, the Parish Council will then go into formal session and no further public participation will be allowed.
Your
opinions matter and the Parish Council needs to be aware of them. Some
people may not be able to make the meeting or may not like the idea of speaking
in public. If you wish to have your say on any aspect of the proposal,
whether for or against, you can have your views taken into account by the
Parish Council provided they are in writing. Please send any comments to
the Clerk, Helen Tonks, at her new address
187 Alexandra Drive, Cirencester GL7
1UH
Sports and Social
Football report
Ampney United finished bottom of Cheltenham League Division 3 in a campaign ruined by injuries to key players and a wet mid season. We also lost the services of our manager half way through the season so thanks go to Chris Porter who took over the role. The club spirit returned and performances were much better towards the end of the season. Final statistics were - played 26 games, won 5, drew 3, lost 18, goals for 47, goals against 85 - points 18.
Next season we are hoping to play in the Cirencester league, which should cut down on expenses and travelling.
Thanks are also due to our chairman Doug Coombs who did a sterling job and also to our tea-lady and official shirt washer, Joan Curtis, for her many years of support to the club.
Cricket report
The cricket is now in full swing. Three matches have been played, with three wins. New players for the Sunday team would be most welcome. Contact Phil Gearing É851855.
Pétanque Club
The season started well with a successful open afternoon and barbecue on Sunday April 13. The weather stayed fine and John Anderson kept us all well fed. The regular evening sessions have now started. To give people a choice of time and evening, we will be trying out sessions on Tuesdays from 6.30 p.m. and/or Thursdays from 7.30 p.m. Everyone welcome, just turn up or contact Martin Cridford (É851313) or Liz Anderson (É850141).
Women’s Institute
Meets monthly Thursdays Village Hall 7.30 p.m.
26 June “Passionate Puds”, Mrs Parson
24 July “Order of the Garter”, Mrs A Panrucker
Contact Sonja Payne É850267
Sixties Club
Meets Mondays Village Hall 2.00 p.m. unless otherwise noted
9 June “Oddspots” entertainment
23 June “Aeroplane stories”, Mr Michael Lucas
7 July Annual outing to Weymouth, departure time to be notified
21 July Garden meeting, Mrs K Mundy
Contact Paddy or Peggy Thompson É851619
Ampney and District Royal British Legion Women’s Section
Meets monthly Tuesdays Village Hall 2.00 p.m. unless otherwise noted
12 June, annual walk, Moreton-in-Marsh
17 June “Antiques Road Show”, Mr Philip Allwood
15 July “Cotswold Care Hospice”
Bingo continues at the Village Hall on 18 June; doors open 7.00pm, eyes down 7.30pm.
Whist drives are now being held at the Pop In, Cirencester on the third Friday of every month.
Contact Janet Gibbs É851227
Ampneys Gardening Club
Meets monthly Thursdays Village Hall 7.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. unless otherwise noted
19 June Club outing to Mrs Stephanie Richards’ garden, Eastleach House, Eastleach, 6.00 for 6.15pm
17 July Summer social evening, 7.00 p.m., Jenners, London Road, Poulton, by kind permission of Mrs Ruth Griffiths. Rose competition
Contact Joyce Cutts É 851540
Rural cinema
The next showings are as follows:
11 June: ‘The Quiet American’ (Cert 15) an adaptation of the Graham Greene classic with Michael Caine.
9 July – film to be announced .
Village Hall, 7.30 p.m., £2.50, refreshments available bring a cushion!
Contact Fran Huckle É750788
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Ampney St Mary News – Nicoll Ferguson
Welcome to Olly and Aimy Adams who have moved into Elm Tree Cottage.
Congratulations to Tony Boucher for his outstanding success with the Manor Farm flock. Prizes in the Gloucestershire and adjacent counties competition include Champion Flock, Champion Large Flock and Progeny Trophy.
The Millennium Tree, which sadly died of fungus, has been replaced by another of the same species (cedrus lebani). On the advice of GCC Forestry Officer, the new one is smaller and has been planted in a more suitable position. It seems happy and is putting on growth!
The mobile police van visits the village every fortnight, (the next two month’s schedule is on page 2) between 1 and 2 p.m. It parks in the centre of the village by the parish Notice Board (which carries the date of the next visit). If the officer cannot deal with your problem, they will know someone who can.
The Village BBQ, in aid of the Ampney St Mary and Ampney St Peter church funds and a local charity will be held at College Farm on Saturday 26 July from 6 to 9 p.m. High class food will be cooked by Tom and Gerry, and Peter.
Finally, thanks to Ken Austen for his 25 years as Parish Clerk. He has consented to continue in office and our appreciation for his years of service was shown in a presentation at the recent Parish Meeting (which also saw fit to elect me as Chairman for another year).
Ampney St Peter News – Norman Simpson
Antony Leaf was a diligent and effective Chairman of the Ampney St Peter Parish Meeting for many years. Last year Antony and his wife Antonia decided to prepare to leave the village. Sadly, the sudden death of Antony overtook their plans. Antonia has subsequently moved but we know she will keep in contact and we all wish her well in her new home. Antony worked tirelessly on our behalf and he will be sorely missed. Donations from parishioners have provided a gift of garden furniture as a token of our friendship for Antonia and in grateful memory of Antony.
Last autumn, John Harries accepted the Chairman role as an interim arrangement. At the Parish Meeting in April he stood down and Julian Selby-Rickards was voted his successor. Margaret Hitchens was also thanked for her unstinting efforts as Clerk to the Parish Meeting for the last eight years.
Margaret will be moving to Fairford at the end of May and we will continue to keep in contact. Norman Simpson was voted her successor.
Sewage…
Investigative work on behalf of Thames Water into the operation of the sewage system is continuing and they are to report the findings this autumn. CDC are monitoring progress and our newly appointed Ward Councillor is aware of the issues.
….and drainage
Outstanding work on the surface water drainage system is being pursued by Gloucestershire County Council (including the rebuild of the bank to the Ampney Brook). Work has already been undertaken to improve some of the local road drainage and further works, including ditches, are being considered.
And finally
The Ampney Times is intended to highlight local news and is issued every two months. Any contributions to the Ampney St Peter content or suggestions and ideas on it would be welcome.
Please contact Norman Simpson É851297.
Annual Report of Ampney Crucis Parish Council
The recent elections were uncontested as only six candidates were nominated for the seven vacancies. All the existing councillors (Peter Kelly, Sally Hebbs, Gerald Gaden, John Dear, Adrian Grazebrook and David Vessey) will continue in the role. At the subsequent Annual Parish Council meeting, Kim Hartshorne was co-opted as a new councillor; Councillors Peter Kelly and Adrian Grazebrook were elected as Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively.
Fran Huckle who served as a Parish Councillor for over 4 years has moved from the village and resigned from the council. We thank her for all her efforts on behalf of the community.
The Parish Council has held its six regular bi-monthly meetings during the year, with a seventh being held to discuss the response to the first deposit of the Cotswold District Local Plan 2001 - 2011. Ten members of the public attended the meetings during the year.
The Council has considered 26 planning applications. There were objections to five on policy grounds - Orchard Hill, Waterton Farm, 17 Ampney Crucis, Stonelea and amended plans for the new houses on School Lane.
Janet Campbell is the Council’s Tree Warden, and comments on all tree works applications (there were 12 during the year).
The Council responds to every planning application. Even if there are no objections in principle, constraints can be attached to the approval. If you should have any concerns about a local planning matter, please contact the Chairman or your local Parish Councillor.
The Council were obliged to adhere to the new audit regime for the year ending March 2002. In theory, the audit should have been simpler and cheaper; in practice, it was no simpler, and was more expensive. The Parish Council continue to make written representations, both locally and nationally, to the authorities regarding the burden falling on to smaller councils.
The new regime requires new internal audit procedures. This could have resulted in further expense but fortunately, Neil Holt agreed to undertake the audit for us. However, the external audit has to be done by a specified contractor whose fees are 50% more than those under the old regime.
The Council has continued to make donations to specific organisations that benefit the residents of Ampney Crucis thus £50 has been donated to the Citizens Advice Bureau.
The precept for the forthcoming year has been increased to £5300 (£300 more than last year) to take account of vastly increased insurance premiums and to bring the Clerk’s salary in line with the recommended national scale.
New Government Legislation.
This has increased enormously this year. The Council have complied with recent legislation by implementing the new code of conduct for all Councillors, completing the register of interests, and implementing the Freedom of Information Act. There are new statutory requirements laid down on racial equality, human rights and crime and disorder. The new audit regime also has the need to carry out a risk assessment of the Council’s responsibilities.
County Council finance for highway repairs is very limited, but the Parish Council continues to lobby for further repair work to footpaths in Ampney Crucis. There has been some resurfacing on Hunts Hill, and it is hoped that more will be done. However the drains on the hill, and the rest of the footpaths in this area still require substantial repair.
Copy deadline for next issue (Aug/Sept): Tuesday 15 July 2003
Send to: Elisabeth Gerver, Cider Orchard, Ampney Crucis, Gloucestershire GL7 5RY. É850508
Editors: Christine Cridford, Elisabeth Gerver and David Vessey
Produced by Ampney Crucis Parish Council for the information of residents of the three villages. No liability can be accepted by the Council or Councillors, or the Parish Meeting Chairmen, for any losses, however caused, arising from this publication.