Points of interest from the meetings held in October 2019
Memory Café
The next memory café is Friday 25th October at the Church Hall from 10.30am and is the one year anniversary of this volunteer scheme. Everyone who has Dementia, and those caring for someone with Dementia is welcome to attend. There is a relaxed atmosphere with singing, and music from local musicians. There is complimentary tea, coffee, cake and biscuits. You can contact 07920 798824 for more details.
Nationwide Volunteers at Badbury
We had a team of 7 volunteers from Badbury who were tasked with clearing back the footpath in Badbury. They are part of a local volunteer organisation who allow their staff members to take paid days of to do local volunteer work. If you can think of anything else the Parish Council could apply to have volunteers for then please do let the Clerk know.
New planter on Norris Close
After a long council discussion with comments heard from a number of residents; the Parish Council voted to install a new wooden planter on the green area of Norris Close. The decision was not an easy one and you can read the full letter to residents on our website in the “News” section. Overall the council had to balance concerns over safety of pedestrians and children playing, along with property damage compared to access needs of other residents. There are still other access points to the green area for the occasional need to access the grass via vehicle.
Welcome back to Cllr Andrew McDonald
The Parish Council is pleased to welcome back Cllr McDonald who was co-opted onto the council Monday 14th October by unanimous vote.
Cllr McDonald had to leave the council earlier this year for personal reasons but is now able to re-join. He lives in Chiseldon with his family.
Beat the Street is back for 2019 (From Swindon Borough Council website)
Last year, more than 32,000 people across Swindon walked, ran and cycled a record-breaking 313,000 miles in just six weeks as part of the Beat the Street challenge.
Beat the Street encourages people to walk, cycle and explore their area by turning whole towns and cities into a giant game. Players tap cards and fobs against sensors called Beat Boxes while walking or cycling to earn points towards their school or workplace.
The scheme starts on 25th Sept this year and runs for 6 weeks. All primary school children will be given a fob.
Community Speed Watch
The group are looking for more volunteers to be trained to do speed watch activities on roads in the parish. Full training is provided and results are given to the police, letters and a police visit can then be triggered when a threshold is met. This is not a Parish Council led initiative but one of our Cllrs heads-up the local group. Please contact the Clerk if you wish to discuss this further and I can put you in touch.
Planning Application for 2 drive-thru outlets on the land on the A346 adjacent to the Esso Station.
The council discussed this application at the full council meeting on Monday 14th October and voted to object to this application. You can read the full comments that the Parish Council sent back to Swindon Borough Council, on the PC’s website. A copy can also be requested from the Parish Clerk
Residents can forward their own comments on this application directly to Swindon Borough Council by emailing sbcdc@swindon.gov.uk please do CC the Parish Clerk so we can be aware of your comments. The deadline to comment is 28th Oct 2019.
Christmas tree and lights
Work is proceeding for the Christmas tree and lights on New Road again this year. The council approved the costs and we will organise tree delivery in due course. We will be approaching local businesses this year to see if they could contribute some funds towards this and so far our thanks go to the Landmark Hotel and Cameo Hairdressers for their kind donations towards the costs. Even a small amount would help to keep costs down out of parish funds. The date for the grand switch on is Wed 4th December 6.00pm. We will be inviting local children’s groups along and have the fabulous “10 in a bar” singing carols for us and mulled wine and hot chocolate afterwards at the Chiseldon Sports and Social Club who have kindly opened their doors to us again.
Badbury SHELAA site
The Council voted to object to the proposed housing site SO432 in Badbury on the current draft SHELAA (Strategic Housing and Economic Lane Availability Assessment) and Local plan document review. You can read the Parish Councils response in full on the website www.chiseldon-pc.gov.uk and go to the About the Council/What we do/Planning, Transport Development and Highways/SHELAA and Local plan review page.
New AED (Defibrillator) for Badbury
After posting some flyers around Badbury asking for views on an AED for the area, we are delighted to update you on 2 pieces of good news. An anonymous donation has been offered of £1000 as part payment for a device, and the Parish Council voted in favour of match funding this with a grant of £1000 at the Sept full council meeting. This means the initial cost of an AED has been reached. The proposal is to locate the device inside the red BT box in Badbury. There will be a few more steps to undertake before the device is located but we will start work on this.
Neighbourhood Watch meeting
The next meeting is Monday 25th November at 6.30pm in the Recreation Hall off Norris Close. All residents are welcome to go along. The next meeting is Monday 27th January 2020.
VE Day 2020
The Parish Council have indicated that they’d like to be part of a group organising VE Day celebrations in 2020. It hasn’t been discussed at council yet but if anyone already has any plans for this, we’d love to hear from you to see if we can work together to create something memorable for the Parish.
Update – the council have approved funds to start to make arrangements for this event. The date will be Friday 8th May 2020 in the afternoon on the Recreation Field. Work is now going ahead to organise food and drink, events and activities.
We are currently Co-opting for New Parish Councillors
Want to help make the parish a better place?
Want to work with like-minded people?
Want to be involved more in local matters and give your time and expertise?
Perhaps being a Parish Councillor is the perfect match for you….?
As the election in May was uncontested this leaves the Parish Council with a number of vacant seats that need to be co-opted. This date for this will be Monday 11th November at the next full council meeting at the Old Chapel on Butts Road at 7.30pm. The Co-option notice is at the end of this article. Our website will also have a copy and also further information on the attributes and duties of a Parish Councillor. Please do contact us if you are interested as we will need to have a covering letter and some information from you on why you believe you could be a Parish Councillor.
What is Co-option?
Co-option is a method whereby a Parish Council can elect new Councillors by majority vote. This can happen after an election if not all seats are filled (an un-contested election), or upon the resignation or death of a Cllr between election periods.
Candidates would present themselves to the existing council members at an applicable council meeting who would then vote on the successful applicant.
Local grants and funds available
The Parish Council have set up a short term sub-committee to look into grants and funds that are available to benefit the parish. The committee will look to set up a “wish list” of what the parish needs and can then look at what funds are out there. There is the scope to add residents to this committee so please contact the Clerk in the first instance if you think you can spend some time to help investigate this.
Defibrillators – a reminder
A reminder that the Parish has 2 defibrillators – one outside Cameo Hairdressers on High Street, and one outside the Calley Memorial Hall on Draycott Road. Both units are accessed by calling 999 to gain the code for the box. You cannot use these defibrillators on someone who doesn’t need it as the machine will not work. It also provides audible instructions on how to use them
Recreation Hall on Norris Close & Chapel on Butts Road
The Hall is available to hire on an hourly/morning/afternoon/evening basis. We can also arrange pitch hire for Football or Softball games– please ask us for details.
The hall has undergone a tidy up and now has new carpet and cleaned/painted walls. It makes an excellent space for a gathering/party/occasion.
After its refurbishment summer 2017 the Chapel on Butts Road is now a fully functioning meeting space, as well as being the Clerk’s office.
There is table space for 10 people with extra seating available. There is access to a projector and screen and free wi-fi. Tea and coffee making facilities are provided; you just need to bring your own milk.
This useful local space is available for hire for only £35 per morning/afternoon or evening session subject to availability. Discounts are available for registered charities.
Please contact the Clerk for more information.
Parish Council Grants and Donations fund & Calley Memorial Hall fund
The Parish Council have an annual fund that we can donate to worthy causes within the Parish. If you are a group, charity or society that believe you could benefit from this fund then please contact the Parish Clerk for further details.
The trustees of the Calley Memorial Hall fund are also able to approve grants and donations to worthy causes within the Parish. (This doesn’t have to be connected to users of the Memorial Hall). Please contact the Parish Clerk in the first instance who can provide you with an application form.
(It should be noted that this fund is not connected to the Parish Council)
Home Library Service
There is a Home Library service for Chiseldon Parish. It is run by volunteers and covers all areas of the parish and can deliver books based on your preferences. Call 01793 465 495 for more details.
Next meetings
The monthly Borough Councillors Surgery for Chiseldon Ward which will have a Parish and Borough Councillor in attendance will take place on Saturday 2nd November 11.30 to 12.30 in the Calley Memorial Hall on Draycott Road.
This is an opportunity for residents to discuss any concerns with both Parish and Borough Councillors so do come along and say hello. These sessions can be attended by residents of Chiseldon and Badbury Ward.
The next surgery for Ridgeway Ward is 23rd November 9-11 at Wanborough Village Hall.
The next Full Council meeting of the Parish Council will be on Monday 11th November 2019. This will start at 7.30pm and will be held in the Old Chapel, Butts Road. Residents are welcome to attend and there is a public recess at the start of proceedings, after which residents can choose to leave.
Why I became a Parish councillor, by Cllr Ian Kearsey.
I have for a long time wanted to become more involved in the local community but working hours meant I could not commit to anything, so after retiring I started to look around to see where I could help, using skills and experience gained from my working life.
Recently I was thinking about the council when it was announced that no election would be held for the Parish Council as there were too few candidates to fill all the posts, this inspired me to apply, I was successfully co-opted on.
I had some idea of what the council was responsible for, but perhaps unaware of the legal constraints it has to operate within. One of the hardest parts is remembering that as a councillor you represent the community, and not your-self. This means you have to ignore your own view on whether you like (or dislike) a particular planning application for example, and look at how it fits in the village and local area.
To work as a community the village has to grow and change, the challenge is to ensure that it does so while keeping its character. For the Parish Council opinion to carry any weight with the Swindon Borough Council it has to be expressed in terms of the SBC Planning Rules.
However, I have found it to be very insightful, and am learning a lot about what is involved in running a council, especially as the challenge is growing, with the SBC passing more responsibility to the parish, for example grass cutting. Clair (the Parish Clerk) and my fellow councillors have been a great support along with the training offered by the Borough, and other sources.
A positive aspect is that I have become much more aware of what is happening in the village, not just community events, but small thing like broken fixtures and water leaks, recently walking around the village to complete a number of risk assessments, was an interesting, and healthy exercise.
In summary I have only been involved for approximately 6 months, but I am finding it interesting and rewarding. The Parish Council needs more people to get involved, we are legally allowed 15 councillors, and currently there are only 8 of us. More members would help spread the work-load, increase the experience and broaden the discussions.
If interested please think about joining, “Your Parish needs YOU”
PARISH COUNCIL OF CHISELDON (Chiseldon and Lawn WARD)
VACANCY FOR COUNCILLORS
Notice is hereby given that by reason of an uncontested election on 2nd May 2019, a number of vacancies has occurred among the members of the Parish Council.
Any person willing to fill this vacancy should apply to the Clerk in writing (email is acceptable) on or before Friday 8th November 2019.
Applicants should be free the evening of Monday 12th November 2019 to attend the Parish Council meeting at 7.30pm for the co-option voting procedure.
Being a Parish Councillor is an opportunity to provide time and knowledge to the area where you live in order to help make it a better place.
You will be working with like-minded people who come together as volunteers for the good of the parish.
The applicants name must appear on the current register of the Voters List or the applicant should during the whole of the 12 months preceding the relevant date have resided in or within 3 miles of the parish or the applicants only place of work during the whole of the 12 months preceding the relevant date is in the parish.
The applicant must not be disbarred from standing as a councillor. Applicants living in Badbury Ward meeting the above criteria are also welcome.
Candidates (if successful) should be able to attend Parish Council meetings which can be seen here: https://www.chiseldon-pc.gov.uk/committees/parish-council/
Dated 18th October 2019
Signed: Clair Wilkinson, Parish Clerk
The Old Chapel
Butts Road
Chiseldon Wilts SN4 0NW