South Cerney

Mike Stuart

01285 860439

mikestuart.scerney@btinternet.com

THE Parish Council has been shortlisted as a finalist for the West of England LABC Building Excellence Awards 2018 for the recently completed Fenton’s Community Centre in the “Best Public Service Building” category.

This is a great accomplishment, especially as the winner automatically goes forward to the national finals.

The regional awards ceremony takes place in Bristol on 13th July.

Following the recent advertising for a new Facilities Manager to run both Fenton’s and eventually the Village Hall, Parish Council has received several applications and interviews will be starting in the near future.

The Village Hall Club usually meets on the third Friday evening each month but in July, due to the Hall being booked for a concert on the 20th, the Club night is being changed to Friday 13th July. Anyone can attend as Temporary Members for £3 each. The new year for the Club starts in September when annual fees will remain at £12.50 per member.

Parish Council has requested that users of the Upper Up playing fields do help by ensuring that they follow the basic rules by not leaving litter, by cleaning up after their dogs, by not playing golf anywhere on the field and by not parking overnight in the car park. Due to the two notices on the entrance having faded new ones are being obtained saying that HGVs are prohibited. Full details of the Bye Laws relating to the Playing Fields can be seen on the two notice boards at the facility.

The following items have been obtained from the draft minutes of the May Parish Council meeting available on the official web site;

Councillors Philip Nicholas and Paul Blackford were re-elected as Chair and Vice-Chair respectively. All committee posts were filled.

Despite requests made to the Regional Manager of the Post Office no response was received regarding the closure of the South Cerney Post Office.

To ensure a satisfactory supply of parking cones for future Street Fairs and similar events, Parish Council has agreed to work with the Street Fair committee in purchasing a supply of cones if suitable storage was obtained.

Discussions had been ongoing with GCC Highways over the building of a safe connection between Ham Lane and Sudeley Drive. Plans and costings being prepared but there is a probability that this will need to be a shared cost project.

The footpath between Ham Lane and Broadway Lane (behind Oak Way) is not an adopted public footpath so Parish Council is to make the application for this to be added to the Definitive Map of Public Rights of Way.

The Neighbourhood Development Plan steering group had met the consultant and made a walkabout around the village after which the first draft will be prepared and sent to CDC for “informal comment” followed by agreed modifications, formal consultations with final draft being put to a referendum in this parish.

R-Way Youth Group is growing in popularity and numbers with over 30 members in the younger section and about 15 in the senior group. Several members were involved in the Street Fair running fund raising stalls and games including “volunteers” being drenched by water filled sponges being thrown at them while being placed in the stocks.