Present: 17 electors, District Councillor B Evans, and County Councillor D Gayler.
Apologies for Absence: Councillor John Dear
Presiding: Councillor P Kelly
Clerk: Mrs H E Tonks
1. Minutes of the Annual Parish Meeting held on 11 May, 1999
The Minutes of the meeting were posted in the village. There were no objections to the factual record. Adrian Grazebrook proposed, Gerald Gaden seconded and the meeting agreed that the minutes be approved and signed.
2. Ampney Crucis Parish Council Annual Report.
The Chairman reported as follows.
The Parish Council has once again had a busy year. There was no response to the official trawl for candidates to stand as Councillors to bring the council up to full strength so the full complement of Councillors was achieved by co-option to ensure a balanced council. Sally Hebbs from School Lane agreed to serve following her involvement with the Village Appraisal. David Vessey, the former Parish Clerk, from the Dudley Farm area came aboard with a wealth of experience and John Dear from the Church end returned to the council.
All Councillors have been allocated a geographic area of responsibility as well as a specific role: Fran Huckle is a school governor, represents the Council on the Village Hall committee, and was chair, and contact, for the Village Appraisal Steering Group. David Vessey has responsibility for footpaths and as the Council’s representative for the Robert Pleydell charity. Gerald Gaden looks after the interests of the Burial Ground, and monitors the grass-cutting contract in the Village. Adrian Grazebrook is the Vice-Chairman, the internal auditor and provides advice on legal issues. I am Chairman, and also have specific responsibility for planning and the Area Liaison Panel. John Dear has been examining the viability of a new Village Shop, and Sally Hebbs has organised a working party to organise Millennium celebrations in the summer.
Councillor Bruce Evans has continued to attend Parish Council meetings and support their activities whilst Chairman of the District Council, and Dave Gayler has been a useful point of contact for all County council matters. We thank them for their support.
Meetings
The Parish Council have had their usual six meetings of the year. Police Sergeant Taylor for Cirencester Police spoke at one meeting about the importance of Neighbourhood watch and Special Constables,and Roy Tyler, the County Council’s Road Safety Officer advised the Council on possible methods of reducing speeding, and improving the safety of the Parish’s roads. Nine members of the public also attended the meetings at some point in the year. We would welcome more feedback if not attendance at the meetings.
This year we have received and commented on 42 different applications – of these 10 were for tree works, and 6 were Listed Building consent applications. One Appeal against a CDC refusal was made, the Parish Council remained opposed to the plan and the Appeal was later refused by central government. The Parish Council made one objection to a planning application and to a Listed Building consent application and this is still under discussion at CDC. The Council responds to every planning application, even if there are no objections. If you should have any concerns about a local planning matter, please contact the Chairman or your local Parish Councillor.
The grass-cutting contract has been awarded to the same contractor for the forthcoming financial year against a very competitive bid. Your views on the performance of the contractor would be welcomed.
Most of you will also have noticed that the Lych Gate has been repaired in the last twelve months. The building was in need of considerable repair, and with the aid of a 50% grant from Cotswold District Council, the work was completed in September 1999. The Parish Council would like to extend their thanks to the District Council for their generosity.
The precept and the forthcoming financial activities of the Council were discussed at length at the meeting in January. A budget expenditure of £6638 was agreed. This included several ‘one-off’ items. The need for a financial strategy was also agreed.
· The Parish Council Reserves at the end of the current financial year were estimated to be about £3,500 after including the VAT reclaim and the interest on the deposit account. The actual amount in the reserves is £4575.06, made up of £3413 carried forward from 31 March 2000 plus the Vat reclaim of £1162.06
· There was a good case for using some of the reserves to cover one-offs but no case for using all of the reserves to reduce the precept. The Council still had to have a Capital Reserve (for future expansion of the Burial Ground), a Maintenance Reserve (for ongoing maintenance in the Burial ground) and a General Contingencies Reserve.
· It was important to establish the principle that each year's precept should include an amount towards building up future reserves.
· The full amount of the budget for 2000/01 included two one-off items i.e. the War Memorial and the Church Path. The amount of regular items was therefore just under £5,400
· As the 2000/01 budget was well over this year's precept, it was decided to base the precept on the current year's regular expenditure, increased by £50 to allow for inflation, plus £200 towards the reserves. This set the precept at £5,250.
The Parish Council were happy to make a grant of £270.25 towards the resurfacing of the car park at the Village hall, and also, under section 137 of the Local Government Act, 1972, a donation was made to the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Footpaths continue to be walked periodically by Councillors, and problems reported to the County Council.
A new footpath map is shortly to be reproduced – Ordnance Survey very kindly waived their reproduction fee, and this will be available in the Church soon. The map itself will remain unchanged until the digital version is available in 2001, but the descriptive text will be completely redrafted, and the footpath descriptions updated. The County Council awarded a grant of £100 towards the reprinting of the map.
Church Walk is also due to be resurfaced in the summer months. This will be a joint project between the Parish Council and the Parochial Church Council, aided by a £500 grant from the County Council.
Sally Hebbs is chairing a sub-committee to co-ordinate some of the celebrations in the Village. The celebrations will take the place of the summer fete, and will include some of the activities normally held in the summer, family games, and a barn dance in the evening. The date for your diaries is 8 July 2000.
Following an initial request by the British Legion, The Parish Council agreed to repair weather damage done to the War Memorial. The Council was awarded a 25% grant towards the very necessary repairs. Work finished recently.Although the stonework looks much brighter than it did, this will weather quickly. The writing is once again clear enough to read, and all spalling stonework has been repaired or replaced. There is a definite improvement. Further work will be carried out to improve the overall appearance of the site including help from the Gardening Club.
Following from the almost annual comments about the need for the Council to be more accessible, and comments raised in the Village Appraisal, the Council have launched the ‘Ampney Crucis Times’. This is circulated with the Parish newsletter, and concentrates on Parish Council and Ampney Crucis matters. In time, it is anticipated that the Ampney Crucis Times will, with the aid of a small charge for classified ads. become completely self-supporting. I am sure you will agree that it is an excellent publication - thanks go to Fran Huckle and David Vessey for their hard work.
Names and addresses of the Councillors and Clerk are displayed on the noticeboard outside the Village Hall – please contact us if you think we can help.
Harold Stevens has also made a new noticeboard for the Dudley Farm end of the village, which should help increase communication.
There is a Website on the Internet about Ampney Crucis. This has been devised by Frank Skinner, and contains a wealth of information about the village. There is a section about the Parish Council, with names of all Councillors, and the Clerk, and you can contact the Parish Council, on line, through this page. Whilst the Minutes and agendas of meetings will also be available on this site, they will continue to be displayed on the noticeboards as required by regulations. The Clerk, or Frank, will be able to give you the address.
Sad to say we have not escaped our share of vandalism. There have been some disturbing incidents in the village, the latest being extensive damage to a memorial bench at the Pleydells. PS Taylor, at the meeting in January suggested that the expansion of the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme could be beneficial in this case. The Parish Council will be happy to listen to your comments and suggestions on this matter, and act accordingly, but above all we need your help to identify the culprits. A further area of concern is the dumping of garden refuse and other rubbish in the verges on the roads around the village. Again I would ask you to report to either the Clerk or myself any incidents which you see, it is not much use having a campaign to clean up the countryside surroundings if immediately afterwards more rubbish is deposited.
Following two accidents in one day in the summer, the Parish Council agreed that they investigate speeding and careless driving in the village and at the crossroads at the ‘Crown of Crucis’.
The County Council were very helpful, and provided a radar gun that would detect speeding in the village. The results showed that although 30% of drivers exceeded the speed limit, only 10% were above 35mph. There were more incidents of this in the morning and afternoon when parents would be taking their children to and from school. The school sent a letter to all the parents informing them of this, and there appears to have been an improvement.
When the County Council resurfaced the road at the junction near the ‘Crown of Crucis’, red infill was included to highlight the potential problems at this junction.
The County Council’s Road Safety Officer attended the March meeting of the Parish Council and suggested a number of ways of raising public awareness about the dangers of speeding. The Parish Council will be implementing some of these suggestions in the future.
The Village Appraisal suggested that many residents would be pleased to see a shop in the village again, and would support it. John Dear, with residents of the village, has started to look at the potential for reintroducing a Village Shop. Discussions are very much in the early stage – we will keep you informed.
Ampney Crucis has an impressive and increasing range of activities some resulting from the village appraisal. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who gets involved in the organisation of village life, for their unstinting efforts. Without them the village would be the poorer. However there is a need for more support for village activities if we are to remain as a thriving community Finally, I would like to thank those here who have made the effort to attend this annual meeting. It is very much appreciated by your Council.
Reaction from the meeting.
Following the Chairman’s report the meeting raised the following points.
· It appeared that the grass cutting contractors had not been in the village recently, and the grass was getting very long. The Clerk agreed to contact the contractors.
· It was suggested that The ‘Praying Cross’ would require repair in the near future. The Chairman reported that the base of the cross had been cleared of undergrowth, the trees had been trimmed back and that an appraisal of the costs involved would be required before any further action is taken.
· That action should be taken to improve visibility at the junction near the ‘Crown of Crucis’. The Chairman replied to say that management at the ‘Crown of Crucis’ cut the bushes back on a regular basis, and the Parish Council would contact the ‘Crown’ to ask that this practice be continued.
· It was requested that an additional ‘30mph’ sign be erected at the top of School Lane to encourage drivers to keep to the speed limit.
· It was reported that following the repairs to the War Memorial, the County Council would lay setts and improve drainage at the site.
3. Parish Council accounts for the year ending 31 March, 2000
The Clerk presented the accounts, which had been drawn up in the format required by the Accounts and Audit regulations, 1996. The Council’s Internal Auditor, Councillor Grazebrook, had audited the accounts. The Clerk reported that the Vat reclaim for this year had been received on 3 April, and therefore would appear on the accounts for 2000/01.
4. Accounts of Village Charities.
4.1 Village Hall Charity
The Accounts were presented to the meeting, and it was agreed that the Charity was running very successfully.
4.2 The Robert Pleydell Educational Trust.
The accounts were presented to the meeting. It was asked why some of the assets of the Charity were invested in narrow range shares and some in wide range shares. It was suggested that the necessary regulations insisted that assets were invested in this way.
4.3 John May Charity.
Mr Ducker reported that the Charity was not in a position to meet its original objective of relief of poverty in the village, as its assets were insufficient at current prices. At the end of 1999, the balance in the account was £123.22. The Trustees are therefore in correspondence with the Charity Commissioners with a view to winding it up. It is a question of finding a means of disposing of the remaining assets in a manner consistent with the Charity’s objectives and which meets the approval of the Commissioners. It is anticipated that this will happen in the forthcoming year.
5. Report from Village organisations and County and District Councillors.
5.1 Fran Huckle gave the following report.
The Village Appraisal was completed in late summer 1999 and the Steering Group reported its findings to the village at a meeting in September. In addition a complete report was produced and made available to villagers via the Parish Council Clerk, the village hall and the church and a summary was delivered to every house in the parish.
The Parish Council took up the challenge of taking forward many of the recommendations, as has already been reported by the Chairman. In particular, it took note of the need to improve communication within the village and is now producing a bi-monthly newsletter - the Ampney Crucis Times - which is delivered to households alongside the parish newsletter. It is hoped that, as well as reporting the activities of the council, this will provide a vehicle for villagers and local organisations to communicate news and information. The editors, David Vessey and myself, have taken a flexible approach to the newsletter, developing it according to the needs and requirements of residents. Feedback about ACT would be very welcome.
The Parish Council has set up a committee to investigate further the options for bringing a shop back to the village, which was seen by many as being the single most important option in making the village a better place to live in.
One of the most pressing recommendations to take forward from the village appraisal was the organisation of a Millennium Event to take place this year, based on villagers' responses. Councillor Sally Hebbs volunteered to co-ordinate this and plans are now well under way for an event on the 8th July. The idea is to have a wide range of activities spread throughout the day, designed to appeal to everyone, starting with a peal of bells in the church and culminating in a barn dance in Hilcot End.
Road safety in the village was another area of concern to villagers. The Parish Council has taken various measures to look into this, including a speed survey, which have also been reported earlier.
Responses in the appraisal indicated that villagers were keen to maintain the appearance of their environment. An opportunity to participate in Cotswold District Council's Spring Clean campaign in April enabled us, with support from some villagers, to carry out a litter pick around the lanes surrounding the village.
A representative from Cirencester College attended the meeting in September and took up the challenge of organising courses in the village. So far, computer classes have been very successful, with a beginner's course and a short course for retired people being held during the Spring Term and a further beginner's course planned for this term. A yoga class attracted less interest, however, but the College has plans to use Ampney Crucis for other courses in the future, based on data from the appraisal.
New Neighbourhood Watch Groups are also starting up in the village, following a talk from David Bragg, Cotswold Neighbourhood Watch Officer and PC George Lager in February.
Sadly, the Mother and Toddler Group, which was revived in the autumn and seemed to be thriving, has recently had to close again, for various reasons. The organisers would very much like to be able to continue the group, but need more commitment from members in order to afford the costs of the Hall and insurance.
The volunteer sheets, which were returned with the appraisal, have already been very useful in identifying support and helpers, for example for delivering the newsletters and for the Millennium Event.
Although I'm not sure if this was direct result of the appraisal, I can't let the opportunity go by of praising the initiative and hard work of one resident, Frank Skinner, who has created a village web site for Ampney Crucis. There is much of interest on this site and Frank is very willing to add more information from organisations and individuals to make it really useful. The Parish Council intends to use it as another means of reporting back to the village, and, as the government wants us all to be 'wired up' within the next five years, this will become increasingly important as a means of communication.
There are many smaller knock-on effects from the appraisal too numerous to go into in detail. The Parish Council’s rapid response in taking forward some of the recommendations is commendable and many of the organisations within the village, have looked at aspects of the results as they apply to their responsibilities. I hope you will agree that this is a lot to achieve in the few months since the village appraisal was completed. There is still a long way to go and many of the recommendations have yet to be addressed, but this all takes time. We will be able to draw useful information from the results for many years to come.
Reaction from the meeting
It was asked whether there would be a ‘follow-up’ survey for those who had recently moved into the village. Councillor Huckle suggested that this could be difficult to arrange, and suggested that the full report be perused at this stage. However, it could be interesting to review aspects of the appraisal in two or three year’s time.
5.2 Councillor Gayler gave the following report.
· He was happy to answer questions on the County Council precept and speak on behalf of the Police Authority.
· He, and Councillor Evans had met Lord Whitty, to discuss the problems on the Eastern Spine Road. It is hoped that the scheme to improve this road would receive notification of funding by December 2000. The scheme is supported by Gloucestershire County Council, Cotswold District Council, Wiltshire County Council and North Wiltshire District Council. If funding is received, the impact on the villages between the A417 and the A419 will then be assessed.
· Following from the successful Village Appraisal, Councillor Gayler suggested that a Village Design Statement be devised.
5.3 District Councillor Evans gave the following report.
· Although not sitting on the planning committee, he takes a great interest in planning issues, and will forward the views of parishioners and the Parish Council to officers and Councillors at the District Council.
· The Cotswold District Council Community Plan and Best Value plan have now been produced, which the District Council hope will enable the public to see where they are going and to focus the Council’s efforts on continued improvement.
· The Partnership programmes have been very successful, these partnerships include: Crime and Disorder; the Market Towns Initiative, Cotswold Housing Partnership; Cotswold area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the Cotswold Locality planning team, which plays a crucial role in co-ordinating the work of the agencies involved in Community Care.
· It is hoped that the planned 600 homes for rent would be achieved by the end of 2000.
· A comprehensive capital scheme will show improvements around the district.
· CDC have made representations about the suggested political management proposals for local government.
· The periodical electoral review will be starting in the Cotswolds this year, and it is anticipated that substantial changes will be made to ward boundaries.
· CDC wrote to the Police Authority expressing concern about the large increase in the Police Authority precept.
· The District Council would be undertaking a Conservation statement for Ampney Crucis in 2005/06.
Reaction from the meeting
A request was made that the word ‘normally’ be omitted from future conservation documents.
5.4 Ampney Crucis Association.
Mr J Ducker gave the following report.
During the course of 1999, the Association took important steps in respect of the proposals for the future of the land still owned by Mr. Nicholas Cripps in the village. There has been little other business of much significance, but I will report on that first.
It will be recalled that in the autumn of 1999, the Cotswold District Council issued the District Plan. The process of preparing this plan culminated in a review by an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State. This review resulted in some changes to the plan, which may in the long term be quite significant to the village. The changes were quite technical and I am not sure I am fully qualified to describe them, but essentially they are to do with the significance of development boundaries. As I understand it, these changes give the District Council rather more discretion over where development may be permitted. We shall have to wait to see how the District Council implements the District Plan before we can fully assess the significance to this village of these changes.
It will also be recalled that in 1998 there was a public hearing about the proposed use by W Berry and Sons of their land at Back Lane for operation of their transport business. Following the inspector’s decision, the land was put up for sale. It was eventually sold early in the year 2000. The purchaser is a building contractor, but it is not known what intentions he may have for the use of the land.
The Association was invited to comment on an appeal made by Mrs. Eaton against a decision of the District Council to reject her application for planning consent for construction of a dwelling house on land she owned behind the old ‘Praying Cross’ at the east end of Church Walk. This is a sensitive area of considerable conservation interest. The Association wrote to the Inspector giving reasons why the Council’s decision should not be over-turned. His decision confirmed the Council’s decision. She has subsequently sold the land to Mr. and Mrs. Rice who own the Lodge.
In regard to the Cripps land, it will be recalled that the Referendum on the proposals had the result that on a turnout of 76%, 70% of those voting supported the proposals and 30% opposed them. The Committee met to consider this result which was considered a decisive endorsement of them. Since then, there have been discussions with the Fosseway Housing Association regarding the access to the site of the proposed shop. These discussions have now been concluded and it is expected that the necessary conveyance will be signed by the end of this month. With this step taken, we expect Park Farms Ltd to submit a planning application to the District Council.
The proposed Village Trust is expected to be established prior to the submission of the planning application. The trustees would then be in a position to participate in all the discussions that take place on the application. The trustees would seek to ensure that the scheme does not depart from that put to the village, and that if modifications of detail are made, they do not impinge adversely on the village.
They would also seek to ensure to the extent possible that concerns raised at various times about the proposals are taken into account in the final designs.
The Association and the Trustees will ensure that the village is kept fully informed on the progress of the discussions as the situation evolves. The Trustees will also be looking to the future to ensure they are in a position to address the issues which will arise assuming the application is approved by the Council.
Reaction from the meeting
· Councillor Evans confirmed that although the ‘village boundary’ has been removed, every planning application will be considered in detail.
· It was asked what confirmation there was that the Trustees would keep to the agreement if the proposal is agreed and goes ahead.
· Councillor Gayler explained that the Structure Plan suggests that development is concentrated on the urban sites in Cirencester, rather than on ‘green’ infill sites.
5.5 Over 60’s
Mr. D Thompson explained that the group had over 60 members, of which 35 – 40 attend at each session. £2 subscriptions are paid each year, and 35p weekly, which provides tea, sandwiches and cake.
Throughout the year, there have been 3 talks, 5 slide shows, 4 entertainers, 2 films, 5 outings, 1 garden visit, 1 free tea, and the subsidised Christmas Dinner.
Mr. Thompson expressed concern that the ages of those attending were rising, and appealed for younger parishioners to join or help.
5.6 Youth Club.
Mr. Thompson reported that there were an average of 25 - 30 members, aged between 6 and 11. £2.50 per member is paid each year and £1 each week.
Volunteers are required to help run the Youth Club.
6. The Chairman closed the meeting by thanking everyone for their contributions. A number of issues had been raised which will be discussed at future Parish Council meetings.