24th March 2023

An update on the damage and closure of the road to Hannington has been received today from Gloucestershire Highways -

Please find below a brief summary of the proposed works and situation of the road to Hannington Wick:

The road has 2 pairs and 2 single culverts, all of which are in need of replacing.

A High-Voltage cable has been exposed due to the failure of the headwalls.

The replacement work will involve the moving and relocation of the HV cable by the Electrical Company. We will dig out all the existing stone culverts through the road surface and replace them with precast concrete culverts, then rebuild the headwalls, parapets and railings.

The work will be delivered in the summer when water levels are low, it is expected to take up to 20 weeks to deliver. We will not have an exact start date until the design is completed.

It is GCC’s assessment that we are not able to open this road up to traffic, even on a temporary, restricted and limited basis, until the repairs have been completed in their entirety. I appreciate that this is inconvenient for you, however I am sure you appreciate and agree that safety must come first.

Please see the following message received from Gloucestershire Highways –

Due to serious erosion of the bank, we have taken the decision to close the Hannington Wick Road,

This may remain closed for a while until the water subsides and an inspection of the damage can be undertaken

Apologies to residents who will be affected by this.

Please see attached Election Notices and Everything you need to know about photo ID for the May2023 English local elections

For further information please visit -

https://www.cotswold.gov.uk/about-the-council/elections-and-voting/current-and-future-elections/

Important information for all residents!

As part of new laws introduced by Government, everyone voting in person at a polling

station at this year’s local elections on 4 May will need to show a valid form of ID to be

able to vote

Find out more on the Cotswold District Council website including what ID is accepted and

how to apply for free ID if you don't have one of the accepted forms of ID -

www.cotswold.gov.uk/voterid

Everyone who needs to apply for ID has until the 25 April to do so

Also remember to register to vote by 17 April if you aren’t already registered.

The ID requirements will not affect postal votes so if you

RAF Fairford will be re-starting the formal Retreat at the end of the working day, starting this Thursday, 10 November. 

The Retreat is a daily ceremony held at all USAF military installations across the world, as the national flags are lowered at the end of the day. The ceremony of Retreat is derived from the one of the three required formations in the US Army. These formations date back to the Revolutionary War and were held every day in garrison settings to take a roll call. These were held at Reveille (in the morning), Retreat (at the end of the duty day) and Tattoo (before lights out). Over the years, the ceremonies evolved into a flag raising during Reveille and flag lowering at Retreat to mark the end of the official duty day. Today, the Retreat ceremony serves a twofold purpose; It signals the end of the official duty day and serves as a ceremony for paying respect to the UK and US flags. 

Fairford will only perform the Retreat ceremony, (not Reveille in the morning) which will include the Retreat, followed by the British National Anthem and finishing with the National Anthem of the United States of America. This will be played on the base loud speaker system, and you may be able to hear off base, especially if the weather is clear.

The Retreat will be played at 5:01pm starting on Thursday 10 November, and will be played every Monday to Friday after that, with the exception of US holidays.

Due to the death of Her Majesty the Queen, and the period of national mourning, the Parish Council meeting scheduled for the 20th of September has been cancelled.

In line with Government Guidance, we are unable to issue Agendas during the period of mourning.

Gloucestershire Countywide Cycling Improvement Plan

GCC are currently consulting on their Overarching Cycle Infrastructure Plan. They have secured Dept. for Transport funding to assess approx. 10 long distance rural cycle routes. They have a long list of approx. 20 routes and need to whittle those down to progress.

Kempsford Parish Council is very excited to see that there is a good number of Cotswold routes on the long list – you will hopefully recognise a number of key aspirations in there - we need your help to make sure they make the grade! So often funding and improvements focus mainly on the major towns and cities, leaving rural communities such as ours disappointed.

The Parish Council has been busy over the last year working with Fairford and Lechlade Councils, Lakes by Yoo, our District Councillors and other landowners to provide a safe multi-user path from Fairford to Lechlade. Some of you may have attended the Lakes 103/104 Open Day events and seen the proposed plans.

Whilst currently there is no non-road safe route from Whelford that would connect to the proposed new route, it is hoped that as part of the restoration scheme for the Manor Farm Quarry, in the future we may be able to link up to Dudgrove Lane and access the route.

If you can spare the time to take part in the survey and help us improve cycling routes in our area it would be greatly appreciated.

The link to take the survey is -

https://haveyoursaygloucestershire.uk.engagementhq.com/cycling-improvement-plan/maps/gloucestershire-countywide-cycling-improvement-plan

PRESS RELEASE

19th November: The Lakes by Yoo is partnering with local land owner Cygnet Investments to create a Holiday Home development on a neighbouring 110 acre site.

This extension comprises of four lakes. The largest of the lakes, currently known as Lake 104 will continue to be accessible to the local community and will be renamed as Cotswold Waters.

The current planning consent will see 77 houses built on two existing lakes, 103 and 103A and 69 apartments built on a new lake called Milestone. In future, these lakes will be known as Lily, Malo and Milestone. The overall project will still be referred to as “The Lakes” and the extended estate will be managed by the current Lakes management team.

This extension to the Lakes estate is being developed with the same principles of ecology and conservation at its core. The focus will be on creating beautiful homes while at the same time investing in and improving the existing environment.

Works have already commenced and wherever possible services will be drawn from the immediate locality, namely Fairford and Kempsford.

The existing Lakes estate has historically delivered a significant positive economic contribution to local businesses and this new extension will do the same.

There is also provision for a new leisure facility to be constructed in the future for the benefit of both the residents and the local community, details and timings tbc.

Importantly, a pledge has been made to ensure the continuation of the community access to the land, lakes and footpaths currently enjoyed by local residents.

A responsible and respectful approach to the construction will be maintained at all times.

Lake 104 Update

The temporary footpath closures implemented around Lake 103, 103A and 104 in March has sparked lots of comments and concerns.

There will be many people who have moved to the area who possibly are unaware of the planning permission granted back in 2010.

Kempsford and Fairford Council recognise the importance of the area for walkers and in particular the link between the Whelford Road and Fairford. We have had many discussions with the developers since the closures were put in place and are very pleased to say that they have agreed to allow more sections of path to reopen and also a temporary diversion route linking to the Whelford Road.

Alterations to the fencing and signage are currently being undertaken prior to it becoming an active construction site. It will also be monitored daily for health and safety purposes.

On the North side of the Lake - the erected fencing will remain in place as it will be required for some drainage work in the future. These works will be short and intermittent so in the meantime an opening will be created to allow access along the north edge of the lake. Any short subsequent closures will be advertised prior to works being undertaken.

Please note that the land is privately owned and although there is a public right of way/footpath around the lake, much of the land which we have been used to walking over the years is not a public right of way.

We STRONGLY request that the new fencing and signage is respected to prevent more extensive closures being put back. Construction is expected to take some time and it is hoped that by working together and being respectful of essential closures these can be kept to a minimum.

Thank you.

Residents at risk of flooding in the Cotswolds could soon be getting a helping hand from community flood wardens thanks to a new initiative from Cotswold District Council.

Cotswold District Council is launching a new flood warden scheme with the help of Gloucestershire Rural Community Council (GRCC). The scheme will involve recruiting and training volunteer flood wardens from across the district and provide information and advice to householders on flood precautions.

Cllr Andrew Doherty, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “It's great news that we are introducing the flood warden scheme here in the Cotswolds. We know the effects that floods in recent years have had on our communities and this scheme will help us to create a network of flood wardens from across the district with a wealth of local knowledge and experience.

“Flood wardens are volunteers trained to help and prepare people in local communities who are at risk of flooding and have been very successful in other areas of the county.

“This is a great opportunity for residents at the heart of their communities to provide a valuable link between emergency services, the Council and the authorities responsible for flooding to ensure all work better to prevent and respond to flooding.”

The Flood Warden programme will look to work closely with town and parish councils to recruit and train volunteers across the district, with those areas most prone to flooding targeted first for the scheme.

Flood Wardens act as the eyes and ears of the community. Whether they are out walking their dog, riding a horse or just walking to the shop they can keep an eye out for blocked drains and culverts, tree branches in rivers, and anything else that may cause a flood risk and act as a communication channel between the community and authorities. The Council will provide volunteer wardens with the tools and training necessary to get the job done.

In addition to being community flood watchers, flood wardens are trained to raise awareness of flooding with residents and promote ‘self-help’. The knowledge of local flood wardens is then used to support the preparation and review of Community Flood/Emergency Plans.

Cotswold District Council is working alongside GRCC to roll the initiative out in advance of the next winter season. Further details will be published on our website over the next few weeks.

Earlier in the year, over 100 residents attended the ‘flooding forum’ run by Cotswold District Council for residents affected by the flooding over the winter with the aim of surfacing issues with the responsible agencies and solving long-standing issues with flooding across the Cotswolds. The Council also wrote to Thames Water in an open letter to try and resolve some of the problems with sewage flooding in Cirencester.

For advice and guidance on flooding, please visit: cotswold.gov.uk/flooding

Houses, particularly in the Holford Crescent and Lancaster Road area of Kempsford, have been suffering from waste water problems which have made the downstairs toilets, washing machines and Dishwashers unusable. The problems were traced back to the pumping station near the Church, were the 2 pumps were damaged and were unable to disperse the waste. Tankers have had to be called to remove the waste before they can repair the pumps. The pumps were damaged by materials which should not have been disposed of down the toilets or sinks.

Please do not dispose of items such as disposable nappies, sanitary items and wet wipes down the toilets as these contain plastic which do not break down. Fats and oils should not be disposed of down the sink as they cool to form “Fat Bergs” in the system.

Please see the attached leaflets on how to sign up for extra support during power cuts

The Community Wellbeing Service in the Cotswolds provides support to improve the health and wellbeing of the community and residents. The effects of the COVID19 lockdown have increased the loneliness and social isolation that we faced in the district, along with the effect it has had on those suffering with mental health issues. If you, or anyone you know has faced issues relating to the above, or other factors impacting their health and wellbeing, then please get in contact for our support.

We are accepting new referrals from anyone in the community, health professionals and self-referrals.

For more information on the service and what we can help with please visit our website https://www.grcc.org.uk/individuals-and-families/community-wellbeing-service. To get in contact please call 07738 106384 or email cws.grcc@nhs.net.